ZoëBakes

Basics: Homemade Rolled Fondant! Part 2

More than half of the cakes I do for clients are covered with fondant. It is gorgeous, sleek and can be simple or ornate. Over the years I’ve tried just about every product out there and have loved some and loathed others. Some are easy to use but have no […]

Basics: Génoise and Homemade Rolled Fondant! Part 1

I’m gearing up for my one year blog-iversary next week and I’m making myself a cake. On the way to that celebratory occasion, I’ve made a few of the basic elements in the pastry kitchen: génoise and homemade rolled fondant. As Sherry Yard says in the opening of her génoise […]

Mocha Chip Cookies

Order my new cookbook, Zoë Bakes Cookies, now! For those of you who have been visiting with me on Twitter, you already know that my day doesn’t begin until my first, or sometimes second, cup of coffee. It was a happy day for me when my local Costco started carrying […]

Tuile Garnish

Tuile garnish is a very versatile garnish to use on cakes or plated desserts. The only enemy to tuile is humidity, keep them in an airtight container and don’t even try these in the sultry days of late August in MN.

Apple Pumpkin Cake

This apple pumpkin cake is a perfect fall recipe. It combines two favorite flavors into one moist, delicious cake. This apple pumpkin cake is from Robin Asbell’s latest book on Whole Grains. It gets its richness from pumpkin puree, a layer of sautéed apples and then the whole thing is […]

Pear Pomegranate Tarte Tatin

I’m dying to go apple and pear picking. I’ve decided that it is fall and my mind has shifted to the autumnal fruit. Well, there is nowhere to pick yet, so I went to the co-op and bought some seckel pears, from who knows where? I like to bake with […]

Creamy Chai Cheesecake (or is it Pots de Crème?)

As some of you know my oven blew up last week, literally! I am still waiting with bated breathe for the UPS driver to deliver the new heating coil, so I can resume doing the thing I love most. It should finally come tomorrow and believe me I am regretting […]

Sugar Plums with Fresh Ginger

These California Sugar Plums showed up at our market, like a little gift at the end of summer. They are so sweet and lovely that the first bunch I bought were gobbled up, pure and simple. I returned and bought two more quarts of them with the intention of roasting […]

Wild Blueberry Tart

The end of August brings a shift in everything from the weather, to the fruit and our schedules. This week we went to meet my sons’ teachers and visit their classrooms, a day filled with excitement and a touch of dread. They are excited to reunite with all of the […]

Fig, Champagne Grapes and Raspberry Cake

This time of year brings with it all of the sensual fruits. They seem more decadent, rich and sweet and just a little bit adult. To me they are the fruits of romance. Perhaps it is because the first time I ever ate a syrupy ripe fig was on my […]

Grilled Pineapple with Rosé Glaze

I’m always looking for things to throw on the grill in the summer. I’ve tried everything from brioche fruit pizzas to Brussels sprouts. I admit the Brussels sprouts were not amongst my greatest achievements in grilling, but this pineapple is now one of my favorites. I did nothing but slice […]

Sweet Peach Lassi

This sweet peach lassi is wonderful version of a treat from India. It is a yogurt drink that only requires a few ingredients and a blender. You can have it on its own or serve it as a dessert to top off an Indian dinner. How can something so tasty […]