In case you didn’t know, I’m a fat girl who loves to eat. To be specific, I love dessert. To be even more specific, I love macarons. And coffee. Dark, unsweetened coffee. When I found out about Amy Becker’s Facebook shop Sweet Beckery Confections, I knew I had to try the macarons. They were beyond delicious. Amy was kind enough to let me ask her about her passion for pastries.

1. How did you get into baking?
I’ve always loved being in the kitchen in any aspect. When I was little, holidays were very important in our home. My grandma would come over and she and my mom would bake all day long. It was a great memory, and my mom and I continue that tradition on still to this day.
I was introduced to macarons in Disneyland, and knew I had to work on reproducing them so I had a little Disney magic at home, too.

2. Who are some of your role model bakers?
My mom and grandma. My grandma made the best Scandinavian cookies that I just cannot recreate (yet!), and my mom makes the best chocolate chip cookies. I feel like if I can recreate either of their recipes perfectly, I’ll be a happy lady!

3. Macarons are a technical challenge. How long did it take you to master the art of piping?
I’ve been working at macarons for a bit over a year. There are so many things that could go wrong! Piping came fairly easy for me, but the macaronage is what took almost a year to perfect. That is the stage that will make or break a macaron.

4. What’s your favorite macaron flavor?
My favorite flavor has to be pistachio. I use real pistachios in both the shells and the filling, so I feel like it gets a really good sweet and salty balance.

5. Your Facebook page promises to bring new flavors for the Fall. Can you drop a few hints?
We recently visited my hometown in the Midwest, and so I really want to incorporate some flavors from there. One hint is one of my favorite things to do in Wisconsin is the Bayfield Applefest.

I don’t know what this Applefest is all about, but I can’t can’t wait to find out. In the meantime, I’ll keep ordering pistachio macarons and savoring them until the new flavors arrive!