Attention cookie lovers… there’s a redheaded firecracker on the loose and she’s dishing up addictive cookie bars! Jackie Mento is her name and serving up smiles is her game. As winner of the Just A Pinch Cookie Celebration contest, Jackie recently joined me and the Kitchen Crew gals in a bake-tacular weekend of fun and food.
“When I got the call about winning the contest I was so excited,” says Jackie, a retired caterer and all-around lover of food. “Nothing like that had ever happened to me before…especially for a cooking contest! I was over the moon.” Jackie makes the most of her retirement by cooking regularly and coming up with fun, new recipes.
As part of her prize, Jackie winged her way to Nashville, TN to visit us here at Just A Pinch HQ. She also got to star in her very own Blue Ribbon Showcase, hosted by former contest winner Melissa Sperka! Jackie was pure pro as she coolly stepped the live studio audience through the preparation of her winning recipe for Hazies. It was a joy to be in the kitchen with her!
Also on the day’s Blue Ribbon menu were great dishes from cooks from all corners:
Fried Green Tomato BLT – Allisha Bordelon of Coushatta, LA
Ooey Gooey Mac and Cheese – Samantha Jacobs of Manchester, NH
Crazy Corn – Ashley Dawkins of Burrillville, RI
Naturally, Jackie’s winning cookies were the grand finale. Her delicious cookie bars are about the prettiest cookies even to come out of our Test Kitchen. Made from a simple dough and decadent chocolate hazelnut filling, Jackie’s Hazies are an ideal choice for a special brunch or luncheon. They are so fanciful yet so simple to prepare! Those in attendance also got to sample a raspberry version. Filled with sweet raspberry preserves and drizzled with a festive pink glaze, this adaptation is just one of the great variations Jackie suggests in her recipe. These cookies are so darn versatile!
As our official “Queen 2-Days,” Jackie enjoyed a weekend filled with VIP treatment. She and her delightful sisters, Sandra and Linda, hit up all the local hot-spots including a visit to the Grand Ol’ Opry. (Rumor has it there’s even a photo circulating of them with Hank Williams… leave it to Jackie and the girls to pull that one off!) She also shopped ’til she dropped as she made the most of her $1,000 shopping spree at the Viking Kitchen store! Like a kid in a candy store, Jackie scored tons of great goodies and gadgets for her home kitchen in The Villages, FL. She’s the talk of the town… from Tennessee to Florida and beyond!
We had a ball with Jackie and her sisters and would love to meet you as well! ENTER TODAY for your chance to WIN!