eat dessert first
This Apple Galette is just an apple pie without the plate or a top crust. So, it’s even easier to make than pie and I think just as beautiful in a fruit forward, rustic way. Fall was always my favorite time of year when I was growing up in Vermont. […]
When I moved to Minneapolis from Vermont, I hadn’t expected to experience culture shock. I was raised mostly in New England with stints in Northern California. Somehow, those places, as far from each other as they can get on a map, are more alike than the vast land in the […]
When I was growing up my paternal grandmother made a dessert she called “Swedish Cream” on Christmas day. It was rich beyond imagining (at least when I was a child) and its arrival meant the festivities were coming to a close, because we’d all slip into a Christmas Swedish Cream […]
In 2005 when my co-author, Jeff, and I wrote the first edition of Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, people were just coming out of the Atkins Diet fog and were longing desperately for bread. We offered a simple, fast and delicious approach to baking bread that ANYONE could […]
This fruit tart with homemade puff pastry is made with nothing more than ripe pluots (apricots, peaches, plums, cherries, any other stone fruit or berries will also do), lemon zested sugar and a sheet of puff pastry. Super elegant in its simplicity. The tart is from Rory O’Connell’s new book, […]
I’ve been intrigued with mirror glaze cakes ever since they started popping up on my instagram feed years ago. There is something so satisfying about the glassy, reflective finish. Aesthetically, it’s not typically my style to create something quite so glitzy and glam, but sometimes ones inner Liberace needs to […]
This peach melba recipe is a perfect summer combination and vanilla ice cream and fresh peaches. You’ll find the full recipe for my take on a classic peach melba below, plus a tip for adding raspberry coulis to make a fun peach ice cream treat (cone optional)! There is nothing […]
I went to LA and met someone I have admired for years on instagram, not only for his beautiful photos of delicious food, but also his generosity and quickness to laugh and enjoy himself while he works. Donal and Sofie Skehan are even more delightful, funny and inviting in person […]
These churros with chocolate sauce are a wonderful homemade treat. You can make the recipe as is, or switch up the flavors by making a vanilla sauce or simply dusting the top in a cinnamon-sugar mixture. It’s a wonderful recipe for Cinco de Mayo or in place of (or alongside!) […]
This cherry cake features layers of sponge cake and a simple whipped cream with cherry sauce. It’s best with fresh juicy cherries, but frozen berries work too. I adorned the cake with gorgeous royal icing cherry blossom flowers. How To Decorate Cherry Cake I learned the magic of cake decorating […]
I wait all winter long for the rhubarb to pop up, signaling spring has arrived. Then, way too fast, the precious plants are bolting and done for the season. In a panic I pick all the rhubarb from my dad’s garden to bake it and freeze the stalks for a […]
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! This Silver Ombre Cake was inspired by the arrival of Tessa Huff’s new book, Icing on the […]
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. More...
