I need a great recipe for a bake-off contest (that can be made by a cooking novice)?

Question

I have a baking contest at work and no one believes I can win so I need a great recipe to surprise everyone. It needs to be at least semi-easy, since I am not an experienced baker. It needs to be tasty (healthy really inst a feature that I care about for this recipe). The only rule for the contest is that its a baked good... this could be the assumed cookies or cakes but it could also be anything else baked. The contest is in two weeks so please post your best recipe and I'll let you guys know how it went.

Answer 1

These cookies are really easy to make, and are FABULOUS. I took some to work and they are begging me to bring more. Give them a try!

BUTTERSCOTCH COCONUT COOKIES

Yield: 4 dozen cookies

1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 large egg
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 ¾ cups sweetened shredded dried coconut
1 ½ cups butterscotch chips

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Have ready 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together onto a sheet of waxed paper; set aside.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on high speed, cream the butter until fluffy and pale yellow. Add the granulated and brown sugars and continue beating until the mixture is no longer gritty when rubbed between your finger and thumb. Add the egg and vanilla and beat on low speed until blended, occasionally stopping the mixer and scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.

Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low speed or stir with a wooden spoon just until blended. Add the coconut and butterscotch chips, mixing or stirring just until blended.

With dampened hands, shape the dough into 1-inch balls or drop by rounded tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the cookies about 2 inches apart.

Bake the cookies until golden brown around the edges, about 15 minutes. Let the cookies cool briefly on the pans on wire racks before transferring them to the racks to cool completely.

Answer 2

This is as easy as it gets and no one will know just how simple it was to make. You have to make it the day before so the cake absorbs the flavors but you can frost it the morning of the event.

Short Cut Tres Leche Cake
1 yellow cake mix
1 large can evaporated milk
1 can condensed milk
1 pint (2 cups) whipping cream
1 small French vanilla pudding (Instant mix)
1 ½ cup milk
8 ounces Cool Whip

Bake yellow cake according to box directions. Take out of oven, and while HOT, poke holes all over. (I usually use the end of a wooden spoon handle.) Mix the evaporated and condensed milks and the cream together and slowly pour it into the holes and all over the top. Let cake cool some then refrigerate until cold.

Make instant pudding BUT mix only with 1 1/2 cups milk. Let pudding set up and then mix with 8 oz tub of cool whip and frost. Refrigerate.

Answer 3

PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

1/4 c. butter
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1 c. cake flour
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. milk
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 can pineapple slices in syrup
maraschino cherries (as many as pineapple slices used)

Use an 8" square or round pan. Drain can of pineapple, saving the syrup.
Place butter in 8" pan, melt in the oven while preheating to 375°F.

Sprinkle brown sugar over melted butter. Arrange whole pineapple slices and cherries (with cherries in centers of pineapple slices) over the brown sugar in pan. Cut some of the remaining pineapple slices into half circles, then line the sides of the pan with them (standing up).

In a bowl, combine cake flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, softened butter, milk, egg, vanilla and 2 tablespoons of the pineapple syrup.

Pour batter into the pan being careful not to disturb the pineapples and cherries.

Bake at 375°F for 30 to 35 minutes or until cake is golden and has pulled away from the edges slightly.

Remove from oven and allow to stand for a few minutes to set and then turn it upside down onto a serving dish. Serve while still warm.

Answer 4

Usually contests for bake off have to be your own recipes and not someone else's, else how can you claim the reward for the recipe. I would check with them to make sure that is not the case. It woluldn't be fair for everyone else to bring a baked good that they created themselves and just one person do one that someone else created. If that is the case, you can get on line and type in Recipe for ? whatever you want to make and even put in whether you want it easy or difficult to follow and pull up many of them to choose from. Good luck on the contest.

Answer 5

I was going to enter the Beef Cook Off, but they changed the rules to say that anyone who had owned a beef animal in the past year was ineligible, so I didn't get to enter. And I have been a professional pastry chef so I am permanently ineligible to enter the Pillsbury Bake Off.

Answer 6

This is a wonderful recipe I've used over and over - I prefer using the butterscotch pudding - it's great!
Good luck with your contest!

Butterscotch or Chocolate Four Layer Dessert Recipe
Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup margarine
1 cup pecans or walnuts
8 ounces cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1 16 ounce tub of cool whip
2 - 3 ounce packages of either butterscotch or chocolate instant pudding

Directions:
1st layer - Mix 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup margarine, and 1/2 cup chopped nuts thoroughly and pat in a 9 x 13 pan. Bake 15 minutes at 350, let cool completely and refrigerate.

2nd layer - Mix 8 ounce packages of softened cream cheese and 1 cup powdered sugar together. Fold in 1 cup of your cool whip. Spread on the 1st layer and chill.

3rd layer - Mix your pudding (chocolate or butterscotch) according to directions and spread over top 2nd layer and chill.

4th layer Top with remaining cool whip and sprinkle the rest of your chopped nuts (1/2 cup) over the top. Chill.

Answer 7

Nicole's Pepper Jack Mac N Cheese

5 cups cooked macaroni
(approx 4 cups uncooked)
5 tbsp butter
2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 cups milk
3 cups shredded pepper jack cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Cook the macaroni until done as usual.
Do not overcook it. Drain macaroni in
strainer.

Place macaroni, butter, salt,pepper,
milk, and 3 cups shredded pepper jack cheese in casserole dish. Mix
eggs in a bowl first and then stir into
mixture.

Cover everything with aluminum foil and
cook for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

Uncover and add 1cup of cheddar
cheese across the top. Bake uncovered
for another 15 minutes.

Answer 8

Just a twist on the pineapple upside down cake ------ use real butter and use a cast iron skillet, get it really hot in the oven and pour in the batter...makes a "crusty" outer coating that is to die for!

Answer 9

Would a Quiche qualify? I love making a crustless Spinach and ricotta quiche. I use all fat free products, but I would insist that you use full fat. You want to win, don't you!! Hahah

3 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, grated
1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
3 large eggs, beaten to blend

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat.
Add onion and saute until tender, about 8 minutes.
Mix in spinach, salt, and pepper
Saute until all liquid from spinach evaporates, about 3 minutes.
Combine ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese in large bowl.
Mix in eggs.
Add spinach mixture; blend well.
Spoon spinach mixture into greased dish
Bake until filling is set in center and brown on top, about 45-50 minutes.
Let stand 10 minutes.
Enjoy!

Answer 10

try a peach cobbler, its Delicious and easy. if you go to chefrick.com there is a recipe on there. try it! you wont be disappointed