Welcome back to our Sweet Insight series, a look into the personalities of five top female pastry chefs in the city based on their favorite Easter treats! I called upon Terese McDonald, owner of Candyality (multiple locations), a sweet shop that specializes in associating people's fave candies with personality characteristics. Last week, we decoded Vanille Patisserie (multiple locations) co-chef Keli Fayard's sweet spot for Robin Eggs malted milk balls. This week, it's another pastry chef's craving for black-licorice jelly beans.

  • The Pastry Chef: Lisa Wilson, pastry chef at Swissôtel Chicago (323 E. Wacker Dr., 312-565-0565), is one of those gals I would want to high five for throwing in the corporate towel to pursue her passion. She literally traded in figures for frosting: after six years of crunching numbers as an accountant, she decided it was really butternut crunch that she fancied. A Kendall College graduate, Wilson worked at the Fairmont Chicago for six years before tackling her current role as pastry chef at the Swissôtel Chicago in October of 2009. What am I anxious to try? Her hazelnut financier made with maple and calvados apples, apple butter, and mascarpone cheese.
  • Fave Easter Treat: Black-licorice jelly beans.
  • Confection Connection: "My goodness you are very loyal — I bet you have been baking the same treats for your diehard patrons for years. You go to the ends of the Earth not only for your candy (and probably your cookies too), but for your family and friends as well. You are a very warm, kind and considerate person."

Keep an eye out for insight into another great pastry chef to find out what her fave Easter candy — Cadbury chocolate shell eggs — says about her or maybe yourself!

Source: Swissotel Chicago