ZoëBakes

A glass filled with creme anglaise and a spoon

Crème Anglaise (Vanilla Sauce)

This post is from 2008, the early years of my blogging. I left the old how-to photos as a reminder of where I started in this game. 😉 I have a more recent video in the recipe to show the process of making the sauce. Enjoy! Crème Anglaise is one […]

Butter Shortbread Cookies

Order my New York Times Best Selling cookbook, Zoë Bakes Cookies, now! Last week was my aunt Kristin’s birthday, and she had only one request of me: butter shortbread cookies. She is a woman of very discerning tastes and gave me explicit directions on just how she wanted them baked. […]

Fresh Ricotta with Red Wine Poached Cherries!

Homemade Ricotta Cheese with Red Wine Poached Cherries

This week I discovered something that has changed my kitchen forever. I made my own ricotta cheese. It was a suggestion from one of the people at eGullet. We were discussing the recipe for calzone from the book and we were lamenting the state of ricotta cheese that is available […]

Candied Ginger Truffles

Inspiration comes from the strangest places! This candied ginger truffles recipe was inspired by a 6 year old girl scout, a professor at the CIA and a “hot mama” with a blog called the Steamy Kitchen.

Poached Pears in Red Wine

Poached pears are one of the easiest and sexiest desserts there are. They sit on the plate like a jewel, filled with the essence of wine and in this case pomegranate. The house becomes scented with spices and vanilla. Once these regal beauties are tender and succulent they can be […]

Chocolate Rum Cake for Children’s Heartlink

Children’s Heartlink asked several pastry chefs from all of the top restaurants in the Twin Cities (I’m talking the BEST our city has to offer!) to come up with the most decadent dessert for Valentine’s Day that they could think of. This team of pastry goddesses and one very talented […]

Host Zoe Francois' crepes , filled with lemon curd, jam and chocolate hazelnut spread, as seen on Zoe Bakes, season 2.

Crepes My Family Love (And Yours will Too!)

Crepes are a favorite in my household. The thin pancakes are a simple and delicious treat that’s perfect for a special breakfast. Below is my classic recipe that can be customized with your favorite toppings or fillings, plus a fun bananas foster variation! May Chen asked me what I fed […]

Sunny-Side-Up Apricot Pastry

In Minnesota for the past week it has been a little too gray for my taste. The one consolation to all the cold and snow we get around here are the endless clear blue skies. They are rather remarkable and make the winters tolerable. When they refuse to show themselves […]

Lemon Meringue Bars

It is Minnesota and there is about 6 inches of snow on the ground, not exactly the time of year for a fresh fruit dessert. So what do we Northerners do when we want something sweet and bright, but can’t find berries that aren’t from the freezer or even a […]