4 Tips For Creating Savory Desserts

The culinary arts – just like any other art form – are constantly in flux. Food goes through movements in which a flavor profile, ingredient or dish is popular. Allrecipes.com conducted a study of the current and upcoming trends in home cooking and found that more people are making desserts with a savory twist. This trend – projected to reach into 2014 – is the most popular with millennials. Of those surveyed, 18 percent in this demographic have made a savory dessert in the last year. Comparatively, only 8 percent of baby boomers whipped up a savory treat.

Learn a thing or two about combining flavor profiles in dessert while taking online pastry courses. You might just find that the trend suits your personal tastes. Here’s a few tips and tricks.

1. Use herbs
Herbs are a great tool for cooking and baking alike. The right spice can elevate a dish from bland to fantastic. Use familiar herbs for your next treat. For example, basil is classically paired with tomato. You can turn the tables by mixing this herb with strawberry, which sweetens the flavor of the basil while still maintaining its potency. The survey found that 61 percent of home cooks prefer cupcakes over any other type of dessert. Make a strawberry cupcake with vanilla basil frosting to follow the trends.

2. Mix sugar and salt
Salty sweet snacks have been popular for ages. This quintessential pairing can be seen in foods like chocolate-covered pretzels. Take it a step further to make salt the star of your dessert and transform lowly ingredients into something delectable. For example, make popcorn ice cream to be served a la mode with a brownie and salted caramel sauce. Play upon your inspiration by adding crunchy elements such as hard caramel pieces and nuts.

3. Spice it up
Sugar and spice certainly make things nice. Bring some heat to your next dessert to create a dish that is at once fierce and sweet. Chocolate and chili is a combination that has been on the market for a little while, though diners are just starting to embrace it. This wining combination can be implemented in just about any way you can imagine, including sauces, ice cream and cake.

4. Update the classics
Carrot cake and ginger bread are savory desserts that have been enjoyed for ages. Join the trend by upgrading these dishes to transcend their familiar flavor. For example, ginger is a common ingredient in Asian dishes. Play up its origins by implementing other Asian flavors in your dessert. For example, top a coconut-ginger pudding with toasted sesame seeds.