Pillsbury Bake-Off(R) Contest Final 100 Recipes Available Online, Cast Your Vote For Chance at $1 Million; Todd Oldham Designs Official 42nd Contest Apron

From the tens of thousands of recipe entries, contest officialsused rigorous screening, taste panels and kitchen testing to selectthe final 100 recipes. The recipe creators - amateur cooks from acrossthe country - will prepare their recipes in the contest finals for a$1 million grand prize in Orlando, Fla., March 19-22, 2006. Twelve ofthe contest prizes will be determined by a panel of judges in Orlandoworking in jury room secrecy. One award - the America's FavoriteRecipe Award - will be determined by you.

America's Favorite Recipe Award

Between now and February 28, log on to www.pillsbury.com/bakeoffto vote for your favorite recipe among the 100 final recipes competingin the 42nd contest. The finalist whose recipe receives the most voteswill be awarded the $10,000 America's Favorite Recipe Award during theaward ceremony March 22 in Orlando.

"The Bake-Off(R) Contest has provided great-tasting recipe ideasthat satisfy the family for decades," said Lisa Bormann, manager forthe Pillsbury Bake-Off(R) Contest at General Mills. "This contest, wewanted to let America decide which recipe is their favorite with anonline vote. This is the first time the contest has used online votingto award a prize, so we thought it would be fun to give someone whovotes a chance at a million dollars, too."

Simply vote for the America's Favorite Recipe Award and then enterthe "Vote for America's Favorite Recipe" Sweepstakes by filling in allrequired entry information online. One lucky consumer will be selectedin a random drawing from all eligible entries received and will win atrip for two to the 42nd Bake-Off(R) Contest in Orlando to watch the100 Bake-Off(R) contestants prepare their recipes in the contestfinals on March 21, and to attend the awards ceremony, March 22, 2006.If the grand prize winning recipe for the Bake-Off(R) Contest is thesame recipe the lucky consumer voted for, that person will also win $1million.

"The contest hasn't traditionally been open to the public, sowe're happy to offer Bake-Off(R) fans the chance to experience theevent," Bormann added. "And of course we're excited about thepossibility of awarding two million-dollar prizes on March 22, one forthe Bake-Off(R) Contest grand prize winner and potentially one for thesweepstakes winner if his or her favorite recipe is chosen as thecontest grand prize winner."

Consumers must be 18 years or older as of January 10, 2006, tovote. There is a limit of one vote per person. See the Web site forofficial rules.

The Competition

On March 21, the finalists will prepare their recipes in 100 GEmini kitchens set up especially for the Bake-Off(R) Contest at theGaylord Palms(R) Resort and Convention Center. The 42nd PillsburyBake-Off(R) Contest is sponsored by General Mills, General Electric,American Dairy Association, SPLENDA(R) Sugar Blend for Baking, TheHershey Company, Baker's Secret(R) Bakeware and The J.M. SmuckerCompany. Finalists will use hundreds of measuring cups, mixing spoons,fry pans and other cooking equipment to prepare their recipes for thejudging panel.

Adding more excitement to the contest, this year's finalists willbe outfitted in a special apron created by trend-setting designer ToddOldham. The apron is made from khaki with red-gingham trim and tiesand features a whimsical sketch by Oldham of kitchen tools poking outof the pocket. Aprons are for sale at www.pillsbury.com.

"I've known about the Pillsbury Bake-Off(R) Contest for years,"said Oldham. "I'm honored to design the official apron that the 100creative cooks will wear during the competition."

The 100 recipes were chosen from among consumers' best originalentries in six recipe categories: Cooking for Two, Brand New You,Dinner Made Easy(TM), Weekends Made Special, Wake Up to Breakfast(TM),and Simple Snacks. All 100 winning recipes with color photos arefeatured in The Pillsbury(R) Classic(R) Cookbook available atsupermarkets and discount stores beginning January 17, 2006. Thecookbook price is $3.99.

Finalists had to use at least two eligible products in theirrecipes, selected from a list of more than 65 popular ingredients,many available in a variety of flavors. Among the popular brandsrepresented are Pillsbury(R), Progresso(R), Old El Paso(R), GreenGiant(R), Yoplait(R), Cheerios(R), Chex(R), Total(R), NatureValley(R), Hamburger Helper(R), Muir Glen(R) and Cascadian Farm(R).

Each of the 100 finalists has already won a trip to Orlando forthe Bake-Off(R) finals. In addition to the million-dollar prize, thegrand prize winner will receive a set of GE Profile(TM) StainlessSteel Kitchen Appliances, including a wall oven, built-in Advantium(R)oven, dishwasher, cooktop, hood and refrigerator (approximate retailvalue $10,000). Each of the other five category winners will earn$10,000 plus a GE Profile(TM) oven with Trivection(TM) Technology.

Seven additional awards will be presented to winners chosen fromany of the recipe categories. America's Favorite Recipe Award of$10,000 will go to the recipe most popular with consumers via onlinevoting January 10 through February 28, 2006. The $10,000 Receta RicaAward will recognize a recipe that creatively uses Hispanic-inspiredflavors, ingredients or techniques from cuisines such as Mexican,Cuban, Latin American, South American or Caribbean.

The recipe rated most innovative by the judges will earn the GEImagination at Work Award and a set of GE Profile(TM) KitchenAppliances (approximate retail value $10,000). The American DairyAssociation will award three $10,000 prizes for the 3-A-Day(TM) ofDairy Awards. These will recognize the most delicious and nutritiousrecipes containing at least one serving of milk, cheese or yogurt perrecipe serving. Recipes eligible for these awards need to beconsidered "better for you," using healthier cooking techniques andlower-fat ingredients.

The SPLENDA(R) Pure Magic Award and $10,000 will go to the bestrecipe using at least 1/2 cup of SPLENDA(R) Sugar Blend for Baking.

Smucker's sponsorship reflects its ownership of Pillsbury brandedbaking items, including flour, ready-to-spread frosting and browniemixes, which are among the eligible products.

For the contest finals, The Hershey Company will provide itspremium quality chocolate products, including items such as Hershey'sbaking chips, Hershey's baking chocolate and Hershey's cocoa, andother baking ingredients. Bakeware needed for contest recipes will beprovided by Baker's Secret(R) Bakeware.

For more information, visit the Bake-Off(R) Contest Web site atwww.pillsbury.com. The site provides a complete list of finalists aswell as recipes and history from the contest's 50 years.

General Mills is a leading global manufacturer and marketer ofconsumer foods products. Its more than 100 U.S. consumer brandsinclude Pillsbury, Green Giant, Old El Paso, Betty Crocker, Cheerios,Wheaties and other Big G cereal brands, Yoplait, Nature Valley,Totino's, Progresso and more. Visit www.generalmills.com for companyinformation.

GE Consumer & Industrial spans the globe as an industry leader inmajor appliance, lighting and integrated industrial equipment, systemsand services. Providing solutions for commercial, industrial andresidential use in more than 100 countries, GE Consumer & Industrialuses innovative technologies and "ecomagination," a GE initiative toaggressively bring to market new technologies that help customers andconsumers meet pressing environmental challenges, to deliver comfort,convenience and electrical protection and control. General Electric(NYSE:GE) brings imagination to work, selling products under theMonogram(R), Profile(TM) GE(R), Hotpoint(R), SmartWater(TM) Reveal(R)and GE Edison(TM) consumer brands, and Entellisys(TM) industrialbrand. For more information, consumers may visit www.ge.com.

3-A-Day(TM) of Dairy is a health and wellness campaign launched bythe American Dairy Association (ADA) in January 2003 to buildawareness of the health benefits of getting 3 servings of milk, cheeseor yogurt a day. 3-A-Day(TM) of Dairy is supported by fully integratedmarketing efforts including retail promotions, public relations,online marketing and advertising. The ADA is managed by DairyManagement Inc., the nonprofit domestic and international marketing,planning and management organization for U.S.-produced dairy productson behalf of America's dairy farmers. Visit 3aday.org for moreinformation and to sign up to be a 3-A-Day(TM) of Dairy Mom to receivedelicious and nutritious recipes and hear about exclusive offers.

SPLENDA(R) Sugar Blend for Baking is a mix of SPLENDA(R) BrandSweetener and sugar, which allows consumers to achieve baked goodsthat brown, rise and have great texture. Consumers will only need touse half a cup of SPLENDA(R) Sugar Blend for Baking to replace a fullcup of sugar, which enables them to reduce the calories from regularsugar by half and achieve the sweetness and performance they want intheir baked goods. SPLENDA(R) Sugar Blend for Baking can now be foundat grocery stores nationwide in a 2 lb. re-sealable plastic bag, thatprovides the sweetness of 4 lbs. of pure sugar. You can find out moreabout SPLENDA(R) Brand or get recipes and tips on cooking and bakingwith SPLENDA(R) products at www.SPLENDA.com or by calling1-800-7-SPLENDA (1-800-777-5363).

The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) is a leading snack food companyand the largest North American manufacturer of quality chocolate andnonchocolate confectionery products. With revenues of over $4 billionand more than 13,000 employees worldwide, The Hershey Company marketssuch well-known brands as Hershey's, Reese's, Hershey's Kisses, KitKat, Almond Joy, Mounds, Jolly Rancher, Twizzlers, Ice Breakers, andMauna Loa, as well as innovative new products such as Take 5 andHershey's Cookies. In addition to its traditional confectioneryproducts, Hershey offers a range of products specifically developed toaddress the nutritional interests of today's health-consciousconsumer. These products include sugarfree Hershey's, Reese's and Yorkcandies, as well as Hershey's SmartZone bars for people seekingbalanced nutrition. It also markets Hershey's cocoa, Hershey's syrupand other branded baking ingredients, toppings and beverages. Inaddition, Artisan Confections Company, a wholly owned subsidiary ofThe Hershey Company, markets premium chocolate offerings, includingScharffen Berger, known for its high-cacao dark chocolate products,and Joseph Schmidt, recognized for its fine, handcrafted chocolategifts. Visit us at www.hersheynewsroom.com.

Baker's Secret(R) is the original nonstick metal bakeware thatperforms great from start to finish. Baker's Secret(R) offers thereliability of traditional bakeware with the benefits of uniqueinnovation. Baker's Secret(R) consumers use this line of metalbakeware because it provides even baking results, easy release ofbaked goods and effortless cleanup. For more information, consumersmay visit www.bakerssecret.com or call 1-800-999-3436.

Pillsbury desserts and baking mixes are manufactured and marketedby The J.M. Smucker Company (NYSE:SJM). The company's Pillsbury-brandproducts include mixes for brownies, cakes, muffins and quick breads;ready-to-spread frosting; and flour. For more information and recipeideas, visit www.pillsburybaking.com. Pillsbury is a registeredtrademark of The Pillsbury Company, used under license.