Zoe Francois makes Candied Carrot Peel

When life gives 'Zoë Bakes Cakes' author Zoë François veggie scraps, she makes this stunning cake decoration: spiced, candied carrot peel.

On Play Me a Recipe, your favorite cooks will walk you through their most treasured recipes, offering all the insider tips, stories, and tricks you won't get from a written recipe—and you'll be right alongside them, every step of the way. Feel free to pause, jump back, or navigate the steps via the podcast chapters.

If you're cooking along, here's the recipe we're making today. Go ahead and grab the ingredients below (Zoë starts listing them at 1:03) before starting the episode.

Carrot Peel Candy

• 1 cup (240 milliliters) simple syrup
• 1 tablespoon orange blossom water, or 1/2 teaspoon orange extract
• 1 pinch kosher salt
• Peels from 2 pounds (900 grams) organic carrots, washed

1. Preheat the oven to 200°F / 95°C. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat.
2. In a saucepan over medium-low heat, stir together the simple syrup, orange blossom water, and salt and warm to a gentle simmer. Add the carrot peels and cook just until the peels are turning translucent.
3. Strain the peels in a fine-mesh sieve and then lay them out on the prepared baking sheet.
4. Bake until the carrot peels start to curl up, anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes, depending on their thickness. Then turn the oven temperature to 100°F / 40°C and bake until completely dry; this can take several hours.
5. Transfer to an airtight container and store in a cool, dry place for up to 48 hours.