The Secret is out! Top Five Finalists Announced in the Eagle Brand® Sweet Secret Recipe and Essay Contest

ORRVILLE, Ohio, March 14, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The makers of Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk are excited to announce the top five finalists in the Eagle Brand Sweet Secret Recipe and Essay Contest. Now through March 28, 2012, voters can help choose the $10,000 Grand Prize Winner by visiting eaglebrand.com or marcaeagle.com to cast their vote for the best recipe and essay.

Selected from hundreds of entries, these five home bakers rose to the top by showing how Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk is the sweet secret to delicious treats. The five category finalists are:

• Cheesecake Category: Tropical Breeze Mango-Coconut Cheesecake by Amy S., of Clifton, NJ
• Fudge Category: Chocolate Gingerbread-Toffee Fudge by Gloria B. of Naperville, IL
• Pie Category: Malt Shoppe Chocolate Mousse Pie by Gloria B. of Naperville, IL
• Cookie Bar Category: Salted Caramel Cheesecake Brownie Bars by Rebecca F. of Bartlett, IL
• Other Category: Autumn Acorn Squash Soup by Rebekah R. from Appleton, WI

"Our top five recipes truly represent the many unique ways consumers incorporate Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk as the sweet secret in their delicious dishes," said Maribeth Badertscher, Vice President, Corporate Communications at The J.M. Smucker Company. "For more than 150 years, Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk has been a favorite ingredient of chefs and home bakers across the country and we hope these special recipes continue to inspire families to create memorable mealtime moments for years to come." 

Contest Overview:

In October, the makers of Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk invited home bakers across the country to submit an original recipe and essay of 100 words or less describing why Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk is the "Sweet Secret" ingredient in their recipe for a chance to win $10,000 towards a "Sweet Secret" wish. All qualified entries underwent an initial round of recipe judging based on taste, originality, creativity, appearance, and ease of preparation; corresponding essays were scored based on relevance to theme, creative expression, and clarity.  The online finalist with the highest total combined score from the initial judging and online vote will be the grand prize winner. The grand prize winner will be revealed on or about April 18, 2012.

To learn more about the contest Official Rules, Finalist Recipes and Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk, visit www.EagleBrand.com or www.MarcaEagle.com. Join the Eagle Brand baking community at www.Facebook.com/EagleBrand.    

About The J. M. Smucker Company

For more than 110 years, The J.M. Smucker Company has been committed to offering consumers quality products that bring families together to share memorable meals and moments.  Today, Smucker is a leading marketer and manufacturer of fruit spreads, retail packaged coffee, peanut butter, shortening and oils, ice cream toppings, sweetened condensed milk, and health and natural foods beverages in North America. Its family of brands includes Smucker's®, Folgers®, Dunkin' Donuts®, Jif®, Crisco®, Pillsbury®, Eagle Brand®, R.W. Knudsen Family®, Hungry Jack®, Cafe Bustelo®, Cafe Pilon™, White Lily® and Martha White® in the United States, along with Robin Hood®, Five Roses®, Carnation® and Bick's® in Canada. The Company remains rooted in the Basic Beliefs of Quality, People, Ethics, Growth and Independence established by its founder and namesake more than a century ago. For more information about the Company, visit www.smuckers.com.

The J.M. Smucker Company is the owner of all trademarks, except Pillsbury, the Barrelhead logo and the Doughboy character are trademarks of The Pillsbury Company, LLC, used under license; Carnation is a trademark of Societe des Produits Nestle S.A., used under license; and Dunkin' Donuts is a registered trademark of DD IP Holder, LLC, used under license. Borden® and Elsie are trademarks used under license. Douwe Egberts® and Pickwick® are registered trademarks of Sara Lee/DE B.V., used under license.

SOURCE The J.M. Smucker Company