ZoëBakes

Éclairs

“Lightning!” That’s the literal translation from French I got when I put éclair into google translate. I’ve read a couple of explanations for this name, but only one makes any sense to me. “They disappear in a flash, quicker than a bolt of lightning.” This is the absolute truth. Eclairs […]

Pumpkin Cake For Halloween or Thanksgiving

I first made this fun pumpkin cake with my kids for Halloween (they’re adults now!). It’s a fun and festive cake that can be dressed up for adults or made just for kids. Pumpkin season is here, which is the only reason I can send this short summer off with […]

Tiramisu

By the time I became a pastry chef in the mid 1990s tiramisu, the decadent Italian dessert that defined the 80s, was banned from all high-end restaurants. It was a matter of bad PR, not because it wasn’t well liked or frequently requested. In fact, it was its very popularity […]

Tomato Water Sorbet with a Sweet Tomato Chip

It is the end of the growing season in Minnesota and time to harvest all the last hanging fruit from the tomato vines. Any day now we’ll get a killing frost, and I’m bracing myself for it. I only have one small tomato plant, sitting in a rather unceremonious pot […]

Installing my new BlueStar Rangetop and Prizer Hood – Kitchen Remodel

Last year I bought a new house. It had 4 kitchens. I thought I would use one for cooking with my family, one for my “studio/work space” and the others were, well I wasn’t quite sure what to do with them. There is a decent explanation for all of these […]

Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut Butter Cookies are a classic for a reason. This is a fun throwback post that features my now adult son when he was little! Plus, you’ll find a gluten free peanut butter cookie recipe variation using peanut flour. For more amazing cookie recipes, order my cookbook, Zoë Bakes Cookies, […]

Jars of Rhubarb-Orange Jam on a countertop

Easy Rhubarb Jam With Orange

This easy rhubarb jam recipe uses orange for sweetness, so you can try something different than a standard (but still tasty!) strawberry rhubarb jam. It’s one of my oldest recipes and the first jam I ever made! My Jam Story From 2013 When I moved last year, I left behind […]

Puffy Popover Pancake

Last week, and the week before that, I got emails from my brother Carey, with pictures of puffy popover pancakes he’d made. One was stuffed with mulberries and the other with pear & apple compote. I adore that he makes stuff like this for himself and his wife. His emails […]

A serving of Strawberry Shortcake on a clear plate with a fork and napkin

Easy Strawberry Shortcake

This strawberry shortcake recipe is made using my scone dough. It creates a perfect cake for fresh strawberries and whipped cream to create a simple and delicious homemade strawberry shortcake. You get the same flaky layers as with a biscuit dough, but the scones add a fun little twist on […]

Lemon-Raisin Scones

Last week my husband got a craving for scones. Instead of turning to me, or making them himself, he asked our 12-year-old son to bake them. He challenged Charlie to have hot scones ready by the time he left for work the next morning. 7:30 a.m. is an hour my […]

Red, White & Blue Berry Cheesecake for 4th of July

I’m not sure anyone would describe me as a perfectionist? My house is neat enough, but it is clearly lived in. I’ve always wanted to be the kind of person who irons my sheets, my table clothes or even my clothes, but so far it’s just a fantasy. The only […]

Corn Bread and Peaches Baked on the Grill

Last Friday our electricity went out. It wasn’t out long, thanks to an incredible effort by the electric company, but it really made me appreciate how attached I am to the grid. No lights, no AC, not even fans, but the worst of all, no refrigeration. The lack of refrigeration […]