Sweet & Salty

When I was little, the idea of mixing sweet and salty sounded completely wrong to me. Thankfully, my palate has grown up—because now that combination feels not just delicious, but essential.

Full disclosure: I LOVE salt. In baking, it’s rarely about making something taste salty—it’s about sharpening, deepening, and elevating every other flavor. Even in sweet recipes, salt is the quiet ingredient doing the most work.

I use a salted butter block in most of my laminated doughs, a habit I picked up from Claire Saffitz’s Dessert Person, where she uses it for kouign-amann and croissants. It completely changed how I think about butter-forward pastries. I also reach for salted butter in shortcake biscuits and shortbread cookies. There’s a clear pattern: wherever butter is the star, salt is what makes it shine. I like to say, “salt is butter’s best friend”—and often, a small extra pinch is what takes a recipe from good to unforgettable.

When it comes to finishing sweet bakes, nothing beats the contrast of a delicate crunch of sea salt against sugar. A flaky sprinkle on brownies, chocolate chip cookies, or anything caramel-based creates that perfect sweet-salty balance that keeps you coming back for another bite.

My go-to is Maldon sea salt flakes. The crystals are large, crisp, and hold their texture beautifully, giving you that signature crunch right where you want it. It’s also easy to find, which makes it a reliable staple. Just be careful not to confuse flaky sea salt with coarse salt—while they may look similar, they behave very differently in a finished bake.

So don’t be afraid of salt—just learn how to use it.