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Interview with Legendary Pastry Chef, Zoë François + News About Mindy Kaling & Baking Tik Tok Trends | Knead to Know #3

Join us for Episode 3 of Knead to Know with special guest Zoë François of Zoe Bakes — and get all the latest in baking from new TikTok quesadilla trends to Mindy Kaling's obsession with wax paper.
Knead to Know Episode 3

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Hi Bold Bakers!

If you’re curious about what Krispy Kreme and Mars have in common, which celebrity has something to say about parchment paper and boxed brownie mix (hint: I’m a huge fan of this show), and the new BAKING take on the Tik Tok quesadilla trend — you’re in the right place. We’re talking about all of this plus an interview with the one-and-only Zoë François on a brand new episode of Knead to Know!

This week, I have a lot to say… especially about weighing and measuring flour! I also talk through my best brownie-making tips, using liquid measuring cups versus dry measuring cups, and give a little sneak peek of our spring recipes going up on the site very soon! If you stick around, you may even hear my story about peeling the wax paper off of my early baking creations… no one’s perfect, okay?

Host Mia Brabham joins our special guest Zoë François of Zoe Bakes for a lovely chat in their kitchens; they seem like old friends! Zoë has a truly amazing story and a wonderful soul. You’re going to love hearing about how she fell in love with baking and all the amazing things she’s doing now (like her Discovery+ show and how she’s releasing a new cookbook on cakes next month!).

Grab a cup of coffee or start setting up your ingredients to get baking while you listen. Here’s everything you Knead to Know this week! If you love it, don’t forget to subscribe, rate five stars, and review — let’s get to #1!

Brownie Mischief In The Office

This might be my favorite baking news all week! Mindy Kaling is BACK with another episode of her Instagram Cooking Series and she has a confession: she’s NOT a fan of brownies from the box — so she makes some from scratch! The Office star has good fun baking up a batch while telling funny stories about her kids and making us laugh along the way. She doesn’t use parchment paper because she’s “not Benjamin Franklin or whatever.” We definitely unpack this and talk about the other baking methods she uses along the way. Mindy, if you’re reading this, come on the show! I have a variety of new brownie recipes coming up, but do not miss my Best-Ever Brownies if you haven’t tried them yet.

Houston, We Have A Doughnut

In news quite hot from the oven (if the famous sign is on, of course): Krispy Kreme is selling a special limited-edition Mars Doughnut! To celebrate NASA landing their rover, Perseverance, on MARS last week, the national doughnut spot has created a chocolate, Kreme-filled doughnut dipped in caramel icing with a red planet swirl and chocolate cookie crumbs. Mia wants to know if Ariana Grande will sing her song “NASA” at her local Krispy Kreme — what do you think?

Food Trend Forecast for 2021

Hormel released their food trend predictions for the year. They are anticipating that food and baking enthusiasts will be “using waffle irons to make other foods” and will have “leftovers on purpose, to take advantage of versatile cuisine and ingredients for use in multiple meals.” I’m with Mia here — I love leftovers! Always have, always will. Mia also recommends Netflix’s show “Best Leftovers Ever”. I’m definitely going to have to watch!

It’s Actually Cake: Amazon Edition

Mail time! There is a photo of a hyper-realistic Amazon box cake SWEEPING the internet. It’s become so big that Amazon posted a picture of the cake by Nina Evans Williams to their own Instagram! The box is actually a gorgeous chocolate cake layered with raspberry jam and lashings of buttercream that Nina made for her son’s 24th birthday. Mia reminds us of the early quarantine trend where everything on the internet was cake, from oysters to eggplants! Ha! Remember that?

TikTok Quesadilla Trend Is Now Pie!

Speaking of the internet, you’ve probably seen the TikTok quesadilla trend. Well, Delish just made it into a turnover-slash-pie version called the pie-dilla: thank GOODNESS! All you have to do is take a circle of pie crust and put your choice of fruit filling in each quadrant, then bake it at 375 for 30 minutes for a sweet, 4-layer flaky hand pie. Don’t forget to brush it with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar before you pop it into the oven!  

What’s The Right Way to Weigh Flour?

The Los Angeles Times is asking how much a cup of flour weighs — and it’s surprisingly complicated. More and more recipe readers are noticing that different publications, sources, and recipe developers weigh flour differently. The L.A. Times says one cup of flour is 142 grams while The New York Times says it’s 128 grams — but similar to how buying the same size pants from two different brands doesn’t guarantee the same fit — there is no real standard. So what’s the right answer here? We talk about that, too!

At The Counter with renowned baker and author, Zoë François

Zoe Francois in a red shirt.

Zoë François is an incredible pastry chef, cookbook author, and baking instructor — and she’s on the show this week! Our Knead to Know host, resident entertainment expert, and ice cream cake lover, Mia Brabham, sat down for a conversation with her. Zoë tells us about growing up on a commune in Vermont in the 1960s, being an ice cream cake maker at Ben & Jerry’s as one of her first jobs, and how her boyfriend at the time — now husband — built her first vending cart! She also talks about her YouTube baking show with son Henri, her upcoming cookbook, Zoë Bakes Cakes, and how her aesthetically pleasing Instagram recipe videos come together. Dig in!

Listen & Download Now!

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A Andriya
A Andriya
3 years ago

This podcast is soooo awesome! And indeed, this has become a ritual for me!

A Andriya
A Andriya
3 years ago

Awesome podcast….. can you invite Rosanna Pansino once? She’s awesome too!!

About Us

Meet Gemma

About Us

Meet Gemma

Hi Bold Bakers! I’m Gemma Stafford, a professional chef originally from Ireland, a cookbook author, and the creator of Bigger Bolder Baking. I want to help you bake with confidence anytime, anywhere with my trusted and tested recipes and baking tips. You may have seen one of my 500+ videos on YouTube & TikTok or as a guest judge on Nailed It! on Netflix or the Best Baker in America on Food Network. No matter your skills, my Bold Baking Team & I want to be your #1 go-to baking authority.

 

Weeknight Family Favorites Chapter from the Bigger Bolder Baking Every Day Cookbook