eat dessert first
Cherries may be best known as Northeastern fruit (D.C. cherry blossoms, anyone?), but different varieties are plentiful across the northern states. I love using cherries in cakes and desserts because they are tart AND sweet, making them a burst of balanced fruit flavor. They’re tasty in toppings, filling or inside […]
Why should fall and winter get all the pie fun? Yes, pie is the perfect dessert for a holiday gathering, but let’s not forget about all the fruit pies for summer. You’ll find blueberries, strawberries, cherries, and more in this collection of summer pie recipes. Looking for more pie recipes […]
This beautiful cinnamon star bread recipe is shockingly easy to create. It’s perfect for so many occasions—from holiday breakfast to a regular old Saturday brunch. The beauty of this easier-than-it-looks recipe is that you can play with the flavors to match your mood, sweet or savory! You’ll find the recipe […]
I love tropical desserts because of the sweet, tart flavors. Key lime pie, for example, is one of my favorite desserts and I seek it out whenever I can. Plus, tropical fruits are vibrant and colorful, which makes for a gorgeous serving plate. I’ve put together a list of some […]
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 […]
Kick off your summer with some tasty Memorial Day desserts. These recipes will please a crowd and are great for the summer season. Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of summer here in Minnesota. I think that’s true almost everywhere, but after the long, cold winter and often erratic […]
This lime angel pie features lime curd, a beautiful meringue and fresh berries. Think of it like a key lime pie filling in a beautiful Swiss Meringue shell! When my grandmother passed away she left me her recipe box, her collection of Norwegian spoons, other sentimental things from my childhood […]
There are a few classic dessert flavors, but perhaps none more so than peanut butter. Its rich, creamy texture and unmistakable taste always transport me right back to childhood. I’ve put together a list of my favorite peanut butter desserts to bring you back to that happy place too, and […]
When my boys were little my dad set up elaborate egg hunts for them on Easter. A tradition he took very seriously and had started when I was a little girl. In the mid 1970s, when I was about 7, my dad decided to surprise the neighborhood kids and rented a […]
If you have my book, Zoë Bakes Cakes, you likely know from the intro that the story of my life with sweets started with an auspicious meeting with the humble Twinkie. I would never presume to create anything as iconic as the original, but these homemade Twinkies are freakin’ delicious.
Bold, bright and perfect for spring, these 14 lemon desserts are sure to please! Whether you are searching for an Easter dessert or a little ray of sunshine as you wait for the warmest days of spring, these are the recipes for you. Tart, bright, delicious, versatile — you can […]
Every bite of this bright and dreamy lemon-curd pound cake has all the enthusiasm of a spring morning. There are layers of tartness from the luxurious lemon curd, lemon zest, and pieces of baked lemon that nestle perfectly into the buttery rich batter. A light and easy drizzle of lemon […]
I'm Zoë François and I love to bake. This is where I play with sugar and take the mystery out of baking everything from cookies to wedding cakes. I studied pastry at the CIA (the culinary school, not the spy agency), worked in restaurants, have written 10 cookbooks and you can find more of my creations in my Substack Newsletter and YouTube videos. More...
