Share Our Strength invites Atlantans to tie on their aprons and join the fun for the Great American Baking Contest on Thursday, March 11, at The Cook’s Warehouse—Midtown. Emceed by Q100’s Jenn Hobby, this kickoff event for the seventh annual Great American Bake Sale presented by Domino Sugar and C&H will feature professional pastry chefs, amateurs and children vying to win the title for “Atlanta’s Best Dessert.” All proceeds will benefit Share Our Strength, the leading national organization working to end childhood hunger by 2015.
Guests will have the opportunity to sample confectionary creations of some of Atlanta’s best pastry chefs, sip flavorful wines and participate in a silent auction. At the end of the evening, contestants in each group level will be judged on originality, taste and appearance. Atlanta Journal-Constitution food writer John Kessler and Mary Moore, founder and owner of The Cook’s Warehouse, will judge the professionals’ desserts, while Pastry Chefs Jonathan St. Hilaire, chef and owner of Bakeshop and last year’s professional first-place winner, Alon Balshan, chef and owner of Alon’s Bakery and Market and Cocoa Barry Chocolate Ambassador and Kathryn King from Aria, will judge the amateur and children’s confections.
The festivities will continue from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Great American Baking Contest general admission costs $25 per person and begins at 7:30 p.m. VIP admission costs $35 and includes a champagne reception at 6:30 p.m. with Q100’s Jenn Hobby and a sampling of her own special baked treat. Tickets are also available at www.strength.org/bakingcontest.
Contestant entry fees are $25 for children and amateur bakers and $95 for professionals. First-, second- and third-place bakers will be recognized with prizes including $500 for the first-place professional winner and $250 for the first-place amateur and child baker, courtesy of Domino’s Sugar. Deadline for all entries is Thursday, February 25, 2010, and all entries must include contact information, detailed recipe summary or recipe and the non-refundable, tax-exempt entry fee. To see the full contest rules or to enter, visit www.strength.org/bakingcontest or contact Amy Crowell at acrowell@strength.org or 770-436-5151 for additional information.
