eat dessert first
Lucious, sweet fruit brings any dessert to life. These fruit desserts cover everything from classic apple pie to summer berry treats to a rich banana cream pie and so much more.
I have to admit I get a little excited when my bananas are overripe. A slightly brown, soft banana with a peel that almost falls off is perfect for baking. The natural sweetness of the banana really shines, and they are easy to mash for a bread or pastry recipe. […]
I love a dutch baby for brunch. All you need is a hot skillet and a few ingredients to make a savory treat with veggies, meat and herbs. Or a sweet treat with fresh fruit, preserves or a simple mixture of cinnamon and sugar. It’s a versatile recipe that can […]
This beautiful lemon ice cream cake is from Amy Thielen’s new book, Company. She calls it lemon nemesis because it combines three of her personal temptations into one dessert: a salted butter-cracker bottom, lemon custard middle and swirly toasted meringue topping. It is perfect to me for so many reasons, […]
It’s had to beat a breakfast featuring beautiful, flaky scones. These blueberry scones are prefect with a cup of coffee or on a brunch platter. These are the blueberry scones I make on season 3 episode 7 of Zoë Bakes on Magnolia Network! In this episode, I prepare to go […]
This grapefruit posset dessert was inspired by a visit to my friend and James Beard winning restaurateur, Christina Nguyen. She joined me for season 3 episode 6 of Zoë Bakes on Magnolia Network to show me how to make Chè, which is a delicious, chilled and colorful dessert soup she […]
Do cranberries make you think of the same old cranberry sauce? Your Thanksgiving plate may not be complete without it, but there are more ways to use cranberries than just the same old. Here are 7 cranberry recipes that are tart, delicious and more than just sauce. Cranberries are perfect […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Whipping up a batch of pâte à choux is both easy and super satisfying. Milk, flour, butter and eggs transform when cooked and baked into delicate puffs of pastry. If you’ve never ventured into the world of éclairs, profiteroles, cream puffs or even a Croquembouche, I think a Tuesday is […]
The first book I bought when I headed off to culinary school was the Larousse Gastronomique (LG). It was to me then, what google is to current students at the CIA (Culinary Institute of America). All the French recipes and kitchen terms I needed to know in one 1,200-page volume. […]