Librarian Wins $1 Million Bake-Off

One of the first things Suzanne Conrad did when she won the $1 million grand prize in this year's Pillsbury Bake-Off was pay off her library school loan of more than $2,000.

The former youth services librarian was whisked off to Hollywood on June 26 from her home in Findlay, OH, as one of 100 finalists in the nationwide competition. Just three days later, in the Grand Ballroom of the Hollywood Renaissance Hotel, Dick Clark announced that Conrad's recipe for Oats 'n Honey Granola Pie had beaten tens of thousands of entries. And just like that, the 35-year-old mother of two became a millionaire.

Overcome with tears, Conrad was greeted with a standing ovation and confetti. Then suddenly, a swarm of photographers and reporters descended. "I have no idea what I said for the next hour and a half," Conrad recalls about that moment. But once she regained her composure, Conrad answered each question like a pro. "It has to be the fact that I'm a librarian. We're trained to sit there and answer questions."

What's so special about Conrad's concoction? The judges loved it for its taste and quick prep time (15 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to bake). Conrad basically took a family recipe for oatmeal pie and worked in her own magic. After a few trial runs, she settled on just the right amount of granola, eggs, chocolate chips, walnuts, and brown sugar—and mailed in her entry.

All of the finalists had to re-create their recipes in mock kitchens set up in the ballroom. And after seeing all the wonderfully colorful and creative dishes that she was up against, Conrad was sure she wouldn't win. So she and her husband just tried to soak in as much Hollywood living as possible. Little did Conrad know that they'd be on the next red-eye to New York City as guests on the Today Show.

The first $50,000 check arrived by FedEx at Conrad's home in July, and she'll keep getting those deliveries for the next 20 years. Will she buy the Cape Cod summer home that she's always dreamed about? Perhaps, but after taxes, $1 million doesn't go very far these days, Conrad says. At the very least, however, this former librarian can continue caring for her two young children without worrying about her next paycheck.