For the Media
Calling All Creative Home Bakers: Step Up to the Martha White® Muffin Mix Challenge™
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Aug. 1, 2009) — What does a Strawberry Streusel Cheesecake have in common with Chocolate Chip Coconut Bars and a Country Cinnamon Apple Clafouti? These award-winning original dishes were inspired and created with Martha White® muffin mixes and took top honors in the Martha White Muffin Mix Challenge™.
The inaugural recipe contest was so successful that the premier baking company is announcing the call for entries for the second annual Martha White Muffin Mix Challenge. This year’s challenge features more prizes for the winning recipes and consumers who vote online. The starting point is the same: create an original recipe utilizing at least one of the 19 delicious varieties of Martha White muffin mixes.
“We realize home bakers create wonderful dishes every day that are just as imaginative as they are delicious, but we were amazed by the creativity and quality of the recipes submitted in the first Muffin Mix Challenge,” said Martha White baking expert Linda Carman. “We saw everything from casseroles to cobblers and tarts to tiramisus. The challenge of using muffin mixes to create a unique dish brought out the best in home bakers all over the country, and we can’t wait to see what they come up with this year.”
The Martha White Muffin Mix Challenge officially began on Aug. 1 and will end on Dec. 31, 2009. You can enter by mail, email or submitting an entry online. Each original recipe will be initially judged on five evenly-weighted criteria: taste, creativity, appetizing appearance, ease of preparation and appropriate use of Martha White product(s). After five finalists have been determined, online voting at www.marthawhite.com will help decide the Grand Prize winner.
The Grand Prize winner will receive $5,000 and a Martha White gift basket, while the four runners up will receive $1,000 and a Martha White gift basket. For official rules and entry information, visit www.marthawhite.com.
To get your creative juices flowing, think of ways to use muffin mix as a shortcut to make a delicious loaf of bread with your favorite ingredients. As an inspiration, try Cinnamon Banana Nut Breakfast Bread, a hearty loaf made by adding oats, raisins and applesauce to Martha White Banana Nut Muffin Mix. It’s great for breakfast served with fruit and yogurt, and can be cooked ahead of time since quick loaves usually taste and slice better the day after baking.
Another way to come up with your own recipe is to start with the star ingredient. Go ahead and bake your favorite variety of Martha White muffins, then create a dish with the finished product. Our Wildberry Muffin Trifles are a perfect example. Add a little butter, sugar and an egg to the muffin mix, bake the muffins, and slice in half when cooled. Then sprinkle with a little orange juice and layer with strawberries and instant pudding – pretty, delicious and easy enough to cook with kids.
For the winning recipes from the first Martha White Muffin Mix Challenge and the recipes featured, go to www.marthawhite.com and click on the Recipe section.
Cinnamon Banana Nut Breakfast Bread
Ingredients
Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray
Topping
2 tablespoons Martha White All-Purpose Flour
2 tablespoons quick oats
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter
Bread
2 (7.6 oz.) pkgs. Martha White Banana Nut Muffin Mix
1/2 cup quick oats
1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup applesauce
3/4 cup milk
Directions
- Heat oven to 350° F. Spray 9x5x3-inch loaf pan with no-stick
cooking spray. Stir together flour, 2 tablespoons oats,
granulated sugar, brown sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
in medium bowl. Cut butter into dry ingredients with pastry
blender or fork until crumbly.
- Stir together muffin mix, 1/2 cup oats, raisins and cinnamon
in large bowl. Add egg, applesauce and milk. Stir just until
blended. Pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle with topping.
- Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center
comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Turn out onto
cooling rack and cool completely. Wrap tightly for several
hours or overnight. For even slices, cut with gentle sawing
motion with serrated knife.
Yields 1 loaf
Wildberry Muffin Trifles
Ingredients
Crisco Original No-Stick Cooking Spray
Muffins
2 (7 oz.) pkgs. Martha White Wildberry Muffin Mix
2 tablespoons sugar
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons butter, melted
3/4 cup milk
Pudding and toppings
3 cups cold milk
1 (5.1 oz.) pkg. instant vanilla pudding and pie filling mix
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup orange juice
3 cups chopped, sweetened strawberries
Whipped topping or whipped cream
Directions
- Heat oven to 375° F. Spray 12 muffin cups with no-stick
cooking spray. In large bowl, combine muffin mix, sugar, egg,
butter and 3/4 cup milk. Stir just until blended. Fill muffin cups
2/3 full.
- Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan 3
minutes. Remove to cooling rack. Cool completely.
- Combine 3 cups milk, pudding mix and vanilla in large bowl.
Beat with wire whisk 2 minutes. Allow to set 5 minutes.
- Slice muffins horizontally. Place bottom half in custard cup or
dessert dish. Top with 1 tablespoon orange juice and about 3
tablespoons each strawberries and pudding. Place top half of
muffin over pudding. Top with 1 tablespoon each, strawberries
and pudding. Add a dollop of whipped topping. Repeat with
remaining muffins, pudding and toppings. Refrigerate until
serving time.
Yields 12 muffin trifles
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