Try Pillsbury Bake-Off contest recipes at home

Colbert resident Joan Cossette is making another play for $1 million.

For the second time, Cossette is a semifinalist in the Pillsbury Bake-Off Competition. She needs votes to advance her Lemon Pistachio Blackberry Thumbprints recipe to the finals and have a chance to win the grand prize.

Recipes in the Simple Sweets and Starters category were limited to seven ingredients, not including water, and a preparation time of just 30 minutes, to encourage simpler recipes.

If Cossette advances to the final competition this year, the venerable contest’s 46th annual bake-off, she will vie for the grand prize Nov. 10-12 at the Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. Online votes will be taken through June 27 at 10 a.m. at www.bakeoff.com.

Cossette was a finalist in the 44th Pillsbury Bake-off Competition with her Orange-Coconut Breakfast Rolls.

Here is Cossette’s semifinalist recipe from this year’s competition and her previous recipe.

Lemon Pistachio Blackberry Thumbprints

1 roll Pillsbury refrigerated sugar cookie dough

1/2 cup shelled salted roasted pistachios, chopped

1/3 cup Pillsbury all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

1/2 cup Smucker’s seedless blackberry jam

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon water

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Line large cookie sheets with parchment paper or spray with Crisco Original No-Stick Cooking Spray. Let cookie dough stand at room temperature 10 minutes to soften.

In large bowl, break up cookie dough. Add pistachios, flour and lemon peel. Mix with wooden spoon or knead with hands until well blended. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. With thumb or handle of wooden spoon, make indentation 3/4 inch wide in center of each cookie. Spoon about 1/2 teaspoon jam into each indentation.

Bake 10 to 13 minutes or until set but not browned. Remove to cooling racks. Cool 3 minutes.

In small bowl, mix powdered sugar, honey and 1 tablespoon water until smooth. If necessary, stir in water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until of drizzling consistency. Drizzle honey glaze over warm cookies. Store in covered container.

Tips: To easily fill centers of each cookie, stir jam thoroughly. Place in a plastic food storage freezer bag; cut small hole in one corner. Squeeze to fill.

For ease in cleanup, place parchment paper under cooling rack before drizzling cookies.

Yield: 36 cookies

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