It may sound cliché, but I suspect for most of you, Dorie Greenspan needs no introduction. Dorie is an accomplished baker, whose books range from an oversize volume of never-fail cookie recipes, Dorie’s Cookies, to translating the recipes of master Parisian pastry chef Pierre Hermé, making them accessible to home bakers in Desserts by Pierre Hermé. And when Julia Child launched her TV show, Baking with Julia on PBS, she tapped Dorie to write the companion book, Baking with Julia.
Dorie describes herself as a part-time Parisian, so I took advantage of her time while she was in Paris recently invited her to stop by my kitchen for a chat.
We talked about many subjects, including our favorite baking pans, whether the U.S. is ready for metrics (or at least recipes in weights), how to get the hump in madeleines, and how she wrote, and cajoled recipes from pastry chefs and pâtisseries, for her Paris-based cookbooks; Baking Chez Moi, Around My French Table, and Paris Sweets.
Her new book is Dorie’s Anytime Cakes and features casual cakes, in all different shapes, sizes, and flavors…
When Dorie came by, she (of course) arrived with cakes from Pierre Hermé and a box of macarons, including one flavored with tomato leaves and another with tonka beans.
A few show notes:
When asked about her three favorite bakeries in Paris at the moment, she mentioned Michalak, Rayonnance, and Tapisserie in the podcast.
My favorite California Blenheim dried apricots are from Apricot King.
The European-style cake pan we mentioned is the Tea Loaf Pan from King Arthur Baking. (I mention it in my chocolate book, coming out in the spring of 2026.)
I hope you enjoy our chat!
- David
Visit her website: doriegreenspan.com
Subscribe to Dorie’s newsletter: xoxodoriegreenspan
