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

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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