Following on from her critically acclaimed debut cookbook Bitter, Alexina Anatole is back with a fascinating – and delicious – exploration of a whole new flavour profile: sweetness.
Aptly named Sweet, this beautifully photographed cookbook lifts the lid on the secrets of dessert-making. Across ten chapters spotlighting hero ingredients such as strawberries, vanilla, peaches, milk and honey, and coconut, Alexina shares a tantalising, inventive collection of elevated sweet (and even a few savoury) dishes, each containing “balancing elements” such as umami, salt, sourness or bitterness to add complexity, contrast, and depth of flavour.
Out now
Sweet
Discover the secrets to mastering dessert-making with 80 delicious recipes
Organised according to hero sweet ingredients, from vanilla to honey, strawberry to peach
The perfect cookbook for budding bakers, keen hosts and anyone with a sweet tooth
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You’ll also find an informative introduction covering everything you need to know about sweetness, sugar, and crafting the perfect dessert, and a helpful list of the book’s recipes organised according to occasion, whether you’re searching for something sweet for breakfast, comfort, speed, dinner parties, or weekends and celebrations.
To give you a taste of some of the incredible recipes you’ll find inside Sweet, we’ve rounded up 10 of our favourites – one from each chapter – that will satisfy every kind of sweet tooth.
Brown sugar
Salted Molasses Fudge
Fudge is the ultimate sweet tooth’s treat, but this elevated version brings contrasting umami and salty flavours, thanks to its molasses base and a sprinkling of sea salt.
Bananas and plantain
Banana and Sesame Soufflé Pancakes
Ideal for an indulgent weekend breakfast, these light and fluffy Japanese-inspired pancakes are finished with a crust of white and black sesame seeds to balance out the sweetness of the banana- and vanilla-flavoured batter.
Strawberries
Japanese Strawberry Shortcake
Taking further inspiration from the light and airy texture of Japanese baking, this show-stopping cake incorporates fresh and freezer-dried strawberries for added depth of flavour.
Peaches
Whipped Salted Yoghurt with Rooibos Peaches
Described by Alexina herself as a “dessert for people who don’t really ‘do’ desserts”, this no-bake dish features poached peaches infused with cloves and earthy rooibos tea, on a bed of slightly tangy and salty whipped yoghurt and mascarpone.
Coconut
Mango, Coconut and Lime Layer Cake
Ideal for celebrations, this three-layer cake comprises coconut sponge, a tart yet fruity mango and lime curd, and a subtly tangy cream filling for the ultimate medley of bright flavours.
Vanilla
White Chocolate, Miso and Sesame Cookies
With the help of sesame seeds and umami white miso, these cookies have the perfect balance of sweet, salty, umami and bitter tastes.
Milk and honey
Little Lemon and Honey Cakes
Comprising a light almond and brown butter sponge, topped with a lemon glaze and candied peel, these individual zesty cakes are Alexina’s take on the financiers and friands of French cuisine.
Pears
Pear Sorbet with Frozen Roquefort
Ideal as a dinner party palate cleanser, pre-dessert, or stand-in for your typical cheese course, this versatile sorbet can be made with a dash of vodka for a boozy touch, and finished with an optional topping of frozen crumbled roquefort for a salty and umami hit.
Dates and dried fruit
Sticky Figgy Pudding with Walnut Butterscotch
This take on a classic stick toffee pudding swaps the usual ingredient of dates for dried figs, for a touch of fruity sweetness. Served with a subtly bitter walnut butterscotch sauce and cold, tangy crème fraîche, this is cold-weather comfort in a bowl.
Sweetness in a savoury world
Focaccia with Strawberries and Fennel Seeds
An unusual yet brilliant combination of sweet and savoury, this homemade focaccia recipe sees sweet strawberries balanced with the aromatic liquorice notes of fennel seeds, all tied together by a light and pillowy dough.
