Nordic Ware

MINNEAPOLIS (November 14, 2007) — Today, Anne Kornow from Dexter, Michigan captured the $10,000 grand prize for the “Bundts Across America” baking contest sponsored by Nordic Ware, creator of the Bundt pan. This year’s contest theme was “Holiday Bundts, a pan for all seasons” and Anne Kornow created an original recipe that is melt-in-your-mouth-marvelous! For her winning Bundt cake, Anne also received a trip to New York City to sit in the audience of the Martha Stewart Show on November 15 during the 2nd Annual “National Bundt Day” celebration where she will be recognized for her winning recipe.

“This recipe is truly outstanding,” says David Dalquist, president of Nordic Ware. “It has everything that a prize winning Bundt cake should have, with its nice dense texture and its rich chocolate flavor dramatically blended with white chocolate and mint. It is the perfect dessert to serve families and friends while celebrating the upcoming holidays and one that will assure lasting memories of the time spent together.”

The Recipe
Anne Kornow’s winning recipe, “Mint Mountains” celebrates the holiday season using Nordic Ware’s Holiday Tree Bundt Pan. The dense and decadent cake is a combination of white chocolate and chocolate fudge featuring a hint of mint. The pan showcases the cake’s “mountain peaks” through a circle of “snow-capped” evergreen trees. Mint sprigs and crushed red peppermint candy garnish the cake which pleases both the eye and pallet!

As a recent retiree from 35 years in Special Education, Anne Kornow says her “Mint Mountains” recipe entry came about after extra free time, a few rounds of trial and error and encouragement from her friends. “I took the cake over to some friends at a football party and they loved it! Then when my granddaughter came to visit for week she ate almost the entire cake! That’s when I knew it could be a winner.”

Along with her grand prize win, Anne Kornow is celebrating a second round of good news that came while she was in San Francisco at the bake-off for the “Bundts Across America” competition. “I was with another finalist on a cable car ride. When I stepped off, my phone began to ring. I answered and got the news my son-in-law Brian was coming home from Iraq. Coupled with the Nordic Ware win, you can imagine how blessed I feel.”

The Winning Pan
Anne Kornow used Nordic Ware’s Holiday Tree Bundt Pan (SRP $35) to create the holiday tree shape of her winning cake. The pan’s intricate detail comes complete with ornaments and a toy train to charm children and adults alike. This pan is part of Nordic Ware’s platinum holiday bakeware collection, and is made of heavy cast aluminum.

The Judging
The panel of judges included Anita Chu, dessert aficionado and founder of Dessert First; Margo Murdock Murphy, the grand prize winner in the 2006 “Bundts Across America” contest; and Kathy Severson, Vice President Sales and National Sales Manager and a 29+-year employee of Nordic Ware.

After seeing and tasting so many Bundt cakes the judges had a hard decision to make but Anne Kornow’s Mint Mountains clearly stood tall above the others. “This looks like a perfect snow covered forest, from layers of white and chocolate cake mimicking the coloring of a mountainside to the dusting of confectioner’s sugar “snow”.” Says Anita Chu, “Bundts Across America” contest judge. “I thought this entry best utilized the shape of the Bundt pan and captured spirit of the holiday best, as well as being fabulously delicious.”

The Contest
Nordic Ware’s search for the best Bundt in the land began in May and ended Sept 1. Nordic Ware announced state winners and 10 national finalists in October. Each national finalist received a $500 Nordic Ware gift certificate, and state winners received $100 certificates.

Smithsonian Exhibit
This summer, Nordic Ware donated several artifacts from its Bundt Pan collection to The Smithsonian National Museum of America History. A selection of the Nordic Ware collection was on temporary display in the museum’s “Treasures of American History” exhibition at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum through the end of August. The collection celebrates the Bundt Pan which is owned by one out of every two American households. Since its creation in 1950, the Bundt Pan has shaped meals, created traditions and become an heirloom to be passed down from generation to generation.

National Bundt Day
Nordic Ware, creator of the iconic Bundt Pan, is celebrating National Bundt Day on Thursday, November 15. This second annual celebration signifies the time just before the Thanksgiving holiday in which most of the baking that occurs for the year begins. Consumers will be reminded to get their kitchens ready for the holiday baking season by making sure they have their recipes lined up and most importantly, the proper tools to create their finest culinary delights, as well as the inspiration necessary to make it a social and family experience.

"Celebrating Over 60 years of American Made Traditions"
The Nordic Ware family has prided itself in providing long-lasting quality products, which will be handed down through generations. Their business is firmly rooted in the trust, dedication and talent of their employees, a commitment to producing quality American-made products, a desire to provide excellence in service to their customers and their never-ending search for innovative new kitchenware products.

REPORTER’S NOTE: This recipe and those of the other nine national finalists can be found here.