S01.E03: The Great Holiday Baking Show: Pastry Week

[Athena]

Pastry Week.

[cherry slushie]

I've got NFL football on instead of the holiday baking show. even though it's showing as recording The Great Holiday Baking Show.  Is anyone else not getting it tonight?

[rereader2]

It's all football all night in New York. :(

[chessiegal]

Getting Baking Show in the DC market. Football is on ESPN.

[Rinaldo]

Wow, what happened this week? Suddenly Tim is this confident experienced baker. He was definitely my choice for star baker too.

 

I'm not as convinced by the elimination. To my eye, Nicole had more issues than Ainsley -- who came in at the top of the Technical, after all. 

[Amethyst]

So much for my theory about Ainsley winning it all.  Figured Nicole was screwed, but it seemed like the judges were pleased that she went to so much trouble to complete her reindeer.  But honestly, that thing looked gross and unappetizing.  Just a caramel covered mess.

 

Eliminating Ainsley was dumb.  Her piece clearly wasn't a showstopper, but she's more than a solid baker, at least for this show.  I don't remember them mentioning time management issues with her before.  

 

I missed the first five minutes (thanks, Adele) but was pumpkin required for the breakfast dishes?  I didn't think it was, so I wasn't thrilled that Nicole was making pumpkin pops.  There are more flavors than pumpkin, Nicole.

 

I'm rooting for Tim.  Points to him for those creative and useful antler molds.  Lauren's creations are gorgeous but always lacking in taste, and imo, Nicole seems kind of limited and one-note.  We're always hearing about stuff she doesn't know (tiramisu, the pate cream they made tonight) and it holds her back.  She barely managed to get her technical bake done because she put the crust in the oven too late.  Even Mary had to tell her to calm down.  Can't see Nicole winning the whole thing, but then again, I thought Ainsley would be the in the top 3.

 

And fwiw, Tim seems like a decent guy.  He's sociable with the other contestants and I thought it was sweet that he went to comfort Nicole when her reindeer was falling apart.  I'm also a sucker for chocolate mint, and his reindeer sounded delicious, even if it wasn't gorgeous to look at.  

[Quilt Fairy]

Figured Nicole was screwed, but it seemed like the judges were pleased that she went to so much trouble to complete her reindeer.  But honestly, that thing looked gross and unappetizing.  Just a caramel covered mess.

A caramel covered mess with one antler. Which NO ONE commented on. I was shocked when Nicole stayed over Ainsley. And wow, Lauren really faltered in the first 2 challenges (maybe she's not a lock for winning it all), but her showstopper looked amazing. Why did we not get to see her making that spun sugar angel?

[Amethyst]

A caramel covered mess with one antler. Which NO ONE commented on. 

 

Good catch.  She probably had to ditch the second antler because it would have weighed the head down even more.  I certainly don't blame her for it, but it just shows that she bit off more than she could chew with this challenge.

Edited December 15, 2015 by Amethyst

[mertensia]

That present of Ainsley's was hideously ugly. I wouldn't be too thrilled to try it and I have a massive sweet tooth.

I think Tim is getting a winner's edit.

Nicole do your kids eat any other flavor than pumpkin?

Lauren's star tree was cool though I wonder how much filling she got in the star.

[GaT]

I'm surprised, I thought Lauren was going home. Even though I thought the fruit tarts looked good, I'm still not as impressed by these bakers as I am with their British counterparts.

[Zahdii]

The thing I'll remember the most from this show is having my daughter walk into the room and glance at the TV just in time to see Rudolph get decapitated.  She actually screamed "Oh my God!" and turned away.  Now she swears she's going to have nightmares tonight.

[Writing Wrongs]

The best thing about this show is watching Johnny flirting with Mary. I love it.

 

I like how the hosts try to be funny, but no one is ever listening.

 

I'm rooting for Tim.

[andromeda331]

The best thing about this show is watching Johnny flirting with Mary. I love it.

It really is the best part.

[break21]

One thing I've noticed, they've really toned down the male judge since the first episode (thankfully).  They've also given the hosts bigger roles.

[Frost]

Ainsley's showstopper really was a disaster, although I'm still surprised it was enough to get her eliminated, especially since she won the technical.  As soon as she dipped the first choux into the chocolate I was boggled by how sloppy it looked.  She was getting chocolate all over her fingers!  Isn't there a neater way to top something with chocolate?  Plus, the design was heavy and unattractive to begin with. A brown and beige box doesn't say 'Christmas Present' to me. 

 

Didn't Nicole basically glue her choux puffs to a cut out reindeer form?  How is that allowed?  Tim used a mold for his antlers, but that seems different than using a form that is the foundation of your actual piece.  It wouldn't be edible for one thing.

[mertensia]

I think she used it as her model, but didn't glue anything to it.

[Rinaldo]

She was getting chocolate all over her fingers!  Isn't there a neater way to top something with chocolate?  

That's pretty much the way everyone does it, as far as I've seen or read. Chocolate all over the fingers is par for the course when icing cream puffs -- I can't see it as a big deal. Fingers are washable. I agree that Ainsley's end result looked sloppy, but I don't have an issue with this particular method.

[MMLEsq]

Even though I thought the fruit tarts looked good, I'm still not as impressed by these bakers as I am with their British counterparts.

That's for sure!  I just binge-watched Season 5 of the British show on Netflix and the skills that the British bakers generally possess are amazing.

 

I think Nicole only used one antler because she screwed up and molded both facing the same direction. 

[Bobcatkitten]

Ainsley had to go because two of her three bakes were disastrous. Her signature pastries were raw and awful. And her showstopper was bad. A good technical is not enough to save those.

[meep.meep]

So much for my theory about Ainsley winning it all.  Figured Nicole was screwed, but it seemed like the judges were pleased that she went to so much trouble to complete her reindeer.  But honestly, that thing looked gross and unappetizing.  Just a caramel covered mess.

 

..........

 

And fwiw, Tim seems like a decent guy.  He's sociable with the other contestants and I thought it was sweet that he went to comfort Nicole when her reindeer was falling apart.  I'm also a sucker for chocolate mint, and his reindeer sounded delicious, even if it wasn't gorgeous to look at.  

All the show stoppers looked gross and unappetizing to me.  Tim was saved by his minimalizing.  Lauren's didn't look like a tree.  Nicole's was falling down. At least she didn't include pumpkin!   Ainsley's was toppling and brown.  Reminded me of Ruby's allotment patch!

 

Tim's comforting was front and center.  Good for him.

[Tarasme]

*sniff* Ainsley, *sniff*

 

It's disjointed (gah- this really isn't the word I want) for me that the competition has been so brief, we're already to final three. Also, since I'm following the Holiday Baking Championship on that other network, use of croquembouche for show stopper was kind of "croquembouche, again?!?"

 

JI can keep his weird innuendos. Yuck. Teasing/flirting, s'okay. Talking 'bout sleeping over, not so much.

 

Nia looked great. SO glad they softened her makeup to neutrals. Beautiful and sweet outfit.

[tenativelyyours]

With such a small pool of contestants I thought I might be able to know them all right off the bat and find one or two to like and root for.  Sadly no.  Not that these people are mean nasty or uninteresting in and of themselves. It is simply the show is not getting me to know them well enough.  I know they want it to be the GBBO but in the US (though not in the US but ssshhhhh No one is supposed to figure that out) .  However I have no investment in the show's outcome.  And maybe I am rare.  Most Food Network competition shows are just one episode for the group of competitors.  But I think for starting with this small of a group spread out over four challenges, they should have jut kept all of them until the finale.  Keep some kind of score and then send everyone but the top three home at the end of the third "week". 

 

Well they could have cast a better group in terms of seeming like they are truly bakers at heart.  But that would have been too much I guess.  At this point I'm just thankful it was not filmed in a white tent plunked down in front of Cinderella's Castle.  I wonder how Disney was made to keep their grubby mouse wearing white gloves off it?

[ari333]

Johnny to Mary, "I've always wanted to taste your tart. " [/face palm]

 

That present thing looked horrific. Yeah brown for a gift.... MISS.

[Pallida]

Based on Nicole's story about half a banana and that destressing the group, I think she's a better host than Ian and Nia.

I'm amused by Johnny's innuendos, especially after seeing Mary touching him.

[ari333]

Nobody likes a soggy bottom!

 

I'll see myself out.

[Pallida]

Ainsley also said she was intentionally preventing rise by spraying cooking spray on her choux. That sounds like a terrible idea.

(My phone wanted to autocorrect that to say spraying cooking spray on her child. Morbid phone.)

[PamelaMaeSnap]

I had a feeling about Ainsley when they seemed to play super-dramatic soap opera music/sad trombone when they kept showing that awful first dish. 

 

Plus, I guess show-stopper counts for extra points and that was just a hot mess.

 

At this point there's really no one I'm rooting for ... I'm just watching to get ideas. I guess I'd find some sort of karmic satisfaction if the nice Jewish girl wins the holiday baking championship, though.

[Dobian]

It's pretty clear how they weight the challenges.  Winning the technical means nothing if you tank on the showstopper.

 

Tim had the right idea.  If you make a reindeer, have it sitting not standing.

[starri]

I have to say, I'm not a big fan of kiwi, but Mary's fruit tart (the proper one, not the competition ones) looked really, really good.

 

I'm just more annoyed that Nicole made it through.  Like I said in the previous week, she's as into this for being a personality as she is for the joy of competing.  For however skilled the other bakers are or aren't, they don't seem to be quite that desperate to "rock it out."

 

I wish someone had done a savory pastry.

 

As much as I'm not invested in the outcome of this, I think I'd like Tim to win.  I'd be fine if Lauren pulled it out, but it would really annoy me if Nicole wins, just because she had a good week the first week, but not so much since.

 

Also, after her pumpkin yule log bombed, why turn around and do a pumpkin pastry?

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I love warm breakfast pastries but some of the stuff these bakers made was not at all appealing to me as breakfast food. Pumpkin butter pastry pops? Cream cheese pumpkin pie? I remember a character in a book I read said, "Muffin is just cake for breakfast," but when you're serving pumpkin butter pastry pops for breakfast you're not even trying to pretend it's not dessert!

 

On a really shallow note, it drives me crazy to watch Nicole making so many faces.

 

Mary really loved Tim's rohlicky and his cranberry orange danish puffs! I don't remember what he actually made last week but I remember thinking that he was not a top contender, so nice to see him to do well in the signature.

 

Nicole's pumpkin pops did not sound appealing to me even before she overbaked them. Her honey fig tarts looked nice. I loooooove mascarpone so I have to disagree with Mary about there being too much on top. More mascarpone! But I have to give her major demerits because neither of her items sounded like breakfast food to me.

 

Ainslie's chocolate raspberry twists sounded like such a great idea and her apple butter pinwheels sounded good. It's too bad that she didn't have time to bake the pastry long enough!

 

Lauren's pumpkin maple spice pastries are not something I would want for breakfast. her cranberry orange pastries sounded more appealing in theory but she had the same problem as Ainslie - not enough time to laminate the dough and get it baked in time. The difference is that the judges loved the flavors of Ainslie's fillings but not Lauren's (which is not surprising since Ainslie has received pretty consistent praise for her flavors while Lauren has been told her flavors are lacking in past episodes).

 

I love fruit tarts so I was looking forward to seeing the results of the technical challenge. Nicole's lack of pastry knowledge really showed in this challenge. She didn't seem to know how to do any part of this challenge. I give her credit for not giving up though. She worked up until the very last second. Tim's and Ainslie's fruit layout looked the best. I was surprised that Lauren's didn't look better. Yay for Ainslie getting first! I have been rooting for the beach girl so I love seeing her do well.

 

Tim's showstopper was far and away the best of the four. Everyone else was kind of a distant meh (although to be fair, croquembouche towers tend to look messy anyway). I can't believe that Nicole is going to be in the finale. She seemed the least skilled of the four remaining bakers.

[rasalas]

It's pretty clear how they weight the challenges.  Winning the technical means nothing if you tank on the showstopper.

 

Actually, if you weight everything equally by ranking each baker in each challenge (based on judges' comments) and then adding up their scores, with lowest being best, you get the same results as happened -- pretty much:

 

First challenge: Tim 1, Nicole 2, Lauren 3, Ainsley 4

Second challenge: A 1, T 2, L 3, N 4

Third challenge: T 1, N 2, L 3, A 4  (I'm giving Nicole the nod over Lauren, because the judges seemed to like her creativity, flavor and crispy choux better)

 

Overall scores: Tim 4, Nicole 8, Lauren 9, Ainsley 9.

 

So Tim wins star baker with the lowest score. Lauren and Ainsley tie for last, but Lauren gets the nod for better looking food overall and creativity. If you swap Nicole's and Lauren's placings in the third challenge, Nicole and Ainsley tie overall for last, but Nicole gets the nod for creativity and crispy choux in the final challenge. They never talk about it, but the judges must use some kind of scoring system like this to justify their choices and keep track.

 

Did I really spend 10 minutes figuring that out?

[zoey1996]

 

Did I really spend 10 minutes figuring that out?

Yes, and thanks for  the analysis!

I thought Nicole should go based on her not properly glazing the fruit on the tart plus some other mistakes that added up - missing antler because she made them the same, undercooked tart crust, etc.  The finale should prove interesting.

Edited December 16, 2015 by zoey1996

[Rinaldo]

Thank you, rascals. You said what I wanted to, but more convincingly and with better documentation.

 

The individual rankings are muddied for us TV viewers because (a) as always, we can't taste the results, and even if the judges comment on taste (and sometimes texture, like crispness or rawness), it likely won't be as vivid to us as appearance is; and (b) the Technical challenge is the only one for which they announce definite rankings from 1 to whatever. For other challenges, though they do say what was good and bad about each (and no doubt some nuance gets eliminated when editing the events of two days down to an hour), it's somewhat left to us to decide how that adds up in terms of who did the very best (or worst) in that challenge. 

 

The upshot is that one (by which I mean "I") is apt to retain a stronger impression of the winner of Technical challenge than of best achievement in the other two. But they all count, and seemingly equally. The bakers will often tell us (in all the seasons) that if they've had one good and one bad on the first day, they're right in the middle and need to do well tomorrow. It doesn't often happen that Technical #1 goes home, but it can, and this time it did.

[theatremouse]

A caramel covered mess with one antler. Which NO ONE commented on.

I think she fudged it enough that either, they actually didn't comment on it, or they did but with the narrative that was going it wasn't worth airing. When she realized she hadn't done opposite side antlers, she basically chose to put the one in the middle, and since it was swoopy/swervy/had multiple branches for lack of better word, you could just say it was one choux as "antlers" and a stylistic choice, not meant to be taken literally as "one antler". I agree even if the second had been in the correct direction that thing would've fallen over. So I'd give it a pass. Especially if the judges didn't see during their walkthrough that she had two (or if they didn't talk it over, even if they saw two it could've been one was a spare in case something went wrong). Now I'm not saying lie to the judges, but without being provided more information that there should've been two I can buy accepting the one, given the way it was attached as a design choice. Heck even if they knew she was planning two, since it would've probably fallen over she might get points for making the smart fixit decision and doing what she did. Edited December 19, 2015 by theatremouse

[shandy]

Not the first time I disagree with bake-off judging, but this is still love productions running the show and Mary has always said  if the producers tell her who to pick off she'll walk, so I don't think Nicole stayed due to her folksy mutterings. 

 

I'm curious about the ingredients - I noticed they had sticks of butter, which is not a standard european size. 

 

I'm getting on the Team Tim train - it's all in the editing of course, but he seems supportive to the others, humble without being Rubyesque, and takes feedback. Forgotten who said it sorry, but the big ol' story for me is the Mary and Johnboy love-in. We all saw her sneaking an arm in for a love lock when they were talking. It made me smile, because I loved watching Julia and Jacques with my mother when I was a kid, and she did exactly the same kind of thing. As a patissier Johnny brings a different emphasis than Paul the industrial-turned-artisan baker, and imo, it works just as well with Mary, who, again like Julia Child, has a unique style and a twinkle in her eye. 

[Rinaldo]

Mary, who, again like Julia Child, has a unique style and a twinkle in her eye. 

Agreed. I had been thinking of a similarity with Julia Child myself -- in that both she and Mary, while being thoroughly respectable married ladies, unashamedly enjoy(ed) a bit of innocent playful flirtation.

[ABay]

I finally got a chance to watch this last night and I have questions:.

First, now that Nicole is the final, what will she put pumpkin in next week? Did you know she has kids? Who like pumpkin?

Second, why was Johnny dressed as 1980s Guido and flirting as awkwardly as a 10th grader? 

[rab01]

I thought Ainsley had to go as soon as Tim did well and Nicole's showstopper wasn't a disaster. Ainsley's showstoppers have all been really ugly. (I think her only pretty decorated item was her yule log.)  I'm sure the finale will again require decorating skills so it made sense that she would be the one to leave this week. I was personally rooting for Ainsley to stay instead of Nicole because I find Nicole tiring to watch but it made sense.

[NoThyme]

I love Mary. Always finds a ray of sunshine. They should have kept Ainsley.

[Grommet]

I adore Mary. I'm going to check out her books. I just upgraded to the middle grade Kitchenaid (with the splash guard and the huge bowl!) and I need to test it out.

I'm rooting for Tim, as he seems nice and his bakes have improved.

[Quilt Fairy]

I adore Mary. I'm going to check out her books. I just upgraded to the middle grade Kitchenaid (with the splash guard and the huge bowl!) and I need to test it out.

Just be aware that they don't use U.S. measurements.

[DHDancer]

Just be aware that they don't use U.S. measurements.

Books these days are often published with 2 sets of measurements.   I have a Mary Berry book from the 70s that has imperial and metric measurements in it AND the book was bought in the UK in the 70s!

 

And anyway, everyone these days really should have a digital scale in their kitchen that converts between the two systems -- they are relatively cheap and VERY handy.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

everyone these days really should have a digital scale in their kitchen that converts between the two systems -- they are relatively cheap and VERY handy.

And they're more accurate than measuring things by volume (especially ingredients like flour) which can make a huge difference when baking!

[Athena]

Just be aware that they don't use U.S. measurements.

 

This depends on the publisher I've found. I have North American editions of Nigella's, Lorraine Pascale's, Gordon Ramsay, Jamie Oliver, Paul Hollywood, and other British authors. Some make the effort to convert to Imperial/US measurements. Others don't even bother with it especially with books for the Canadian market.

 

Either way: join the metric/scale movement! :)

 

ETA: You can see preview of one of Mary's books on Amazon and they have converted.

Edited December 18, 2015 by Athena

[Gregg247]

I couldn't figure out Johnny's deal this week.  In previous weeks, he was dressed well in stylish suits.  This time, he showed up in the leather jacket, the black t-shirt and jeans, the multiple large rings, bracelets, and chain necklaces.  I thought he was going for a "John Travolta in Grease" look, but over-shot, and went straight to "Al Pacino in Cruising".  It just seemed so out of place for a genteel British/American baking show.

[Rinaldo]

It didn't seem any worse than some of Paul H's non-outfits over the years.

[Texasmom1970]

I adore Mary. I'm going to check out her books. I just upgraded to the middle grade Kitchenaid (with the splash guard and the huge bowl!) and I need to test it out.

I'm rooting for Tim, as he seems nice and his bakes have improved.

I adore Mary as well. Even when she has to deliver a criticism she does it in such a kind, positive way, so refreshing.

[Miss Scarlet]

I get that Lauren's dishes are not the best tasting, but I find it weird that the judges are not more complimentary of her designs. I thought her cake last week was beautiful, but the judges seemed to damn it with faint praise. They were just kind of like "oh...it's...nice". Of course I understand the taste matters more, but I found it a bit odd. 

[fib]

I may have made a mistake by watching out of order, but there are two things that bug the hell out of me:

1) why have these bakers so little experience baking? brandy snaps? tiramisu? pastry cream? there seems to be a never ending list of reasonable techniques that these bakers are totally unfamiliar with.  If these are supposed to be "great" bakers, why have they so little curiosity about pastries?

2) Lauren is smug as hell. She's just joyless.  I don't think you need to be wacky to be telegenic, but she just looks so above everyone!

[Rinaldo]

why have these bakers so little experience baking? brandy snaps? tiramisu? pastry cream? there seems to be a never ending list of reasonable techniques that these bakers are totally unfamiliar with. 

I agree about their general level of experience and skills, but of that specific three I would really only expect them to know pastry cream. Brandy snaps are pretty much unknown in the US, and tiramisu is familiar, but (in my experience, at least, which I admit may be untypical) mostly as something to order for dessert in a restaurant. (I don't think I've even seen it for sale in a bakery.) Actually, even on the British shows, I seem to recall the bakers saying that they know what it looks like and tastes like, but they'd never made it.

 

Still, this does not seem like an impressively skilled bunch of bakers.