In my home baking pursuits, I’ve long relied on the classics. Apple pie. Chocolate chip cookies. Cinnamon streusel coffee cake.

Over the years, I’ve refined my recipes for these core staples. They’ve been perfected, and will serve me and my family well for the long haul.

And while I do have a go-to scratch recipe for brownies, I’ve long been a fan of the retail box mixes that the good folks at classic baking brands like Betty Crocker, Pillsbury and Duncan Hines put on the market—particularly those that bake up with those amazing crispy, chewy, fudgy-rich corner pieces.

I’ve always gone for the edge or corner pieces. People are either middles or edges, and I’m all edge.

So when I first tasted a sample of Sheila G’s Brownie Brittle a few years ago, I was sold. A fan for life. It was all edge—the best part of the brownie. And there was an entire bag of them. Absolutely brilliant. I might never bake another brownie again.

Our staff and advisors here at Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery have been following the upward career trajectory of Sheila G. Mains and her signature Brownie Brittle line for the past few years with great interest. Brownie Brittle very well might be responsible for the thin, crispy cookie craze that has hit of late. And then she turned her attention to sandwich cookies, with fantastic results. Sheila and her bakery staff just keep innovating—and we are proud to honor them as our 2018 “Bakery of the Year.”

Sheila’s story follows a pathway punctuated with moments of transcendence. She faced significant adversity at key points in her life, pivoting with grace into success every time. She struggled against the odds and prevailed.

While her products inspire pleasurable chocolate-fueled reverie, her story inspires us to never stop chasing our dreams.