LANCASTER, Pa., Jan. 29, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ladies and gentlemen – start your ovens! Auntie Anne's, the iconic brand known for its fresh hand-rolled pretzel treats, is encouraging its fans' inner bakers to shine this winter through its second annual Baking Kit Recipe Challenge. Now through March 31, 2013, individuals have the opportunity to develop original recipes for appetizers, entrees and desserts using the Auntie Anne's At-Home™ Baking Kit for a chance to win up to $1,000 and have their winning recipe featured on AuntieAnnesRecipes.com.
As part of Auntie Anne's challenge, contestants must use the dough mix and yeast from the official At-Home™ Baking Kit as the main ingredients. The rest of the creation, however, is entirely up to the entrant. The At-Home Baking Kit dough mix is versatile, capable of baking a variety of delicious treats such as pretzels, pizzas, gourmet breads, breakfast pastries and more. Auntie Anne's culinary experts have already created an assortment of recipes with the At-Home™ Baking Kit, and this year's winning creations will be featured side-by-side with these recipes on www.auntieannesrecipes.com.
"We were delighted by the quality and variety of recipes received in the first-ever Auntie Anne's Baking Kit Recipe Challenge last year," said Heather Neary, Chief Marketing Officer of Auntie Anne's. "It wasn't easy picking our winners because we have some extremely talented fans. Their entries demonstrate just how versatile this product is for home baking."
In 2012, the inaugural contest attracted entrants from 26 states. Bakers produced recipes ranging from appetizers to main dishes and snacks and desserts. The $1,000 Grand Prize was won by Chaelyn Consaul of Scottsville, NY for her Strawberry Cheesecake Dessert Pizza recipe. The First Place recipe featured BBQ Chicken Wraps, and the Fan Favorite prize was captured by a Rockville, MD native for Gooey Pretzel Bars.
Those interested in participating in the contest can submit their recipes online by visiting www.auntieannesrecipes.com. Submitted recipes will be judged on creativity, appearance, ease of preparation and taste, and the winners will be announced in July as outlined in the official rules.
The Auntie Anne's At-Home™ Baking Kit is available for purchase at a variety of retail locations, including Wal-Mart stores nationwide and participating Auntie Anne's Pretzel stores, or online at Amazon.com.
About Auntie Anne's
Auntie Anne's Inc. is the world's largest franchisor of hand-rolled soft pretzels, supporting more than 1,300 Auntie Anne's® Pretzels locations worldwide. In addition to offering the original At-Home Baking Kit, Auntie Anne's began selling two new flavored kits, Apple Cinnamon and Gingerbread, in fall 2012. Whether making yummy pretzel snacks or gourmet breads, Auntie Anne's At-Home Baking Kits offer a fun, family activity. For more information, visit http://www.auntieannes.com/">www.auntieannes.com, facebook.com/AAIntheKitchen, www.pinterest.com/AuntieAnnes or www.twitter.com/AuntieAnnes.
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