b'MOTHER KNOWS BESTBelieving there had to be more to her culinary interests than a childhood love of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (the pastry scenes, she says, and the scene where they get to try all of Wonkas funky creations) or her capricious sweet tooth (When Im off the clock I love ice cream. My favorite is Dutch Chocolate by Bluebell. The only time I get this ice cream is when I travel because they unfortunately dont sell it in Nebraska. At least not right now!), we asked Chloe for her culinary backstory.Halfway through my senior year in high school I was baking desserts for Christmas dinner and my mom said she thought I would be good at baking, and it just kind of clicked. I also believe that seeing my mom and other family members work in the food industry led me to consider pastry.I spent a lot of time after school at a table in a restaurant where my mom worked, just hanging out. It showed me from an early age how much goes into the food service industry. My grandparents also worked waitstaff while I was growing up. They made so many lifelong friends from this. And my uncle worked back of house in lots of fine-dining restaurants. I believe thats why I slowly made my way to CCL and the banquet side of the kitchen.My passion and talent came from my grandmothers. My maternal grandmother taught me how to make and put lots of love into things that are a part of family tradition. My paternal grandmother showed me how to decorate my first cake and first cupcakes and taught me all things cake decorating. She made the best chocolate chip cookies.IF SHE HAD HER OWN BAKERYId name it Chloes Creations or Chloes Hometo make it more personalized and special. It would be an actual French bakery where people could arrive before work to grab a fresh baguette for dinner and a dozen macarons for dessert.The good fortune of being able to learn at a university that solely taught French baking is what ultimately led me to love it and lean into the French dessert world.We are now hungry, so we ask Chloe to dish on her favorite pastries and go-to pastry spots, besides CCL, where we would most surely find her sticky rolls, rum bread, crme brle, caramel, gluten-free brownie sundaes, lava cakes and caramel-and-dark-chocolate-ganache cowboy brownies (these are just the normal menu items. Your hearts desires, like her decorated sugar cookies, are yours for the asking with notice of just a week or so).My favorite and the most fabulous dessert Ive ever had was at Gordon Ramsay Hells Kitchen in Las Vegas. They had a Sticky Toffee Pudding served warm with cookie crunch ice cream. I still dream about this dessert at least once a week and have been trying to replicate it ever since that day. My most favorite pastry was a chocolate croissant from Steam Espresso Bar in Denver. If you ever get the chance to go to South Pearl Street Farmers Market, its a must. Down a block off the market, youll find this coffee shop. They bring their chocolate croissants in from another local Denver bakery. The best croissants ever! Best pastry creation of your personal career, we ask?My favorite pastry creation would have to be a Croquembouche. (A French pastry pyramid of bite-size cream puffs coated and held in place with caramelized sugar). I had only ever made this in culinary school until a member ordered it for an event and it was so much fun and delicious.Ask her how to pronounce Croquembouche and then try saying it three times. Follow Chloe on Instagram: @chloehallett_baking 13'