Officials Share Tips for Creating Award-Winning Original Recipes

( BLACK PR WIRE)MINNEAPOLIS — MARCH 31, 2009 —The heat is on for home cooks to come up with a recipe idea that could be worth $1 million, as the April 20, 2009, entry deadline for the 44th Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest is quickly approaching. One hundred finalists will earn a trip to Orlando, Fla., next year to vie for the million-dollar grand prize and the glory of winning America’s most prestigious cooking competition.

This contest marks 60 years of recognizing and rewarding home cooks’ creativity, a history that began when the first Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest was held at the Waldorf=Astoria in New York City. Pillsbury will celebrate this 60th anniversary at the contest finals April 11-13, 2010, at the newest Waldorf=Astoria property—the Waldorf=Astoria Orlando and Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek hotel in Florida.
Entrants must submit their original recipes at www.bakeoff.com or the Spanish language site www.quericavida.com for preliminary judging.

“The recipes that make it into the final 100 are dishes families across the country will love. They’re new ideas that look tempting and taste great,” said Kim Anderson, Pillsbury Bake-Off Kitchens Manager. “Finding inspiration for a simple recipe idea can be as easy as experimenting with new flavors or watching your favorite cooking show on television.”

Whether the idea comes from leftovers in the fridge or the desire to try a new product, Anderson shares these tips from the Pillsbury Bake-Off Kitchens for creating an original recipe:
• Create a contemporary version of a traditional recipe by streamlining preparation techniques or by substituting a convenience ingredient for several ingredients.

• For inspiration, browse your grocery store aisles or visit a new restaurant and order a dish you’ve never tried.

• Adapt a recipe for a different serving occasion, such as turning a main dish into an appetizer. Try adding a new flavor twist.

• Think about a recent vacation and take cues from the new foods and flavors you tried.

• Challenge yourself to whip up a new dish from foods that are already in your fridge and pantry.

• Once you have a good idea, ask yourself, “Does it look attractive? Will it appeal to the whole family? Would my friends ask me for this recipe?”

• As you test your recipe, ask yourself, “Does it taste good? Are the seasonings too spicy, too bland or just right? What can be done to make this taste even better? Does the texture complement the recipe?”

• Remind yourself what the judges are looking for: taste, appearance, creativity and consumer appeal, and ask, “Will my recipe stand out?”

How to Enter
Creative cooks must enter online at www.bakeoff.com (or at www.quericavida.com). Only entries submitted via the electronic entry form provided on these web sites will be accepted. All entries must be received by 11:59 a.m. (central daylight time) on April 20, 2009.

Cash and Prizes
Four recipe categories define the kinds of recipes consumers should submit for the Bake-Off competition. These include Breakfast & Brunches, Entertaining Appetizers, Dinner Made Easy™ and Sweet Treats. One of the four category winners will win the $1 million grand prize and a GE Profile™ Induction Free-Standing Range, plus the winner chooses $7,000 in additional GE Profile™ kitchen
appliances. Combined retail value of Grand Prize is approximately $1,010,300. The three remaining
Recipe Category Winners will each receive $5,000 and a GE Profile™ Induction Free-Standing Range. Combined retail value of each Category Prize is approximately $8,300.

Three additional awards will be presented to winners chosen from any of the recipe categories who have not already won another prize. The most innovative recipe will receive the GE Imagination at Work Award and its winner receives a GE Profile™ Induction Free-Standing Range, plus the winner chooses $1,700 in additional GE Profile™ kitchen appliances. Retail value of the GE Imagination At Work Award is approximately $5,000. The Jif Peanut Butter Award recognizes the finalist who has the best recipe using at least  cup of Jif Peanut Butter. The winner will receive $5,000. The Crisco is Cooking™ Award recognizes the finalist who has the best recipe using at least 1 tablespoon of Crisco Cooking Oil. The winner will receive $5,000.

Eligible Products
Contest officials have created two lists of eligible products. Contestants must use two or more different eligible products in their recipes, with at least one ingredient from the primary list of products and a second from either the primary or secondary list.

The primary list features returning eligible products to the contest, including Pillsbury Refrigerated Crescent Dinner Rolls, Classic Pizza Crust, Cookie Dough and Ready to Bake Cookies,
Grands! and Golden Layers Biscuits, Cinnamon Rolls, Breadsticks, Crusty French Loaf, and Pie Crusts; Pillsbury Brownie Mixes and Pillsbury BEST Flour. Pillsbury Refrigerated Crescent Recipe Creations™ flaky dough sheet and Thin Pizza Crust are new products on the primary list.
The secondary list features Green Giant Frozen Vegetables, Jif Peanut Butter, Smucker’s Jams, Jellies, Preserves, Fruit Spreads and Ice Cream Toppings, Crisco Cooking Oil, Eggland’s Best Eggs, LAND O LAKES Stick Butter and Fisher Nuts. Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk and


Hershey’s cocoa, baking chips or bits and baking chocolate are new eligible ingredients also on the secondary list. Many of the eligible ingredients are familiar to home cooks and come in a variety of flavors, so people can choose their favorite ingredients from throughout the grocery store to use in their recipes. The official contest rules are available at www.bakeoff.com (or the Spanish language site www.quericavida.com) and list the specific eligible products and the amount of each that must be used in a recipe entry.

The upcoming 44th Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest is sponsored by General Mills, General Electric, The J.M. Smucker Company, Eggland’s Best, Land O’Lakes, Inc., Fisher� Nuts and The Hershey Company.
About the Sponsors
One of the world's leading food companies, General Mills operates in over 100 countries and markets more than 100 consumer brands, including Cheerios, Haagen-Dazs, Nature Valley, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Green Giant, Old El Paso, Progresso, Cascadian Farm, Muir Glen, and more. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.A., General Mills had FY2008 global net sales of US$ 14.9 billion, including the company’s $1.2 billion proportionate share of joint venture net sales. For more than 130 years, families have trusted Pillsbury to make mealtimes special times. Favorite Pillsbury products include refrigerated cookies, crescent dinner rolls, breads, biscuits, pie crusts and sweet rolls as well as frozen biscuits, sweet rolls, pie crusts, pastry bites and breakfast items. For product information and great-tasting recipes, visit www.pillsbury.com. Log on to www.generalmills.com for company information.

GE Consumer & Industrial spans the globe as an industry leader in major appliances, lighting and integrated industrial equipment, systems and services. Providing solutions for commercial, industrial and residential use in more than 100 countries, GE Consumer & Industrial uses innovative technologies and ecomaginationSM, a GE initiative to aggressively bring to market new technologies that help customers and consumers meet pressing environmental challenges, to deliver comfort, convenience and electrical protection and control. General Electric (NYSE: GE) sells products under the Monogram, Profile™, GE, Hotpoint, SmartWater™, Reveal and Energy Smart consumer brands, and Entellisys, Tetra, Vio™ and Immersion commercial brands. GE imagination at work. For more information, consumers may visit www.ge.com.

For more than 100 years, The J.M. Smucker Company has been committed to offering consumers quality products that help families create memorable mealtime moments. Today, Smucker is the leading marketer and manufacturer of fruit spreads, retail packaged coffee, peanut butter, shortening and oils, ice cream toppings, sweetened condensed milk, and health and natural foods beverages in North America. The Company’s wide variety of icon brands and products include such trusted favorites as Smucker’s jams, jellies, preserves, fruit spreads and ice cream toppings; Jif peanut butter; Crisco oils, shortening and sprays; Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk; and Pillsbury baking mixes, ready-to-spread frosting and flour. For more information and delicious recipes, please visit www.smuckers.com, www.jif.com, www.crisco.com, www.eaglebrand.com and www.pillsburybaking.com.

Eggland's Best is the No. 1 branded egg in the U.S. They are the recipients of many awards including the Gold Medal for superior taste, appearance and freshness from The American Masters of Taste; The Best Tasting Egg in America from the American Culinary Chefs Best for six consecutive years (2002-2008); the Good Housekeeping Seal from the publication’s Good Housekeeping Research Institute; the Men’s Health Top Pick as the Best Eggs in their Nutrition Awards for three consecutive years; the Best Eggs according to the Women’s Health 2007 Best Foods list; The Crystal Egg Award from the International Egg Commission; and the National Health & Wellness Club Stamp of Approval for flavor, quality and nutrition. In 2007, Eggland’s Best became the official egg of the 43rd Pillsbury Bake-Off� Contest and will be the official egg of the upcoming 44th Pillsbury

Bake-Off in 2009. The distinctive “EB” stamp on the shell assures consumers that the eggs meet the highest standards of taste, nutrition and quality. Eggland’s Best hens are fed a strictly controlled, high-quality, all-natural, all-vegetarian diet without added hormones, antibiotics or steroids of any kind. EB eggs are available in large, cage-free and organic varieties, and are certified as Kosher. For more information, visit www.eggland.com.

Land O’Lakes, Inc., a Minnesota-based food and agriculture company, is a leading supplier of quality dairy products. In 1921, Land O’Lakes began making butter from sweet—not sour—cream. Ever since that breakthrough, the company has been a leading producer of butter and other pure, wholesome dairy products that deliver simple goodness to consumers. Today, the tradition of innovation continues with a complete line up of butter and spreads products. Visit www.landolakes.com anytime for great recipes and meal ideas.

Since 1920, Fisher Nuts has prided itself in providing only the freshest and highest quality nuts. Today, Fisher Nuts continues its tradition of excellence as a John B. Sanfilippo & Son, Inc. (JBSS) brand. A favorite with at-home chefs looking for an easy and nutritious way to add flavor and pizzazz to any dish, Fisher Chef’s Naturals Baking Nuts provide delicious baking and cooking ingredients, making everyday meals extraordinary. Fisher Snack Nuts offer crunchy freshness and dry roasted flavor for a healthier, delicious snack any time of the day. Fisher’s fresh and delicious products can be found in stores and supermarkets under the Fisher, Fisher Chef’s Naturals and Sunshine Country� brand names. For more information on Fisher Nuts, please visit www.fishernuts.com.

The HERSHEY Company, the largest North American manufacturer of quality chocolate products, also provides a wide variety of baking products for consumers and foodservice operators. The HERSHEY Company is proud to offer quality baking cocoa, baking chocolate and baking chips and pieces under the Hershey’s, Reese’s, Heath, Heath Bits‘o Brickle, Mini Kisses and Special Dark brands. With such a variety of forms and flavors, making dessert a memorable occasion has never been easier or more certain! For more information, consumers may visit www.hersheyskitchens.com.