Baking stars are ‘rising’ in Mitchelstown
Foodies of Mitchelstown have nothing to fear, as the young bakers of the town have the baking situation well in hand, with two local pupils landing prizes at the Kenwood Young Baker Awards.
Presentation Secondary School’s Niamh Finn nabbed first place in the Senior Category for her aptly-named ‘Insanely Good Chocolate Cake With a Hint of Hazelnut and Coffee’. Her fabulous creation reflected this year’s theme of ‘Dreams’, with her book-shaped cake promising just that. Niamh was surprised, but dedicated to one thing - chocolate!
“It is a bit mad to win, I wasn’t expecting it at all - a good surprise. I don’t really have a speciality, but if it has chocolate in it though you can be sure I’ll bake it. My family gets to try it all, my brother and uncle have claimed the roles as my official taste testers. I like the creativity of baking, I can make whatever I feel like and can create my own designs, and then of course there is eating it!”
“I don’t think I want to do this as my full time career, baking is something I enjoy to do as my hobby and I think if I do it as my job I’ll have less control of what I’ll get to bake, how I’ll design them, and it could add stress to it. For now, it is something I enjoy doing in my free time, and taking a few orders for family and friends, but you never know in the future.”
Eryn O’Sullivan, third year student in Colàiste Fionnchua, demonstrated equal talent with her award-winning entry, a Willy Wonka-inspired vanilla sponge cake that leaves nothing to be desired in its eye-popping decoration. Ms O’Sullivan took second place prize in the Junior Category, and enjoys trying her hand at “everything, from cakes to cupcakes to cookies”.
“I was delighted that my cake was placed second in the National Kenwood Young Bakers Competition 2021. I was shocked because hundreds of people enter these competitions and it was my first time entering it. I wouldn’t have even thought of entering the competition if it wasn’t for Coláiste Fionnchua asking me to enter it.”
“I do a lot of baking at home with my family and really enjoy it. What I love about baking is that there is so much variety. Personally, my favourite things to bake are cupcakes and cookies. I also like baking cakes but they do take a lot of time and work to complete them. I’m always open to learning new things and to improve my skills.”
This year the cake had to be a single tier cake, around the theme of ‘Dreams’. The winning entry of each of the two categories won a full appliance kit out of their Home Economics classroom, plus their very own Kenwood stand mixer. Each winning class will receive a cookery course via Zoom with Shane Smith, master pastry chef and who regularly features on TV and in the national newspapers.
Paul and Prue better watch out!