Molly Wilkinson is a talented and popular pâstissière in Versailles, a graduate of the famous Le Cordon Bleu cooking school. She has trained bakers around the world and been featured in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. But how did someone from Texas become an expert in French pastry, living just steps away from the most famous château in France?

Molly always wanted to be a baker but didn’t pursue her passion until her late 20s. Discovering that the world-famous Le Cordon Bleu was much less expensive than American pastry schools, she headed off to Paris, armed only with a basic French vocabulary. There, she trained for a year, learning the intricacies of French specialties like Mille Feuille and Saint-Honoré cake.

Armed with her diploma, Molly worked first as the pastry chef at a château, then at a French cooking school. One of her colleagues praised her talent as a teacher, inspiring her to host her own baking courses. All was going swimmingly until Covid hit, and France shut down.

But ever resourceful, Molly began teaching courses online. Her timing was perfect, as people around the world were stuck at home, looking for something to do. Why not learn how to make French pastries? Molly’s business boomed.

Molly’s focus is on making French pastry simple—in fact, it’s the title of her cookbook, French Pastry Made Simple. As she says, “My style is all about making French pastry easy and accessible. I teach using the tools you’ll find in a typical home kitchen, along with ingredients that are easy to buy.

“I’m like my students, because I started out making cookies and cakes and pies, so I can relate to them and encourage them to try something different. And I make sure that my recipes aren’t overly complicated, but still taste really great.”

You can read more about Molly at France Today, but the article is behind their paywall (it’s a great magazine, you might consider subscribing!) Or you can learn more about Molly and her classes at her excellent website here.