When I was a kid, I never had an Easy Bake Oven and I make sure to remind my parents of that fact all the time (LOL). I ALWAYS wanted one. I think every young girl wants an Easy Bake Oven-they are so much fun! I mean, you can actually cook in them! When I heard about the Easy Baker Bake Off contest that was held in early May, I was so jealous excited for the kids that were participating! I really wished that I was a kid again so that I could participate. Seven culinary cuties, ages 8-12, competed in the Easy-Bake bake-off in Walt Disney World where one was crowned the Easy-Bake 2009 "Baker of the Year".

At the finalist competition, each aspiring chef worked at a personal bake station equipped with EASY-BAKE Ovens, cooking utensils, and all the ingredients needed to whip-up their recipe. Helped along the way by their "sous chefs" - mom or dad - the finalists spent the morning baking their creations, the best of which was submitted to a panel of judges. The panel judged the seven entries on the following criteria: creative use of ingredients, presentation, ease of preparation, and taste.


These pint-sized chefs worked very hard to get to to the competition so I thought they deserved a little "press" to celebrate their success! The finalists were: Drew Adams, 9 years old from Elizabeth, West Virginia; Elizabeth Adams, 12 years old from Elizabeth, West Virginia; MaCall Prengel, 10 years old from Olympia, Washington; Morgan Sartor, 8 years old from Portland, Connecticut; Taylor Spallanzani, 11 years old from Morganville, New Jersey; and Hannah Toomey, 11 years old from Allentown, Pennsylvania. They each received a $500 VISA gift card and a one-year supply of EASY-BAKE brand mixes. All finalists will have their recipe and a photo of their creation appear on the EASY-BAKE website.

Catherine Ralston, 12-year-old from New Albany, OH, took top honors for her delicious "Queen of Hearts Strawberry Tart". In addition to the coveted EASY-BAKE 2009 “Baker of the Year” title, Catherine received a culinary-inspired trip for four to San Francisco, CA, where the group will visit local food-related sites and attractions.

I think it is really awesome that after 46 years, Easy Bake is still finding ways to encourage creativity through events like these that not only promote self-confidence, but also bring parents and children together in a fun way! Kudos to Easy Bake and HASBRO!