Halloween Baking Championship - General Discussion

[ruffy666]

Of course the time constraints make it really difficult to turn out amazing baked goods, but the jalapeno thing is a perfect example.  That's not time management (except maybe in the sense of not having enough time to really think about why that concept is NOT GOOD).  I think a jalapeno puree would've been much smarter, or even a simple jalapeno jelly center.  Anything other than literal chunks of jalapeno floating in your mousse, which seems like just about the least creative option.

[Rammchick]

Congrats to Jasmin -- and a shout out to my city, Seattle!

[Simon47]

Didn't watch the finale, but Jasmin! Noice! Congrats.

[penbrat]

I liked all three of the finalists as "people" but I thought Jonathan's (?) cake was the best looking (but perhaps a bit literal)  but if it tasted like baking soda that is not a good thing so I can see why Jasmin won (her cake was not too badly decorated, I just preferred Jonathan's)  The other female contestant?  I liked her but her cake was a hot mess.

[Qoass]

Yes, I felt so bad for Half-Shave. It was hers to lose and lose she did.

[lh25]

1 hour ago, penbrat said:

I liked all three of the finalists as "people" but I thought Jonathan's (?) cake was the best looking (but perhaps a bit literal)

I liked them all to, but was rooting for Jasmin.  For me, Jonathan's was just too safe.  Nothing that interesting really.

[mlp]

Jonathan was my favorite from the beginning and I thought he had the best "body of work" overall so I was disappointed when he didn't win.  I have to admit that Jasmin's final entry was very good but I just didn't like her personality.  Poor Jessica.  I give her credit for making the best of a mess but that black whatever had no chance.

[backgroundnoise]

What made the desserts glow?  They skipped over that so fast, I couldn't catch it.  Was it some kind of special gelatin?

[Spunkygal]

24 minutes ago, backgroundnoise said:

What made the desserts glow?  They skipped over that so fast, I couldn't catch it.  Was it some kind of special gelatin?

Jonathan and Jasmin used tonic water for the glow. Jonathan said it makes things glow and considering the number of gin and tonics I've enjoyed in my lifetime, I should be the brightest night light in the galaxy. I don't think those two contestants used any other product but could be wrong. Jessica used edible glow in the dark paint. 

[BusyOctober]

It’s the quinine in the tonic water that is fluorescent.  I remember my 9th grade science teacher showed us a few tricks with it and black light.  In college I had a professor (not science dot) insist it was the carbonated water that glowed. But then I called him out on it and said the experiment he was talking about wouldn’t work if he substituted soda water.  He was not pleased with me.

Anyway, all three finalists had good showings.  I’m just not a fan of all the goofy “gotchas” thrown in to this (and other) FN competitions.  To quote Mel & Sue, can’t we just “on your marks...get set...BAyy-ke!” already?

[Mrs. DuRona]

I wasn't surprised Jasmine won, but I was really hoping Jessica would.  She took a huge risk, and it looked like a bit of a hot mess (I would have gone the "it's a pumpkin that sat out too long" route if left with the black fondant - made it look extra gross and just go with it), but her cake was the only one they didn't find fault with.  Jasmine's had too much nutmeg (per Lorraine), and Jonathan's tasted like baking soda.  

The "pina colada" carrot cake is pretty much the King Arthur Flour recipe, only it calls for crushed pineapple and doesn't specify toasted coconut, just regular unsweetened.  And it.is.amazing.  Also a bitch to make, haha. 

On to the holidays!

[cherrypj]

On 11/1/2017 at 8:56 AM, Qoass said:

Yes, I felt so bad for Half-Shave. It was hers to lose and lose she did.

I feel like if you win the preheat, it's yours to lose, and Jasmin didn't. I definitely felt bad for Jessica too.

[Amarsir]

Coming in here very late, but I want to say that in addition to the time limits, I think pantry shortages are an unnecessary limitation. Jessica made a black pumpkin because all the white fondant was used up, and then got dinged on it. That’s not letting the bakers show their best.

[Spunkygal]

Looking forward to the new season beginning Monday! It’s funny...I’m not into Halloween decorating or costumes IRL but love all these Halloween competitions! 

[CrazyInAlabama]

I can't wait either.    I love how the judges have those fantastic costumes, especially Carla's.     

[mlp]

I'm delighted that this show is back and is basically unchanged.  I'm especially happy that John Henson is hosting again.  I really like him and the way he handles his part.  

So far I like all the contestants except the flirty young girl with dated eye makeup who is very impressed with herself.  

I wonder who does the judges' costumes and how long it takes.  They're always elaborate and appear well done so I doubt the regular FN make up people do them.

[Rammchick]

Lorraine got the finger!

[Ilovecomputers]

Geez, I could make better worms and snakes as a child with play-dough--how is it that these bakers struggled to make one with fondant?  I'm surprised they didn't whip out the always-present rice krispy treat for a base.  I'm not wild about any of the bakers except maybe the guy from the Virgin Islands and that young girl seems to want to impress by throwing out every baking term and technique there is.  It is a relief not to see Lorraine bickering with Carla or anyone else.  Who is the guy judge in the middle?  Never heard of him and I've never seen him on FN.  Must be some past winner of "New Food Network Star."

[penbrat]

I like the guy who did the Raven in the preheat.  The only one that bugs me so far is the lady who won the main challenge.  She comes off a bit smug to me but that may not be true.  I loved the Halloween costumes for the first eppy.   And I like the melting challenge.    So far, so good.

[Writing Wrongs]

1 hour ago, Ilovecomputers said:

Who is the guy judge in the middle?  Never heard of him and I've never seen him on FN.  Must be some past winner of "New Food Network Star."

Zac Young. He was on Top Chef: Just Desserts

[nowornever]

I wanted to root for the snake guy since he's from my home state, but he got lucky that the skull guy (yes, I know, two different challenges) didn't actually complete the challenge, otherwise he'd have been sent home.  That was a bad snake.  

[Rammchick]

2 hours ago, Writing Wrongs said:

Zac Young. He was on Top Chef: Just Desserts

He was also on Cooking Channel's Unique Sweets and has been a judge on Chopped.

[mlp]

Zac Young can be annoying but he's a fully qualified pastry chef with an impressive resumé.  In addition to the shows mentioned above, I remember seeing him on Bakers vs. Fakers regularly and on that Halloween Wars sort of show that takes place outdoors on a farm.  

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4077803/bio

[theatremouse]

Hasn't he also always been the middle judge on this show? He is not new this season.

[suebee12]

55 minutes ago, theatremouse said:

Hasn't he also always been the middle judge on this show? He is not new this season.

As far as I can remember these have always been the judges. The costumes were fantastic this episode but how did Carla keep her eyes open with those lashes? And Lorraine's eyes were so spooky!

At this point I am rooting for Lyndsy McDonald the pastry chef from Sarasota, FL where I lived for over 40 years! Just looked her up and she is  the executive pastry chef at the Ritz Carlton so I guess she really knows her stuff....that place is swanky! So far she has done well!

[CrazyInAlabama]

There are only two contestants I'm thinking will be gone soon, the two home bakers the man with the green chunk of hair, who was in the bottom two last night, and the lady with the red or pink dyed stripes.       I've always wondered why they can't find home bakers that aren't better, and have competed in contests so they wouldn't be so lost in the competition.     

I love the costumes Lorraine and Carla wear, and their makeup is always fabulous.   Poor Zac just can't compete with those two.  I like John Henson as host.     

Unlike the other cake competitions, I think they're limited to having real food in the cakes or desserts, and not using rice crispy treats for everything.   

Edited September 26, 2018 by CrazyInAlabama

[Spunkygal]

None of the contestants bug me yet. It’s too soon for me to remember them. I was impressed with the lady who did the pannacotta with the “eggs” aka pomegranate seeds on top and covered it with the cage. I’ll be surprised if the guy with the goofy glasses lasts long.  His worms and snake were lame. I would devour the chocolate tart that had the raven caught in a web on top. I love Carla and Zak, and Lorraine was ok this time. I’ll take her over Nancy Fuller any day of the week. And I always look forward to their costumes.  I have to look away when FN shows teasers for both this show and Halloween Wars. It spoils too much! 

[dewelar]

6 hours ago, suebee12 said:

7 hours ago, theatremouse said:

Hasn't he also always been the middle judge on this show? He is not new this season.

As far as I can remember these have always been the judges.

This is the second season for this team. Carla's the only one who's been on the show all four seasons. The first season had Ron Ben-Israel and Sherry Yard with Ms. Hall, which I still think is the best team of judges they've had for any of the Baking Championships. Second season had (ugh) Damiano along with Sandra Lee.

This episode was definitely a breath of fresh air after the just-completed mediocre Kids cycle. It seems like they've amped up the Halloween...ness of things this year, which suits me just fine. The main challenge was interesting, since they recently did something similar on GBBO, and a lot of the posters on that board (and I) had never seen it before. And yes, I agree that Andrew got lucky that Brian bombed harder than he did. Neither of his creations worked very well. I also wasn't a big fan of Lyndsy at first, but the fact that she actually told a story around her creation earned her that win.

Looking forward to the rest of the season!

Edited September 26, 2018 by dewelar
Names

[tobeannounced]

9 hours ago, dewelar said:

This episode was definitely a breath of fresh air after the just-completed mediocre Kids cycle. It seems like they've amped up the Halloween...ness of things this year, which suits me just fine. The main challenge was interesting, since they recently did something similar on GBBO, and a lot of the posters on that board (and I) had never seen it before. And yes, I agree that Andrew got lucky that Brian bombed harder than he did. Neither of his creations worked very well. I also wasn't a big fan of Lyndsy at first, but the fact that she actually told a story around her creation earned her that win.

Looking forward to the rest of the season!

 

Yes, this was just delightful after the disappointing Kids cycle. I thought the challenges were great and was really impressed with several of the contestants' skill levels. I just want to see interesting challenges with great bakes, not ridiculous twists and meltdowns.

Edited September 26, 2018 by tobeannounced

[ruffy666]

Always happy to hate-watch this show, and I'm also glad that John's back again as host.  I see I complained about this last season too but, man, these contestants...  who is casting this show?  There's a whole lotta sweat dripping into these baked goods!  

[kj4ever]

16 hours ago, dewelar said:

This is the second season for this team. Carla's the only one who's been on the show all four seasons. The first season had Ron Ben-Israel and Sherry Yard with Ms. Hall, which I still think is the best team of judges they've had for any of the Baking Championships. Second season had (ugh) Damiano along with Sandra Lee.

This episode was definitely a breath of fresh air after the just-completed mediocre Kids cycle. It seems like they've amped up the Halloween...ness of things this year, which suits me just fine. The main challenge was interesting, since they recently did something similar on GBBO, and a lot of the posters on that board (and I) had never seen it before. And yes, I agree that Andrew got lucky that Brian bombed harder than he did. Neither of his creations worked very well. I also wasn't a big fan of Lyndsy at first, but the fact that she actually told a story around her creation earned her that win.

Looking forward to the rest of the season!

Sherry Yard and Ron Ben-Israel were awesome!  That was a great season except it had that mohawk guy that makes the rounds of all the baking competitions who is super super annoying.  I think his name is Jason and FN must have been trying to make him happen or something with how many shows he was on.

[ShelleySue]

I've never actually seen the melting dessert thing.  Most were melted with a sauce that, I assume, was heated.  The first one though, was melted with a blow torch.  The judges didn't say anything, but it seemed like cheating to me.  How are those types of desserts usually served?

[Spunkygal]

49 minutes ago, kj4ever said:

Sherry Yard and Ron Ben-Israel were awesome!  That was a great season except it had that mohawk guy that makes the rounds of all the baking competitions who is super super annoying.  I think his name is Jason and FN must have been trying to make him happen or something with how many shows he was on.

I absolutely adore Sherry and Ron. I really miss them. They’re my dream team. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

I miss Sherry and Ron too.    Sandra wasn't every close to my first choice for judge, but the costumes and makeup they put her in were great.  

Edited September 26, 2018 by CrazyInAlabama

[LexieLily]

Is there a difference between a blast chiller and a blast freezer? This week all the baker/contestants seemed to call the thing they put their treats/cakes/etc in to get them cold quickly a blast freezer, but on Chopped and other shows and even on other iterations of this show it's been called a blast chiller.

[penbrat]

I just caught part of the marathon from a couple of years ago that was on yesterday.  I forgot how much Michelle bugged me - I'm in the oven first, I'm done first, I deserve to win every challenge and then in the end she won on decorating skills even though the judges didn't like her gingerbread or her dessert - it was a baking show for goodness sakes not a decorating show (which should be secondary to taste in these competitions IMO).  LOL - she still annoys me two years later.  I really need a life. 

Edited October 1, 2018 by penbrat

[Enigma X]

16 minutes ago, penbrat said:

I just caught part of the marathon from a couple of years ago that was on yesterday.  I forgot how much Michelle bugged me - I'm in the oven first, I'm done first, I deserve to win every challenge and then in the end she won on decorating skills even though the judges didn't like her gingerbread or her dessert - it was a baking show for goodness sakes not a decorating show (which should be secondary to taste in these competitions IMO).  LOL - she still annoys me two years later.  I really need a life. 

I saw that marathon too. I am new to the thread but wondered if Michelle bugged other viewers too.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I watched yesterday's marathon, and forgot how much I disliked the host (maybe Jeff Dunham?), and his ventriloquist mannequins, and I wish anyone would have won except Michelle.    

I love John Henson more now, since I saw the previous season with others hosting.  

I read about Blast Chillers, and they are used because they freeze so fast that big ice crystals don't form, and they're for something that will be used in short periods.

The Blast Freezer is for items that will be frozen longer.   

Tonight they're replaying the first episode, the new episode, and a clip show with the best desserts, and most outrageous moments.    

What bothers me about the home bakers, is that some of them keep saying "I'm just a home baker" all of the time.    Just bake, entertain us, and shut up. 

Edited October 2, 2018 by CrazyInAlabama

[Maya]

This can’t be said enough, but the “bantering” is painful. 

[Ilovecomputers]

Geez, how did some of these "chefs" get on this show?  The guy with the green hair couldn't fashion a scarecrow and the know-it-all girl didn't know what a hockey mask looked like!  Even if you haven't watched hockey games, the murderer in Halloween wore a hockey mask.  Their presentation skills are lacking, too.  I would try out for the show except I'm not "perky" enough and I can't be away from my job for weeks on end.  Lorraine in that woodland fairy costume looked great.  "Mozart" looked like Beetlejuice.  Why do I watch this show?  (head in hands)

[crazycatlady58]

I do not watch hockey or horror movies so I may not have figured that out but if money was on the line I would have taken a few moments and googled it.

[Maya]

2 hours ago, Ilovecomputers said:

Geez, how did some of these "chefs" get on this show?  The guy with the green hair couldn't fashion a scarecrow and the know-it-all girl didn't know what a hockey mask looked like!  

The green hair guy had also never eaten a bundt cake before, even though he’s a professional baker. Are bundt cakes that strange and exotic???

[40Love]

7 minutes ago, Maya said:

The green hair guy had also never eaten a bundt cake before, even though he’s a professional baker. Are bundt cakes that strange and exotic???

I don't think the green hair guy that got kicked off the show is a professional baker. I remember the short, smiley pony-tailed woman mentioning that he and she were the only home bakers in the competition, so she was proud of how far they had come. That's why she was so teary-eyed when he got the boot. Still you'd think he would have seen, eaten a bundt cake before.

[kj4ever]

3 hours ago, Ilovecomputers said:

Geez, how did some of these "chefs" get on this show?  The guy with the green hair couldn't fashion a scarecrow and the know-it-all girl didn't know what a hockey mask looked like!  Even if you haven't watched hockey games, the murderer in Halloween wore a hockey mask.  Their presentation skills are lacking, too.  I would try out for the show except I'm not "perky" enough and I can't be away from my job for weeks on end.  Lorraine in that woodland fairy costume looked great.  "Mozart" looked like Beetlejuice.  Why do I watch this show?  (head in hands)

That Jason dude that won the Holiday Baking one said it is filmed over like a week and a half period, not every week.  I read an interview he did and he didn't even tell anyone he was competing, that he just said he was going on vacation or something.

[CrazyInAlabama]

Yes, my understanding is that the show is filmed six or seven days a week, and completed in less than two weeks, and the winner and other contestants can't discuss anything about the outcome until after the finale is shown.   On other shows the eliminated contestants are sequestered, and can't leave the shoot until the end, and no communication about anything to do with the show unless it's monitored by the producers.      

I've never been too happy about the home bakers on the show, because many simply don't have the skill level of the other contestants.   That's why I like Best Baker, because there are no last minute gimmicks, and everyone on the show is very skilled.      I couldn't believe the one man never saw a bundt cake before, and the lady didn't know what a hockey mask looks like.    The lady with the pink/red hair seemed at a much higher skill level.      I don't know why they can't find someone who doesn't have their own bake shop, or is a working pro, but still has training, and worked on pastry and desserts.     Taking someone just because they want a home baker on the show isn't doing the right thing for the contestants either.     

[libgirl2]

On 9/26/2018 at 6:22 PM, CrazyInAlabama said:

I miss Sherry and Ron too.    Sandra wasn't every close to my first choice for judge, but the costumes and makeup they put her in were great.  

I liked Ron a lot. I used to love to watch Sweet Genius too. 

4 hours ago, Maya said:

The green hair guy had also never eaten a bundt cake before, even though he’s a professional baker. Are bundt cakes that strange and exotic???

I think they are considered "old fashioned" however they seem to be making a comeback. 

[cherbitrary]

I loved Henson's fava beans & chianti twist fake-out. Because it was weird...but still seemed totally possible as a real twist.

Mozart Zac reminded me of an actress, but I couldn't figure out who & I felt mean for thinking it.

I liked the mummy cupcakes. Loved them asking the one guy if 90 minutes to him was longer than everybody else. What happened to his scarecrow in the 2nd challenge? I saw him talking about pouring chocolate over ice, but missed what happened between that and his final product.

I was hoping somebody would make haystacks for their scarecrow. But I have no idea whether that was feasible in the time allotted.

Edited October 2, 2018 by cherbitrary

[hilaryvm]

Henson was on fire last episode.  I loved how he decided he was scared of Lyndsy, complete with "if I'm murdered Lyndsy did it."  Also liked him saying Cicely had "resting chef face."

I have to say, the scarecrows in the second challenge were basically all underwhelming and downright bad.  Most creative is Lyndsy for deciding her zombie pumpkins ate the scarecrow.

[dleighg]

I can't stand the contestants (pink hair lady I'm looking at you) who clearly spent hours in front of the mirror perfecting their OVER-THE-TOP facial expressions.

[dleighg]

2 hours ago, cherbitrary said:

Mozart Zac reminded me of an actress, but I couldn't figure out who & I felt mean for thinking it.

I think the lips reminded me of Betty Davis