2025’s Top Episode: Croissant 101 With Pastry Chef Nicola Lamb

We’re celebrating 2025 by re-airing our top episode of the year—host Jessie Sheehan’s interview with Nicola Lamb! Nicola is a London-based pastry chef and the author of “Sift: The Elements of Great Baking.” She has a pop-up bakery, Lark, and writes the popular Substack newsletter Kitchen Projects.Nicola joined Jessie earlier this year for a deep dive into one of the world’s most loved pastries: the croissant. She talks about the complexities of adapting her recipe for home bakers after years of producing 10,000 croissants a week in a professional bakery. The duo get deliciously nerdy about technique—from lamination to honeycomb structure—and what it really takes to perfect this baked good at home. Nicola also opens up about her winding culinary path, from being “the office cake lady” to honing her craft at Dominique Ansel’s famed NYC bakery.For Nicola’s croissant recipe, check out her book, “Sift.”Click here for Nicola’s French Toast Cinnamon Buns recipe. Thank you to Diamond Nuts & California Prunes for their support. Order The Cake IssueJubilee NYC 2026 tickets hereVisit cherrybombe.com for subscriptions, show transcripts, and tickets to upcoming events.More on Nicola: Instagram, Substack, “Sift” cookbookMore on Jessie: Instagram, “Salty, Cheesy, Herby, Crispy Snackable Bakes” cookbook

Today’s guest is Skye McAlpine. Skye is a food writer, cookbook author, and stylist based in Venice, Italy. She’s the author of several cookbooks, including “A Table in Venice,” “A Table for Friends,” “A Table Full of Love,” and her latest, “The Christmas Companion.” Skye also writes a monthly recipe column for The Sunday Times, contributes to publications like Vogue, Vanity Fair, and The Guardian, runs a Substack newsletter called The Dolce Vita Diaries, and is the founder of Skye McAlpine Tavola, a tableware and homewares brand.Skye joins host Jessie Sheehan to talk about her life and career—from moving to Venice as a child and growing up between British and Italian Christmas traditions, to discovering her love of cooking and entertaining at university with nothing more than a toaster oven, to teaching herself how to cook and turning a food blog into a book deal. Then, Skye guides Jessie through her Chocolate and Chestnut Yule Log from “The Christmas Companion.” It’s a whimsical, showstopping holiday dessert made with a light chocolate sponge, chestnut cream filling, bittersweet ganache, and meringue mushrooms. Click here for Skye’s Chocolate and Chestnut Yule Log recipe.Thank you to Diamond Nuts and California Prunes for their support. Order The Cake IssueJubilee NYC 2026 tickets hereVisit cherrybombe.com for subscriptions, show transcripts, and tickets to upcoming events.More on Skye: Instagram, “The Christmas Companion” bookMore on Jessie: Instagram, “Salty, Cheesy, Herby, Crispy Snackable Bakes” cookbook

Today’s guest is Carla Hall. Carla is a chef, cookbook author, TV personality, and all-around culinary force whose career has taken her from the runways of Paris to the sets of “Top Chef,” “The Chew,” and more. She’s the star and executive producer of the Emmy Award–winning series “Chasing Flavor,” a co-mentor on the new show, “Next Level Baker,” and the author of several books, including “Carla Hall’s Soul Food” and two children’s books, “Carla Hall and the Christmas Cornbread” and “Carla and the Tin Can Cake Party.”Carla joins host Jessie Sheehan to talk about her life and career—from her childhood memories of her grandmother’s five-flavor pound cake, to the years she spent in Paris as a model discovering her love for cooking, to the moment “Top Chef” changed everything. Then, Carla walks Jessie through her Gingerbread Cake With Snow Sugar, a deeply spiced, ultra-moist loaf that uses the reverse-creaming method for a very tender crumb. She explains why hot water is the secret ingredient, how to make “snow sugar” that won’t melt into the cake, and why “sawing” is the only proper way to slice a loaf cake.Click here for Carla’s Gingerbread Cake with Snow Sugar recipe.Thank you to Diamond Nuts, California Prunes, and King Arthur Baking for their support. Order The Cake IssueJubilee NYC 2026 tickets hereVisit cherrybombe.com for subscriptions, show transcripts, and tickets to upcoming events.More on Carla: Instagram, websiteMore on Jessie: Instagram, “Salty, Cheesy, Herby, Crispy Snackable Bakes” cookbook

Today’s guest is Lucie Franc de Ferriere, the self-taught baker and founder of From Lucie, the beloved East Village bakery known for its whimsical, flower-festooned cakes and other treats. Raised in the French countryside, Lucie grew up eating her mother’s homemade cakes, but it wasn’t until decades later, when she was living in New York working in the art world, that she discovered her love for baking. Today, her creations are always in demand, and she’s one of the cover stars of Cherry Bombe’s new Cake Issue.Lucie joins host Jessie Sheehan to talk about her journey from art history student to full-time baker, the pop-ups that helped launch her business, and the serendipitous beginnings of her signature decorating style. She shares memories from her childhood in France and discusses the creative process behind her upcoming debut cookbook, “Cake From Lucie.” Then, Lucie walks Jessie through one of the bakery’s bestsellers: Salted Dark Chocolate Espresso Cake. It’s her spin on the ultimate birthday cake, and it’s covered in a luscious buttercream, complete with mini chocolate chips tucked between the layers.Thank you to Diamond Nuts, California Prunes, and King Arthur Baking for their support. Order The Cake IssueJubilee NYC 2026 tickets hereVisit cherrybombe.com for subscriptions, show transcripts, and tickets to upcoming events.More on Lucie: Instagram, pre-order “Cake From Lucie” cookbookMore on Jessie: Instagram, “Salty, Cheesy, Herby, Crispy Snackable Bakes” cookbook

We’re dropping a special mid-week episode of She’s My Cherry Pie today with cookie connoisseur Vaughn Vreeland! Vaughn is a writer, recipe creator, and video host for New York Times Cooking. Vaughn also led the charge this year on NYT’s Cookie Week, the annual holiday event beloved by home bakers everywhere, which just dropped yesterday. Vaughn is also the co-author of “Cookies: The Best Recipes for the Perfect Anytime Treat,” a delicious collection of 100 time-tested recipes from the NYT Cooking team.Vaughn joins host Jessie Sheehan for a festive, cookie-packed conversation in honor of Cookie Week and his new book. He shares stories from his lifelong love of baking, including kitchen adventures with his grandmother; his early days making box-mix cakes as a kid; and the Food Network obsession that helped shape his creativity. Vaughn also talks about his path into food media, how he landed at the Times, and what it’s like spearheading Cookie Week this year (plus, he dishes on the recipe he developed, the Popcorn Bucket Cookie).Then, he walks Jessie through his Chewy Brownie Cookies recipe from “Cookies,” which took him months to perfect and achieve the ideal crackly top, fudgy middle, and chewy edge.Click here for Vaughn’s Chewy Brownie Cookies.Click here to join us for our Member Meeting with Vaughn today!Click here for more on NYT Cookie WeekThank you to Diamond Nuts for their support. Pre-order The Cake IssueJubilee NYC 2026 tickets hereVisit cherrybombe.com for subscriptions, show transcripts, and tickets to upcoming events.More on Vaughn: Instagram, NYT Cooking, “Cookies” cookbookMore on Jessie: Instagram, “Salty, Cheesy, Herby, Crispy Snackable Bakes” cookbook

Today’s guest is Helen Goh, a celebrated pastry chef, recipe developer, cookbook author, columnist, and longtime creative at the Ottolenghi Test Kitchen. Born in Malaysia, raised in Australia, and now based in London, Helen truly brings a global perspective to her baking. She co-authored two bestselling books with Yotam Ottolenghi—“Sweet” and “Comfort”—and recently released her first solo cookbook, “Baking and the Meaning of Life: How to Find Joy in 100 Recipes.”Helen joins host Jessie Sheehan to talk about her multicultural upbringing, her early years studying psychology, and how she ultimately found her way into the kitchen (including a stint as a cafe owner). She shares stories from her decade at the Ottolenghi Test Kitchen, including behind-the-scenes insight into her collaborative “testing sessions” with Yotam, and the surprising bake sale that sparked her latest book.Then, Helen guides us through the Champagne and Black Currant Celebration Cake recipe from her new book—her spin on a Kir Royale, but in cake form. Click here for Helen’s Champagne and Black Currant Celebration Cake recipe. Thank you to Diamond Nuts, California Prunes, and King Arthur Baking for their support. Pre-order The Cake IssueJubilee NYC 2026 tickets hereVisit cherrybombe.com for subscriptions, show transcripts, and tickets to upcoming events.More on Helen: Instagram, “Baking & the Meaning of Life” cookbookMore on Jessie: Instagram, “Salty, Cheesy, Herby, Crispy Snackable Bakes” cookbook

We’re thrilled to have Erin Jeanne McDowell back on the show! Erin is a baker, teacher, video host, and cookbook author known for her joyful approach to baking and her unparalleled pie expertise. She’s the author of “The Fearless Baker,” “The Book On Pie,” and “Savory Baking,” and hosts the “Happy Baking” YouTube series. She also writes a Substack newsletter of the same name.Erin joins host Jessie Sheehan to talk about her lifelong love of pie—thanks to her grandmother’s kitchen—and some of the very first pies she ever baked. Then, they dive deep into Erin’s Black-Bottom Pecan Pie from “The Book On Pie.” Erin shares her expertise on everything from achieving your perfect butter-piece size (if you know, you know) to rolling, crimping, parbaking, and building that delicious black-bottom layer.Whether you’re prepping for Thanksgiving or simply love learning from one of the greats, this episode is the ultimate pie master class. So, grab your rolling pin—this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.Click here for Erin’s Black-Bottom Pecan Pie recipe. Thank you to Diamond Nuts & California Prunes for their support. Subscribe or pre-order The Cake IssueJubilee NYC 2026 tickets hereVisit cherrybombe.com for subscriptions, show transcripts, and tickets to upcoming events.More on Erin: Instagram, Substack, YouTube, “The Book On Pie” cookbookMore on Jessie: Instagram, “Salty, Cheesy, Herby, Crispy Snackable Bakes” cookbook

This episode is part of our She’s My Apple Pie miniseries, presented in partnership with Yes! Apples, where host Jessie Sheehan hangs out with some of the sweetest bakers around to talk signature bakes, fall baking, and seasonal treats. In this episode, Jessie is joined by Morgan Knight, founder of Saint Street Cakes bakery in Brooklyn. Morgan joins host Jessie Sheehan to talk about her lifelong love of baking, from afternoons spent with her grandmother’s vintage cookbooks to a childhood decorating class that became her unofficial pastry school. She shares how these cookbooks and animated cakes from Disney movies guided her now-signature Lambeth-style designs. She also shares how she turned her college side hustle into a full-fledged cake business.Then, the duo dive into Saint Street Cakes’ Apple Cider Donut Cake, a fall favorite at the bakery. It’s made with local applesauce and a special apple cider soak, infused with Yes! Apples EverCrisp apples. Morgan explains how she gets tall cake layers, why the soak plays a pivotal part in making this cake, and how she makes her fluffy buttercream.Thank you to Yes! Apples for supporting our show. Click here to purchase Yes! Apples’ EverCrisp.Pre-order or subscribe to get The Cake IssueJubilee NYC 2026 tickets hereVisit cherrybombe.com for subscriptions, show transcripts, and tickets to upcoming events.More on Morgan: Instagram, Saint Street Cakes, websiteMore on Jessie: Instagram, “Salty, Cheesy, Herby, Crispy Snackable Bakes” cookbook

We’re thrilled to have Cheryl Day back on the show! Cheryl is a celebrated baker, author, and teacher known for her soulful Southern desserts and warm, generous spirit. She’s the bestselling author of “Cheryl Day’s Treasury of Southern Baking,” a collection of more than 200 recipes that celebrate heritage, hospitality, and home baking at its best.Cheryl joins host Jessie Sheehan to talk about growing up baking alongside her mother and grandmother, and why she believes every cake batter mixed by hand tells a story. She also shares what it was like to close her beloved Back in the Day bakery in Savannah, Georgia, after 22 years, and what she’s been up to since. Then, they dive into Cheryl’s Sweet Potato Pie recipe from her latest book. Cheryl reveals her tips for making the flakiest pie crust (hint: it involves smearing butter with the heel of your hand) and how she whips up a perfect meringue topping without a candy thermometer. Click here for Cheryl’s Sweet Potato Pie recipe. Thank you to Diamond Nuts & California Prunes for their support. Subscribe or pre-order The Cake IssueJubilee NYC 2026 tickets hereVisit cherrybombe.com for subscriptions, show transcripts, and tickets to upcoming events.More on Cheryl: Instagram, website, “Cheryl Day's Treasury of Southern Baking” cookbookMore on Jessie: Instagram, “Salty, Cheesy, Herby, Crispy Snackable Bakes” cookbook

Today’s guest is Kat Lieu. Kat is a writer, recipe developer, cookbook author, and activist. She’s the founder of the Modern Asian Baking blog and the Subtle Asian Baking community, which celebrates Asian flavors, cultures, and creativity through the art of baking. She just released her third cookbook, “108 Asian Cookies: Not-Too-Sweet Treats from a Third-Culture Kitchen,” and she joins host Jessie Sheehan to talk about the nostalgic sweets that inspired it.The duo also talks about Kat’s journey from physical therapist to full-time content creator. Kat also walks Jessie through her playful recipe for Crazy Rich Billionaire’s Shortbread, a spin on the classic Millionaire’s Shortbread, with a nod to the 2018 film “Crazy Rich Asians.” It features a pandan shortbread base, coconut caramel with curried peanuts, and chocolate ganache.Click here for Kat’s Crazy Rich Billionaire’s Shortbread recipe. Thank you to Diamond Nuts & California Prunes for their support. Subscribe or pre-order The Cake IssueJubilee NYC 2026 tickets hereVisit cherrybombe.com for subscriptions, show transcripts, and tickets to upcoming events.More on Kat: Instagram, website, "108 Asian Cookies" cookbookMore on Jessie: Instagram, “Salty, Cheesy, Herby, Crispy Snackable Bakes” cookbook