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Kristine Ganibe, above, "braids" the dough
for her chicken dish at Saturday's bake-off.

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Young bakers
take the cake

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If you haven't taught your kids to cook, you could be missing out on a prime pool of labor. Thirty young chefs proved that Saturday in the Pillsbury Kids Bake-Off's local competition.

If 13-year-old Kristine Ganibe lived at your house, for example, you could put her in charge of your next dinner party, she could whip up her Chicken and Broccoli Braid and you could relax.

Kristine, a student at Wheeler Intermediate, won first prize in the third annual cook-off, held at the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani Hotel.

The kids' bake-off is about preparation skills, presentation and taste of the final product, with a nod given to creativity. It's not so much about originality of the recipe, and the contestants are allowed to use cookbooks or consult adults. They must use at least one Pillsbury product.

Kristine's was adapted from a cookbook, but was assembled with meticulous skill and carefully presented.

She won a $500 savings bond, $50 gift certificate to Hawaiian Island Creations, and a computer for her school.

Foodland sponsors the statewide competition as part of its annual Shop for Better Education Program. There is no national competition, so Kristine's title remains local.

Other bake-off winners:

April Alvarez, 12, Kahuku Intermediate, Spinach Calzones
Kayly Lembke, 10, Trinity Lutheran, Flower Cookie Surprise
Emmie Fukushima, 12, Kalama Intermediate, Smiley Bean Bake
Maile Aiu, 13, Kapaa Middle School, Apple Fractions

Here is Kristine's winning recipe:

Chicken and Broccoli Braid

2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
1 cup broccoli, chopped
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 clove garlic
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 8-ounce packages refrigerated crescent rolls
2 tablespoons slivered almonds

Mix chicken, broccoli and peppers. Press garlic over the mixture. Add cheese, mayonnaise, dill and salt.

Unroll crescent dough, but do not separate the individual pieces. Arrange the lengths of dough so they line the bottom of a 12-by-15-inch baking pan. Seal perforations. Cut the dough ends into strips 1-1/2 inches apart, leaving an 8-inch portion in the center intact.

Spread filling evenly over the middle of the dough. To braid, lift strips of dough across the filling, twisting them together at the center. Continue with each pair of strips. Tuck ends under to seal. Sprinkle with almonds. Bake 25-28 minutes or until golden brown.

Nutritional analysis unavailable.

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