Star baker competing in Bake Off
“I want my kids to see that I’m more than a mum who does all the mum things. I’m also the mum who does awesome things that I’m passionate about.”
Ella Rossanis is a mum of three kids, a creative copywriter who describes herself as a “real Jewish mama”. She’s also currently competing on The Great Australian Bake Off.
Rossanis was born in Perth and spent five years in the creative advertising industry in New York, working in a Mad Men-style agency.
“I wanted to do that late-night brainstorming, crazy creative campaigns,” she said, before explaining that she moved to the client-side of things when she had her first child, eventually moving to Sydney with her young family. “I can have kids, be creative and work at the same time.”
But, as many parents will attest, finding time yourself to be creative is tough. So, when the opportunity arose to audition for The Great Australian Bake Off, Rossanis jumped at the chance. “We mums spend so much time doing things for the kids. Since having them I’ve been bombarded,” she said. “I don’t have time to be creative because I’m doing the school lunches and the nappies and the laundry.”
But, Rossanis said each stage of Bake Off has awakened the “creative Ella version”.
Filming took place late last year and took Ella away from her family for weeks, even though she had three children under the age of five, and one was still breastfeeding.
While she admits it was very tough, her kids were ultimately her driving inspiration, and her husband, who she says is her greatest supporter, took charge of the kids so she could compete. “[Filming] was every feeling that I could feel, all at the same time. It was exhausting and exhilarating, and just this unbelievable experience,” Rossanis said.
“I want my kids to see that I’m more than a mum who does all the mum things. I’m also the mum who does awesome things that I’m passionate about.”
Photo: daniellaphotography.com.au
And, of course, driving her was a love of baking, incorporating her Jewishness and family into her food.
“I started when I was around 11, where I’d help prepare Friday night dinner. [Baking] has this ‘heart’ to it, reminds me of home and mum and family,” Rossanis, who bakes challah with the kids every week, said. “And then there’s the perfectionist in me. I love trying to challenge myself with new things that I haven’t done before or trying to make something look gorgeous in a crazy way.”
Rossanis says she’s open to whatever comes her way, now. “I did this amazing, crazy thing and it was just so much fun. I’m open to whatever comes from that. I’m not sure what it is, I just know for sure that baking is definitely here to stay as part of my life now.”
And when it comes to her kids, she says it’s important they see that everyone can do whatever they set their mind to, no matter how tough. “We’re constantly talking about the show and trying to bring up the fact that ‘yeah, it was really hard for mum, but she did it,’” Rossanis said, especially when it comes to her eldest.
“She’s nearly five and it’s so important that she’s this strong, powerful, confident woman. It only comes from modelling that for your kids. We need to make sure that they know they can follow their passions and do awesome things, even if they think they’re impossible.”
The Great Australian Bake Off is now showing on Foxtel. Follow Ella’s baking journey on Instagram: @ellasplaybakes
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