The best Christmas bakers in Finland have been selected.
The Christmas Baking Championship was held on Saturday, December 3 in Helsinki.
The winner of the adult series of the competition organized for the first time Anna Jaatinen from Nokia and the 15–20-year-old youth series Pihla Sallinen from Iisalmi.
There were a total of six finalists for baking skills, three in each series.
The task of the Christmas Baking Championship was to bake treats for the Christmas coffee table, the release states.
Anna Jaatinen said that with the savory one, she knew what she was doing right away, but the sweet pastry had to be refined a bit. The pastries have flavors of plum and pomegranate. Milla Ilkamo / Parcero
The contestants had three hours to bake one savory and one sweet delicacy and a peppery table decoration.
The jury paid special attention to the taste, appearance and skillful and innovative use of the dough in the baked goods.
Mylly’s Best Development Director, who was part of the jury Iiro Heinonen according to the competition was extremely tough. The winners were united by surprising but clear flavors and a well-thought-out and coherent whole.
Anna Jaatinen, who won the Finnish Christmas baking championship, found feta pies with a fresh salad, a Christmas brita cake and peppery cranberries on the table setting.
Pihla Sallinen’s masterpieces are porodonits, cheese cake pie and gingerbread, which reflects the togetherness of Christmas. Milla Ilkamo / Parcero
The winner of the youth category, Pihla Sallinen, baked porodonits, a cheesecake pie and a gingerbread creation depicting the togetherness of Christmas.
A total of 95 applications were received for the first ever Christmas Baking Championship. Myllyn Paras has organized Pepper Baking Championship in previous years.
The jury of the Christmas baking championships included Mylly’s Parhaa development director Iiro Heinonen, a food industry entrepreneur who runs the Pullahiiren leivontanurkka blog Taru Vihavainen as well as last year’s winner of the 2022 Someleipur’s Pesti Pia Hjelt.
The recipes of all competition bakings are published on Mylly Parha’s website.