Melissa has always been drawn to puzzles — the harder, the better. So when someone told her macarons were too hard to make, she took it as a challenge. Between client calls and work travel, she found a new kind of stress relief: obsessing over the delicate balance of egg whites, almond flour, and ganache.

They became the perfect puzzle. Tiny. Temperamental. Beautiful. Delicious. A single bite of sweetness instead of a full slice of pie (because let's be honest, she'd eat the whole thing. FYI, she approved that line of copy.)

What started as a weekend hobby spiraled into full-blown obsession: batch after batch — some flops, some phenomenal — and eventually, time spent in professional kitchens, refining her technique and mastering the craft.