(Photography: Maria)
Another day, another drama-filled episode of MKR and honestly, we’re loving this season. But the best thing to come out of it so far? Discovering Maria’s delicious passion: Blondies Bakehouse. It’s a dessert lover’s paradise. Red velvet cookies? Strawberry matcha? Lemon meringue!?! Yes please.
Maria Zisi opened her business 5 years ago in her home kitchen in Adelaide. Fast forward to now, and she’s competing in My Kitchen Rules alongside her friend, Bailey.
In the last few episodes, they have been copping some heat from their fellow contestants for owning a hospitality business because it gives them an ‘unfair advantage’. But over at Now to Love, a Seven spokesperson said, “If you are a professionally qualified chef, you cannot compete in MKR.”
A bakery owner and cookie lover doesn’t sound like a call for concern in that case, does it?
We reached out to Maria to hear more about her cookie business, MKR and the controversy surrounding them this season.
Maria claps back at the haters
To those saying Maria and Bailey have an unfair advantage, or they’re on the show for exposure…
“I completely understand that people might think that, but that’s not why I joined,” Maria said. “Blondie’s is already my full-time passion, and it keeps me busy enough! MKR was about proving myself to me first, and then to others. It was about showing that I’m not just a baker, I’m a cook who loves food in all its forms. If people discover my bakery along the way, that’s just a bonus.”
Why did Maria start Blondies Bakehouse?
“I have been in love with food since I was about five years old,” Maria said. “I would sit in front of the TV watching Greek cooking shows, then sneak into the kitchen when mum wasn’t home to try and recreate the dishes. Sometimes they worked, sometimes they didn’t, but I always pretended I had my own little cooking show.”
“For me, baking has always been about love. When you bake, you bake for someone. You stir love into it, knead love into it, and when you present it, it feels special. Blondie’s Bakehouse was born from that feeling. I wanted to share that joy and make people’s days a little brighter through something sweet.”
Why did Maria apply for MKR?
“Life is an adventure, and I believe you should take every opportunity, because you never know where it will land you. I joined MKR first and foremost to prove to myself that I can cook not just cookies, but entrées, mains, and desserts. And second, to show others that when you step outside your comfort zone, amazing things can happen. It’s the same spirit that brought me to Australia in the first place when I moved here for love, and it changed my whole life.”
What is Blondie Bakehouse’s most popular cookie
“The Red Velvet and the Lemon Meringue cookies are the ones people line up for. The lemon meringue is special to me because we make everything from scratch, the curd, the meringue, the biscuit, we even grow our own lemons for it! There’s something about creating all those elements by hand that makes the end result taste that much better.”
Where can I buy Blondie’s Bakehouse cookies?
If you’re like me and the only thing you can think about is trying those cookies, you can buy them online and find them at their pop up on Rundle Mall every Friday and Saturday.
