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Self-professed novice baker Christina Vardanis took on the challenge of recreating Heather Baird’s show-stopping desserts from SprinkleBakes: Dessert Recipes to Inspire Your Inner Artist. Here is photographic evidence of how she fared.

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Challenge No. 1 BANANA PUDDING CAKE This cake has a show-stopping carmelized meringue.

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Christina’s meringue never came together, thanks to egg whites that wouldn’t peak, but ‘the taste was out of this world,’ she writes.

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Challenge No. 2: SUGAR PLUMS For these sugar plums, a layer of marzipan is wrapped around a filling of dried fig, almond and cocoa, rolled in sugar and topped with a fondant leaf and chocolate stem.

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‘My sugary sculptures turned out more ‘bum’ than ‘plum,’ but they were still cute,’ writes Christina.

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Challenge No. 3 DALE CHIHULY-INSPIRED CANDY NESTING BOWLS A candy bowl that not only looks stunning, but can be broken and served to guests.

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The candy-making process didn’t exactly go smoothly, but Christina was pleasantly surprised by how her bowls turned out.

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