eat dessert first
Bars are a layered dessert baked in a pan resembling a brownie (or cookie or pie) and can be made with fruit, caramel, chocolate, or anything else your pantry contains. In Minnesota, every family has their own bar recipes that are usually a tightly held secret, but the results are shared with neighbors, friends, family, and in church basements. Be sure to check out my book, Zoë Bakes Cookies, which is filled with cookies and bars.
These Super Bowl Bars feature a little bit of everything—chocolate, peanuts, marshmallows, pretzels and more—to make for a salty sweet treat perfect for a party. I love watching the Super Bowl. I don’t want you to get the false impression that I follow any team in particular, or even the sport […]
This is the perfect pairing of a sweet, rich, brown butter blondie and the tartness of rhubarb crisp in the spring (or cranberry crisp if you’re feeling festive around the holidays)! This Cranberry Variation is perfect for the Thanksgiving or even Christmas table. I suggest baking a double batch in […]
This post was originally written in 2011 and it is hilarious for me to read it since my boys are now 23- and 25-year-old men and no longer have little fingers because they’re 6 feet tall. The only thing that remains the same 13 years later; they still love these […]
You can’t attend a gathering in Minnesota without bringing some bars. I made these sour cherry streusel bars on an episode of Zoë Bakes that pays homage to my Nordic heritage. It’s a simple recipe that shows off just a bit of tartness from the sour cherries. The episode also […]
These are the brownies I make for my son, Charlie, and his roommates in season 1, episode 6 of Zoë Bakes on Magnolia Network. The recipe is a crowd pleaser because you use a delicious brownie base, then you can customize with up to 4 different toppings! Tips For Perfect […]
When my best friend delivered the most perfect raspberries, she just hand picked, along with homemade raspberry preserves to my front porch and the mail woman brought me Edd Kimber’s newest book, One Tin Bakes, that’s kismet. I opened the book to the page with the Raspberry Cheesecake Streusel Bars […]
My Granny Neal made a version of these Sticky Coconut Maple Bars every Christmas. They’re really perfect for any occasion, but when I was a little kid they were a special treat reserved for Christmas morning. Enjoy! These are inspired by my Granny’s holiday coconut bars, which I later realized […]
There seem to be two schools of thought about Thanksgiving desserts. Those who must have pumpkin pie and those who avoid anything pumpkin, other than the spice mix. I am squarely in the pumpkin camp and so is my whole family, but if you or someone you love is not, […]
These No-bake Chocolate Pepita Crunch Bars are a candy and a brownie all in one. There is no baking, so they’re perfect in the summer or a great holiday treat to go along with all the cookies you’ll be trading at your cookie swaps.
I made these chocolate mousse bars for an Oscars party. They are simple to make (no baking required), but fancy enough to eat while watching the red carpet glitter or for any other occasion.
I first made brown butter rice krispie treats in 2011 when I visited Flour Bakery in Boston. The esteemed pastry chef, Joanne Chang, improved on a childhood favorite by adding one of my all-time favorite flavors: brown butter. I was smitten.
These brownies have secrets! I baked them, passed them out to my family, my neighbors and my friends to see what they thought. I didn’t say anything, just asked for their honest opinions and this is what I got… “they are so RICH,” “beyond decadent,” “Amazing,” “Great, can I have […]