eat dessert first
Nothing beats a cold treat on a hot day. Homemade ice cream is fun to make and serves as the base to all kinds of treats, like ice cream cake, Baked Alaska, ice cream sandwiches and more.
Baked Alaska is one of my favorite desserts. It combines a few of my favorite things: ice cream, meringue and a blow torch 😉! A traditional Baked Alaska is simple and elegant, and you can customize yours with all kinds of flavors. Here, you’ll learn how to make traditional Baked […]
This peach melba ice cream post is sponsored by Diamond Crystal Salt. All opinions are my own. The summeriest fruit is a perfectly ripe peach. It is exquisite all on its own but made better paired with ice cream and a drizzle of raspberry sauce. What I’ve just described is […]
When making homemade ice cream, you have to start with a really great base, which for me means lusciously smooth, with a dense and silky texture. The flavor should be rich, but not too buttery (greasy) and I always start my “French custard” ice cream base with vanilla. So start […]
It is Sweet Corn season in Minnesota and this year it’s incredible. My friend’s family has an organic corn farm and he delivered dozens of ears to me, which I have made into corn chowder and this brilliant Sweet Corn Ice Cream. The taste of corn can be easily overpowered, […]
These are the orange creamsicle pops that I made on season 3 episode 8 of Zoë Bakes on Magnolia Network! In this episode I taste my way through the Minnesota State Fair with my friend and fellow cookbook author, Jessie Sheehan. Inspired by our visit, I make an angel food […]
I made this chocolate icebox cake with homemade wafer cookies and caramel cream in the middle of summer for season 3 episode 6 of Zoë Bakes! It’s hilarious that it just so happens to be available for streaming today, in the middle of a Minnesota blizzard with dangerous wind chills […]
If you grow mint in your garden, you know it goes crazy. The little herb can take over any space, but if you give it room and let some grow, you also have a fresh and refreshing jolt for recipes. One of my favorite ways to use mint is in […]
If you’ve followed my work for a while, you likely know that I love Baked Alaska. I have several on this site, including a red, white and blue version for the Fourth of July, a coffee bourbon chocolate baked Alaska, and a passion fruit baked Alaska, which I have dubbed […]
It’s 90°F in the shade and I just can’t bring myself to fire up the oven today. So, the only reasonable thing to do is make a 4th of July Baked Alaska with homemade ice cream and top it with flaming meringue. If you don’t want to make your own […]
There is nothing more satisfying than a perfectly ripe peach. When that happens, it is my job, as a pastry chef, not to screw it up. Nature is perfect, and often deserves to be left in its most pure form. Having said that, I am a pastry chef and what […]
I wait all winter long for the rhubarb to pop up, signaling spring has arrived. Then, way too fast, the precious plants are bolting and done for the season. In a panic I pick all the rhubarb from my dad’s garden to bake it and freeze the stalks for a […]
This Chocolate Fudge Cake with Strawberry Salsa and Candied Flowers is a rich and chocolatey treat! The strawberry salsa is optional, but is a gorgeous and fun topping. It’s been two decades since I worked in a professional kitchen as a pastry chef. After all these years, I still miss […]