Where to find flaky sea salt?

Where do I find flaky salt (fleur de sel)? I have two cookie recipes which require this ingredient. I had to substitute with fine sea salt instead. I am guessing that most people buy this online.

shorty wrote:Where do I find flaky salt (fleur de sel)? I have two cookie recipes which require this ingredient. I had to substitute with fine sea salt instead. I am guessing that most people buy this online.

Fleur de sel is available anywhere that sells good spices--spice house, penzey's, Whole Foods, William Sonoma, etc. I've also found a great range of different sea and specialty salts at places like HomeGoods. Heck, these days, I wouldn't be surprised if basic grocery stores like Jewel and Mariano's carry a few options. Whatever you do, don't use a fine grain salt --pretty sure for a cookie recipe, the salt is intended to remain distinct--a fine salt would likely end up being much too salty and not give the right aesthetic.

Hi,

I am not totally sold on the salt on top of cookies, caramels and such. You might want to try the cookie with and without salt, then decide what you like.

I do agree with Boudreaulicious, you should not substitute fine sea salt.

Regards,
Cathy2

Cathy, I made Dorie's revised World Peace Cookie with fine sea salt (http://doriegreenspan.com/recipe/world-peace-cookies-the-newest-version-from-dories-cookies-sneak-peek/) before I saw your reply . I felt that it tasted slightly too salty. The cookie was really hard to make. The dough was very crumbly.

shorty wrote:Cathy, I made Dorie's revised World Peace Cookie with fine sea salt (http://doriegreenspan.com/recipe/world-peace-cookies-the-newest-version-from-dories-cookies-sneak-peek/) before I saw your reply . I felt that it tasted slightly too salty. The cookie was really hard to make. The dough was very crumbly.

Did you weigh or measure out your ingredients? If you measured, you likely added more flour than was needed. If it was crumbly dough, I might have added some water in very slight increments until it held together.

I notice when I am making pie crusts, some flours seem drier (age? ambient humidity?). I add more water than I would have anticipated.

I am sure your cookies were still delicious. If they are crumbly, you could put them on top of ice cream as if this was your plan all along!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Regards,
Cathy2

These are crumbly. It's just that kind of cookie dough. In the notes she says just push the pieces back together if they fall apart. They are worth it though, and I really like the salt on top with these.

Yeah those cookies are like chocolate shortbread and thus very crumbly. As a rule of thumb, when using fine salt in place of a coarse or flaky salt, halve the amount of salt.

The last time I was at Joong Boo Korean Market (where Kimball runs under 94) they had a product called "snowflake salt". This to me was identical in texture to flaky sea salt I've seen sold elsewhere, and quite a bit cheaper as well.