Mimis Cafe, along with chef Gale Gand, selected from 1,600 online entries the 2009 Mimi’s Meaningful Muffin in honor of Mimis Cafe’s 30th birthday. “Pineapple Coconut Crumb,” submitted by Murrieta, California resident Linda Amendt, took the grand prize and will be featured in Mimi’s more than 144 locations nationwide from August 22 to September 30.

Also, for every Meaningful Muffin purchased, Mimis Cafe will contribute $1 to Share Our Strength, the national organization dedicated to fighting childhood hunger in the U.S.

“Our freshly baked muffins are guest favorites, so they were a natural fit for our recipe search,” says Mimi Somerman, senior vice president of marketing for Mimis Cafe. “The limited-time Mimi’s Meaningful Muffin is a delicious addition to our 30th birthday celebration, and more importantly proceeds from our muffin sales contribute to a timely cause that benefits millions of children.”

“Cinna-Peach” submitted by Jan Jacobson of Phoenix took second-place honors, and “Caribbean Sweet Potato” by Vjolca Capri of Orlando came in third.

“I was impressed by the creativity, sophistication and variety of entries,” Gand says. “It was a difficult decision, as Cinna-Peach and Caribbean Sweet Potato were tough competition. Ultimately, Pineapple Coconut Crumb had the perfect balance of flavors and textures and we felt it would appeal best to a wide audience.”