Bakers, Start Your Ovens!

Enlarge Image Image Gallery Double-Delight Peanut Butter Cookies photographs courtesy Pillsbury Bake-Off ®

“Ready, set, bake!” could have been the rallying cry for the 43^rd Pillsbury Bake-Off® held recently in Dallas. One hundred finalists – 92 women and eight men ranging from age 27 to 72 and representing 35 states – vied for the grand prize of $1 million.

Excitement and delicious aromas mingled in the Regency Ballroom at the Fairmont Dallas as the competition got under way. The contestants simultaneously prepared their recipes at individual mini-kitchens as friends, family and food editors from all over the country observed.

As each recipe was completed, the entries were taken to a panel of nine judges sequestered during the competition. They evaluated each entry based on taste, appearance, creativity and consumer appeal.

At the awards ceremony, celebrity host Sandra Lee announced the winners of five categories: Breakfast & Brunches, Entertaining Appetizers, Old El Paso® Mexican Favorites, Sweet Treats and Pizza Creations. From those five winners, the grand prize winner was named.

For her creative take on a classic cookie, Carolyn Gurtz of Gaithersburg, Maryland, was awarded the $1 million grand prize. Her recipe, Double-Delight Peanut Butter Cookies, takes a traditional favorite and gives it an unexpected twist with layers of peanut butter.

“I knew I was onto something,” Gurtz says, “when I was in the kitchen baking, and my son was working on his computer in the basement. He came upstairs and tasted one of the cookies and said ‘Mom, these are a winner.’”

Judges agreed Gurtz’s recipe surpassed the other competitors for its simplicity and approachability.

Diana McMillen, senior food editor of Midwest Living, was one of the judges. “When I tasted the winning cookie, I had that ‘Oh-my-gosh’ response,” McMillen says, “which is saying something considering I’d spent the whole day tasting food. Add in the easy prep, and I knew people would love this recipe.”

In addition to winning the Sweet Treats category, and ultimately the grand prize, Gurtz also captured the Jif® Peanut Butter Award. The $5,000 award recognizes the best recipe that uses at least ¼ cup of Jif® Peanut Butter.

The other four category winners each earned $5,000 and a GE Profile™ Double Oven Freestanding Range for their entries. The winner in the Breakfast & Brunches category was Pamela Shank, of Parkersburg, West Virginia, with her Mascarpone-Filled Cranberry-Walnut Rolls. Edgar Rudberg, of St. Paul, Minnesota, won the Entertaining Appetizers category for his Salmon Pastries with Dill Pesto entry. The winner of the Old El Paso® Mexican Favorites category was Vanda Pozzanghera, of Pittsford, New York, with her Mexican Pesto-Pork Tacos. Niki Plourde, of Gardner, Massachusetts, was the winner of the Pizza Creations category for her Apple-Jack Chicken Pizza with Caramelized Onions.