Embarking on a Journey

Since I was young, I have always loved to bake. I think it's in my blood, as my Great-Grandmother Vida Mae Brown had a saying she loved and lived by: Life's short; eat dessert first. On another note, I also have always loved to travel. Unfortunately, I have never actually had the opportunity to travel outside of the United States, but I have loved traveling within it and learning about cultures outside of it.

Flash forward to this Christmas. I was sitting on the family couch, opening presents from my loved ones. One by one, I received baking tools: my own personal mixing bowls, silicone spatulas, measuring spoons, and, in all of its glory, a madeleine pan. After taking five years of French classes, I have a particular love for French pastries. A madeleine pan was a perfect gift. 

(The spoons, spatulas, and bowl were purchased at Hobby Lobby; the madeleine pan was purchased at Williams-Sonoma.)

That evening, I broke in my new toys and made my first two pans of madeleine cookies. They were divine. As I thought about all of the different flavors of madeleines I could make and all of the other desserts I wanted to try, I came up with a challenge for myself. Just as it says in the tagline, I decided I want to make a dessert from every country on this earth. Oh, and while I'm at it, why not blog about it? 

Prepare for a blog filled with delicious successes and hilarious baking failures; I am an eighteen-year-old overly amateur baker who is about to tackle some of the craziest treats on this planet. 

(Christmas Eve with cookies I baked for "Santa")