I have always loved desserts! When I was 9 years old, I started trying out dessert recipes that my mom had. She always made really great cookies, cakes and candy. She used the old Southern Living cookbooks and the most used recipes had flour on the page or a stain from butter or shortening. It was fascinating to find boring, everyday ingredients could be combined to make something exciting and delicious. The science of it still intrigues me so.

Fast forward to later on when I was in my 20’s, I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. It’s a chronic disease that causes inflammation of the digestive tract. I was sick a lot and sometimes very sick and hospitalized for weeks at a time. I would ask people to sneak some chocolate or some other forbidden treat into the hospital room for me. This went on for years and one day, someone told me that all the sugar I was consuming was definitely contributing to the inflammation in my body. I never thought of it but after researching some, I found they were right. How would I live without my doughnuts, candy and cakes? I decided I would stop buying all the prepackaged sugar filled junk food and make the beautiful desserts I saw on those baking competitions on tv. I could control the amount and type of sugar without feeding my illness the over processed, high fructose corn syrup filled snacks. I was able to enjoy lavish new desserts like macarons, custards, ganache, mousse cakes, cream puffs and so many other goodies. I bought cookbooks from prestigious dessert makers and started making things for my family and mostly myself. I got so much joy from trying recipes and creating beautiful desserts. I still look for the fancy new dessert ideas and love trying new things.

Susan