The 100 contestants of the 43rd Pillsbury Bake-Off® Contest march onto the competition floor in Dallas, Texas, where talented home cooks from 35 different states were vying for a $1 million grand prize.

At precisely 8:00, finalists began the preparations they hoped would bring them to the $1 million Grand Prize. One hundred mini-kitchens filled the ballroom at the Fairmont Hotel in Dallas, with each kitchen containing the exact ingredients and equipment finalists requested.

Finalists in the 43rd Pillsbury Bake-Off® Contest gather in Dallas, Texas, on the edge of the official contest floor, where the talented home cooks from 35 different states competed for the $1 million grand prize.

The youngest and oldest finalists competing in the 43rd Bake-Off® Contest give the Doughboy a squeeze. Alison Strunk, age 27, is from Springfield Mo., and Eva Hukalo, 72, is from Toledo, Ohio.

Sherry Smith competed against son-in-law Will Sperry in the 43rd Pillsbury Bake-Off® Contest. Both hail from Bunker Hill, W.Va. Janelle Sperry, Will’s wife and Sherry’s daughter, holds a special title in Bake-Off® Contest history: The youngest finalist ever to compete in the contest. She was 10 when she competed in the 30th Bake-Off® Contest in 1982.

Ruth-Anne O’Gorman, Kodiak, Alaska, traveled the furthest to compete in the 43rd Pillsbury Bake-Off® Contest in Dallas. Finalist Stephanie Hollowell of Dallas shows her the sights.

Eight men were among the 100 finalists competing in Dallas for the $1 million grand prize. Left to right: Will Sperry, Bunker Hill, W.Va.; Bob Gadsby, Great Falls, Mont.; Mike Briggs, Arlington, Va.; Chris Batton, North Irwin, Pa.; David Dahlman, Chatsworth, Calif.; Scott Hatfield, Grove City, Pa. Edgar Rudberg, St. Paul, Minn.; and Harrison Carpenter, Longmont, Colo.

Sandra Lee, host of the Food Network's "Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee," rushes over to see the Shrimp Enchiladas with Sweet Corn Sauce prepared by Bake-Off® finalist Barbara Hahn from Park Hills, Mo., during the 43rd Pillsbury Bake-Off® Contest in Dallas,Texas.

Ayofemi Wright from Atlanta, Ga., maneuvers the floor with her Creamy Mojito Pie Monday, April 14, 2008, during the 43rd Pillsbury Bake-Off® Contest in Dallas, Texas, where talented home cooks from 35 different states were vying for a $1 million grand prize.

Gwen Beauchamp, Lancaster, Texas, won the $5,000 America’s Favorite Recipe award. Her recipe for Toffee-Banana Brownies received the most consumer votes. Consumers voted online January through March 2008 for the recipe they believed best met the judging categories of taste, appearance, creativity and consumer appeal.

Edgar Rudberg, St. Paul, Minn., won $5,000 and a GE Profile™ Double Oven Freestanding Range with PreciseAir™ Convection and two self-clean ovens for Salmon Pastries with Dill Pesto.

Pamela Shank, Parkersburg, W.Va., was awarded $5,000 and GE Profile™ Double Oven Freestanding Range with PreciseAir™ Convection and two self-clean ovens for Mascarpone-Filled Cranberry-Walnut Rolls.

Phyllis Weeks-Daniel, San Diego, Calif., was awarded a GE Profile™ range and $3,000 in kitchen appliances for Blue Cheese and Red Onion Jam Crescent Thumbprints. Judges of the 43rd Pillsbury Bake-Off® determined Phyllis Weeks-Daniel recipe was the most innovative.

Vanda Pozzanghera, Pittsford, N.Y. received $5,000 and GE Profile™ Double Oven Freestanding Range with PreciseAir™ Convection and two self-clean ovens for Mexican Pesto-Pork Tacos. The awards ceremony was emceed by Life and Style expert Sandra Lee, host of Food Network’s "Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee."

Niki Plourde, Gardner, Mass., received $5,000 and GE Profile™ Double Oven Freestanding Range with PreciseAir™ Convection and two self-clean ovens for Apple-Jack Chicken Pizza with Caramelized Onions. Sandra Lee, host of Food Network’s “Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee,” emceed the event.

Carolyn Gurtz, Gaithersburg, Md., received $5,000 for her recipe Double-Delight Peanut Butter Cookies. Judges of the 43rd Pillsbury Bake-Off® Contest chose Carolyn Gurtz recipe as the best recipe using at least 1/4 cup of Jif® Peanut Butter.