Christmas INC Magazine- Valentine's Day Edition!

The Valentine ' s day issue is here! And what better way to celebrate it than with some SWEET stories and recipes from the top 10 Ultimate Bakers.

Going over each of these stories was a refreshing reminder that doing things with love, and following your passion, will not only make yourself happy, but also those around you!

Bakers create communities, and are there in times of celebration and joy.

So we invite you to relax and unwind as we introduce you to ten of our favorite Galentine’s! These Ultimate Baker finalist will share their heartfelt stories and best recipes and tips for a perfect Valentine’s Day!

Enjoy!

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The Ultimate Baker

During the month of December a group of over 250 bakers from all over the world competed to become "The Ultimate Baker. "

The main goal to display their talents and gather family and friends to vote.

The first vote was free, and any vote beyond that helped the Christmas is Not Cancelled toy fundraiser for thousands of children. There were a total of 3 rounds and the final 25 contestants were to be judged by a panel of celebrity judges.

The panel included actresses Andrea Barber and Jen Lilley, entrepreneur and make-up mogul Jerrod Blandino and celebrity bakers Sheri Wilson and Ryan Sullivan.

The winner took home the title of The Ultimate Baker, $5,000, a personalized collection with Sprinkle Pop, a baker ' s box, and the cover of Christmas Inc Magazine

The top 10 finalist were announced on Christmas day and included: Natalie Dufner from Minnesota, Gabriella Galway from Pennsylvania, Laurel Kosel from Michigan, Amanda Martin from Kentucky, Kristina Mrakic from Merrylands

Australia, Julia Greenstein from Florida, Laura Krell from Virginia, Anila Kaisani from Florida, Jennifer Malone from California, and the winner Anna Simeonides from North Carolina.

Andrea Barber

Jen Lilley

Jerrod Blandino

Ryan Sullivan

Sheri Wilson

Anna Anna Simeonides Simeonides

WINSTON-SALEM, NC

“My mama likes to say I dream in food, and she’s not wrong " , says Anna laughing at the reference. “I am the ultimate baker, because culinary is ingrained in who I am. Nothing brings me greater joy than serving others something I’ ve made them. ”

"I believe food should be both delicious and artistic, and that you should taste the love. ”

“My earliest baking memory is sitting on the kitchen counter with my papou (Greek for Grandpa), dipping truffles and eating more than I was helping. ” says Anna. Baking was always a hobby for Anna, however her mission changed when she was 8. Her little brother Panteleimon was born with a series of life threatening food allergies. It was at that point that Anna decided to take the role of her personal chef determined to help him in any way she could. “I dove into the kitchen, experimenting and creating new recipes, ” says Anna. “My passion for baking continued to grow with each smile he gave me. ”

Five years ago, at the young age of 21, Anna turned her passion for baking and helping and opened “To Your Health Bakery ” -an allergy friendly facility with a mission is to create food from scratch, delicious, nutritious, and available to everyone

Anna’s bakery is tailored to serve those with allergies and dietary restrictions, so that they too can enjoy treats. A portion of Anna’s bakery proceeds go to supporting food access and education through Compassion International and Global Education Ministries.

“

At the bakery, we do it all! Gourmet cakes, scones, pies, cookies, brownies, donuts, cinnamon buns, tiramisu, biscuits...however, my signature recipe is probably our oatmeal cream pies. They ’re out #1 best seller in the bakery year round!” Says Anna.

Anna’s creativity and sense of community has also landed her on the public eye. Her bakery has been featured on The Kelly + Ryan Show on ABC, an Instagram PopUp Shop hosted by Shawn Johnson, Hallmark Channel' s Christmas Cookie Matchup, and My Fox 8 news.

She now displays her many media appearances on what they call “The wall of fame. ” This wall encapsulates her baking journey. “ To me this is a testament to the incredible work that God has done, ” says Anna. “From publicity opportunities to building our precious community. Everything has been a miraculous gift from Him. ”

“The best advice I’ ve ever received is to prioritize my relationship with Christ and everything else will follow!” says Anna “I always say that what makes a good baker is not the talent or skill but how well you can fix your mistakes. That is knowledge only gained through action, so my advice for those beginning to bake is to go for it and have FUN! Baking is both science and intuition, don’t overthink things and don’t fear mistakes! There are no failures, only experiences to learn from and improve. ”

For those who are starting their own ventures,

Anna advises them to find something they love, make it uniquely theirs. “You know what your talents are and where your passion lies, ” says

Anna. “Stay in your lane! Don’t overextend yourself and stay true to your brand. You can do anything but not everything. ”

As far as the future, “To Your Health Bakery ” just launched a line of dry mixes. They offer a signature All Purpose Baking Flour, a Cake Mix, a Cookie Mix, and a Bread Mix, all Top 8 Allergen Free. “We currently sell them online through our website, ” says Anna. “We are huge advocates for allergy awareness and can’t wait to see our recipes become a staple in homes!”

Anna's Anna's Signature Signature American American Buttercream! Buttercream!

BY ANNA SIMEONIDES

Incredibly fluffy and smooth, Anna ' s Signature American Buttercream is perfect for frosting cakes, cookies, making a dessert charcuterie…the possibilities are endless.

INGREDIENTS

4 sticks unsalted butter, softened 8 cups powdered sugar 1 tbs vanilla extract splash of milk

INSTRUCTIONS

Cream the butter in a stand mixer until fluffy. Add in the powdered sugar and vanilla and mix on low speed, adding milk in tablespoon increments until you reach your desired consistency. Allow the frosting to whip for 5 minutes or until fluffy and white, ensuring to scrape the sides of your bowl in the process. Enjoy!

Laura Laura Krell Krell

SALEM, VA

Laura loves spe g y kitchen For her baking is about making memories and she has found it to be very therapeutic

"I love to create special moments with my family when we’re baking together, ” says Laura. “I can remember baking with my grandmother for as long as I can remember. She is the reason for my love of baking and we made so many memories together throughout the years. I always had the best time staying at her house and baking the time away. I even have recipe cards that I would write with her in my handwriting from barely old enough to write!”

Laura’s friends and family had always encouraged her to start a baking business, and she recently did just that by starting Sugarheart Baking Co.

“One special thing about my baking business is that I am able to bake for people that have certain allergies, ” says Laura. “Growing up with a milk allergy myself, and family members with nut allergies, we were never able to really enjoy desserts at parties or celebrations I found it extremely difficult to find a local baker that would be able to make desserts for special occasions with ingredients that I could eat AND it tasted good, so I just decided to figure it out on my own!”

Laura’s signature dish is her vanilla bean decorated sugar cookie. “My goal (with my business) is to offer delicious baking “ activities” and help people create special memories and moments together” says Laura.

Follow Laura’s 5 Tips for Decorating Sugar Cookies of your own!

11 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5

5Tipsfor D5Tipsfor Decorating ecorating Sugar CSugar Cookies ookies

BY LAURA KRELL

Freeze dough prior to baking. This will help the cookie hold its shape during and after baking. Roll out your cookie dough and freeze it for about 15 minutes prior to cutting your shapes. You can also freeze them again prior to baking.

Smooth Top of Cookie when it comes out of the oven. Using a spoon or fondant smoother, flatten and smooth out the top of your cookie when it first comes out of the oven. This will help make sure your cookies are flat and less chance of your icing falling off the edge.

Take the time to ensure proper royal icing consistency. Royal icing can be difficult to work with, especially if you have the incorrect consistency. Take the time to make sure you have the correct consistency (flood, detail, florals, etc). If you have to stop and empty out your piping bag and add water (to make thinner) or more powdered sugar (to make thicker) do it - you will be glad you did! There are many tutorials on Youtube on how to mix different consistencies of royal icing. Or you can just use buttercream!

Outline the different sections you plan to decorate on your cookie. This will create a wall for your icing and it will be less likely to fall over the edge of the cookie or melt into the wrong parts of your cookie. Make sure to use a medium thickness consistency for this step.

Be patient, take your time and practice! Working with royal icing takes a lot of patience and practice. Make sure you allow your icing time to dry in between steps and your design will have more definition. The more you practice the easier it will become!

Most importantly, have fun and enjoy the experience!! It doesn 't matter what they look like in the end. What matters is that you have fun and enjoy doing it!!

Amanda Amanda Martin Martin

MT. WASHINGTON, KY

“There’s nothing like baking or cooking for the ones you care about, ” says

Amanda. “It’s a guaranteed way to make someone smile and feel loved, all while raising your own spirits. ”

Amanda bakes from the heart and she always makes sure to include a dash of love!

Amanda started baking at a very young age. “I grew up watching my mom, nana and aunts. They were always making something fabulous for their families, ” says Amanda. “I guess you could say it runs in my blood!”

In 2019 Amanda lost her husband, and at the time she really amped up baking and began selling cakes and cookie boxes during the holidays for extra income. “It became a form of therapy for me” .

Amanda’s full time job is being a mom and homeschooling her daughter Hannah.

She is also a published author. “I wrote and published a book last year about my story called, “Love, Grit & Grace " , says Amanda. “It’s my life long mission now to encourage women who have been in similar situations as me and offer them hope and support. ”

One of Amanda’s dreams is to start a foundation for young widows and their children and provide them with magical Christmases and make some of their dreams come true. “I’d also love to write and publish a cookbook and donate some of my proceeds back to this foundation. ” says Amanda.

Amanda’s is known in her community for making the best cakes, today she shares with us a confetti cake to celebrate Valentine’s day.

ConfettiCake ConfettiCake

BY AMANDA MARTIN

Confetti Cake INGREDIENTS:

* 1 cup salted butter, room temperature

* 2 cups granulated sugar

* 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil

* 4 large eggs, room temperature

* 2 tsp vanilla extract

* 1/2 tsp almond extract

* 3 1/4 cups all purpose flour

* 2 1/2 tsp baking powder

* 1/2 tsp baking soda

* 1/2 cup full fat sour cream, room temperatu

* 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature

* 3/4 cup rainbow sprinkles

Confetti Cake INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease and line the bottoms of 3 – 8” cake pans with parchment paper. Equally Fill the pans a little over halfway with cake batter. (Use any extra batter to make cupcakes!)

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and set aside.

3. In a mixer- on medium speed, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 3-5 minutes.)

4. Add in the oil. Scrape down sides of the bowl. Next, mix in the eggs one at a time Add in vanilla and almond extracts

5 Mix in the sour cream

6. Mix in the buttermilk and dry ingredients, alternating between them.

7. Once all ingredients are combined, scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl. Next, fold in the sprinkles. (To keep the sprinkles evenly distributed in the cake layers, lightly sprinkle them with a little flour and toss to coat.)

8. Pour batter into cake pans and spread it out evenly. Lightly tap pans on counter to get rid of air bubbles.

9. Bake for 35-40 minutes. (Test with toothpick to see if they are done. When a toothpick comes out clean, they are ready!)

10 Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then run a knife around the edges and flip onto plates Remove the paper off each layer Let cool completely before assembling and frosting!

Buttercream Ingredients:

* 1 1/2 cups salted butter, room temperature

* 5 cups powdered sugar

* 1 Tbsp vanilla extract

* 3-4 Tbsp heavy cream

* 1/2 cup sprinkles (optional)

Buttercream Instructions:

1. In a stand mixer, cream butter on high for 5 minutes Every now and then turn off mixer and scrape down sides of bowl

2. Slowly add in powdered sugar one cup at a time.

3. Add in vanilla extract and heavy cream. Beat well for about 1-2 minutes until light and fluffy.

4. If frosting is too thick, slowly add in more heavy cream until desired consistency.

5. If you wish- reserve 2 cups of frosting and add in sprinkles for the “filling” of the cake!

Confetti Cake Assembly:

1. On a cake board or plate: spread a small amount of buttercream (this will hold your cake in place!)

2. Place first cake layer down then top with about 1 cup of frosting and evenly spread.

3. Top with next cake layer and repeat.

4. Frost cake how you wish and decorate with sprinkles!

5 Enjoy ��

Confetti Confetti Cake Cake

Laurel Laurel Kosel Kosel

ANN ARBOR, MI

Laurel has a true passion for the craft. “I love to make people smile by surprising them with baked goods, or delighting a customer with a whimsical cookie set design, ” says Laurel. “With so much stuff on the planet, I love the consumable, temporary nature of this art form which is why I fell in love with it in the first place” . “ No cookie is "too pretty to eat"! I am hoping to expand my little home cookie business and take it full time in a commercial kitchen so I can ship cookies to customers throughout the country. ”

Laurel started baking as a hobby while working towards her Fine Arts degree from the University of Michigan. “I would make intricate cakes and cookies for friends and family whenever I had the opportunity, And even built pie into my senior design thesis, ” says Laurel. “After college, I did an apprenticeship at a local cake shop, which is where I was first exposed to royal icing and sugar cookie decorating. ”

Today Laurel shares with us a classic recipe from her family archives, MaJean ' s Chocolate Syrup.

MaJean's MaJean's Chocolate Chocolate Syrup Syrup

BY LAUREL KOSEL

INGREDIENTS

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup Hershey ' s

cocoa

1/2 cup light corn

syrup

3/4 cup water

1 teaspoon vanilla

INSTRUCTIONS

Mix together the first

four ingredients.

Bring to a boil, stir

continuously and boil

for a few minutes.

Add vanilla.

Makes delicious ice

cream sundaes!

Gabriella Gabriella Galway Galway

EXTON, PA

Gabriella loves being a baker. “I put so much joy, passion and love into the recipes I make I work so hard to get the flavors

right and never stop trying to be better and learn more! , ”

says Gabriella. “After getting

the flavors to the place I want

them to be I work very hard at

matching that level aesthetically as well! It’s a craft I will never stop honing and it’s become such a huge part of who I am!”

Growing up Gabriella’s mom would give her scraps of dough to create from and that’s where her love for baking blossomed. “I would then bake as I got older on snow days or when I would have time as a way to slow down in this busy world and get back to creating, and it always brought me so much joy, ” says Gabriella. “What I made always tasted great but wasn’t always the most aesthetically pleasing. When I became a mom, baking was a way to find myself again when I had lost my identity a bit and I’ ve been working really hard to continue to better my skills and set a good example for my kids to love what you do, and do things daily that bring you joy. ”

Gabriella is most known for her cinnamon rolls. This Valentine’s day, Gabriella shares her Valentine’s day version with us.

Valentine’s Valentine’s Cinnamon Cinnamon Rolls Rolls

BY GABRIELLA GALWAY

INGREDIENTS

DOUGH

1 cup milk

1 TBSP Dry Active Yeast

2 TBSP sugar

1 tsp salt

4 TBSP salted butter softened

1 Egg (room temperature)

3 1/2 cups flour

6-8 drops pink gel food coloring

FILLING

1/2 cup salted butter (melted)

1 cup brown sugar

3 TBSP cinnamon

GLAZE

2 cups powdered sugar

2 TBSP salted butter (melted)

2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup heavy cream (can sub milk)

Sprinkles of choice

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Heat milk for 30-60 seconds in microwave to warm. Add sugar and yeast to milk, stir and let sit 5-10 min until bloomed.

Add Salt, butter and egg to mixing bowl with bread hook attachment.

Once yeast is bloomed add milk mixture to mixing bowl.

Add 6-8 drops of gel food coloring. Mix until combined

Slowly add flour 1/2 cup at a time mixing on low speed, let dough come together. (if dough is too shaggy and won’t come together add a teaspoon of milk at a time until it does, if dough is too sticky add a TBSP of flour until its not sticky to the bowl)

Mix on low speed for 5-6 min

Pull dough out of mixer and form a ball, place dough in lightly sprayed bowl and cover with a tea towel. Place in a warm area for 15-30 minutes to rise. Roll out dough onto a lightly floured surface and try to get it oblong (rectangular) in shape.

Mix together the filling melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and stir

Julia Julia Greenstein Greenstein

BOCA RATON, FL

Julia truly enjoys the joy desserts can bring to people. “Seeing their smiles makes my soul happy!”

Even though Julia is a very busy stay at home mom, she enjoys baking for her business Sweet Treat Events “So much of my time & energy goes towards my family that usually there’s not a lot left but baking and creating it is a huge outlet for me, ” says Julia “When I can get in the kitchen to bake, it’s because I’ ve had an idea burning in my brain or a design or a flavor I need to try out and bring to life. ”

Julia began baking at a young age. “I come from a big Italian family and there are lots of bakers on both sides, ” says Julia. “I was always inspired watching what they would come up with and became super passionate about creating my own style of treats. ”

Vanilla buttercream is Julia' s signature dish. “It’s always my biggest request and always gets the most compliments, ” says Julia.

“Especially from people who claim they aren’t huge buttercream fans but they end up loving it!”

LoveBug LoveBug PizzaCake PizzaCake

BY SWEET TREAT EVENTS

INGREDIENTS:

Your favorite cake recipe baked

in an 8 inch round cake pan

Your favorite buttercream

recipe

Pink soft gel paste ( I used

Americolor in Deep Pink)

Valentines Sprinkles ( I used

‘Love Bug’ by Sprinkle Pop)

Piping tip 1M

Piping tip 2A

Piping tip 8B

Piping bags

DIRECTIONS:

Bake cake in 8 inch pan according to recipe. Let cool completely.

Prepare buttercream according to recipe.

Set aside half of prepared buttercream to keep white. In a separate bowl with remaining buttercream, mix in pink soft gel paste.

Once cake is cooled, use a cake leveler or serrated knife to level the top of cake Then use a chef knife to cut 8 equal “ pizza slices”

Prepare your piping bag and tips. Fill one bag with white buttercream, another with pink buttercream, and the last with a mix of both colors to achieve the swirled look.

Using your piping tips, decorate each cake slice differently to achieve a fun look!

Top with your valentines sprinkle mix! Enjoy!

Anila Anila Kaisani Kaisani

SARASOTA, FL

For Anila, being a baker means to bring joy into other peoples homes. “I enjoy being part of their memorable celebrations from birthdays to graduations, weddings and so on. It means to be the invisible hand in the kitchen so I can make mom’s life easy by providing my breakfasts to their families to enjoy ” .

Says Anila. “It’s being out somewhere and a sweet child shouts “that’s my cookie lady ” and gives me a big hug! My baking brings so many people joy but the true joy is seeing the love it brings to their homes”

The first time Anila baked a cake was for her daughter’s birthday. “Of course she chose an Elsa cake!” Says Anila. “Seeing her smile when she saw it … there was no turning back!”

Although Anila’s specialty are her sugar cookies, she is excited to share her special Valentine’s cupcake recipe with us.

Decadent Decadent Dreamy Dreamy Chocolate Chocolate Cupcakes Cupcakes

BY ANILA KAISAINI

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ cup cocoa powder (unsweetened)

1 cup sugar

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp espresso powder

¼ cup vegetable oil

½ buttermilk

1 egg (room temperature)

1 tsp vanilla

½ cup hot water (not boiling)

INSTRUCTIONS:

- Preheat oven to 350°F. Place cupcake liners in cupcake pan.

- Add flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and espresso powder to a large bowl or bowl of stand mixer Whisk until combined

- Add buttermilk, egg, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract to the flour mixture and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes until well combined (do not overmix).

Reduce speed, carefully add hot water to the cupcake batter and beat on low speed for another minute. *Batter will be thin.

- Fill cupcake liner ½ full and place in the oven. Bake for 15-18 min or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean.

- Remove from oven and allow to cool on wire.

- While the cupcakes are cooling, make your choice of frosting. Frost the cupcakes and serve

Natalie Natalie Dufner Dufner

ANDOVER, MN

Natalie has loved to bake since she can remember. “ I enjoy trying new recipes and experimenting with different flavors and techniques!,” says Natalie “My favorite part of being a baker is seeing the joy that a baked good can bring to someone! From baking and decorating cakes and cookies for kids on their birthdays to making our family butterhorn recipe for Thanksgiving - seeing people smile, gather and enjoy delicious baked goods is so satisfying! I love to bake anything from muffins and scones to cakes and cookies to rolls and breads! From basic delicious flavors to beautifully decorated desserts I love to do it all. And people say I’m pretty good at it… ”

Natalie has been a helper in the kitchen since she was little. “Our family has many traditional recipes that have been passed down through the years from one generation to the next. ” Says, Natalie. “I have fond memories of mixing cookie dough with my grandmother, rolling krumkake with my aunt at Christmastime and baking anything and everything with my mom all year long. It’s been a special part of my life forever and now I am enjoying creating the same types of memories with my own children. ”

Natalie’s family sugar cookie recipe is made with almond extract instead of vanilla This Valentine’s day Natalie shares her famous family recipe with our readers.

Grandma’s Grandma’s SugarCookies SugarCookies

NATALIE DUFNER

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup salted butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp almond extract

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ tsp salt

DIRECTIONS:

Mix ingredients in order beginning by creaming the butter and sugar.

Add egg and almond extract. Combine flour, baking powder and salt Add dry ingredients to the mixture until just combined Chill dough for 1 hour in the fridge before rolling Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Flour surface and rolling pin. Roll out dough a little at a time leaving remaining dough in fridge. Cut into desired shapes. Bake for 4-12 minutes depending on thickness of dough.

*Traditionally my family rolls out this cookie dough incredibly thin, cuts small shapes and decorates with colored sanding sugar BEFORE baking. These thin cookies only need 4-5 minutes in the oven and come out buttery, sweet and crisp. If you want to roll the dough thicker you can make larger/softer cookies for decorating with your favorite royal icing or buttercream The thicker cookies will then need more time in the oven (8-12 minutes).

Jennifer Jennifer Malone Malone

NORTH HILLS, CA

For Jennifer, there is nothing more exciting than to combine different ingredients together into a tasty dish to serve to her family and friends. “Baking and giving out sweet treats is definitely my love language and I absolutely look forward to making something tasty for my loved ones, ” says Jennifer. “To take it one step further, I also really enjoy creating beautiful scenes with my food and sharing that through the art of food photography! Good food and an amazing photo of that food!? What more could you ask for!”

JJennifer always enjoyed baking growing up, but it wasn 't until going through a near death experience in 2020 that she realized how much baking helped her keep her mind at ease dealing with the PTSD of the situation. "I started watching The Great British Baking Show during this time and fell in love with how they made baking look, " says Jennifer. “I decided to give it a try and made banana chocolate chip muffins from scratch for my first bake. I instantly fell in love with the complexity of baking and the ease as to which I was able to close my mind and just be at peace. From there, I picked up food photography and it has been such an amazing experience each and every time I get to do it. Baking has truly saved me. ”

Jennifer ' s signature dishes range from mini pumpkin cheesecakes with an Oreo crust, apple pies, and a good vanilla cupcake with vanilla frosting. Today she shares with us another of her special creations, the Valentine’s red velvet cake

RedVelvetCake RedVelvetCake

BY JENNIFER MALONE

For The Cake:

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 Tablespoons cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons red food coloring*

4 eggs, room temperature

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon vinegar

1 1/3 cup buttermilk

Cake instructions:

For The Cream Cheese Frosting:

6 oz cream cheese, slightly cold

1.5 cups butter, barely at room temp

6 cups powdered sugar, measured and

then sifted

1 tsp vanilla

3 tbsp heavy whipping cream

Dash of salt .

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two 8 or 9 inch round pans with parchment paper on the bottom. Butter and grease the sides. Set aside.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a stand mixer fit with the paddle attachment, beat together the oil and sugar until combined, about 2 minutes Add the eggs in one at a time, beating until light and fluffy Add the vanilla extract and food coloring and mix well

Stir together the buttermilk and vinegar and set aside.

Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the buttermilk and vinegar mixture in 4 different additions, making sure you end with the flour. Do not over mix.

Divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out mostly clean. Allow the cakes to cool completely

Frosting instructions:

In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes

Slowly add in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time Allow to mix in before adding in another cup Once all cups are added, mix until well incorporated. Add in vanilla, heavy whipping cream, and salt. Slowly mix until combined, and then turn speed up to medium and let whip for 5-7 min

Decorating:

Level each cake layer. Place first layer on board and add large dollop of frosting. Layer second layer and repeat with frosting. If you made a third layer, add that and finish with final layer of frosting. Even frosting out to secure the crumb coat and place in fridge for 20-25 min, or until buttercream is firm to touch.

Remove from fridge and add final coat of frosting Smooth for an even, finished look If adding more decorations, place in fridge for 10 min to slightly harden buttercream

Kristina Kristina "Kiki" "Kiki" Mrakic Mrakic

MERRYLANDS, NSW AUSTRALIA

Kristina has a love and passion for baking. When her hands touch the ingredients, her imagination ignites! “I am filled with creativity and so much joy. I simply cannot wait to create, ” says Kristina. “From listening to the mixer combine the ingredients, to laying eyes on the finished dish, it’s a process that my five senses thoroughly enjoy. ”

Living in Australia, Kristina began baking at a young age as a way to feel more connected to her family and friends across Europe and the States. “Being separated from most of our relatives meant I couldn’t bake with my grandma like all the other kids at school. I did, however, enjoy watching my mum bake and when I was old enough, I joined her, ” says Kristina. “We baked memories together. We made recipes that were passed down, tweaked a few and created new ones During Christmas, a time when it seems we miss our relatives the most, we would make recipes passed down to us, knowing that our relatives would be doing the same. It made us feel connected to each other. It brought so much joy, happiness and above all, love. ”

Kristinas signature dish is a Pavlova with a twist. “I love movie mysteries, so of course, there’s a secret ingredient!”

Valentine’s Valentine’s Day Day Pavlova Pavlova

BY KRISTINA MRAKIC

INGREDIENTS

12 egg whites

500g caster sugar

1 tbs vinegar (apple cider or malt vinegar)

1 tbs vanilla essence/extract

Pinch of salt

1 tbs cornflour

600ml thickened cream

175g passionfruit pulp (small can)

Fruit of choice (preferably strawberries, kiwi, blackberries, blueberries)

Mint leaves (optional)

Method

Beat egg whites, vinegar, and vanilla essence at a medium speed in an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Slowly add caster sugar and a pinch of salt. Beat until stiff and glossy. Gradually add cornflour. Preheat oven 220 °C fan forced.

Option 1: Large pavlova

Pour mixture onto a round baking tray and shape meringue with a spatula

Option 2: Pour meringue mixture into a large heart-shaped pan.

Option 3: Pour meringue mixture into a medium heart-shaped pan and into three piping bags. Place baking paper onto a rectangular baking tray. Pipe out 12 medium hearts and fill the centre. You will need 2 baking trays for 12 hearts.

Once meringue mixture is shaped, place in oven and bake for 5-10 minutes at

220 °C fan forced. Do not open the oven. Continue baking at 110 °C fan forced for 1 5 hours (large pavlova), 50 mins- 1hr (medium pavlova), 35 minutes (mini pavlova) or until crust is dry

Once baked, place pavlova on cooling rack.

CHRISTMASINC CHRISTMASINC MOVIEREVIEWS MOVIEREVIEWS

BY ADUA RING