You get people who are taught to bake, and then you get people who were born to bake. Lizelle Solomon is one of the latter. Completely self-taught and 100% awesome, this inspiring Gauteng baker burst onto the scene in 2016 when she won the prize for the BEST Cheesecake in South Africa in the highly competitive Lancewoods Cakeoff®. This is a pretty big deal, even for professional bakers. So, when Lizelle casually mentions that it was the very first cheesecake she ever attempted, it should give you an idea of the type of innate talent we’re talking here.

“Baking is my passion,” says Lizelle. “I bake from the heart and I truly believe that when you bake something with love it just tastes different. I’ve always enjoyed spending time in the kitchen and experimenting with all sort of recipes, but it only started coming together a few years ago when my boys grew up and I had a little breathing room to chase down my dream. “

“To be honest, my baking business was mainly born out of frustration with not being able to find any decent baked goods in the southern reaches of Gauteng. I started making my own, and soon enough I was baking for friends, which quickly turned into a cottage industry that eventually burst into full-blown bloom when the Lancewood competition rolled around. It’s been a wonderful rollercoaster ride and gave me the opportunity to build my side hustle into my passion project – Le Petit Artisan Treats.”

So, how did we get from cheesecake to macarons? The same way Lizelle does everything -by completely acing it the first time. “I tried baking macarons once, and it came out perfectly, which perhaps surprised me most of all. Once my fellow bakers started calling me the Macaron Queen, I knew it was time to put this skill to good use, so these days I’m opening the doors to my Parisian-inspired studio to groups of amateur bakers who want to learn how to make macarons without getting themselves all twisted into knots. There are a few tricks to pulling off the perfect macaron, and I’ve got them all up my sleeve,” Lizelle enthuses.

The Le Petit macaron course takes around three hours. Aspiring bakers are met by Lizelle or her assistant Jacob, to find the baking studio all set up and ready, with the French doors thrown open to the courtyard to let in the breeze in summertime. Once everyone has enjoyed a lingering browsing session in the artisanal treat section of the cottage, it’s down to business. Settle at your spot around the baking table and strap in, because you’ve got a one-way ticket to mastering the art of the macaron!

“My baking sessions are fully hands-on, so everyone gets their hands dirty and follows my lead as we learn more about the history of the macaron and then get stuck in all the particulars that go into baking that perfect macaron. We complete the recipe step by step and I show everyone the little tricks that smooth the way to macaron mastery. Then, once everyone’s cookies are in the oven, it time for bubbly and snacks, and I will demo a decadent macaron filling like chocolate ganache or salted caramel.”

Once the oven buzzer goes off, all that is left to do is fill those puppies with some seriously yum fillings, put them in a pretty box and be on your way with some freshly-baked macarons that are sure to evoke a few solid compliments from the family (or whomever you choose to share them with). We’ll also fully understand if you end up lounging on the couch, putting on Breakfast at Tiffany’s and daintily nibbling them all yourself… #NoJudgies