eat dessert first
Addiction warning, I cannot stop eating this chocolate fudge! I’ve been giving away bags of it to anyone I meet, just to keep from eating the whole batch because it’s so crazy good. I like chocolate fudge with all kinds of stuff in it, especially nuts, but my boys are […]
This mocha buttercream may be the most delicious buttercream I’ve ever made. I wish I could take all of the credit for it, but it is from Carol Bloom’s The Essential Baker. As many of you know I have been baking through the book for the past month or so. […]
I love Macrons because they are gorgeous little treats that feel special and class. They are also surprisingly easy to make and come in endless flavor combinations. How I Discovered Macarons The first time I had a true French macaron was while sitting at the now shuttered WD50 in New […]
I think tarts are an under appreciated art form. The sweet, tender crust is the perfect frame for just about any filling. This pear almond tart features poached pears laying in a bed of almond cream and surrounded by toasted almonds. The flavor combination is classically French and looks sophisticated […]
This burnt sugar soufflé is such an elegant dessert, that is quite easy to make, but takes some timing to get it into the oven and puffed properly. Once you take it from the oven it will slowly start to deflate, so get it to the table as soon as […]
When I was a kid, in the 70s, my mom, my uncle, Jay, and I would go to a tiny Ukrainian restaurant on 2nd Ave in NYC called the Kiev. Finding a table was nearly impossible; I remember it being so crowded that we’d climb over people to get to our seats. Once […]
It’s a little bit pudding and a little bit cake, all in one recipe. I was first awed by this lemon pudding-cake when I went to a pastry conference at the CIA and met the pastry chef from Craft, Karen Demasco. She served this dessert; made up of a layer of […]
I made these chocolate mousse bars for an Oscars party. They are simple to make (no baking required), but fancy enough to eat while watching the red carpet glitter or for any other occasion.
The dacquoise is a delicate cake layer that is sadly under used by home bakers. It is a cousin to a pavlova, but has the richness of nuts. It is made of French meringue that has nuts (almond meal and coarsely crushed roasted almonds) folded into it and baked in […]
Today is the first day of fall and the official start to baking season, my favorite time of the year. Along with the cooler weather comes apples, pumpkin and all the warm spices that fit them so well. This apple honey cake is made with honey, vanilla, cinnamon and is topped […]
One of my dreams is to travel to Chinon, France and stay at the Hotel Diderot, where the proprietor makes homemade marmalade. It’s owner is one of my favorite food bloggers, Jamie Schler, who is an amazing baker, cook and the writer I want to be. Basically, she has crafted […]
I’ve spread Nutella on just about everything, but one of my favorites is freshly baked banana bread. In an “aha! moment” I decided to swirl the Nutella right into the batter and bake them together. I’m not claiming to have discovered this combo, but I believe this may be 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...
