Meet Wally Amos. He founded the ubiquitous Famous Amos Chocolate Chip Cookies in 1975, turning the brand into an overnight sensation and himself into a pop-culture fixture in the 1970s and 1980s.

But there’s a darker side to Wally’s seemingly sweet story. One filled with five marriages to six women and a string of bad business decisions that led him to lose the empire he had created.

When he passed away in 2024, host Sarah Amos set out to untangle her father’s complicated past and finally face the life and legacy she had been avoiding.

New episodes every Wednesday: swap.fm/l/vf-toughcookie-feed

Finally, Jesse, BA's resident cookie expert, treats the Bake Club to his latest creation: Chocolate Chip Cookies With Olive Oil and Sea Salt. In this episode, Jesse and Shilpa discuss how this accidentally vegan chocolate chip cookie came together. They explore the best methods to ensure the perfect chocolate distribution in the cookie and what Jesse meant by cooking flour to the color of ‘desert sand’. Plus, listeners share how they managed with the October Bake Club treat and cookie enthusiast Dorie Greenspan (of xoxoDorie) tells us when to tap and not to tap our cookie sheets on the counter.

Hold onto your piping bags, Bake Club! In September, Jesse set bakers a showstopper-worthy challenge in his Banana Pudding Paris-Brest. In this episode, he and Shilpa break down the many worthwhile steps for making this "drag queen of French desserts." They're also joined by superstar baker Zoë François (of the ZoëBakes newsletter) to answer a listener question about conventional vs convection ovens.

Recipes & Links:

Pictures: Jeannine's choux tire, Elyse's choux ring, Katy's bananas

Zoe's Raspberry Paris-Brest

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You can find all the BA Bake Club recipes, including this one, here.