Pillsbury Bake-Off
The Pillsbury Bake-Off is a cooking contest, first run by the Pillsbury Company from 1949-1976, and 2013 to 2014 as an annual contest. From 1978 to 2012 and from 2017, the contest is held biennially.[1] There was no contest in 2015 nor 2016.[2]
History
The first contest was held in 1949 as the Grand National Recipe and Baking Contest and hosted in the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. Until 1994, the grand prize was $50,000.[3] Since 1996, the grand prize has been $1,000,000.
The only required ingredient in the early contests was Pillsbury's BEST Flour.[4] There was no contest in 1965 because the contest was moved from October to February.[5]
Occasionally, there has been a male category winner (1978, 1990, 1992, and 2002). The only male champion was Kurt Wait of Redwood City, California, who won in 1996; that year, 14 of the 100 finalists were men.
The contest had reverted to an annual contest in 2013 and 2014, after the previous 18 contests were held on the even-numbered years.
In 2014, the contest added eight additional "Sponsor Awards" for a prize of $5,000 each.[6] Categories and winners included:[7]
GE Imagination At Work Award: won by MaryJo Watkins of Scottsdale, Arizona - Muffuletta Mini Pies
Jif® Peanut Butter Award: won by Brenda Watts of Gaffney, South Carolina - Macaroon-Peanut Butter-Chocolate Tartlets
Crisco is Cooking™ Award: won by Greg Fontenot of The Woodlands, Texas - Grilled Potato and Roasted Salsa Verde Pizza
Eagle Brand® Signature Recipe Award: won by Barbara Estabrook of Rhinelander, Wisconsin - Peanut and Pretzel-Peanut Butter Thumbprints
Pillsbury® Gluten Free Award: won by Merry Graham of Newhall, California - Herbs and Seeds Parmesan Crackers
Pillsbury® Clever Twist Award: won by Marie Valdes of Brandon, Florida - Spinach Dip-Stuffed Garlic Rolls
Watkins™ Vanilla Award: won by Antoinette Leal of Ridgefield, Connecticut - Very Vanilla Lemon Tarts
Reynolds® Baking Magic Award: won by Elizabeth Bennett of Seattle, Washington - Chocolate-Peanut Butter-Filled Pretzels
Broadcast
Year(s) | Host | Network | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1949-1957 | Arthur Godfrey | CBS | |
1958-68 | Art Linkletter | ||
1970-82 | Bob Barker | Placed in the same hour as a half-hour episode of The Price is Right (except 1970-1972, when Bob Barker was only hosting Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants for the CBS Network prior to his Price Is Right days) | |
1984-88 | Gary Collins & Mary Ann Mobley | ||
1990-1992 | Willard Scott | Willard Scott became the only NBC contracted person to host the Bake-Off for CBS in 1990. | |
1994-1998 | Alex Trebek | This was Alex Trebek's second time on the CBS network, he was last seen on the Network 17 years earlier hosting the Goodson-Todman Game Show Double Dare. | |
2000 | Phylicia Rashad | The first woman to host. | |
2002 | Marie Osmond | ||
2004-2006 | Not aired | N/A | Dick Clark hosted the bake-off in 2004, but it wasn't shown on television. |
2008 | Keegan Gerhard | Food Network | Aired as an episode of Food Network Challenge |
2010 | Oprah Winfrey | Syndication | Winner was announced on The Oprah Winfrey Show |
2012 | Martha Stewart | Hallmark Channel | Winner was announced on The Martha Stewart Show |
2013 | Padma Lakshmi | Syndication | Winner was announced on The Queen Latifah Show |
2014 | Carla Hall | ABC | Winner was announced on The Chew |
Location held
- 1949-56: New York, NY
- 1957: Los Angeles, CA
- 1958: New York, NY
- 1959: Los Angeles, CA
- 1960: Washington DC
- 1961: Los Angeles, CA
- 1962: New York, NY
- 1963: Los Angeles, CA
- 1964: Miami, FL
- 1966: San Francisco, CA
- 1967: Los Angeles, CA
- 1968: Dallas, TX
- 1969: Atlanta, GA
- 1970: San Diego, CA
- 1971: Honolulu, HI
- 1972: Houston, TX
- 1973: Hollywood, CA
- 1974: Phoenix, AZ
- 1975: San Francisco, CA
- 1976: Boston, MA
- 1978: New Orleans, LA
- 1980: Miami, FL
- 1982: San Antonio, TX
- 1984: San Diego, CA
- 1986: Orlando, FL
- 1988: San Diego, CA
- 1990: Phoenix, AZ
- 1992: Orlando, FL
- 1994: San Diego, CA
- 1996: Dallas, TX
- 1998: Orlando, FL
- 2000: San Francisco, CA
- 2002: Orlando, FL
- 2004: Hollywood, CA
- 2006: Orlando, FL
- 2008: Dallas, TX
- 2010, 2012: Orlando, FL
- 2013: Las Vegas, NV
- 2014: Nashville, TN
Grand Prize Winners
Year | Recipe | Grand Prize Winner |
---|---|---|
1949 | No-Knead Water-Rising Twists | Theodora Smafield (Detroit, Michigan) |
1950 | Orange Kiss-Me Cake | Lily Wuebel (Redwood City, California) |
1951 | Starlight Double-Delight Cake | Helen Weston (La Jolla, California) |
1952 | Snappy Turtle Cookies | Beatrice Harlib (Chicago, Illinois) |
1953 | "My Inspiration" Cake | Lois Kanago (Weber, South Dakota) |
1954 | Open Sesame Pie | Dorothy Koteen (Washington, D.C.) |
1955 | Ring-A-Lings | Bertha Jorgensen (Portland, Oregon) |
1956 | California Casserole | Hildreth H. Hatheway (Santa Barbara, California) |
1957 | Accordion Treats | Gerda Roderer (Berkeley, California) |
1958 | Spicy Apple Twists | Dorothy DeVault (Delaware, Ohio) |
1959 | Mardi Gras Party Cake | Eunice G. Surles (Lake Charles, Louisiana) |
1960 | Dilly Casserole Bread | Leona Schnuelle (Crab Orchard, Nebraska) |
1961 | Candy Bar Cookies | Alice Reese (Minneapolis, Minnesota) |
1962 | Apple Pie '63 | Julia Smogor (South Bend, Indiana) |
1963 | Hungry Boys' Casserole | Mira Walilko (Detroit, Michigan) |
1964 | Peacheesy Pie | Janis Boykin (Melbourne, Florida) |
1966 | Golden Gate Snack Bread | Mari Petrelli (Las Vegas, Nevada) |
1967 | Muffin Mix Buffet Bread | Maxine Bullock (Topeka, Kansas) |
1968 | Buttercream Pound Cake | Phyllis Lidert (Oak Lawn, Illinois) |
1969 | Magic Marshmallow Crescent Puffs | Edna M. Walker (Hopkins, Minnesota) |
1970 | Onion Lover's Twist | Nan Robb (Huachuca City, Arizona) |
1971 | Pecan Pie Surprise Bars | Pearl Hall (Snohomish, Washington) |
1972 | Streusel Spice Cake Quick 'n Chewy Crescent Bars |
Rose DeDominicis (Verona, Pennsylvania( Isabelle Collins (Elk River, Minnesota) |
1973 | Quick Crescent Pecan Pie Bars Banana Crunch Cake |
Mrs. Jerome Flieller, Jr.(Floresville, Texas) Mrs. Ronald L. Brooks (Salisbury, Maryland) |
1974 | Chocolate Cherry Bars Savory Crescent Chicken Sandwiches |
Francis I. Jerzak Doris Castle |
1975 | Easy Crescent Danish Rolls Sour Cream Apple Squares |
Barbara S. Gibson Luella Maki |
1976 | Crescent Caramel Swirl Whole Wheat Raisin Loaf |
Lois Ann Groves Lenora H. Smith |
1978 | Nutty Graham Picnic Cake Chick-N-Broccoli Pot Pies |
Esther Tomich Linda Mowery |
1980 | Italian Zucchini Crescent Pie | Millicent (Caplan) Nathan |
1982 | Almond-Filled Cookie Cake | Elizabeth Meijer |
1984 | Country Apple Coffee Cake | Susan F. Porubcan |
1986 | Apple Nut Lattice Tart | Mary Lou Warren |
1988 | Chocolate Praline Layer Cake | Julie (Konecne) Bengtson |
1990 | Blueberry-Poppy Seed Brunch Cake | Linda Rahman |
1992 | Pennsylvania Dutch Cake and Custard Pie | Gladys Fulton |
1994 | Fudgy Bonbons | Mary Anne Tyndall |
1996 | Macadamia Fudge Torte | Kurt Wait |
1998 | Salsa Couscous Chicken | Ellie Mathews |
2000 | Cream Cheese Brownie Pie | Roberta Sonefeld |
2002 | Chicken Florentine Panini | Denise JoAnne Yennie |
2004 | Oats 'n Honey Granola Pie | Suzanne Conrad |
2006 | Baked Chicken and Spinach Stuffing | Anna Ginsberg |
2008 | Double-Delight Peanut Butter Cookies | Carolyn Gurtz |
2010 | Mini Ice Cream Cookie Cups | Sue Compton |
2012 | Pumpkin Ravioli with Salted Caramel Whipped Cream | Christina Verrelli |
2013 | Loaded Potato Pinwheels | Glori Spriggs |
2014 | Peanutty Pie Crust Clusters | Beth Royals |