Posted by The Desert Sun, CA on April 18, 2008 at 10:54:53:
Palm Desert cook finishes Pillsbury Bake-Off run
Michelle Mitchell • Palm Desert Sun • April 17, 2008
With video cameras swarming, runners fetching ingredients and passers-by tasting and interrupting, Gail Singer finished up her third batch of Little Apricot Appetizer Tarts.
She was set up in range number 30 out of 100 side-by-side mini-kitchens at the Pillsbury Bake-Off in Dallas Monday, pitting her original recipe against 99 other finalists from across the nation.
"There's a lot of tension in the air," said Singer, who competed for the third and final time for the $1 million grand prize in the biennial baking contest.
"It was pressure."
She had five hours to make her recipe up to three times - one batch for photos, one for the judges and one to adjust the recipe to different equipment.
The Sun City Palm Desert resident arrived in Los Angeles Tuesday tired and without the million - that distinction went to a Maryland cook's Double-Delight Peanut Butter Cookies - but still upbeat.
"This was my last try, so in a way I would have loved to get the million dollars, but I'm sort of relieved it's over," she said in a phone interview from Los Angeles.
"But it's fun. It's a lot of fun."
Pillsbury limits contestants to three appearances in the Bake-Off, but Singer still plans on doing something with cooking, even if it is only entertaining for friends and neighbors, who supported her in the competition.
The community sent her good luck wishes and prayers and even gave her a cake before Singer's whirlwind trip to Dallas.
"All of the neighbors and a lot of the people in the community just gave her very heartfelt wishes," her husband, Rick said.
And in the end, those are the judges Singer would rather cook for.
"If it's not perfect-looking, it still tastes good and people enjoy it," she said.
Little Apricot Appetizer Tarts
Total prep and cooking time: 55 minutes. Makes: 24 appetizers
Ingredients
2 cans (8 oz. each) Pillsbury® refrigerated garlic butter crescent dinner rolls (8 rolls each)
1 cup finely shredded pepper Jack cheese
1/4 cup Smucker's Apricot Preserves
1/4 cup Fisher Chef's Naturals® Chopped Pecans
Directions
1. Heat oven to 375º F. Spray 24 mini muffin cups with Crisco Original No-Stick Cooking Spray.
2. Unroll each can of dough into a large rectangle; press perforations to seal. Cut each rectangle crosswise into 12 strips, about 1 inch wide. Place each strip in muffin cup, pressing dough to cover bottom and side, making sure seams are sealed and forming -inch rim above cup.
3. Spoon 2 teaspoons cheese into each cup. Top each with teaspoon preserves and teaspoon pecans.
4. Bake 14 to 20 minutes or until crust is deep golden brown. Cool 5 minutes; remove from pan.
Serve warm.