A once-lonely housewife from Lahad Datu, Sabah, has transformed her baking passion into a sweet success story. Janet Tan, now living in Seattle, Washington, with her husband and two daughters, emerged victorious in a weekly episode of the Food Networks Christmas Cookie Challenge, a popular baking competition series.
Tan's journey from a stay-at-home mom to a celebrated home baker began with a hobby inspired by YouTube videos. "I can't believe what started out as a hobby has led to this," she shared in an interview with Malay Mail from her Seattle home. Laughing, she added, "It's past midnight, and I'm exhausted, but I have more cookies to decorate."
In 2013, Tan relocated to the US with her family to support her husband's career. While she enjoyed her role as a full-time mom, being in a foreign country without friends or work left her feeling restless. "I was used to working, and without something to keep me occupied, I got lonely," she admitted.
Seeking a creative outlet, Tan began experimenting with cookie decorating, initially crafting beautiful and customized treats for her daughter's parties. "The learning curve was steep," she recalled. "I couldn't even figure out the temperature differences between Fahrenheit and Celsius in our oven."
Her early attempts were met with surprise from friends who had never known her to have artistic inclinations. Despite the challenges, Tan's talent blossomed, and her exquisite designs quickly gained recognition within her community.
Tan's transition from hobbyist to entrepreneur came during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020. With encouragement from her family, she established her business, Fairyland Pastry, navigating strict home business licensing regulations in the US. "It was much more complicated than back home in Malaysia," she said.
Post-lockdown, she resigned from her job as ground staff for an airline to focus entirely on her baking venture.
In the Food Network competition, each episode features four to five bakers battling it out in themed challenges. Tan's episode, titled "Santa's Seaside Holiday," required contestants to decorate cookies with an under-the-sea theme in the first round and build 3D Christmas sandcastles in the second round.
For her sandcastle design, Tan incorporated coconuts, a challenging ingredient she had little experience with. "I found a hammer to smash it open and, inspired by onde-onde, grated the flesh to include in my dough," she explained. Although she couldn't perfectly replicate the flavors of the traditional Nyonya kuih without pandan essence, her creativity and skill won the judges over.
The competition was filmed in April, but Tan had to keep her win a secret until the episode aired on December 5. "No one knew I had won except my husband and kids. Fortunately, they could keep the secret," she shared.
Since her victory, orders for Christmas cookies have been flooding in. However, Tan remains grounded despite her $10,000 (RM44,330) prize money. "Opening a shop is a big task costly and complicated. For now, I enjoy working from home," she said.
Looking ahead, Tan is eager to visit her hometown of Lahad Datu after seven years away. "There's never a good time for the family, but I told my husband, if we don't make the time, I'll go back without him," she laughed.
While a storefront may still be a distant dream, Tan is focused on perfecting her craft and cherishing the journey that began as a simple hobby. Her story is a testament to how passion and perseverance can turn even the smallest of dreams into extraordinary achievements.
