eat dessert first
This Galette Des Rois (French King Cake) is puff pastry filled with almond cream (or frangipane) and a trinket or dried bean.
If you are looking for a standout cookie for the holiday tray, these get extra points for indulgence. Fluffy mint buttercream is sandwiched between rich dark chocolate brownies, which are then rolled in crushed candy cane for a festive look and an extra little satisfying crunch.
I’m obsessed with meringue! Soft on a cake, crisp and cakey as a pavlova. I love it in every form for its magical whimsy. These “cloud cookies” are easy to make and can end up a little rustic-looking, which I love. They are crunchy, light, and a bit chewy in […]
When I moved into my house, it reminded me of a brick wedding cake or confection found on the banquet tables in Elizabethan times. I wanted to re-create it in sugar. I found the original blueprints of the house from 1902, and the fate was sealed. I scaled down the […]
These cookies are a tribute to the Garibaldi biscuit I used to eat in the 1970s. This is one of the few store-bought cookies I remember having at home. I think my folks—who never had sugar in the house—made an exception for this raisin-crammed cracker-like cookie. The sweetness of the […]
You may have noticed that we’re entering into the new cookbook season. It is my very favorite time of year. We got things kicked off with Chocolate Mousse and Cookie recipes from David Lebovitz’s newly revised classic, Ready for Dessert. This week I get to share another one of my […]
These apple and honey desserts are perfect for your Rosh Hashanah celebrations!
It’s hard to beat molasses cookies! Soft, chewy and perfectly spiced, it’s a must-have treat for the holidays, but I recommend keeping this in your rotation year round.
This recipe is simple to make, but it creates a huge impression when served. It is both rustic and elegant, perfect for a picnic in the park or that formal dinner you have twice a year in the otherwise unused dining room. Or is that just me? No matter where, […]
This bright, tart, super-delicious citrus curd is perfect for slathering on Victory (Victoria) Sponge Cake or swirled into Lemon-Curd Pound Cake. It can also be folded into Perfect Whipped Cream and used with any number of other cakes, so mix up a batch and let it inspire you. It’s also […]
You don’t have to have an ice cream machine to make great ice cream at home! This no-churn vanilla ice cream recipe is made in a stand mixer and you can add in any flavor you like. Below I share some ideas. If you get creative and make up one […]
In 1998 I sat next to Rose Levy Beranbaum on a panel of bakers at a Barnes & Noble for a “Celebrity Cook Book Club.” I was freshly out of culinary school and working as a pastry chef at a fine dining restaurant. I was neither a “celebrity” nor a […]
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...
