For Amanda Dowd, SOC/MA ’25, holiday baking is about more than just sugar and flour—it’s about family.

Growing up in Florida, Dowd learned the art of pies and cakes from her mother, a former baker at Publix. By her teenage years, Dowd had taken over the kitchen as the family’s designated holiday baker.

“It’s a joy for me to see other people enjoy the food I’ve baked,” said Dowd, associate director of alumni admissions, volunteers, and lifelong learning, who has worked at AU for nine years. “It’s a great bonding experience.”

That bond proved to be a winning strategy. At the AhealthyU Holly Jolly Bakeoff on December 9, Dowd trusted a recipe she’s baked for 15 years with her daughter, Innea: butter cookie crunchies. It paid off—she swept both the judges’ and popular votes.

A longtime fan of The Great British Baking Show, Dowd out-baked four competitors to earn her first championship title and a getaway to Airlie, AU’s historic property in Warrenton, Virginia.

To prepare, she baked 40 cookies the night before, elevating her standard recipe with an apricot glaze and a hint of cardamom. “My hope was that it would taste like the warmth of the holidays,” she said.

The empty platter proved she succeed. More than 45 faculty and staff attended the U-Club event, engaging in what AhealthyU wellness program manager Coco Benitez described as “social wellness” over homemade treats.