The million dollar winner of the Pillsbury Bake-Off has been announced live on the Oprah show. I had the pleasure of watching 100 finalists compete in Orlando for the million dollar prize and out of those, it was narrowed down to these 4 finalists; (see of the event)
- Breakfast & Brunches — Tomato-Basil Eggs Alfredo in Bread Baskets by Niki Plourde of Gardner, Mass. (recipe)
Inspired by her love for pesto, Niki Plourde brought together the combination of pesto and basil with the creaminess of eggs and tomato for her winning Tomato-Basil Eggs Alfredo in Bread Baskets. A student majoring in social work, Plourde entered the 44th Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest to pay for her college education.
- Entertaining Appetizers — Salmon Pecan-Crusted Tartlets by Evelyn Henderson of Roseville, Calif. (recipe)
When she learned she was a Bake-Off finalist, Evelyn Henderson “had a smile a mile wide.” Inspired by her love for tuna melts and salmon sandwiches, Henderson paired salmon and pecans to give her dish a gourmet feel.
- Dinner Made Easy — Zesty Lime-Fish Tacos by Kellie White of St. Louis, Mo. (recipe)
Setting out with the intention of creating a meal to satisfy the craving for this popular California dish, Kellie White knew her recipe was a hit when the first batch went so quickly. Although her mother hails from the South and serves as her inspiration in the kitchen, White’s mission was to bring this West coast dish into homes across America.
- Sweet Treats — Mini Ice Cream Cookie Cups by Sue Compton of Delanco, N.J. (recipe)
Known for her baking, Sue Compton finds cooking to be her creative outlet, with her son and his college friends being the lucky beneficiaries of her homemade meals. Referring to her cookie cups as “cute and yummy,” Compton thought she had a good chance in the Bake-Off Contest because people rave about her creations.
Of course, there could only be one Pillsbury Winner for the Pillsbury Bake-Off 2010 and that winner is…………………………………………
And now enjoy the Pillsbury winner’s recipe!
Recipe: Mini Ice Cream Cookie Cups
Summary: An easy make-ahead recipe is a fun and impressive dessert for your next gathering.
Ingredients
- 1 package (16 oz) Pillsbury Ready to Bake! refrigerated sugar cookies (24 cookies)
- 4 teaspoons sugar
- 1/3 cup Fisher Chef’s Naturals Chopped Walnuts, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup Hershey’s semi-sweet chocolate baking chips
- 1/4 cup Smucker’s Seedless Red Raspberry Jam
- 1 1/2 cups vanilla bean ice cream, softened
- 24 fresh raspberries
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 24 mini muffin cups with Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray. Place 1 cookie dough round in each muffin cup. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.
- Place 2 teaspoons of the sugar in small bowl. Dip end of wooden spoon handle in sugar; carefully press into center of each cookie to make 1-inch-wide indentation. Cool
- Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix walnuts and remaining 2 teaspoons sugar; set aside. In small microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips uncovered on High 30 to 60 seconds, stirring after 30 seconds, until smooth.
- Run knife around edges of cups to loosen; gently remove from pan. Dip rim of each cup into melted chocolate, then into walnut mixture. Place walnut side up on cookie sheet with sides.
- In another small microwavable bowl, microwave jam uncovered on High about 15 seconds until melted. Spoon 1/2 teaspoon jam into each cup. Freeze cups about 5 minutes or until chocolate is set.
- Spoon ice cream into cups, using small cookie scoop or measuring tablespoon. Top each cup with fresh raspberry. Store in freezer; let stand at room temperature 5 minutes before serving.
Quick Notes
1 Serving: Calories 150 (Calories from Fat 70); Total Fat 7g (Saturated Fat 2 1/2g, Trans Fat 1 1/2g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 60mg; Total Carbohydrate 19g (Dietary Fiber 0g, Sugars 12g); Protein 1g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 0%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 0%; Iron 2% Exchanges: 1 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 1 1/2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 1 *Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Cooking time (duration): 40
Number of servings (yield): 24
Meal type: dessert
Recipe by Sue Compton from Delanco NJ.
Microformatting by hRecipe.
I am drooling over that bread basket dish, seriously! Now I must go enjoy my cereal. Sigh.
YUM I saw this recipe in my weekly recipe email from Pillsbury and it looked like the best of the bunch. Glad to know it won! Can’t wait to try it!
I’m sure that winning recipe tastes great, but I’m disappointed that such a common combination (ice cream, fruit, chocolate, and cookie) came out on top. I mean, those other recipes are so innovative. I would really like to know your thoughts, Lori.
Well the recipe was great, very tasty and all but I did have other picks that I preferred, many of which were innovative and packed with unsuspecting flavors that made my eyes roll to the back of my head. I would really love to know the judging criteria and all…….I think I’d love to be a judge one time in fact!