She's My Cherry Pie

Today’s guest is Danielle Sepsy, baker and founder of The Hungry Gnome, a New York–based wholesale bakery. Danielle has become known as “The Scone Queen” and was a contestant on Dan Levy’s culinary competition show, “The Big Brunch.” She’s also the author of the upcoming baking book, “The Scone Queen Bakes: 100 Recipes for Scones, Muffins, Cookies, and Cakes from the Founder of The Hungry Gnome.”

Danielle joins host Jessie Sheehan to talk about growing up in a big Italian family on Long Island and baking alongside her grandmother. She shares how receiving a stand mixer (and a Martha Stewart Living subscription) at eight years old fueled her love for baking and led her to start a scone business as a teenager. They also discuss the early days of The Hungry Gnome and what it was like to compete on TV.

Then, the duo walk through Danielle’s signature chocolate chip scone recipe. The baker discusses why heavy cream and egg yolks make all the difference, how to cream the butter perfectly into the flour, and why you want a higher oven temperature, at first, to prevent the scones from spreading too much. 

Click here for Danielle’s Raisin Tea Biscuit recipe. 

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More on Danielle: Instagram, The Hungry Gnome, “The Scone Queen Bakes” cookbook

More on Jessie: Instagram, “Salty, Cheesy, Herby, Crispy Snackable Bakes” cookbook

Today’s guest is Mariam Daud of the popular @mxriyum social media account. Mariam is a home cook, recipe developer, and author of the new cookbook “I Sleep in My Kitchen: Comfort Recipes from My Palestinian American Home.” She is known on social media (where she has 7+ million followers) for her beautiful recipe videos highlighting traditional Palestinian dishes, nostalgic bakes, and comforting meals. 

Miriam joins host Jessie Sheehan to talk about growing up in a bustling household with nine siblings, learning to cook alongside her mom, and rolling hundreds of grape leaves assembly-line style. She shares the story of how she accidentally set the kitchen on fire, how a spontaneous milkshake video launched her social media career, and what it was like to bring her cookbook to life.

The duo then walks through Mariam’s recipe for Knafeh Kishna, a sweet and salty dessert beloved across the Levant. They discuss the differences between Palestinian and Lebanese styles, the signature orange hue of Palestinian knafeh, the briny cheeses traditionally used, and the magic of that dramatic cheese pull when served hot and drenched in orange blossom syrup.

Click here for Miriam’s Knafeh Kishna recipe. 

Get our Mom’s the Bombe Issue

Jubilee NYC 2026 tickets here

Visit cherrybombe.com for subscriptions, tickets to upcoming events, and more.

More on Mariam: Instagram, “I Sleep In My Kitchen” cookbook

More on Jessie: Instagram, “Salty, Cheesy, Herby, Crispy Snackable Bakes” cookbook

Today’s guest is Tanya Bush, a writer, editor, and pastry chef. She’s the co-founder of the indie magazine Cake Zine and the author of the new book “Will This Make You Happy: Stories and Recipes from a Year of Baking.” Her work has appeared in The New York Times, New York Magazine, Eater, and more, and she’s also the pastry chef at Little Egg and Table of Contents in Brooklyn.

Tanya joins host Jessie Sheehan to talk about the year that changed everything for her—living through the pandemic, losing her job, starting an anonymous baking Instagram account, and deciding to become a pastry chef—and how it inspired her debut book. 

The duo also walk through Tanya’s Toasted Poppy Seed Cruller with Lemon Curd recipe from the book. The author explains why she adds a touch of whole wheat flour for texture, why freezing the crullers before frying is key to a crisp exterior and custardy center, and how glazes are the ultimate blank canvas for creativity. 

Click here for Tanya’s Toasted Poppy Seed Cruller With Lemon Curd recipe. 

Get our Mom’s the Bombe Issue

Jubilee NYC 2026 tickets here

Visit cherrybombe.com for subscriptions, tickets to upcoming events, and more.

More on Tanya: Instagram, Cake Zine, “Will This Make You Happy” book

More on Jessie: Instagram, “Salty, Cheesy, Herby, Crispy Snackable Bakes” cookbook

Today’s guest is Spring Council, a chef, cooking instructor, former restaurateur, and the daughter of legendary Southern chef Mildred “Mama Dip” Council of Mama Dip’s Kitchen in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Spring just released her debut cookbook, “Southern Roots: Recipes and Stories from Mama Dip’s Daughter,” celebrating four generations of Black restaurateurs and the community her family nourished through food.

Spring joins host Jessie Sheehan to talk about growing up the youngest of eight in a family of cooks, learning through “dump cooking” and oral recipe sharing, and watching her mother build a beloved restaurant with just $64.

She also walks Jessie through her Chocolate Bread Pudding with Candied Bacon from “Southern Roots.” This dish features grated bread for a tender, almost cake-like texture, plus bourbon, maple syrup, chocolate, and salty-sweet bacon. Spring explains why she uses breadcrumbs instead of cubes, how baking powder changes the structure of the pudding, and why the inclusion of bourbon makes this dish unforgettable.

Click here for Spring’s Chocolate Bread Pudding with Candied Bacon recipe. 

Get our Mom’s the Bombe Issue

Jubilee NYC 2026 tickets here

Visit cherrybombe.com for subscriptions, tickets to upcoming events, and more.

More on Spring: Instagram, website, “Southern Roots” cookbook

More on Jessie: Instagram, “Salty, Cheesy, Herby, Crispy Snackable Bakes” cookbook

Claire Saffitz is back on our show! Claire is a beloved baker, dessert authority, and the author of two New York Times bestselling cookbooks—Dessert Person and What’s For Dessert. She also hosts the hit YouTube show, “Dessert Person.”
Today, Claire walks host Jessie Sheehan through her Molten Chocolate Olive Oil Cake recipe from What’s For Dessert. It’s a decadent dessert that’s deceptively simple. She explains why she uses olive oil instead of butter in the batter and how to get the center perfectly molten. 
She also tells Jessie about the baked goods she ate and baked growing up, her mom’s recipe collection, her love for Martha Stewart’s Pies & Tarts book, and how the “Claire Recreates” series came to be.
Click here for Claire’s Molten Chocolate Olive Oil Cake recipe. 
Pre-order our Mom’s the Bombe Issue
Jubilee NYC 2026 tickets here
Visit cherrybombe.com for subscriptions, tickets to upcoming events, and more.
More on Claire: Instagram, YouTube, “What’s For Dessert” cookbook
More on Jessie: Instagram, “Salty, Cheesy, Herby, Crispy Snackable Bakes” cookbook