Wild Sweetness: Recipes Inspired by Nature

Butter and Brioche blogger Ho offers 95 delicious dessert recipes inspired by the natural world in her innovative debut. The recipes call for ingredients uncommon to most pantries, and home cooks who stock up on the herbs, dried berries, flower petals, and fruit liqueurs that are infused into the desserts will find some striking variations on classic options. Herbes de Provence is the star of an almond tea loaf, ground sumac is used in a buckle, and ras el hanout features in a s’mores pie. Fans of white chocolate will appreciate its use in an ice cream that incorporates the piney notes of juniper and rosemary along with the tartness of fresh peaches and ginger. Beautifully photographed scenes of misty woods lend atmosphere to recipes that are roughly organized by season: a beetroot mudcake and winter citrus cake ring of chillier months, while sea salt violet cupcakes, and a fig and boysenberry frozen yogurt tart sing of summer. Fans of Ho’s blog will be happy to see its vibe translates well to print, with plenty of affirming aphorisms (“Come in with a good intention, and leave everything else behind”) sprinkled throughout. This tasteful guide to off-the-beaten-path confections enchants. (Mar.)