Mother’s Day sweets with Zoë Bakes: Taste Buds

Stephanie Hansen celebrates Mother’s Day with two of her favorite moms: Laurie Crowell from Golden Fig Fine Foods, and Zoë François of Zoë Bakes in the latest episode of Taste Buds.

Zoë is a celebrated pastry chef, a best-selling cookbook author, an Instagram sensation, and the Emmy-nominated host of "Zoë Bakes" on Magnolia Network and HBO's Max.

Finding the perfect gift for Zoë was top-of-mind for Stephanie as she visited the Golden Fig, one of her favorite stores in the Twin Cities. Founder Laurie Crowell stocks her shelves with entirely American-made products, including a diverse chocolate selection.

One of Laurie’s latest chocolate collections comes from Cocoa Flake, a vibrant line of hand-crafted chocolates made in Minnesota. Stephanie opted for a variety of colorful candies for Zoë, as well as the Golden Fig’s own Basil Limeade and Lavender Lemonade drink mixes.

Mother’s Day gifts in tow, Stephanie heads to Zoë’s house to try her hand at pavlovas, a signature recipe of Zoë’s and a fan favorite. Zoë also demonstrates her technique for lemon curd and whipped cream; and, since it’s spring in Minnesota, we top it all off with rhubarb.

Back at home, Stephanie whips up a simple and delicious drop biscuit recipe with store-bought lemon curd and strawberries – a foolproof option for all home cooks.

Follow along with the recipes below.

Pavlovas by Zoë François

Ingredients:

  • 150g egg whites, room temperature (approx. 5 egg whites)
  • 1 pinch kosher salt
  • 1/8 tsp cream of tartar (optional). It will make the meringue stronger, especially if you have older, weaker egg whites.
  • 3 Tbsp cold water
  • 250g superfine sugar 1 1/4 cups
  • 1 tsp vinegar (white wine, cider or distilled)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp corn starch

Instructions are available in the video above and as part of a larger recipe here.

Lemon Curd by Zoë François

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup lemon
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 6 egg yolks
  • Pinch salt
  • 1 stick (113g) unsalted butter

 Instructions are available in the video above and as part of a larger recipe here.

Whipped Cream by Zoë François

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups (480 ml) heavy whipping cream
  • 1 to 2 Tbsp confectioners sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions are available in the video above and here.

Roasted Rhubarb by Zoë François

Ingredients:

  • 4 stalks rhubarb, washed and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1/2 cup Lillet or sweet white wine
  • 1/2 cup (100g) sugar
  • 1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped

Instructions are available here.

Strawberry Drop Biscuits with Lemon Curd

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 4 Tbsp cold unsalted cubed butter
  • 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 4 cups sliced strawberries
  • 3 Tbsp sugar
  • Store-bought lemon curd

Instructions are available in the video above and here.

For more episodes of Taste Buds, click here or download the FOX LOCAL app on your smart TV to stream for free.