While in St. Louis, I tried to make the most of experiencing the local food and culture - all while working around a conference. Missouri Baking Company is an iconic, family-owned bakery that has been creating European pastries since 1924.



When I arrived, I planned to get something small. I had just a few dollars, and they're cash only. But once I got a glimpse of all the goodies, I reconsidered.



Fortunately, they have an ATM on site. So, I went a little wild. There's a whole section of these tiny cookies. And one available was the "gooey butter cake" cookie. That was a must-have. And, it was a fun little bite of buttery, crumbly cookie reminiscent of the classic dessert here.



As I moved along, I discovered "pasticciotti." These little pastries were filled with ricotta, so I had to try it. The pastry was very light, and the ricotta was sweet. Lovely combination.



But that wasn't all. I went with a cannoli, too, because I can't often find those at home. Stuffed to the gills with ricotta, this cannoli had a hint of cherry. Perfection.



Another goodie was a napoleon. It has three layers of puff pastry with cream in between each. Plus, the top had a cute design in icing. It just feels so decadent to me, so I love them.



And, goodness, there were so many beautiful desserts. I wish I could've tried the entire store. Everything looked amazing.