KOTA KINABALU, Dec 12 — A lonely housewife turned home baker from Lahad Datu has won a weekly challenge on US’ Food Network’s Christmas Cookie Challenge.

Janet Tan, who grew up in the east coast Sabahan town but is now living in Seattle, Washington, with her husband and two daughters, turned her hobby into a business and now a national accomplishment with her cookie making and decorating skills.

"I can’t believe what started out as a hobby has led to this,” she laughed as she spoke to Malay Mail from her home in Seattle.

"It is now past midnight and I am exhausted, but I have some more cookies to decorate,” she said.

Tan moved to the US in 2013 with her family to support her husband’s career but was getting antsy from being a stay-at-home mum in a foreign country.

"Although I loved being a full-time mum, I was used to working and without friends, I was getting lonely without something to keep me occupied,” she said.

YouTube videos of cookie decorating piqued her interest and she was inspired to present something beautiful and customised for her daughter’s many parties.

"The learning curve was steep as I could not even calculate the difference between Fahrenheit and Celsius on our home oven. My friends were also shocked because I had never shown any artistic or creative talent before,” she said.

Tan, who also got a job as ground staff for an airline, soon made a name for herself for her exquisite custom cookies but she was still only doing it as a hobby.

"It wasn’t till the Covid 19 lockdown did we decide that I should go into it properly,” said Tan, explaining that requirements for a home business license was a lot more strict and complicated than back home in Malaysia.

Her business, Fairyland Pastry was born in 2020. When the lockdown lifted, Tan resigned from her job and focused on her business.

Competition

The Food Network’s Christmas Cookie Challenge sees four to five bakers go head-to-head over two rounds for a winner every week over the season.

For Tan’s episode, dubbed "Santa’s Seaside Holiday”, the first round involved decorating cookies to an "under the sea” theme while round two was a challenge to build the best 3D Christmas sandcastles, complete with crushed cookie sand.

Bakers were offered use of papaya, mangoes, coconuts or guava and Tan had to work with coconuts, of which she said she was unfamiliar with.

"I managed to find a hammer to smash it open with, and with onde-onde in mind, I grated the flesh to include my dough,” she said.

Tan was unable to replicate the flavours of the traditional Nyonya kuih without pandan essence available, but she still won the judges over.

Tan said the best part of the experience was meeting other contestants, and having fun with their craft.

She said filming for the show was in April and she had to keep the results of the show a secret until two weeks before it aired last December 5.

"No one knew I had won except my husband and kids. Luckily they could keep the secret,” said Tan

When asked how life has changed, she said that orders were coming in fast for the Christmas season but otherwise, she was taking it easy with her win and prize money of US$10,000 (RM44,330).

"I haven’t thought too much about it. Opening a shop is a big task — costly and there’s a lot involved. It’s still a pipe dream for now.. I enjoy working mostly from home,” she said.

One thing she is planning on, aside from continuing to hone her craft, is a trip back home.

"I haven’t been home for about seven years. There is never a good time for the family. But I told my husband, if we don’t find the time, hopefully by next summer, I will go back without him,” she laughed.