Better Recipes “Cook Of The Week” Jannine Fisk
No Comments | Written on July 20, 2010 at 5:00 am , by Kristina Vanni
Our “Cook of the Week” is “BakingMeCrazy” also known as the amazing, Jannine Fisk! Jannine just showed off her baking prowess last month as the winner of the Better Recipes “Birthday Cakes and Cupcakes Challenge.” Once you see her delectable recipe, you will know why! Let’s find out more about this cooking contest veteran. Check out my Q & A!
How did you come up with your winning recipe?
“I decided to try and recreate a cake I had seen on a trip to Maryland’s Eastern Shore last spring. My friends introduced me to a local specialty called “Smith Island Cakes”. These are very tall, impressive cakes, that come in many flavors. These cakes are at least six layers and sometimes as tall as twelve, but the layers are all baked individually instead of being split horizontally. I love chocolate covered strawberries and I had decorated birthday cakes in the past with them, so I thought it would be great to have a thin layer of strawberries in between the chocolate layers of the cake. I also felt that using ganache instead of icing in between the layers would add a richness and new dimension of flavor, as well as help with the stability of such a tall cake.”
Do you enter the Better Recipes contest every month?
“I have entered several of the Better Recipes contests in the past, but this is the first time I have been chosen as a winner. I couldn’t be happier!”
Do you enter recipe contests often? What other contests have you won?
“I have been entering recipe and baking contests for the past 11 years and I have a few wins under my apron!
I was recently one of 100 finalists at the 44th Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest in Orlando, FL. (which is where I got to finally meet you in person!) I was also one of four winners in Cake Mate’s “Mother of All Bake Sales” for my “Bake-Sale Brownie Burger Bites” recipe. I have won three separate contests on mixingbowl.com; an appetizer contest for my “Big Game Buffalo Chicken and Bacon Bites”, an apple dish contest with my “CranApple Crumble Pie” and most recently a kid’s cupcake challenge for my “Lovable Lion Cupcakes”, which were also featured in the May issue of Parents Magazine. I have also won first place in a breakfast recipe contest sponsored by MyOmelet.com for my “Cinnalicious Belgian Waffles”. Most recently, I was notified a few days ago that I won second place in Boar’s Head EverRoast Dare2Prepare recipe contest for my “EverRoast Zippy Tuscan Chicken Nibblers”. Aside from the online recipe contests, I also have over 200 blue ribbons from the Topsfield Fair in Massachusetts, which is the oldest agricultural fair in the country. At last year’s Fair, I also won all three major awards in the Beekeeping Department’s Cooking With Honey Contests, which were for “Best in Show”, “Most ribbon-winning entries” and “Best Challenge Recipe”.
Wow! That’s fantastic! What advice do you have for other people who want to enter (and possibly win!) a Better Recipes contest?
“My advice would be to follow the rules exactly. Read them, re-read them and make sure you understand them before you submit your entry. If you are required to use a particular product, make sure that product is listed in the ingredients list. If a photo is required, take a good one with as much natural light as possible. Sometimes a clear and appetizing photo can make the difference between a good entry and a great one. Lastly, give your recipe a catchy or clever name. Try and come up with something that will make the judges or the test panel give your entry a second look. Above all, have FUN!”
Great advice! What are you going to do with the prize money?
“My trusty old Kitchen-Aid mixer has served me well, but it is starting to wear and is in need of being replaced. I have always wanted a Viking brand 7 quart stand mixer but the price tag had always been a little too high for my budget. I would love to use the money to buy that mixer, however on the day I was notified that I was a winner in this contest, I also received a $700 insurance bill for my recent hand surgery. I guess I’ll have to try and win another contest and hope my Kitchen-Aid hangs on a little longer!”
Eeek! Sorry to hear that! Will you continue to enter Better Recipes contests?
“I will most definitely continue to enter Better Recipe contests! I love coming up with new creations and after all, I have that mixer to buy!”
Interested in being featured as the Better Recipes “Cook of the Week?” We would love to hear from you! Simply become a fan on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and send us a message to tell us about yourself and your cooking!
Cake Layers:
- 3 cups sugar
- 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups Dutch process cocoa
- 4 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 cup honey
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 2 cups strong brewed coffee, cooled
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 2 tsp vanilla
Chocolate Ganache Filling:
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 8 oz semisweet chocolate
- 1 tsp instant coffee granules
- Chocolate Buttercream Icing:
- 1 cup butter
- 8 tbsp half and half
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups Dutch process cocoa
- 2 lbs confectioners sugar
Garnish:
- 1 1/2 pounds fresh strawberries, divided
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
- Chocolate buttercream icing
- 30 chocolate wafer cookies, finely crushed
- 2 oz milk chocolate for shavings and curls
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour four 9 inch round baking pans. Line with parchment and set aside. In a large bowl, stir together all dry ingredients. Add remaining ingredients and beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. Pour half of batter into another bowl and divide remaining batter evenly into four prepared pans. Bake 18-22 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes, then turn out onto racks, removing parchment. Wash and dry pans and repeat process with remaining batter. When finished, you will have eight thin layers. Meanwhile prepare ganache. In a saucepan over medium heat. Warm heavy cream until just boiling. Place semi-sweet chocolate in a large bowl, add instant coffee and pour boiling cream over top. Let sit for 1 minute, then whisk until melted, smooth and silky. Refrigerate 1 hour or until thickened, stirring every 15 minutes. Wash and dry strawberries thoroughly. Set aside 12 whole berries. Remove tops from remaining berries, slice thinly, and set aside. Melt 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate in microwave, then dip whole strawberries 3/4 way into melted chocolate. Let cool on waxed paper in refrigerator. Icing: Mix butter, half and half and vanilla well in a large bowl, then gradually add cocoa and confectioners sugar. Beat until smooth and fluffy. Assemble: Place one cake layer on a platter. Spread with about 1/4 cup ganache and top with next layer. Continue alternating ganache and cake layers, pressing a thin layer of sliced strawberries between every other layer. End with a layer of cake on top. Frost cake, reserving some for decoration. Press crushed chocolate wafers onto sides of cake. Pipe 12 rosettes on top edge of cake, then place chocolate covered strawberries in between. Sprinkle center with chocolate shavings and curls. Decorate bottom edge with remaining icing.
Categories:
Better Recipes, Celebrations and Parties, Holidays, Sweet Tooth, Tips and Tricks | Tags: Cake Recipes, Dessert Recipes, Fruit Dessert Recipes
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