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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Bake-off heats up for Colbert cook

Staff Reports

Online voting will decide whether the recipe for orange and coconut cinnamon rolls created by Joan Cossette of Colbert advances to the finals in the 44th annual Pillsbury Bake-off.

For the first time, consumers will vote for 10 of their favorite recipes out of 20 chosen from the tens of thousands of entries in the contest. The 90 other finalists will be selected by contest judges and announced in mid-October.

Cossette’s recipe is facing Apricot-Nut Pastries from Mary Beth Mandola of Houston. To vote in the competition, go to www.bakeoff.com. The site requires a registration and votes are limited to one per person, per competition.

Here are the recipes, along with the winning recipe from the 43rd annual Pillsbury Bake-off:

Orange Coconut Breakfast Rolls

From Joan Cossette of Colbert. Perk up refrigerated cinnamon rolls with a few easy additions, ready to pop in the oven in just 10 minutes.

1 teaspoon Crisco Pure Canola Oil

3/4 to 1 cup flaked coconut

1 can (12.4 ounce) Pillsbury refrigerated cinnamon rolls with icing (8 rolls)

8 tablespoons Smucker’s Sweet Orange Marmalade

1/4 cup Fisher Chef’s Naturals Natural Sliced Almonds

1/2 to 1 teaspoon almond extract

Heat oven to 400 degrees (or 375 degrees for dark pan). Grease 9-inch round cake pan with canola oil or spray with Crisco Original No-Stick Cooking Spray.

Place coconut in shallow dish. Separate dough into 8 rolls; set icing aside. Roll each cinnamon roll in coconut; press coconut onto all sides of roll to coat generously. Place rolls, cinnamon topping sides up, in pan.

Make well in each roll, using back of spoon. Fill each well with 1 tablespoon marmalade; sprinkle with almonds.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in small bowl, stir almond extract into icing. Carefully spread icing on warm rolls. Serve warm.

Yield: 8 rolls

Apricot-Nut Pastries

From Mary Beth Mandola of Houston. Elegant … but easy! Flaky crescent rounds hold a simply sweet three-ingredient filling.

1/3 cup Smucker’s Low Sugar Reduced Sugar Apricot Preserves

1/2 cup flaked coconut

1/2 cup Fisher Chef’s Naturals Natural Sliced Almonds

1 can (8 ounce) Pillsbury Place ’n Bake refrigerated crescent rounds

1/2 to 1 teaspoon powdered sugar

Heat oven to 375 degrees. In small bowl, stir preserves, coconut and almonds until well blended.

Separate dough into 8 rounds (do not unroll). On ungreased cookie sheet, place rounds 2 inches apart. Press each into 2 1/2-inch round, forming indentation in center and 1/2-inch outer rim. Pinch to seal any openings in rims.

Spoon 1 rounded tablespoon preserves mixture into center of each roll. Lightly press in mixture.

Bake 13 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Loosen rolls from pan; cool 10 minutes. Sift powdered sugar over rolls. Serve warm.

Yield: 8 servings

Double Delight Peanut Butter Cookies

From Carolyn Gurtz of Gaithersburg, Md. This recipe was the grand-prize winner in the 43rd Pillsbury Bake-off contest.

1/4 cup Fisher Dry Roasted Peanuts, finely chopped

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup JIF Creamy Peanut Butter

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 roll (16.5 ounce) Pillsbury refrigerated peanut butter cookies, well chilled

Heat oven to 375 degrees. In small bowl, mix chopped peanuts, granulated sugar and cinnamon; set aside.

In another small bowl, stir peanut butter and powdered sugar until completely blended. Shape mixture into 24 (1-inch) balls.

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.

Roll each covered ball in peanut mixture; gently pat mixture completely onto balls. On ungreased large cookie sheets, place balls 2 inches apart.

Spray bottom of drinking glass with Crisco Original No-Stick Cooking Spray; press into remaining peanut mixture. Flatten each ball to 1/2-inch thickness with bottom of glass. Sprinkle any remaining peanut mixture evenly on tops of cookies; gently press into dough.

Bake 7 to 12 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack. Store tightly covered.

Yield: 24 cookies

Nutrition per cookie: 150 calories, 7 grams fat (1.5 grams saturated), 3 grams protein, 17 grams carbohydrate, no cholesterol, no dietary fiber, 125 milligrams sodium.