This 57th Cookie Connection Challenge (the seventh in the new-ish Watch-Learn-Create series) had a fun twist. Regular challenge host Manu Pezzopane assumed the role of featured guest while past challenge guest Evelin Milanesi stepped in as the special guest host. As you’ll see in Manu’s kickoff video, both did a splendid job in these new (albeit temporary) roles!

Manu, aka Manuela Pezzopane or Manu Biscotti Decorati as she’s known on social media, resides in Rome, Italy. She is the author of the popular Cookie Connection blog feature Made by Manu, where each month she shares the method behind a magical cookie of her own making. In March 2022, Manu also assumed the role of host of Cookie Connection’s rebranded and reformatted Watch-Learn-Create challenge series, which debuted in a virtual video format in July 2022. Manu began her cookie decorating journey in 2015 after making her first Christmas cookies and then immersing herself in Julia’s YouTube videos. Since then, cookie decorating has become Manu’s passion, and her mesmerizing video shorts have earned her a large and loyal following throughout the global cookie community.

In her challenge kickoff video, Manu, a longtime fan of royal icing transfers, explored stenciled royal icing transfers by making her signature wax seals and dimensional flowers – both simple but striking assemblies of stenciled royal icing. While Manu’s video focused on two royal icing transfer designs, her stencil-making, stenciling, and assembly techniques are universal and can be used to make transfers of any shape or size. At the conclusion of the video, Manu and Evelin encouraged viewers to enter Challenge #57 where they applied Manu’s techniques to transfers of their own design. As with all of Cookie Connection’s Watch-Learn-Create challenges, entrants to Challenge #57 had the rare opportunity to expand their cookie skills with one of the industry’s best, but they also got the chance to win phenomenal prizes! In this case, Manu gave away three stencil sets of her own design, and Julia gifted a surprise goodie box filled with decorating supplies gathered on her teaching trips. To see what challenge entrants made, check out the challenge recap on Cookie Connection.

Though this challenge is over, please remember: the learning is not! To view Manu’s video lesson, click on the “LEARN MORE” button, and you’ll be taken to the “TUTORIALS: Guest Series” section of this site where you can purchase it for a nominal fee.