Caldwell Mom Makes Pillsbury Bake-Off Finals, Again

A Caldwell mom is heading to the Pillsbury Bake-Off Finals for the second year in a row -- this time with a gluten-free chocolate chip banana muffin recipe that could be worth a million bucks.

Home cook Kim Van Dunk is one of three New Jersey women to make the list of 100 finalists from around the country competing for $1.3 million in cash and prizes in the 47th Annual Pillsbury Bake-Off. Amateur cooks from 32 states will be flown to Nashville, Tenn. in November to prepare their recipes for a panel of judges.

To create her banana chocolate chip streusel muffin, Van Dunk uses Pillsbury’s chocolate chip cookie dough and mashed bananas. Last year, the mother of three took her meatball and breadstick sub skewer recipe -- a family favorite -- to Nevada for a stab at the grand prize.

The other Garden State competitors are Amy Siegel of Clifton, a 2012 finalist who is back this year with a recipe for gluten-free sesame mini-pitas with roasted red pepper tapenade, and veteran cooking contest champ Mimi Chang of Middletown, who hopes to wow the judges with her chai-glazed cinnamon waffles.

Stay tuned! For the first time this year, the public will have the chance to weigh in with their votes to determine the grand prize winner.