Vermont

Made in Vermont: Small Oven Pastries

Published

2 years ago

May 6, 2024

SHELBURNE, Vt. (WCAX) – If it’s a day that ends in Y, you can find Elizabeth Berman in the kitchen of what used to be Peg and Ter’s baking up brilliance. Berman owns Small Oven Pastries, whipping up meringues and macarons using fresh, local ingredients. But, her foray into French pastries wasn’t always part of her plan.

“Even though my mother and my grandmothers baked, it wasn’t part of my narrative growing up,” says Berman. “It really wasn’t until my 30s that I decided to learn how to bake.”

It started with a simple class at King Arthur Flour while working in higher ed. And, during a brief relocation to Boston for work, she took more pastry classes there, too.

“The first time I tried French macarons was after I baked them in one of the classes,” Berman says. After that, she was hooked. “Four ingredients, and like 600 different ways that it could go wrong. Sort of perfecting or learning the process of making macarons became very centering. It was almost like my Zen moment.”

She may have been burnt out on her career, but her baked goods were far from burnt. In fact, she quickly learned she had a real knack for nosh. So, after bowing out from higher education and moving back to Vermont, she opened Small Oven Pastries in October 2020. Business began with direct to consumer sales as she navigated the challenges that came with the pandemic. Supply shortages brought a unique set of obstacles, and new ideas.

“I had almost two months without a working oven, so during that time I was like… OK, what else can I make? The base for all macarons is meringue,” Berman says.

Meringues and macarons in hand, Berman made her way to farmers markets when they started opening back up. Berman has a master’s degree in food systems, so being involved with the local food scene was a move Berman felt was important.

“Being centered in the community and the local foods movement was a really important aspect to me,” she says. Now, her treats are in City Market and Healthy Living, among other places, where her fans clear the shelves. Berman turns out somewhere near 1,000 macarons a week.

“I would say that I’ve developed over 300 flavors at this point in time,” she laughs, explaining that she’s pared down the daily selection quite a bit. A member of the Vermont Fresh Network, her flavors come from what’s in season and local.

“I bring in seasonal flavors, so right now we have Mother’s Day flavors that I’m playing around with… it’s our Bloom Collection. Floral undertones in the macarons, they’re sort of unique, unexpected flavors,” she says.

Be it cherry blossom macarons or vanilla bean meringues, these goodies bring smiles wherever they are.

“Seeing that joy that I’m putting out there in the world, like nothing beats that feeling,” says Berman.

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Related Topics:Business chef Featured macarons news oven pastries shelburne small vermont WCAX

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Vermont

Unemployment claims in Vermont increased last week

Published

10 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Unemployment claims in Vermont increased last week

Staff reports
| USA TODAY Network

Initial filings for unemployment benefits in Vermont rose last week compared with the week prior, the U.S. Department of Labor said Thursday.

New jobless claims, a proxy for layoffs, increased to 375 in the week ending February 21, up from 357 the week before, the Labor Department said.

U.S. unemployment claims rose to 212,000 last week, up 4,000 claims from 208,000 the week prior on a seasonally adjusted basis.

Rhode Island saw the largest percentage increase in weekly claims, with claims jumping by 132.0%. Michigan, meanwhile, saw the largest percentage drop in new claims, with claims dropping by 49.9%.

USA TODAY Co. is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from the U.S. Department of Labor’s weekly unemployment insurance claims report.

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Vermont

Vermont high school sports scores, results, stats for Thursday, Feb. 26

Published

22 hours ago

February 26, 2026

Press Room

Vermont high school sports scores, results, stats for Thursday, Feb. 26

The 2025-2026 Vermont high school winter season has begun. See below for scores, schedules and game details (statistical leaders, game notes) from basketball, hockey, gymnastics, wrestling, Nordic/Alpine skiing and other winter sports.

TO REPORT SCORES

Coaches or team representatives are asked to report results ASAP after games by emailing sports@burlingtonfreepress.com. Please submit with a name/contact number.

▶ Contact Alex Abrami at aabrami@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter: @aabrami5.

▶ Contact Judith Altneu at JAltneu@usatodayco.com. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter: @Judith_Altneu.

THURSDAY’S H.S. GAMES (REGULAR SEASON)

Boys basketball

Games at 7 p.m. unless noted

Peoples at North Country, 6:30 p.m.

Northfield at Stowe

Hazen at U-32

Oxbow at BFA-Fairfax

Winooski at Middlebury

Watch Vermont high school games on NFHS Network

Mount Mansfield at South Burlington

Essex at St. Johnsbury

BFA-St. Albans at Colchester

Lamoille at Spaulding

Lyndon at Harwood

Williamstown at Twinfield/Cabot

Rice at Champlain Valley

Randolph at Montpelier

Lake Region at Thetford

(Subject to change)

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Vermont

Vermont seasonal snowfall ranks high despite missing out on the Blizzard of 2026

Published

1 day ago

February 26, 2026

Press Room

Vermont seasonal snowfall ranks high despite missing out on the Blizzard of 2026

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – The historic ‘Blizzard of 2026′ brought a winter’s worth of snowfall to Southern New England, especially Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts area. Both states including New Jersey had snowfall totals that surpassed each respective state’s 24-hour snowfall record. Vermont on the other hand, too far north of the storm only received a fraction of the amount of snow.

HIGHEST SNOWFALL REPORTS BY STATE FROM BLIZZARD 2026:

RHODE ISLAND 37.9″ (Warwick)
MASSACHUSETTS 37.0″ (Bliss Corner)
NEW YORK 31.0″ (Central Islip)
CONNECTICUT 30.8″ (North Stonington)
NEW JERSEY 30.7″ (Lyndhurst)
PENNSYLVANIA 22.1″ (Langhorne)
DELAWARE 21″ (Long Neck)
MARYLAND 16″ (Bishopville)
VIRGINIA 15″ (Wintergreen)
MAINE 12″ (Trescott)
NEW HAMPSHIRE 9.8″ (Barrington)
VERMONT 6.8″ (Readsboro)

In northern Vermont, Burlington only received a few flakes from this historic nor’easter. Despite that, Burlington’s seasonal snowfall to date still ranks in the top ten across the eastern United States.

Current seasonal snowfall total rankings in the Eastern United States as of February 24th, 2026: