Bake-Off winner shares recipe for top cookies
A million dollars for a cookie? Now, that’s delicious! Carolyn Gurtz of Gaithersburg, Md., recently captured the $1 million grand prize at the 43rd Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest for her Double-Delight Peanut Butter Cookies. She was among the 100 best amateur cooks at the country’s most celebrated culinary competition.
Gurtz, a Sunday school teacher and mother of two, knew she had a winner with the recipe when her son raved about the cookie after just one bite. Visit www.bakeoff.com to see prize winners and all the recipes from this year’s competition, plus many favorites from past years. All 100 winning recipes with color photos are also featured in The Pillsbury Classic Cookbook, available at supermarkets.
Surely, you will take some of that prize money and enjoy a nice dinner somewhere. Where are you going?
“The Queens Grill Restaurant, on the very final voyage of the QE2 from London to Dubai in November.”
If you owned a restaurant, what would its theme be? And in addition to your award-winning cookie, what would be the menu’s best items?
“Carolyn’s Creative Cuisine. The menu would include my Grand Prize National Contest-Winning Coconut Cream Poundcake, my Best of Show Pecan Pie from the Montgomery County Fair in Maryland, and of course, my Double-Delight Peanut Butter Cookies from the 43rd Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest.”
Are you always baking cookies for Sunday school? If not, what other dishes do you make? And will the “pressure” be greater now to create amazing things?
“I not only bake for my Sunday school class, but all the church members, too. I’ve been complimented for olive-cheese ball appetizers, meatloaf, homemade vegetable and chicken-rice soups, and my blue-ribbon rolls and breads. Hopefully no pressure, because I love to bake!”
Other than your own, do you have a favorite recipe in the Pillsbury Classic Cookbook?
“Dilly Casserole Bread, another Pillsbury Bake-Off Winner in the 1960 contest.”
Tell us about the oldest piece of equipment or utensil you have in your kitchen.
“Cookie cutters that my mother and grandmother used when they baked.”
Double-Delight Peanut Butter Cookies
1/4 cup Fisher Dry Roasted Peanuts, finely chopped
1/4 cup Domino or C&H granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup Jif Creamy Peanut Butter
1/2 cup Domino or C&H confectioners’ sugar
1 roll (16.5 ounces) Pillsbury Create ‘n Bake refrigerated peanut butter cookies, well-chilled
•1. Heat oven to 375 F. In a small bowl, mix chopped peanuts, granulated sugar and cinnamon; set aside. In another small bowl, stir peanut butter and confectioners’ sugar until completely blended. Shape mixture into 24 (1-inch) balls.
•2. Cut roll of cookie dough into 12 slices. Cut each slice in half crosswise to make 24 pieces; flatten slightly. Shape 1 cookie dough piece around 1 peanut butter ball, covering completely. Repeat with remaining dough and balls.
•3. Roll each covered ball in peanut mixture; gently pat mixture completely onto balls. Place balls 2 inches apart on ungreased large cookie sheets. Spray bottom of drinking glass with Crisco Original No-Stick Cooking Spray; press into remaining peanut mixture. Flatten each ball to 1/4 -inch thickness with bottom of glass. Sprinkle any remaining peanut mixture evenly on tops of cookies; gently press into dough.
•4. Bake 7 to 12 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack. Store tightly covered. Makes 2 dozen cookies.
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