Thyme for Dessert is a stunningly photographed and practically minded celebration of West Coast flavours for the sweet-toothed that is sure to delight locals and visitors alike. This decadent book of dessert recipes embraces the varied flavours of the West Coast, drawing from its abundant wild and cultivated plants and from its rich medley of cultures to create mouthwatering local recipes. Covering cookies, bars, breads, cakes, pies, pastries, and frozen desserts, you’ll find treats for sugar-lovers and savoury dessert fans alike in this small but mighty cookbook perfectly sized for everyday kitchen use. With ample suggestions for substitutions and a section on preserving, the home chef will find these recipes practical enough to incorporate into daily life and unique enough to impress on special occasions. Thyme for Dessert includes every type of West Coast ingredient: from local plants like spruce tips and haskaps, and abundant introduced vegetation like blackberries and zucchinis, as well as iconic staples from vibrant local immigrant communities such as garam masala and truffles. DL Acken's latest cookbook is a gorgeous tribute to the rich flavours of her home region that showcases delicious sweets that will entice locals and visitors alike. Praise for DL Acken "It’s easy to be inspired by the terroir on and around Vancouver Island, but Acken and Lycopolus divide (into forest, field, farm and sea) and conquer with a stunningly beautiful yet very usable cookbook."— Globe and Mail l "Lush and eloquent . . . Cedar and Salt is among a new breed of regional Canadian explorations. Inextricable from its location, it's a snapshot of a specific food culture with expansive appeal all the same." — National Post "This cookbook focusses a lot on the abundance of Vancouver Island’s local ingredients that grow year-round in some cases." — Victoria Buzz "Although the recipes are based on ingredients found on Vancouver Island, a wonderland for all the foodies who like local, farm-to-table, foraged, fresh, organic and free-range fare, cooks across Canada can obtain the vast majority of ingredients in their neighbourhoods." — BC Magazine "This beautifully-illustrated cookbook by DL Acken and Aurelia Louvet explores the world of fresh B.C. seafood, with recipes and photos that will send you straight to the fishmonger." — YAM Magazine "This is a thoughtful cookbook—one for our time, when the food we eat is not just about achieving the best flavour and long-lasting sustenance (though of course those considerations remain a constant), but also when the ingredients we reach for and the food businesses we support are a reflection of how we value our community and how we treat the planet.” — EAT Magazine "As lovers of food and photography, we can’t think of a more inviting activity this season than to hunker down in the kitchen with the newly published, hyper-local Vancouver Island cookbook, Cedar and Salt ." — The Islandist " Off The Hook reads more like a love letter to the West Coast than your typical collection of recipes . . . you’ll come away with a much deeper respect for our ocean and its bounty. A must-have for any West Coast kitchen." — Vancouver Courier "The book is small in size but loaded with inspiring recipes using seafood of the West Coast, one of the best sources of sustainable seafood in the world. From spot prawns to Dungeness crab to smoked salmon, the book offers simple techniques that will appeal to home cooks of any skill level." —Julie Van Rosendaal, bestelling author and food writer Danielle (DL) Acken is a Canadian-born international food writer and photographer who splits her time between London, UK and her farm studio on Canada’s beautiful Salt Spring Island. See her work at dlacken.com. Aurelia Louvet is a dedicated home cook and food stylist formerly based on Canada’s gorgeous Salt Spring Island. Having lived and eaten around the world, Aurelia is known for her evocative style that combines modern North American sensibility and classic European beauty. She currently resides in Spain with her family. Visit her at aurelialouvet.com. INTRODUCTION The recipes in this book are inspired by the abundance of flavours that surrounded me when I was growing up on Canada's western islands. From the glut of wild indigenous ingredients that flourish on the lands of the Coast Salish, Nuu-chah-nulth, and Kwakwaka'wakw peoples to the myriad of international influences delivered through layers of both Asian and European culinary traditions, the combinations of available ingredients offer a distinctly West Coast twist to many of my favourite traditional baked goods and desserts. In this book, shortbread finds new glam with the addition of spruce tips, cannoli cones get a hit of umami from the inclusion of shiro miso paste, and fruit-filled soda bread transforms into biscotti-style crackers to adorn the classic after-dinner cheese plate. While these recipes may sound hyper-local, they're also readily accessi