eat dessert first
How do you turn a classic bread pudding into a perfect holiday treat? Add chocolate and chestnut! This recipe uses the chocolate chestnut bread from Holiday and Celebration Bread in Five Minutes a Day, but you can use a different type of bread for a more classic version. I think […]
This post is from a while back, but I was inspired to bring it to the fore when I created a Baked Alaska for the Holiday issue of Better Homes and Gardens. You will find a picture of my Egg Nog version at the bottom of this post, along with […]
The first cheesecake I recall eating was from Junior’s in Brooklyn. I’d go there with my grandparents and my aunts, Sylvia and Rose, when I was little. There was always a ton of food and loud conversation, but the only thing I remember clearly is the cheesecake. It was tall […]
This past summer I created cake recipes for the Holiday issue of Better Homes & Gardens. Once I baked, tested and ate dozens of cakes, I went to Iowa, home of the magazine, and created the final cakes for the issue. It was about 99°F and the midwest sun was […]
Holiday and Celebration Bread in Five Minutes a Day book is out, just in time for the holidays! Thanksgiving is past and now we can dive into the Christmas and Chanukah baking season. Holiday and Celebration Bread in Five Minutes a Day is the book I have been waiting to create since […]
This triple chocolate mousse cake is as rich, decadent and delicious as it sounds. It’s a simple recipe that is sure to please every chocolate lover! Chocolate Mousse was one of the very first recipes I tried to make, way back when I was a middle schooler. Making a quintessentially […]
This Raspberry Paris Brest is a beautifully nontraditional take on a very traditional French pastry. The name, Paris Brest, comes from a bicycle race that happens in France between (you guessed it) Paris and the town of Brest. According to Larousse Gastronomique, a pastry-cook, whose shop was along the route of […]
This Awesome Almond Apple Crisp is the easy, last minute, under appreciated cousin to the Apple Pie. It is every bit as delicious and, I think, beautiful, in a rustic way, albeit not as refined looking. It can be in the oven in less than 30 minutes and emerges bubbling, […]
What’s better than chocolate and pumpkin for a fall cake? I’ve made this chocolate pumpkin swirl cake as both a bundt and a loaf. Both are easy options, and you’ll find a fun pumpkin themed loaf pan below! I first made this Chocolate Pumpkin Bundt Cake with my friend Andrew […]
Looking for video tutorials? Check out my Cake Basics series on YouTube! You’ll learn how to trim and slice, how to fill a layer cake, how to crumb coat and how to decorate! For those of you who have followed my blog for a while, you’ll know I am a […]
This flourless chocolate cake is made with crushed hazelnuts for a layer of nutty flavor. If you’re feeling fancy, I recommend adding the optional candied hazelnuts as a garnish. I’ve known my husband and his family for 30+ years and in all those decades there is a story about a […]
I discovered Sister Pie by Lisa Ludwinski and this Buttermilk Pumpkin Streusel Pie, on Instagram, where I find so much great inspiration. One of the first things I discovered about Lisa and her bakers is that they dance in the kitchen. These are my people! This pie cemented my admiration. […]
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...
