Hand-filling each and every bright red velvet macaron is a task Denise Moreno, owner of More Sweets, actually enjoys.

"It’s a classic French thing, so I always wanted to make sure to have it out there," said Moreno. "I know how good they are, so I want people to know that."

Moreno loves this treat and has dozens of flavors on display at her new bakery location. Before she was classically trained to make these French desserts, however, she was just baking bread with her grandma as a child. After going to college and traveling abroad, she knew she had to make it her career.

Moreno then decided to take a chance on herself and open her own business after working for years in a Santa Monica bakery.

“I wanted the freedom to come up with new flavors, new designs, roll out new products and be in control of that creativity," she said.

Moreno started baking in her parents’ house in Walnut and selling at farmer’s markets in the far east area of Los Angeles County, wanting to bring her treats closer to home. After much success, she and her dad opened a store front in Glendora to serve the locals her hand-crafted scones and specialty cakes. The opening was actually delayed a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but that wasn’t always a bad thing.

“We were able to stay home, work on recipes and perfect some items to have a great display out there,” said Moreno.

They now show up every day at 4 a.m. to begin baking and prepping for the day. Everyone in the community knows her dad because he handles the front of house, while Moreno is in the back making everything herself by hand. She never wanted to outsource, especially for the top sellers: the lemon blackberry scones.

“I try and stick with small batches because I feel like you lose a lot of flavor and technique,” said Moreno.

It’s a true family affair with her dad, her mom, sisters and brothers always willing to help out.

"Everybody has their little role, and we all came together, and I think it’s fun for everybody to see it," Moreno said. "We always have been a bakery kind of family, so now to have all of us on this side of making that, it’s like a dream for all of us."

More Sweets is located at 185 N Vermont Ave. in Glendora, Calif.