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christmas cookie challenge

Podcast: Brittani Talks About Winning the Cookie Challenge
​

Marriott Pastry Chef Competing on Food Network 

By PAMELA and GERRY BARKER
North Palm Beach Life


SINGER ISLAND _ Attention foodies -- you may want to circle Nov. 28 on your calendars. That's the night the Food Network will air the 2016 edition of the Christmas Cookie Challenge. Five accomplished bakers will vie for a $10,000 prize and Christmas cookie championship of the world.

One of those five competitors is Brittani Szczecina, executive pastry chef at the Marriott Singer Island Beach Resort and Spa. You may recall the  five-foot-high gingerbread house she created last year, which we wrote about here.

We asked the always-busy Brittani to take a break from the Marriott kitchens to tell us more.

She said it all started via social media. "The Food Network found me through Instagram," she said, where they saw a picture she posted of the giant gingerbread house. "I applied and went through a long process and got picked."

There's a lot she can't talk about until after the show airs, but she said the experience was "very intense." The show is hosted by Alison Sweeney,  and there are three judges: Damiano Carrara, Sharone Hakman and Jordin Sparks.

​The excitement from participating still hasn't worn off. "It still doesn't feel real," she said. "It's the hardest thing I've ever done, but it's the experience of a lifetime."


One outcome was how the five competitors bonded. "We have a group chat at least once a day," said Ms. Szczecina. "We cheer each other on." They even share care packages of goodies. "These are friends I will have for life."

So how did she prepare for the show?

First, she had to get into the Christmas vibe. At home, that meant "dragging out the Kenny Rogers Christmas music and watching the movie Elf seven times," and at work, "drinking peppermint mochas from the coffee shop." Also, as you might expect, she made lots and lots of cookies,

Would she be up for another go-around on one of those Food Network competition shows? "You bet," she said, without hesitation. "Even Chopped ... I may be a pastry chef but I can throw down in the kitchen," she laughed.

Again, the show airs Nov. 28 at 8 pm on the Food Network. And the suspense is killing us!
Picture
Brittani Szczecina at the Marriott Cafe (NPBL Photo)
Listen to Brittani Talk About
The Show In This NPBL Podcast:

NORTH PALM BEACH LIFE

Contact us: northpalmlife@gmail.com

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  • Home
    • Weather >
      • Hurricane Readiness
  • Cruise News
    • Cruise Reviews and Stories
    • Cruise Compete
    • Nieuw Statendam
  • Gigi in the 561
    • Gigi in the 561 Interviews
    • Cora
    • My Father's Tales >
      • My Father's Tales - Photo Album
  • Blogs
    • Gerry Pronounced Gary
    • Rock and Roll Rewind
    • Susan Goldfein -- Blog >
      • Susan Goldfein
  • Video
  • Travel
    • Snaps >
      • Snaps - Page 2
    • Island Destinations
    • October Odyssey >
      • Cartagena, Columbia
      • Panama Canal
      • Antigua, Guatemala
      • Cabo San Lucas
      • Birds and Bees Speakeasy in Los Angeles
      • We Love LA
      • Coast Starlight
      • Napa Wine Tour
      • California Zephyr
      • California Zephyr Part Two
      • Chicago
      • Amtrak Capitol Limited
      • Washington DC
    • Pam - Traveling in Style
    • Road Trip! >
      • Road Trip! -- Tucumcari, New Mexico
      • Road Trip! -- The Painted Desert
      • Road Trip! - Sedona, Arizona
      • Road Trip! - Sedona Wineries
      • Road Trip! Tonto Natural Bridge State Park
      • Road Trip! - Mogollon Rim
      • Road Trip! - Verde Canyon Railroad
      • Road Trip! - Jerome, Arizona
      • Road Trip! - California
      • Road Trip! - Palm Springs Celebrity Tour
      • Road Trip! - Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
      • Road Trip! - Festival in Palm Springs
      • Road Trip! - Willcox, Arizona and Apple Annie's Orchard
      • Road Trip! Willcox Wineries
      • Road Trip! Chiricahua National Monument
      • Road Trip! Tombstone, Arizona
      • Tombstone, Part Two
      • Road Trip! - Epilogue
    • Traveling With Joe >
      • Beartooth Highway
      • North Cascades National Park
      • A Visit to the Philippines
      • Grand Canyon National Park
      • Glacier National Park
      • Yellowstone National Park
      • Hiking in Bear Country
      • Crater Lake National Park
      • Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta
      • The Kerrville Folk Festival
      • Building Hope in the Rio Grande Valley
    • Unknown Yellowstone >
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Heart Lake
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Summit Lake
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Shoshone Lake
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Grizzly Lake
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Riddle Lake
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Pelican Cone
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Mt. Washburn
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Specimen Ridge
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Avalanche Peak
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Divide Creek
  • Contact
    • Pamela Barker - Author
    • The Story of StarText
  • Search