S11.E04: Chocolate Week

[NYCFree]

47 minutes ago, AZChristian said:

Chocolate babkas from the local bakery:  They are real, and they're spectacular.

LOL, I thought you didn’t like “Seinfeld” excellent reference.

[AZChristian]

4 minutes ago, NYCFree said:

LOL, I thought you didn’t like “Seinfeld” excellent reference.

Don't like Seinfeld . . . but love that line.  LOL.

[Irlandesa]

19 hours ago, Quilt Fairy said:

I think the challenge said to make 18 brownies.  Square pans are the easiest to cut into 9.  

Can they bring their own pans?  they should have brought one of the "all crust" pans which already have the individual slices carved out essentially.

[dleighg]

26 minutes ago, Irlandesa said:

Can they bring their own pans? 

That reminds me of something that occurred to me watching.... how much "prep" can they do when they bring their own ingredients? For example some bring soaked fruit, etc. If they have some special nuts, can they chop them? Special fruit, can they slice it? When I see them intently chopping and slicing, I'm wondering whether there are any loopholes in that area.

[Crs97]

I have two great fudge brownie recipes; I could have nailed that challenge.  I am also a big white chocolate fan, but I accept that Prue and Paul would always tell me my desserts are too sweet.  I am always fascinated by the flavor choices and wonder what is cultural and what is my picky palate.  I am not a mango fan so am fascinated by all the mango use.  Figs and chocolate did not sound good.  I don’t like alcohol in my desserts at all.  Well, maybe a little amaretto or creme de menthe would be okay, but otherwise leave it out.  It helps me with any cravings that would be overwhelming if I thought all the flavors sounded good.

Giving Paul the gold star made me laugh, mostly because all the contestants got such a kick out of it.  Very sad to see Sura go, but it was the right choice.

[joanne3482]

On 10/16/2020 at 5:54 PM, leighdear said:

Babka's for me go way back to the TV show "Perfect Strangers" with Balki, Larry & the baby Babka song.  

I didn't realize it was baby. All these years I thought it was bibby (which I know makes no sense).  I also didn't realize what it really was.  And the song has been running through my head all weekend long. "When you rolling out the dough, just make sure you roll it slow, if you make the dough to quick, bibby (baby) babka make you sick, when you pour the filling in, just make sure you wear a grin, if you make the dough just right, bibby (baby?) babka turn out swell."

Lottie has definitely grown on me but Hermine is my favorite. I'm not sure she'll win, but she is my favorite. I'm also liking Mark a lot more.  His accent is really interesting. 

[Mittengirl]

I had just gotten that song out of my head and now it’s back.  Thanks a lot!

I don’t think I have had a fig outside of a Newton, so I don’t know what they taste like, but they sure don’t sound like something that should be on a brownie.  

[dleighg]

21 minutes ago, Mittengirl said:

I don’t think I have had a fig outside of a Newton,

they are tasty, but I sure wouldn't want them in or on a brownie. I have a nice fig cake recipe with a cream cheese frosting that's quite good. 

[Ilovepie]

On 10/16/2020 at 2:01 PM, marinite said:

White chocolate needs to go far away, in my opinion. The only thing it is good for is decoration.

This. To me, it's flavor profile is "sweet". It tastes like nothing to me and has a weird waxy texture. I loathe it.

 

On 10/16/2020 at 11:13 PM, Irlandesa said:

Cream cheese brownies are delish.  The trick is just keeping it simple when and do some sort of mix in or top swirl which is baked with the brownie but still lets the brownie come out.  So cheesecake swirled in instead of cheesecake with liquidy raspberries all over.  Or do a caramel/pecan with sea salt or a peanut butter swirl.

But all those toppings? No.

Yes! I could not believe all of the crazy toppings! There are many flavors that go great with Brownies, but these were insane - who the hell wants figs with their brownie? And meringue? Huh??? I was thinking it would be peanut butter or caramel or mint, or maybe some raspberry topping. But instead it was marshmallows and honey and dates???? Crazy......Oh, and Laura needs to understand it's not a s'more unless all three ingredients are there: marshmallow, chocolate and a graham cracker!

I personally think Linda deserved to be star baker, or at least top two for consideration. Her Showstopper must have been bad because she came out pretty well on the first two rounds.......

[Kohola3]

I hate Matt.

White chocolate is NOT chocolate

Naked cakes look like the baker ran out of frosting.

That is all.

[Ilovepie]

36 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

Naked cakes look like the baker ran out of frosting.

They do look unfinished, but if you are eating it and you are not a big fan of frosting (raises hand) they are delish!

[Quilt Fairy]

Don't throw stones, but about 2 years ago I got addicted to the cream cheese brownies from the Walmart bakery.  The cream cheese cut the sweetness of the brownie.  They didn't have them all the time, and I used to stop at random Walmart's if I was passing strictly to see if they had any, and if I found them I would buy an extra package and freeze it.  There was another cream cheese confection whose name I can't remember that I liked even better.  Now, of course, I haven't been in a Walmart for over 8 months, which is probably a good thing. 

[sharifa70]

2 hours ago, Mittengirl said:

I had just gotten that song out of my head and now it’s back.  Thanks a lot!

I don’t think I have had a fig outside of a Newton, so I don’t know what they taste like, but they sure don’t sound like something that should be on a brownie.  

Stuffed with goat cheese and wrapped in bacon. That is the way to eat a non-Newton fig.

2 hours ago, Ilovepie said:

Oh, and Laura needs to understand it's not a s'more unless all three ingredients are there: marshmallow, chocolate and a graham cracker!

Her complete lack of s’more understanding was both baffling (to this American former Girl Scout completely immersed in s’more culture) and charming. 

10 minutes ago, Quilt Fairy said:

Don't throw stones, but about 2 years ago I got addicted to the cream cheese brownies from the Walmart bakery. 

I’m not judging you. Now I’m curious. I don’t go to Wal-Mart very often but now I might have to take a trip now and then. Or maybe look for a recipe to experiment with.

[Kohola3]

1 hour ago, Ilovepie said:

They do look unfinished, but if you are eating it and you are not a big fan of frosting (raises hand) they are delish!

Well, you can always not eat frosting but you can't hide ugly!

[chaifan]

14 minutes ago, sharifa70 said:

Stuffed with goat cheese and wrapped in bacon. That is the way to eat a non-Newton fig.

 

Prosciutto.  Bacon is better for wrapping dates, but prosciutto works best for figs.  Hell yeah on the goat cheese, and drizzle with a balsamic reduction. 

I love figs.  (I also love fig newtons.)  Figs and chocolate work incredibly well together, so the combo didn't bother me.  What I didn't like is the "upside down" aspect of it, because you'll never get the proper brownie crackle top doing that.  I think Pru noted that.  Also, if you bite into a brownie with a sliced fig on top, chances are you won't bite through the entire fig, but instead the whole piece will pull off.  Now, take the insides of a fig newton and somehow layer that in the middle of a brownie, and THAT would be amazing! 

[Irlandesa]

3 hours ago, Ilovepie said:

They do look unfinished, but if you are eating it and you are not a big fan of frosting (raises hand) they are delish!

High five to my frosting-hating friend.

1 hour ago, Kohola3 said:

Well, you can always not eat frosting but you can't hide ugly!

You sure can.

1 hour ago, Quilt Fairy said:

Don't throw stones, but about 2 years ago I got addicted to the cream cheese brownies from the Walmart bakery.  The cream cheese cut the sweetness of the brownie.  They didn't have them all the time, and I used to stop at random Walmart's if I was passing strictly to see if they had any, and if I found them I would buy an extra package and freeze it.  There was another cream cheese confection whose name I can't remember that I liked even better.  Now, of course, I haven't been in a Walmart for over 8 months, which is probably a good thing. 

Cream cheese brownies are pretty easy to make.  Even better?  Cream cheese chocolate cupcakes. (No frosting).

Edited October 20, 2020 by Irlandesa

[sharifa70]

1 hour ago, chaifan said:

Prosciutto.  Bacon is better for wrapping dates, but prosciutto works best for figs.  Hell yeah on the goat cheese, and drizzle with a balsamic reduction. 

Arggh, you are correct re bacon vs prosciutto. My kitchen skills are cursed this week (sad, ruined brownies followed the next day by sad, ruined cookies - a recipe I’ve been using since I was 12). It’s feeling more like Worst Cooks than Bake Off, and I’m seriously wondering if I need to burn some sage to get rid of my bad kitchen mojo.

But I’m getting a lot of brownie ideas to try here so fingers crossed!

[TomGirl]

On 10/17/2020 at 10:24 AM, AZChristian said:

I never make brownies from scratch! I spend $2 on Ghirardelli brownie mix and they come out great with much less effort.

Ghirardelli brownie mix is indeed head and shoulders above the typical brands (Duncan Hines, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury).  The version with chocolate chips is especially decadent.

[cynicat]

12 hours ago, Ilovepie said:

Oh, and Laura needs to understand it's not a s'more unless all three ingredients are there: marshmallow, chocolate and a graham cracker!

With her logic, a Fluffernutter would be considered a s'more and that's pure blasphemy.

[AZChristian]

13 hours ago, Quilt Fairy said:

Don't throw stones, but about 2 years ago I got addicted to the cream cheese brownies from the Walmart bakery.  The cream cheese cut the sweetness of the brownie.  They didn't have them all the time, and I used to stop at random Walmart's if I was passing strictly to see if they had any, and if I found them I would buy an extra package and freeze it.  There was another cream cheese confection whose name I can't remember that I liked even better.  Now, of course, I haven't been in a Walmart for over 8 months, which is probably a good thing. 

Two words:  Curbside Pickup.

[Kohola3]

33 minutes ago, AZChristian said:

Two words:  Curbside Pickup.

Sadly, no, at least at my local Walmart.  I shopped for that to add to my order this morning and we apparently do not carry it.  It does look delicous but a bit "fiddly" as Mary used to say.  

[Ilovepie]

16 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

Well, you can always not eat frosting but you can't hide ugly!

Ha! True......although I always feel rude scraping off and leaving a pile of frosting on the side of  my plate 😜

[Lovecat]

5 minutes ago, Ilovepie said:

I always feel rude scraping off and leaving a pile of frosting on the side of  my plate 😜

Come sit next to me...  ::pats seat, stares hopefully at your pile of frosting, spoon at the ready:: 😄 

[Ilovepie]

5 minutes ago, Lovecat said:

Come sit next to me...  ::pats seat, stares hopefully at your pile of frosting, spoon at the ready:: 😄 

A match made in heaven!!!! 🙂

[ShortyMac]

As a self-professed chocoholic, I love frosting, but, not on brownies. A good brownie doesn't need it.

[janie jones]

19 hours ago, Ilovepie said:

They do look unfinished, but if you are eating it and you are not a big fan of frosting (raises hand) they are delish!

I'm not a big frosting fan either, so if I were going for aesthetics, I'd just not frost the cake at all and use some other sort of garnish.

[Cherpumple]

On 10/19/2020 at 2:59 PM, Irlandesa said:

they should have brought one of the "all crust" pans which already have the individual slices carved out essentially.

Speaking as someone who prefers the gooier "interior" brownies, this kind of pan is my nightmare! That's why I love being in a family of people who love the edges and corner pieces. We all get the ones we want!

[ShortyMac]

7 minutes ago, Cherpumple said:

Speaking as someone who prefers the gooier "interior" brownies, this kind of pan is my nightmare! That's why I love being in a family of people who love the edges and corner pieces. We all get the ones we want!

Yeah, I'm a center/middle person...

[Irlandesa]

11 minutes ago, Cherpumple said:

Speaking as someone who prefers the gooier "interior" brownies, this kind of pan is my nightmare! That's why I love being in a family of people who love the edges and corner pieces. We all get the ones we want!

If you make them big enough, you get the best of both worlds. Just sayin'.

[Ceindreadh]

@Clanstarling I’m pretty sure that after the baked Alaska fiasco that each contestant has an individual fridge and freezer to work with. 

[TomGirl]

10 hours ago, AZChristian said:

Don't throw stones

I must really be in bake-off mode, because I read that as, “Don’t throw scones.”

[AZChristian]

22 minutes ago, TomGirl said:

I must really be in bake-off mode, because I read that as, “Don’t throw scones.”

Or if you are going to throw them, throw them into a bag and toss the bag at me.  LOL.

[BusyOctober]

I couldn’t believe the disastrous brownies!  They all over complicated and over thought it.  The best brownie is enough on its own merit.  I rarely add anything sweet to brownies when I make them.  Whether I make them from scratch or the best box mix on the planet,  Ghirardelli, I add espresso powder in the batter.  I have done a swirl of raspberry coulis toward the end of baking, and the tartness helps cut the sweetness of the extra fudgey ooey  gooey ones I make from scratch. I abhor cream cheese brownies!  I have never had one that was palatable, let alone delectable.  Leave the cream cheese where it belongs; 1) a schmear on a fresh, NY style (non-rainbow) bagel 2) cheesecake 3) mashed potatoes. 

Naked cakes and geode cakes in the showstopper?  Was the challenge to time travel back to 2018?  I have seen some elegant naked cakes, but in general? meh.  Much like my hatred for cream cheese brownies, I do not like geode cakes one bit.  I can appreciate the skill needed to create them, but they always end up looking like a confectionery diagram of a vagina. Someone somewhere once made that comparison to a geode cake, and now I can’t unsee it.
 

 

[marinite]

3 hours ago, BusyOctober said:

I couldn’t believe the disastrous brownies!  They all over complicated and over thought it.  The best brownie is enough on its own merit.  I rarely add anything sweet to brownies when I make them.  Whether I make them from scratch or the best box mix on the planet,  Ghirardelli, I add espresso powder in the batter.  

 

 

I have some Ghirardelli brownie mix that I need to bake off! How much espresso powder do you put in yours? I can’t remember if the recipe calls for water but subbing leftover coffee would be good too. However I think the recipe calls for oil as the liquid.

The whole brownie Signature was such an epic fail, I felt bad for them. I don’t think that’s ever happened on Bake Off before.

I really really hope that Pastry week is successful! I need to remember to not read anything on the Internet until after I watch it on Friday. I got spoiled with the elimination results last Tuesday. 

 

[Clanstarling]

14 hours ago, Ceindreadh said:

@Clanstarling I’m pretty sure that after the baked Alaska fiasco that each contestant has an individual fridge and freezer to work with. 

Maybe, it didn't seem to me that there were enough fridges for everyone. On the other hand, I haven't done a comprehensive count. 😉

[Clanstarling]

19 hours ago, ShortyMac said:

As a self-professed chocoholic, I love frosting, but, not on brownies. A good brownie doesn't need it.

Completely agree. It's the one baked "cakey" sort of baked good I think doesn't need anything extra on top.

[BusyOctober]

6 hours ago, marinite said:

How much espresso powder do you put in yours? I can’t remember if the recipe calls for water but subbing leftover coffee would be good too. However I think the recipe calls for oil as the liquid.

Marinite I use 1 1/2tsp in the box mix batch and 1T for the scratch recipe because it makes a huge batch.  I have also used instant coffee granules instead, but double the amount since its weaker than the espresso.

If anyone hasn’t tried it yet, Ghirardelli mix makes awesome brownie cookies.  Use an 18oz box, plus: 3 T flour, 1 1/2 tsp espresso powder (optional), 2 lg eggs at room temp, 1/3c veg or coconut oil and up to 1 cup of any add-ins you like (nuts, cherries, choc chips). Stir the mix, flour and espresso powder in a small bowl.  In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and oil together, then add to dry mix along with add-ins.  Mix on low speed to incorporate.  Batter should be stiff like cookie dough.  Scoop onto baking sheets about 2” apart and bake at 350 for 10 min.  Let the cookies rest on the sheet for 2 min after removing from oven.  Don’t skip this step if you want chewy edges and fudgey centers! Remove from pan and cool on a rack. Depending on scoop size, yields about 18 cookies.

 

[Crs97]

20 hours ago, Ilovepie said:

Ha! True......although I always feel rude scraping off and leaving a pile of frosting on the side of  my plate

If you sat by me, it wouldn’t be a problem!  

[dgpolo]

2 hours ago, Clanstarling said:

16 hours ago, Ceindreadh said:

@Clanstarling I’m pretty sure that after the baked Alaska fiasco that each contestant has an individual fridge and freezer to work with. 

Maybe, it didn't seem to me that there were enough fridges for everyone. On the other hand, I haven't done a comprehensive count. 😉

I do not believe there are enough fridges for everyone, I saw someone else's bake in one fridge that another baker opened to put in their bake. I even think they take fridges out as the contestants leave, maybe there are three for the final but before that I think they share.

[janie jones]

20 hours ago, BusyOctober said:

but they always end up looking like a confectionery diagram of a vagina.

Someone upthread mentioned that they didn't have a good shot of Lottie's cake. I was wondering when I was watching whether it looked too vaginal.

[Mabinogia]

20 hours ago, BusyOctober said:

I can appreciate the skill needed to create them, but they always end up looking like a confectionery diagram of a vagina. Someone somewhere once made that comparison to a geode cake, and now I can’t unsee it.

Well thank you for paying that forward. lol

[HurricaneVal]

I once made peppermint patty brownies that were out of this world.   Make a large amount of brownie batter--1-1/2 or 2 times the usual amount.  Put half in your pan, then layer in (unwrapped) small size York Peppermint Patties, then top with the other half of the batter.  Bake a little longer than usual.  Yum.  Well, "yum" if you like chocolate and peppermint, that is.  It is a LOT of peppermint, I always meant to go back and try with Junior Mints instead and see if that made a difference.  OMG.  I have a weekend project!

Prue is really getting a lot of heat on social media and real media  for her babka comments.  I think it is kind of unfair, maybe she had crappy babka in NYC.  Maybe Paul's babka is truly out of this world.  Maybe NYC babka uses US ingredients that taste weird to her UK palate.  Like the chocolate discussion earlier about the preservative put in US chocolate making it taste "like sick" which is not good eats at all!

I usually like Lottie, but she seemed really "off" in this episode.  Everybody, to some extent or another, is all peppy when things are going well, and mopey when they're not, but it seemed Lottie wasn't in a good mood right from the start.  And it didn't get any better when her brownies flopped and her performance in the technical was near the bottom.  When she's the golden girl, she shines brightly, when she's not, she seems to not just get the doldrums, she also cops kind of an attitude which I didn't like at all. 

As a cake-eater, I appreciate a naked cake.  As a cake-admirer, I think a naked cake looks unfinished.  I actually gasped when the first one was brought up for judging, because I thought they ran out of time after the crumb coat, and expected them to get taken down for it.

[Quilt Fairy]

21 hours ago, BusyOctober said:

Leave the cream cheese where it belongs; 1) a schmear on a fresh, NY style (non-rainbow) bagel 2) cheesecake 3) mashed potatoes. 

Ooooh, yes, cream cheese in mashed potatoes!  So yummy.

It's my understanding that adding coffee (or espresso powder) just increases the chocolate taste.  Does that also work for boxed chocolate cake mix?  I ask because I hate even the smell of coffee, much less the taste, and I don't want coffee-tasting cake. 

[Kohola3]

56 minutes ago, HurricaneVal said:

As a cake-admirer, I think a naked cake looks unfinished.  I actually gasped when the first one was brought up for judging, because I thought they ran out of time after the crumb coat, and expected them to get taken down for it.

With the time issues everyone has, I thought the same thing.  And then when Prue praised it I thought I was really missing something. I wish they had announed it as being a naked cake and I wouldn't have been so surprised.

[sharifa70]

57 minutes ago, HurricaneVal said:

Put half in your pan, then layer in (unwrapped) small size York Peppermint Patties,

I love that you’re so specific in your directions to make sure the candy is unwrapped. Is there a story? Oh, please, let there be a story!

[HurricaneVal]

39 minutes ago, sharifa70 said:

Is there a story? Oh, please, let there be a story!

Not much of one, I'm afraid.  I'm an engineer.  I work with engineers.  Engineers can frequently be frustratingly literal minded....as in if you tell them to click on the "square button" to select the flim-flammer they want, they will not click on it.  Because it is not a square, it has rounded corners, so that can't possibly be what I meant by specifying the "square button."  I'm not joking.  So....sometimes my work life spills over into my real life, and I become over specific when I don't need to be.
 

Sigh. 

But if it amused anyone, then I have won the day!

[sharifa70]

29 minutes ago, HurricaneVal said:

But if it amused anyone, then I have won the day!

I’ve been giggling over my mental image of foil-wrapped surprise brownie fillings, so gold star for you! 

[Mittengirl]

2 hours ago, Quilt Fairy said:

It's my understanding that adding coffee (or espresso powder) just increases the chocolate taste.  Does that also work for boxed chocolate cake mix?  I ask because I hate even the smell of coffee, much less the taste, and I don't want coffee-tasting cake. 

As a fellow coffee hater, I can always taste the coffee in chocolate desserts.  Maybe those who like the taste of it don’t notice it.  

 

[MisterGlass]

I feel a small need to defend U.S. chocolate.  It's not all Hershey, though I know it's the most widespread.  There are other brands like Guittard, Alter Eco, and Lake Champlain which taste like chocolate.

[Mabinogia]

2 hours ago, HurricaneVal said:

I once made peppermint patty brownies that were out of this world.   Make a large amount of brownie batter--1-1/2 or 2 times the usual amount.  Put half in your pan, then layer in (unwrapped) small size York Peppermint Patties, then top with the other half of the batter.  Bake a little longer than usual.  Yum.  Well, "yum" if you like chocolate and peppermint, that is.  It is a LOT of peppermint, I always meant to go back and try with Junior Mints instead and see if that made a difference.  OMG.  I have a weekend project!

That sounds AMAZING!!!!! I'm gonna have to try it. I love chocolate and peppermint. I love York Peppermint Patties and that is literally what those are so I'm sure adding more chocolate brownie around them will be a winner for me. I bet the Junior Mints would be great.