Bag Check: Rebecca Masson

Rebecca Masson
Image: Courtesy of Rebecca Masson
Anyone who drools over Fluff Bake Bar's beloved Unicorn Bait cookies has Rebecca Masson to thank. Same goes for Fluff's Couch Potatoes, Fluffernutters, Veruca Salt cakes...everything, really. Masson, also known as the "Sugar Fairy," is the Midtown bakery's owner and pastry chef.
The Wyoming-born, Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef knew from an early age that baking was more than a hobby. When she came to Houston in 2006 to join Chef Ryan Pera at 17 Restaurant at the Alden Hotel, Houstonians took notice–Masson's desserts earned a cult following that persists to this day. A slew of awards and accolades followed, including Masson's underdog victory at the chef-only Houston Chowhounds cooking competition in 2010 that would become her spotlight moment when she took first place in the "Shroom Throwdown" event with her icebox pie with porcini-chocolate crust, candy cap mushroom custard, and toasted meringue. Most recently, Masson competed on Bravo's Top Chef: Just Desserts.
At Fluff, Masson's creations pair traditional French pastry with nostalgic homemade flavors, making the chef a favorite dessert menu consultant among top Houston eateries like Gravitas and Vic & Anthony's. Now, Masson is also a co-chair of this year's Taste of the Nation, a culinary tasting event to support No Kid Hungry on May 22 at Silver Street Studios. The celebrated tasting will bring more than 40 of the region's top chefs, bartenders, and pitmasters together to end childhood hunger. Ahead of the big day, Masson showed us what's in her Louis Vuitton bag.

Image: Rebecca Masson
- Fluff stuffs: Because you never know when there might be an opportunity to pimp your brand.
- Lipstick (similar): Revlon pink, because Julie Soefer said I needed it. But I prefer the Karite lip balm.
- Family keepsakes: My grandpa Bill’s Bible he carried in World War II, my Grandma Joie’s tape measure, and a rosary I got in Fatima, Portugal with my mother–I’m more of a spiritual person than a religious one, but I carry these things because I feel like they keep me safe and remind me of those that I love.
- Back-up phone battery (similar): Always need that power.
- Max Pitton glasses (similar): I’m blind without them, and I think your glasses should be a statement. I learned that from my mother.
- Sharpies: You can never have enough as a chef.
- No Kid Hungry pin: I’m proud to be a part of such an important cause helping spread the word. NKH is feeding our nation’s children so they can grow up to be the leaders of tomorrow.