Cameron Zook of New Providence is a Solanco High School senior with a knack for baking. But when Zook is in the kitchen, she doesn't just whip up any kind of pastry; she specializes in making macarons, a French delicacy that is incredibly difficult to make.

Zook became interested in baking about four years ago, but she mostly steered clear of macarons after many unsuccessful attempts to make them with various recipes. Zook acquired more experience with working in the kitchen for about two years before she decided to roll up her sleeves and finally conquer the dessert that had given her so much trouble. The young baker scoured Pinterest and countless Facebook groups for recipes and pointers, trying new techniques as she strove to master the process. "Macarons are so finnicky; even the humidity plays a role in how they will turn out," Zook said. "The most difficult aspect is the mixing the batter. If you overmix or undermix the batter by even 20 seconds, the whole batch is ruined."

After a lot of batter, Zook finally acquired the skills she needed to defeat her challenging (and delicious) adversary. Zook not only became skilled at baking macarons, she also started her own business to sell them. Zook accepts orders via the Facebook page "Cam's Macarons," and she has been commissioned to make goods for several local events and weddings. Last fall, Zook's macarons won second place at the Solanco Fair and first place at the West Lampeter Community Fair, which qualified her to enter the Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg.

Zook competed with Pennsylvania's top bakers at the state farm show on Jan. 6, and she earned fifth place with her macarons. Each submission was judged by factors such as taste, visual presentation, texture and creativity. Although the process of perfecting her macarons required a lot of time and effort, Zook cites their challenging nature as a main factor in her success at the farm show. "Judges don't see many macarons because of how difficult they are to make, and I believe that made them stand out," said Zook. "Texture is a huge thing for macarons, too, and you have to find the perfect icing-to-cookie ratio."

After graduating from high school, Zook hopes to attend college to study education, and becoming a teacher has always been one of her ambitions. Zook added that teaching also appeals to her due to its schedule, which would allow her to work on her macaron business when school is not in session. Eventually, Zook hopes to own her own food truck or a small bakery.