Recipe enthusiasts from across the country put their culinary skills to the test and created more 1,000 original recipes with pecans, walnuts or almonds for the third annual “My Fresh Twist” recipe contest. After several rounds of judging, Fisher nuts and celebrity Chef Alex Guarnaschelli announced the winning recipe—banana orange flaugnarde with toasted walnut caramel citrus sauce, submitted by Susan Bickta of Kutztown, PA.

Fisher invited consumers to submit original recipes featuring nuts at www.myfreshtwist.com for a chance to win a grand prize trip for two to New York to meet Guarnaschelli. A panel of judges selected the top 20 finalists and, from there, Fisher fans were able to vote for their favorites online. Guarnaschelli selected the winning recipe from the top three fan favorites. Recipes were judged based on their originality, taste, visual appeal and integration of nuts.

"Susan really impressed me with her tropical twist on a traditional clafouti," says Guarnaschelli. "The use of the bananas and orange zest, instead of the traditional flaugnarde fruits, took this dessert to the next level and really showcased Susan's creativity. I also loved that she topped the dish with a unique caramel, citrus sauce to complement the toasted walnuts."

Flaugnarde is a baked French dessert with a thick, flan-like batter that can be served either warm or cold, and can be made with peaches, plums, berries, apples, pears or other fruits.

For more information about Fisher nuts, visit www.FisherNuts.com.