Sweet: The Secret to the Best Desserts, written by Alexina Anatole, features over 80 recipes showcasing sweet flavors using a variety of ingredients and techniques designed for the home cook. A few highlights include Carrot Halwa Cake, Banana + Sesame Soufflé Pancakes, Matcha Tiramisu, Piña Colada Cheesecake, Cereal Milk Panna Cotta, and Cranberry Welsh Cakes. I will also be sharing her recipe for Brown Butter Brown Sugar Brownies following the review.
Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book from Interlink Books in exchange for my honest review. All comments and opinions are my own.
Alexina Anatole
Alexina Anatole is a chef, TV presenter, and writer. She was born in Brighton, grew up in Paris, and is currently based in London.
She was also a finalist on MasterChef UK 2021, runs events such as Sel (London’s most intimate supper club), and writes Small Wins- a Substack newsletter “that enhances your cooking and your life in small, manageable ways.”
This is her second book in the series. She is also the author of Bitter with Sour, Salty, and Umami to follow.
Sweet
Alexina begins Sweet with a short introduction and an overview of sugar from the different types and how they interact in a recipe to notes on taste/flavor and understanding your own palate.
She states, “This is not a book aimed at pastry chefs. I am a keen baker but an impatient technician, so most of these recipes give you maximum flavor for low effort.” I especially love this focus on not only the individual recipes, but also breaking down the process to incorporate into everyday baking and cooking.
Chapters are divided based on ingredient: Brown Sugar, Bananas + Plantains, Strawberries, Peaches, Coconut, Vanilla, Milk + Honey, Pears, Dates + Dried Fruit, and Sweetness in a Savory World. She has also included a recipe list for easy reference with the following categories: For Breakfast, For Comfort, For Speed, For Dinner Parties, For Weekends + Celebrations, and For Summer Lunches + Picnics.
The photography is provided by Yuki Sugiura. Many of the recipes are paired with a full-page photo of the finished dish.
Measurements are listed in US Customary and Metric. Titles are written in English. Each recipe has specific notes and helpful tips with balancing elements, required equipment, and variations.
Brown Butter Brown Sugar Brownies
Of everything I have tried so far, the Brown Butter Brown Sugar Brownies are my current favorite. They are quite the decadent treat with salted brown butter and three types of chocolate blended into every bite. Alexina states, “This recipe is my idea of the perfect brownie: dark, fudgy and unadorned.”
All this flavor also comes with minimal effort. Start by browning the butter over medium heat until golden and nutty. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then pour over the chocolate pieces. Once melted, whisk together to blend before beating with the remaining ingredients and forming a thick, glossy batter.
Transfer the batter to an 8×8 inch (20×20 centimeter) square baking dish (I lined mine with parchment, but you could also grease with additional butter) and bake just until set with a skewer inserted in the center comes out with damp crumbs.
After baking, the Brown Butter Brown Sugar Brownies can be enjoyed warm from the oven (allow to cool slightly to allow for easier cutting), at room temperature, or even the next day when they are actually at their best for a make-ahead dessert perfect for celebrations and entertaining.
I cut the brownies into 9 squares for the photos. Due to their indulgence, Alexina recommends dividing them into 16 brownie bites. Another option is to bake them in silicone financier molds to form individual brownie fingers (with a shorter baking time).
A Few Brown Butter Brown Sugar Brownie Tips
Use a metal saucepan so you can see the color change while browning the butter. Do not step away as the mixture becomes golden. This step happens quickly and it will continue cooking as you remove the pan from heat.
Alexina mentions in the introduction that you could make these brownies more sweet by using a higher proportion of milk chocolate or adding mix-ins such as marshmallows or white chocolate chips. For a less sweet focus, use only dark chocolate or add a pinch of ground cardamom and/or top with a few cocoa nibs.
Another variation is to incorporate about 3 tablespoons white miso into the batter for a more umami flavor.
More Sweet
I also made the Strawberries + Cream Cake; Double Coconut Granola; White Chocolate, Miso + Sesame Cookies; and Rosemary Milk Buns.
The Strawberries + Cream Cake was a delicious way to use up leftover buttermilk and strawberries. A buttermilk and heavy cream-based cake batter is filled with fresh strawberries, then baked until golden. The resulting pudding-like texture from the moisture of the strawberries was a wonderful contrast to the crunchy turbinado sugar topping.
The Double Coconut Granola has both flaked coconut and coconut oil tossed with cardamom-spiced blend of maple syrup, oats, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds. This mixture is baked in a single layer until golden and crisp for a perfect pairing with yogurt. If you are looking for something a little different, Alexina has also shared a chocolate variation.
The very first recipe I tried from the book was for the White Chocolate, Miso + Sesame Cookies. It was such an incredible start. The cookie dough comes together with salted butter, white miso, and eggs before folding in white chocolate. After some time to rest in the refrigerator, the cookies are sliced, covered in sesame seeds, and baked until golden.
For Thanksgiving, I made the Rosemary Milk Buns from the Sweetness in a Savory World chapter. These light and fluffy yeast-based rolls were loosely inspired by Hokkaido milk bread. I absolutely loved the rosemary incorporated into the rolls and infused into a honey butter glaze brushed over the top.
Sweet is a fantastic pick for those looking for sweet-based recipes with flavors and influences from around the world. There are options for every occasion from fun and inspiring baking projects to decadent cakes and make-ahead desserts perfect for entertaining.
Many of the ingredients can be found in larger American grocery stores. A few items may require further searching such as Okinawa black sugar, dried pineapple flowers, phyllo, pistachio paste, burrata, currants, blood oranges, orange blossom water, cocoa nibs, and date molasses. Substitutions are provided when possible.
Brown Butter Brown Sugar Brownies Recipe
Except from Sweet
Brown Butter Brown Sugar Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 sticks (160 grams) salted butter plus (optional) extra for greasing
- 3 1/2 ounces (100 grams) dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa solids), roughly chopped
- 3 1/2 ounces (100 grams) milk chocolate at least 45% cocoa solids), roughly chopped
- 4 eggs
- 2/3 cup (120 grams) sugar superfine if you have it
- 1/2 cup (120 grams) light muscovado (or light brown) sugar
- 2/3 cup (80 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- sea salt flakes to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F (180˚C). Line your (8×8 inch/20×20 centimeter) pan with parchment paper.
- Place the chocolate in a heatproof mixing bowl.
- Separately, in a small metal saucepan (so you can see it change color), melt the butter over low heat.
- Once melted turn the heat up to medium and allow the butter to simmer gently until it turns golden and smells nutty, up to 10 minutes. At this point, keep an eye on it constantly and take it to a deep golden brown, removing it from the heat as soon as it's reached this level (as it will continue cooking beyond this moment).
- Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then pour the browned butter (milk solids and all) straight over the chocolate. Leave to sit for 2 minutes before stirring until the chocolate is completely (or mostly) melted.
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to mix the eggs and both sugars just until evenly combined.
- Gently fold in the melted chocolate and butter, then sift in the flour and cocoa powder, and add the salt.
- Fold the flour gently into the mix, stopping as soon as everything is combined- you should be left with a glossy batter.
- Pour the brownie mix into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with some flaky sea salt, then bake for around 35-40 minutes until the top is glossy and an inserted skewer comes out with damp crumbs (you want to err on the side of undercooked with brownies).
- Eat warm or leave the brownies to cool in their tin (they will cut more neatly if allowed to fully cool and set). They're at their best the next day.
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