Season Five Episode Talk

[Mittengirl]

I also noticed the spoon on Sarah’s baking sheets.  I thought that maybe it was to note if the pan had been rotated or moved up or down a shelf.

[hookedontv]

I just wasn’t blown away by any of the cakes. The finale was sort of a dud for me. 

[oldCJ]

7 hours ago, Spunkygal said:

Hated Lorraine’s dress. What were those handkerchief-looking things on the bottom? 

They are called godets. It’s a very old-fashioned style that some designers tried unsuccessfully to bring back about four years ago. You also see them on flamenco dancer dresses. None of which explain Lorraine’s dress, which was hideous. 

22 minutes ago, hookedontv said:

I just wasn’t blown away by any of the cakes. The finale was sort of a dud for me. 

Agreed.  I was shocked to see Lerome use the hazelnuts after they were so obviously burnt. And his design was just bizarre even with it being an homage to his daughter. I was rooting for him. Oh well.

Since Doug was covering his cake with a chocolate collar it would have made much more sense for him to have painted the stripes on the acetate first and then add the white chocolate. The stripes would have been flawless that way. Of the three final cakes, he deserved the win. 

I’m tired of Nancy’s drinking problem being such a joke. “Not enough rum!” It’s sad, not funny. 

[Spunkygal]

9 minutes ago, oldCJ said:

Since Doug was covering his cake with a chocolate collar it would have made much more sense for him to have painted the stripes on the acetate first and then add the white chocolate. The stripes would have been flawless that way. Of the three final cakes, he deserved the win. 

Great idea!! Use a ruler and stripe the chocolate. 

 

10 minutes ago, oldCJ said:

I’m tired of Nancy’s drinking problem being such a joke. “Not enough rum!” It’s sad, not funny. 

Me too. I'm right there with Lorraine when she rolls her eyes everytime Nancy says something like this. A bit of booze should enhance a food product. It is not intended, at least not in my world, to get you tipsy and overpower the other ingredients.

Jesse has grown on me as host. I still prefer John Henson who is truly witty but Jesse's ok. As we've said a million times, anyone is better than that ventriloquist guy. 

[Jillybean]

7 hours ago, nutty1 said:

I was shocked to see Jesse Palmer as a host! Last I saw him, he was the Bachelor. How did he end up on the Food Network?!

He's hosted a few iterations of the baking championship shows. Prior to that, he was a contributor on Good Morning America for a couple of years. I think he did some sports broadcasting, too. I liked him on GMA and I think he's been a solid host on the baking championships. He largely stays out of the way and doesn't try to call attention to himself as some of the other hosts have. I would say this is the one area where this show is superior to Great American Baking Show, where Spice Adams is absolutely annoying and out of place. (His partner is Baby Spice...presumably they were chosen for their names).

[nowornever]

Between the foil on the first heat ornaments and the hand-painted stripes, Doug made me question his skills this episode. "Atari Tree!"  I think he could have made it all green if he'd used green buttercream in there too, but it was obvious what he was going for.  I'm happy for him, though.  

I think Sarah's design was structurally tenuous.  When she was assembling it, I wondered if she was going to have to turn the cake on its side to get the desired effect.  I think that's why it fell apart.  Although she inexplicably ran out of time on her ornament challenge, she was the only one who heard Jesse say that the ornaments should be attractively arranged, like the ones on the mantle. She used the greenery instead of a plate. 

Larome's actual cake was just a square cake with a hole for a non-edible snowman, but he tried one element too many with the burnt hazelnuts, and his decoration was disjointed. I was hoping for more (and by more I mean less) from him.  It was like the multicolored rugelach where he tried to go out of the box but would have been better off keeping things a bit more simple.  

They're all obviously very talented, and with the right amount of time and minus the stupid challenges, I would be really excited to eat anything they served.  

BUT, I wasn't a fan of Sarah's commentary on Lorraine's figure.  Yes, we get it, but why be petty towards someone who will be judging your work?

[libgirl2]

11 hours ago, mojoween said:

Well damn.  I’m not as ok with Douglas’a win as I thought I would be.

While Duff “wondering” what that burnt flavor was was a bit of a put-on, I really hope that wasn’t the deciding factor.  Don’t forget about your nuts, Lerome!

Also Douglas’s tree inside was sloppy.

If I ever go to Lerome’s Ritz-Carlton I'm going to order a million of his pastries.  Now I just have to remember where that is.

I wasn't that impressed with any of the cakes and yes, the tree didn't look great. I think if Sarah's cake was flawless it would be my favorite, but I like simple clean designs. 

Edited December 18, 2018 by libgirl2

[Cammi]

Lerome's cake as uglier than a Mardi Gras float. Good Lord that was one of the ugliest cakes ever to be displayed on a cooking show. I mean, wtf was that? Overall disappointed in this season. I want to be "dazzled". I'm unashamed about it. That is why I tune in, to see gorgeous confections! They show pictures of the bakers' talent at their workplaces, and the items look gorgeous. What happened when they got in that kitchen? Those cakes last night didn't look as nice as my very first fondant cake. 4 out of 10. 

First 3 seasons were great, last season was "okay". This one had hardly anything I was salivating over, or any holiday cheer from the contestants. I don't care for the sappy stories, but smile for goodness sakes! Look like you're having fun, instead of rolling your eyes. I think the format, and twists need an overhaul. Maybe next week will be better when they bring in the past season winners. 

[jlc]

10 hours ago, Spunkygal said:

Larome’s cake was ugly

I agree! I thought it was not "chrissmassy" and it was poorly done and the colors were terrible!

[libgirl2]

31 minutes ago, jlc said:

I agree! I thought it was not "chrissmassy" and it was poorly done and the colors were terrible!

If he had used better colors and his surprise was baked into the cake, I think he could have won. 

[Jillybean]

I think Lerome got too hung up on representing his daughters and could have won if he'd focused instead on wowing the judges. None of those cakes had any "wow" factor.  Nancy and Lorraine seemed to both find his cake the tastiest of the three.

I was puzzled as to why the judges couldn't taste the orange in Douglas' cake, with its zest, juice, and liqueur in the batter. I made cranberry orange muffins a few days ago with the zest of one orange in the batter and some orange juice in the glaze, and the orange flavor is very bright.

Edited December 18, 2018 by Jillybean

[libgirl2]

20 minutes ago, Jillybean said:

I think Lerome got too hung up on representing his daughters and could have won if he'd focused instead on wowing the judges. None of those cakes had any "wow" factor.  Nancy and Lorraine seemed to both find his cake the tastiest of the three.

I was puzzled as to why the judges couldn't taste the orange in Douglas' cake, with its zest, juice, and liqueur in the batter. I made cranberry orange muffins a few days ago with the zest of one orange in the batter and some orange juice in the glaze, and the orange flavor is very bright.

When he was mentioning that, I thought just make a cake the judges will like! Your daughters are not judging. 

[mojoween]

Whole a lot has been mentioned about Lorraine’s teeny tiny bites, I hate when they show Duff opening his maw and putting the spoon or fork in there.  I get grossed out very easily and I'm just not interested in a biological demonstration of just how refined his palate really is.

[dahling]

Creating a tiered decorated cake is a process that takes days, not hours.  Your cake doesn't need to be "cooled" (which takes hours), it needs to be cold.  A room temperature cake is mushy and hard to cover with fondant.  No wonder there were sags and gaps and bubbles and overall these cakes looked like crap. No one does it like this.

Honestly I prefer the GBBO's "showstoppers" that are more like "twenty thousand muffins in 12 flavors in 6 hours", because once a muffin bakes, it's done. 

This was a horribly sub-par finale. 

[Cammi]

1 hour ago, Sherrytheannoying said:

I think the main issue with how our confections look from workplace to tv show, many things come into play. That kitchen is huge (omg the shin splints 😂)!!! You don’t have your own tools. You forget where things are. You don’t have time to contemplate and think. You are thinking only in the moment (if you’re thinking at all because your mind goes blank). The immense stress and pressure you’re under, is indescribable. If you think about it (as the shoe is on the other foot, for me personally, now), 5 hours truly isn’t a lot of time to bake everything from scratch, cool, stack, dowel, cover, decorate. The bakers you see on tv, although they are all of my friends, they truly all exude such talent!!!! It is the best experience and also very tiring.

I too, am looking forward to next Monday!! 🎉 🎄  

Fair enough, however, they need to allow more time for the bakers in order to present their best work. They don't have to show every minute of the process, but allow a fair amount of time to present a lovely result. This show used to bring me such joy when I was having a bad time in life. I have fond memories of the past seasons (huge Erin and Jason fan!). It is with a heavy heart to say this season fell way short, and I actually enjoyed the Spring and Halloween seasons more. But the holiday season was always my standard. 

I wish the girl with the blue hair and the spunky, heavy set young man that got voted off stayed longer! At least they didn't act like bumps on logs and had somewhat of an entertaining personality. They voted my fav's off the first 3 episodes. At least we could have fun cast members if these stupid twists and challenges are going to continue to suck.  I don't want to tune in to see parfaits (that I can easily make myself) or ugly rugelach pastries. I can't taste through my screen! The challenges need to appeal visually to the viewers. Ugh, I hate that I feel so personal about this, but this show is something I was looking forward to all year. 

[luvapickle]

The spoon on the pan is for even baking(so the ones on the end don't bake faster than those in the middle, etc).  I like when they say "you should think through something before doing it" Yea, right. When exactly? Because there is no time to think.  As a pro baker, I would never do one of these shows, because I like TIME. Time is my friend, so I can think of what I want to do, how long each item will take, humidity, etc. I give them all props for being able to think on their feet. Lerome's final was good, but not Christmasy. And I agree with the fondant. But w/out the time to think it through, it probably never occurred to him to put something "edible" in there. Surprise in the center was not very specific. I like Douglas' idea of a tree. And despite the red stripes being messy, imo his was the best. Sara's red packages looked good, but yea it definitely was too hot in there for them to come off perfect. Another reason I don't cover my cakes in fondant(besides it tasting like crap).

[dleighg]

6 minutes ago, luvapickle said:

The spoon on the pan is for even baking(so the ones on the end don't bake faster than those in the middle, etc).

How does that work (scientifically)?

[Frost]

I wonder why Sarah didn't do a bright red ganache?  A season or two ago I remember a baker making little Santa domes covered in a shiny red ganache.  It looks great and apparently tasted great too.  I have no desire to eat fondant, especially in thick sheets covering a cake.  Or would the heat issues have caused problems with that too?

I am also wondering how on earth she was so last minute on her cookie ornaments.  Didn't they have two hours?  Those thin cookies she made wouldn't take long at all to bake.  What was she actually doing?  Were her two fillings so complex they took up almost two hours?

[dleighg]

I don't get Douglas' "wine box" idea. The height to width ratio seems way off for holding a bottle of wine.

[festivus]

Yeah none of those cakes were good. I think Douglas got the all of the season win which I'm fine with. Or his was just the least ugly, lol. Hope the spring one is better than this season.

[trudysmom]

11 hours ago, hookedontv said:

I just wasn’t blown away by any of the cakes. The finale was sort of a dud for me. 

Agreed.  Also, festivus, you are right, the least ugly cake won. I would have been happy with any of them winning, but I really wanted to see gorgeous cakes.  I think Sara shot herself in the foot by taking so much time baking so much cake, that went to waste. She cut out small red pieces from entire round pans of cake.  Why not bake one red sheet cake, cut the rounds from that?  And the red fondant really was too much, it showed the flaws too easily.  Overall , an enjoyable season.

[LegalParrot81]

Not very impressed with any of the final cakes, honestly.  I don't think 5 hours is enough time to allow these bakers to show their best work.  Also, they were all complaining about the heat.  Heat and fondant are not a marriage made in heaven.

The one thing I enjoyed about the three finalists was that they clearly liked each other. In past seasons the vibe has been completely different at the end.

Jesse has finally found his host footing.  He did so much better this go round.

[Amarsir]

5 hours ago, dleighg said:

I don't get Douglas' "wine box" idea. The height to width ratio seems way off for holding a bottle of wine.

It looked more like a hat box to me. Not until he explained did I get it. But other than the stripes it did look really nice. And I was totally down with the 8-bit tree.

All 3 of the finalists had enough personality that I wouldn't mind seeing them again. The producers seemed a little more playful in the editing too, as a couple of the talking heads had the person responding to someone off-camera. It made the whole finale fun, even if they weren't the best bakes we've ever seen.

On 12/17/2018 at 3:11 AM, BakkerK0307 said:

I like her also. I noticed on ep 5 the Rugelach challenge- when she took hers out of the oven there was a piece of silverware (a tablespoon to be exact) on the cookie sheet! It’s driving me crazy because I have never seen that before! I tried to Google it but NOTHING comes up! Did anyone catch that? Why put a spoon in the oven with your bake goods?

I didn't catch that at all. But was it a baking sheet with sides? Raised edges can mess with the heat distribution for cookies, so perhaps she put something metal in the center to even it out? (Which still seems like more work than just using a sheet without edges.)

[2727]

2 hours ago, LegalParrot81 said:

Jesse has finally found his host footing.  He did so much better this go round.

He still needs to shave!

[bilgistic]

I call shenanigans on Douglas using white chocolate on the outside of his cake. Lerome chose chocolate for his cake as the reward for winning the pre-heat, which meant the others couldn't use chocolate. Yeah, white chocolate isn't really chocolate, but still.

And I agree that Lerome's fondant snowman was not what the challenge really called for.

Sarah could've made the ornament inside her cake far more easily. Put a sphere in the center of the cake for the ornament and then a square atop that for the ornament hanger thing...similar to Douglas's cake concept. Which wasn't a wine box, but anyway.

[skipnjump]

15 hours ago, Frost said:

I wonder why Sarah didn't do a bright red ganache?  A season or two ago I remember a baker making little Santa domes covered in a shiny red ganache.  It looks great and apparently tasted great too.  I have no desire to eat fondant, especially in thick sheets covering a cake.  Or would the heat issues have caused problems with that too?

I am also wondering how on earth she was so last minute on her cookie ornaments.  Didn't they have two hours?  Those thin cookies she made wouldn't take long at all to bake.  What was she actually doing?  Were her two fillings so complex they took up almost two hours?

Sarah got behind on the cookie ornaments because she hadn't made enough batter the first time to make the required number of cookies, so she had to make more batter/cookies so that took more time than she planned for.

[Destiny74]

I find the mirror glaze trend as bad as fondant.  It has a gelatinous qualtity that I just don't like.  Looks amazing when done correctly but, nasty texture...at least to me.

[PamelaMaeSnap]

16 hours ago, dleighg said:

 

I don't get Douglas' "wine box" idea. The height to width ratio seems way off for holding a bottle of wine.

 

Totally this and it actively bugged me. As someone who has a lot of wine and a lot of gifty "wine boxes" for when we need to give a gift on the fly, that was not even remotely a wine box. Maybe a Makers Mark box but not a wine box. I think a wine box (tall and narrow and cylindrical) would have been a very cool idea but harder to execute. 

I wonder if Lerome had emphasized "colors of Jamaica" and the tie-dye effect to honor Bob Marley or something it would have gone over better. I actually thought his cake was cool looking and it sounded delicious.

I may have to use some of my Marriott points to go down to Naples and spend a night at that Ritz Carlton just for his pastries!

[jlc]

On 12/18/2018 at 6:47 AM, Spunkygal said:

I’m tired of Nancy’s drinking problem being such a joke. “Not enough rum!” It’s sad, not funny. 

She sounds ridiculous, and I really think she needs to be replaced! I am tired of the alcohol, all the looks aimed at Lorraine and her disagreeing with Lorraine at every chance, I am even tired of her trying to act like her a Duff are good friends. Please just get rid of her and get a real judge!

[PamelaMaeSnap]

3 hours ago, bilgistic said:

I call shenanigans on Douglas using white chocolate on the outside of his cake. Lerome chose chocolate for his cake as the reward for winning the pre-heat, which meant the others couldn't use chocolate. Yeah, white chocolate isn't really chocolate, but still.

I noticed that but then theorized that the rule only applied to the CAKE flavor, not anything else in the mix but I could be wrong ... 

[jlc]

14 hours ago, LegalParrot81 said:

The one thing I enjoyed about the three finalists was that they clearly liked each other. In past seasons the vibe has been completely different at the end.

Jesse has finally found his host footing.  He did so much better this go round.

:) I was thinking the exact same thing!

[Spunkygal]

1 minute ago, PamelaMaeSnap said:

I noticed that but then theorized that the rule only applied to the CAKE flavor, not anything else in the mix but I could be wrong ... 

That’s what I assumed, too. And to clarify something I posted earlier, I don’t know that Nancy has a drinking problem and I’m not saying she has one but what I was trying to say was that her constant “not enough booze” comments are both tiring and sad. I agree with @jlc that I am tired of her. 

[luvapickle]

19 hours ago, dleighg said:

How does that work (scientifically)?

The heat from the metal spoon keeps the heat from the pan evenly distributed. For me I use cake nails in the center of full sheet cakes while baking, so they don't have the center rise-while the sides end up lower. 

[PamelaMaeSnap]

27 minutes ago, luvapickle said:

The heat from the metal spoon keeps the heat from the pan evenly distributed. For me I use cake nails in the center of full sheet cakes while baking, so they don't have the center rise-while the sides end up lower. 

And this is yet another reason why I LOVE PTV and its posters ... this is fascinating! I love to bake and am pretty creative but not really experienced ... here, I learn something new every thread!

[dahling]

Highly recommend using heating nails specially designed for the purpose. I used a flower nail back in the day, but it eventually corroded and broke apart, because that's not what it's designed for. https://www.webstaurantstore.com/ateco-1449-stainless-steel-cake-pan-heating-core-august-thomsen-pack/1441449.html?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=GoogleShopping&gclid=CjwKCAiA9efgBRAYEiwAUT-jtBPDiOZZEG_oryry_1xar4ZdqeFAdiq1PEcXeDDf_BFNe8g1BF0LKhoCm_MQAvD_BwE

 

I have never heard of putting a spoon on a baking sheet. 

[Destiny74]

2 hours ago, PamelaMaeSnap said:

And this is yet another reason why I LOVE PTV and its posters ... this is fascinating! I love to bake and am pretty creative but not really experienced ... here, I learn something new every thread!

I agree.  Thank you!  I was trying to come up with reasons for the spoon.

[Popples]

2 hours ago, dahling said:

Highly recommend using heating nails specially designed for the purpose. I used a flower nail back in the day, but it eventually corroded and broke apart, because that's not what it's designed for. https://www.webstaurantstore.com/ateco-1449-stainless-steel-cake-pan-heating-core-august-thomsen-pack/1441449.html?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=GoogleShopping&gclid=CjwKCAiA9efgBRAYEiwAUT-jtBPDiOZZEG_oryry_1xar4ZdqeFAdiq1PEcXeDDf_BFNe8g1BF0LKhoCm_MQAvD_BwE

 

I have never heard of putting a spoon on a baking sheet. 

I wish I had known about the existence of these last week before I started my cakes. Definitely going to have to bookmark that at the moment. Thanks for the link!

[jlc]

6 hours ago, luvapickle said:

The heat from the metal spoon keeps the heat from the pan evenly distributed. For me I use cake nails in the center of full sheet cakes while baking, so they don't have the center rise-while the sides end up lower. 

I also saw on one of the Kids Baking Championships that one of the bakers put aluminum foil down the center of the partially baked bread or cake to get it to cook faster, and it worked! It was fascinating.

[ilovetrashtv]

Someone asked Sarah on instagram about the spoon!! Mystery solved.

[luvapickle]

8 hours ago, ilovetrashtv said:

Someone asked Sarah on instagram about the spoon!! Mystery solved.

Hmmm. I use spray, then parchment-it shouldn't go anywhere. I'll have to tell my grandmama there's another use for the spoon on the sheet :)

21 hours ago, dahling said:

Highly recommend using heating nails specially designed for the purpose. I used a flower nail back in the day, but it eventually corroded and broke apart, because that's not what it's designed for. https://www.webstaurantstore.com/ateco-1449-stainless-steel-cake-pan-heating-core-august-thomsen-pack/1441449.html?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=GoogleShopping&gclid=CjwKCAiA9efgBRAYEiwAUT-jtBPDiOZZEG_oryry_1xar4ZdqeFAdiq1PEcXeDDf_BFNe8g1BF0LKhoCm_MQAvD_BwE

 

I have never heard of putting a spoon on a baking sheet. 

My brother makes me cake nails so they don't corrode, but are approved by my health inspector. They're a cross between a cake core & a flower nail.

[dleighg]

2 minutes ago, luvapickle said:

Hmmm. I use spray, then parchment-it shouldn't go anywhere.

For (lazy) me that negates a major purpose of the parchment-- no need to wash the sheet!

[carrps]

On 12/17/2018 at 7:51 PM, Spunkygal said:

Hated Lorraine’s dress. What were those handkerchief-looking things on the bottom? 

Already answered up-thread (godets), but I liked her dress! I love vintage fashion, and that dress could almost have passed for an actual 1930s dress. I love to watch old movies for the clothes.

I was kinda spoiled when they showed that interview with Doug getting all discombobulated over a particular phrase. Just the way he was acting made me think he'd won. He had that incredulous, spacy vibe like he was trying to believe it was all real.

I wish the marbling effect on Lerome's cake had been a bit more pronounced, because it didn't stand up the the brightness of the "ribbons." But I still found it visually unappealing. And, I agree, his snowman was a cheat. And a lot easier to execute than the surprises that Doug and Sarah had.

[jcbrown]

8 hours ago, dleighg said:

For (lazy) me that negates a major purpose of the parchment-- no need to wash the sheet!

I'm with you.

[jlc]

8 minutes ago, jcbrown said:

I'm with you.

Me too! lol

[CaliCannoli]

On 11/6/2018 at 6:38 AM, Rammchick said:

In the East, we pronounce it "pea-kan" ;)

I'm from Boston & we say 'puh-kahn'.

[Adiba]

I thought Doug's cake looked nice except for the stripes--it is difficult to do a white chocolate collar and have it stay. I agree that as much as I liked Lerome and his bakes, the fondant snowman surprise was not that difficult (even I could have made it, and I am just a very "homey rustic" type baker, lol).

Edited December 22, 2018 by Adiba
misspelled name

[CrazyInAlabama]

What I like about the holiday and other baking championships is that even though they're all competitors, they still help each other, and encourage each other.   

When Lerome's Bavarian Creme started sliding, another competitor helped him with his icing.     In the finale, when Sara realized she had to do more cookies, and was panicking, Douglas was telling her to get on with it, and keep trying.    

[CaliCannoli]

On 12/22/2018 at 10:17 AM, CrazyInAlabama said:

What I like about the holiday and other baking championships is that even though they're all competitors, they still help each other, and encourage each other.   

When Lerome's Bavarian Creme started sliding, another competitor helped him with his icing.     In the finale, when Sara realized she had to do more cookies, and was panicking, Douglas was telling her to get on with it, and keep trying.    

I love that! Its so nice to see people being good sports and supporting each other. :)

I just started watching a few weeks back & now I'm hooked. I'm wondering if Lorraine and Duff get along in real life. He seems so nice.

Edited December 25, 2018 by CaliCannoli

[CrazyInAlabama]

Adalberto (the man who escaped Cuba, and has a wonderful bakery in Salt Lake City) said that he was still in touch with the other contestants from his season.   He was on Best Bakers also, and I'm sure that since so many of them are returning contestants, that they really know each other in real life too.    

[Rammchick]

On 12/21/2018 at 3:39 AM, CaliCannoli said:

I'm from Boston & we say 'puh-kahn'.

I should've been more explicit.  In New York, we say pee-can :)