Breakfast Basics

After walking her poodles on a chilly weekend morning, Zoë prepares a grab-and-go breakfast favorite, blueberry muffins. She also visits a favorite café whose motto is "Simple is best and just as delicious," inspiring her to prepare a cinnamon star bread.

Baked Alaska

When hosting a dinner party for some chef friends, Zoë prepares a dish to impress: a showstopping baked Alaska with a sorbet "bullseye." She also visits a good friend to have fun, thinking outside of the box with ice cream flavors.

Macaron Macaroon

Zoë prepares delicate chocolate macarons for a bakers' gathering with a fellow cookbook author and friend. She also demonstrates how baking together can lead to delicious creations as she makes coconut macaroons with an award-winning pastry chef.

Say Cheesecake

Zoë tackles her son's favorite dessert -- cheesecake. She prepares one version with her signature blueberry swirl as well as a savory version topped with roasted tomato and feta after an inspiring visit to a local creamery.

Family Crepes

Zoë demonstrates the delicious versatility of a family favorite, crêpes, by preparing a stack to fill with bananas Foster and roll into a savory crêpe manicotti. For more inspiration, Zoë visits a local pastry chef to see how a crêpe cake is made.

Sweet Potato Pie

Zoë finds inspiration at a farmers market, transforming purple sweet potatoes into a vibrant version of the classic pie. She also picks up tips from a local baker, Rose McGee, and will never look at a sweet potato pie the same way again.

Family Recipes

Zoë prepares jelly doughnuts to share with her mom before they bake another filled pastry together based on her great-great-grandmother's recipe. They also visit a local baker who makes challah bread with three generations of her family.

Brunch Bakes

Zoë hosts a brunch for her women's small business group, The Ladybrainers, and prepares a rustic apple tarte Tatin. To expand her French-themed menu, she visits a renowned chef and native Frenchman to learn practical tips for making soufflé.

Nordic Treats

Zoë pays tribute to her Nordic heritage by preparing Swedish cream and krumkake, a pressed cookie and visiting a ladies' church group for a lesson in making the traditional Norwegian flatbread, lefse.

Hand Pies

When the Minnesota weather turns cold, Zoë stocks her freezer with easy, bake-and-take hand pies. She makes both sweet strawberry and savory chicken curry pies, and then visits a local Mexican café to prepare empanadas.

S’mores and Hotdish

To stave off cabin fever, Zoë hosts a potluck party complete with s'mores and a dessert twist on a Minnesota staple: hotdish. She visits a friend to learn what makes hotdish so popular in the Midwest.

Victoria Sponge Cake

Summer in Minnesota means one thing to Zoë -- strawberries! To celebrate, she's making a traditional English dessert comprised of fluffy sponge cake filled with strawberry jam, strawberry Chantilly cream, topped with edible flowers and more strawberries.

Paris-Brest: Pastry Wheel

Minnesota summers mean everyone is out riding bikes, which Zoë thinking about one of her favorite desserts -- a Paris-Brest, which is a choux pastry inspired by the annual French bike race, filled with raspberry cream and topped with rose petals.

Hanukkah Latkes

Hanukkah is extra special for Zoë this year because her mom is in town. Exploring new twists on Jewish holiday classics, Zoë makes cake doughnuts topped with a saffron glaze, crushed pistachios and rose petals along with latkes and an array of toppings.

Perfect Peach Pie With Candied Bacon

For Zoë, nothing is more perfect than a fresh, juicy peach. When a friend brings her a basket full of them, she decides to put them to good use with a pie and tops it with candied bacon after an inspirational visit to a local bakery and breakfast spot.

Small Portions

Zoë shares some of her favorite strategies for healthy baking (and eating) by making Morning Cookies, a guilt-free, grab and go nutritious breakfast or snack, and tiramisu in single-serve jars -- because sometimes it's all about portion control.

Icebox Cake

Zoë’s mom is in town during a Minnesota summer scorcher. To help them stay cool, Zoë makes an icebox cake with homemade chocolate wafers and caramel cream, and a refreshing no-bake British dessert called a posset topped with tropical fruit.

Blueberry Bars

Zoë is preparing to go to her friend's cabin and since wild blueberries are in season, she's making lattice bars with a blueberry filling and lemon thyme shortbread crust, along with blueberry scones to snack on when they hit the road.

Angel Food Cake

Zoë tastes her way through the Minnesota State Fair with her friend and fellow cookbook author, Jessie Sheehan. Inspired by their visit, Zoë makes an angel food cake covered in a cherry studded whipped cream and refreshing orange cream pops.

Cookie Bake Off

As she works on a new book about cookies, Zoë leans on her two sons to be judges of her recipes. A family-favorite Oatmeal Raisin Cookie is a no-brainer, but she must start over on a Raspberry Linzer that doesn’t pass the boys' taste test.

Coffee Chiffon Cake

Zoë is hosting a celebration to honor her mentor, Sue Zelickson, the first lady of the Twin Cities culinary scene. To mark the occasion, Zoë makes a grand, multi-tiered chiffon cake infused with coffee and honeycomb candy throughout.

Carrot Cake

It's harvest season in Minnesota and Zoë is inspired to bake with all the locally grown, fresh produce that's available. Today she's using fresh carrots to make her showstopping carrot cake with cream cheese frosting and candied peels.

Corn Ice Cream

Zoë is hosting a barbecue during peak season for sweet corn. To compliment the savory meat, she makes a rich, golden cornbread and sweet corn flavored ice cream drizzled with homemade caramel sauce for dessert -- a delicious end to summer in Minnesota.