In the first three months of social isolation, when I was living with an avid baker and eating a steady stream of desserts (not to mention all of the bread), I started experiencing a mysterious flavor. First I tasted a whipped cream that was unusually complex: creamy, yes, but also a bit salty and floral. Then I had a cookie with that same mysterious deliciousness. Then a piece of banana bread.
It turned out I was tasting something Iād spent my life maligning: a flavored salt.
I am a salt purist. I keep kosher salt for everyday cooking and flaky Maldon for serving, and both are kept in a double-sided salt cellar so that they are readily accessible.
But lemon salt? Lavender salt? God forbid, bacon salt? I had no room in my life, let along my spice cabinet, for those.
Then I met that mysterious flavor, a.k.a. vanilla salt. Itās just what it sounds like: sea salt mixed with flecks of vanilla bean. When used as a finishing salt, it adds an extra layer of aromatic vanilla along with the savorinessāand general flavor-enhancing propertiesāof salt. Rather than a useless novelty, I found this flavored salt to actually bring something to the tableānamely, the flavor of vanilla in a way that even vanilla extract canāt match.
Now Iām using vanilla salt everywhere. My favorite applications are stirring it into whipped cream (Pro tip: Mix this into coffee!) and cream cheese frosting. Next Iām trying it on browniesāand stirred into caramel. The intricate sweet-saltiness of it is actually inspiring me to take on my own baking projects, just so I can incorporate vanilla salt, especially since Iām no longer living with a steady supply of treats.
I donāt know if this vanilla salt obsession is a slippery slope. I hope for the sake of my spice cabinet that it doesnāt lead to a full-on flavored salt collection. I doubt that it will. Bacon salt whipped cream just doesnāt seem like itād have the same kind of pull.
