Utah woman wins Food Network’s “Christmas Cookie Challenge.”

CEDAR HILLS, Utah (KSL.com) – When it comes to baking cookies, Anya Fazulyanov wasn’t intimidated by the older, perhaps more experienced competition on the Food Network’s “Christmas Cookie Challenge.” They had to be intimidated by her.

Last week, during the network’s airing of her episode, Fazulyanov’s friends, family, and probably even her BYU professors discovered what she had to keep secret for weeks: She won the challenge and is one of the youngest people to do so in a non-child-oriented program .

The competition between cookie bakers from across the country tests their creativity, baking knowledge and the taste of the sweet treats. In the first round, participants compete against each other in a group of four. After one is eliminated, the remaining three compete for the title of Christmas Cookie Champion.

The judges thought the BYU freshman’s work was the best – and tastiest – of all.

“I feel like this was a demonstration of all my hard work and baking and stuff while I was still in school. I’m really proud of myself,” Fazulyanov said. “But it was so hard to keep (the results) secret. I had to put it on hold so I wouldn’t think about it.”

Along with the title, Fazulyanov received $10,000, $500 in Ghirardelli chocolate, and a $500 Visa gift card for winning the first round. She will also get the opportunity to potentially participate in other Food Network competition programs, which she says would be great. She said she’s “ready to be on another Food Network show once this is over.”

Fazulyanov also went ahead and increased the price of the cookies she sells online at Anya’s Cookie — to $95 a dozen for custom cookies. Her website anyascookies.com also features successful cookie recipes for baking-loving customers. Fazulyanov is also thinking about selling boxes of her winning cookies.

What’s next for Fazulyanov — aside from finishing her work at BYU: “When I came back, I had to remind myself, ‘Oh yeah, I have to write an essay this week,'” she said — is unclear. She wants to enroll in pastry school in Europe, Utah or New York City to expand her baking skills. She can also imagine writing a cookbook or appearing on another Food Network show.

Whatever she does after this win, Fazulyanov wants to make sure she continues to move forward and doesn’t rest on her laurels or wait for something to come her way. She will continue to pursue what she wants.

“It was definitely fun,” she said of taking part in the Christmas Cookie Challenge. “But I feel like there are so many other things I want to do… including more training.”