Veronica Espinoza’s epiphany occurred in the tiny town of Bustamante, Mexico, while feasting on a hunk of warm bread baked in a wood-fired adobe oven.

“The people there were just happy with this wonderful bread and the company of each other,” said Veronica, who was born and grew up in Victoria, Texas. “They didn’t need anything like vacations to the Bahamas or Louis Vuitton bags.”

“My mother always told me to do what makes me happy and I decided then that would make me happy.”

Veronica then spent an intense year at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Austin and graduated with highest honors, earning a certificate in baking and pastry arts.

She recently moved to Ellsworth to be with a longtime friend, Michael Shaw, a retired builder who grew up in Presque Isle. The two met by chance at Logan International Airport in Boston.

Veronica said she became interested in the simpler side of life after spending two years working as a personal assistant for a wealthy woman whom she met while working as a paralegal in Austin, Texas.

Veronica traveled frequently with the woman and her children between New York, Boston and Texas.

Veronica said she observed close hand that money can’t buy everything, especially satisfaction — which is what she says she gets from baking.

She loves everything about it, from constructing multi-tiered wedding cakes to cookies, pies, tarts, cookie bars and sumptuously decorated cupcakes.

Veronica also enjoys competing. She ranked second in the National La Art Du Chocolatier Challenge 2010 and placed third in That Takes the Cake show and tasting divisions.

One award of which she is particularly proud is placing second in the Cocoa Berry competition in Chicago, where she was one of six bakers competing nationally.

Her entry was a flourless chocolate cake with dried cherries rehydrated with wine and sugar, layers of chocolate mousse, milk chocolate sorbet and tempered chocolate for garnishes.

Veronica says perfection is the bar she sets for herself.

“Any time I make something for someone I want it to be as perfect as possible,” she said.

And good food, she added, transcends all language barriers.

“If something tastes good, everyone understands that,” she said.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Makes 12 cupcakes

1¼ cups sifted cake flour

¼ tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. regular or Dutch processed cocoa powder

¼ cup unsalted butter at room temperature (if you use salted butter omit the ¼ tsp. salt)

¾ cups granulated white sugar

1 large egg

½ tsp. pure vanilla extract

½ cup buttermilk

1 Tbsp. liquid red food coloring

½ tsp. white distilled vinegar

½ tsp. baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder and then set aside.

Cream together sugar and room-temperature butter until light in color. Add the egg and vanilla extract until combined.

In a small bowl combine buttermilk and food coloring.

Add sifted dry ingredient in thirds corresponding with the red buttermilk. Start with dry and end with dry. (Note: Do this on low speed. Overmixing can cause a dense, dry cake. Mixing causes gluten to form.)

Combine the vinegar and baking soda together last to activate it and then stir into batter by hand until combined.

Scoop batter into cupcake liners placed in cupcake pan.

Bake 18 to 24 minutes.

Cream Cheese Icing

Two, 8-ounce packages cream cheese

2 sticks of butter (unsalted, room temperature)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

4 cups confectioners’ sugar

Using paddle attachment in the mixer, cream together cream cheese, butter and vanilla extract.

On low speed add sugar.

When combined, turn up to high speed and whip until smooth.

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