Kids Baking Championship - General Discussion

[formerlyfreedom]

Discuss the judges here!

[formerlyfreedom]

Discuss Season 1 here!

[patty1h]

Haven't I seen that kid with the bowtie on Masterchef, or is he just another blond boy with unusual fashion choices?

[Bella]

Just another kid they stuck a bowtie onto.

The kids sound like robots.

[blubld43]

That one kid sounded stoned!  The one with the very robotic voice, who was eliminated.

That said, I enjoyed this.  The goodies looked delicious!

Duff is okay, and Valerie Bertinelli is okay as a judge too.  Who knew she had written a cookbook?

[dmmetler]

I think the biggest problem with this show is that it's too short. I really don't feel like I "know" any of the kids yet, and with a 4 week run, it's probably going to be over before I really connect with them. In general, I kind of wish the kids' programs did more the Rachel vs Guy model and let the kids stay, but accumulate points through teh season, especially with short seasons.

 

My DD asked "How can so many kids have businesses?".

 

 

[Darian]

Yep, I already know I won't get to know the kids. Duff and Valerie have pleasant personalities and are at least enthusiastic. I'll watch again. I'll watch almost any cooking/baking show. It's a problem. 

[HyeChaps]

Agree that a weekly points accumulation would be fairer and kinder to the kids.

I work in a bookstore.  Valerie's cookbook was popular at first and is now in the bargain section.

[Crucial]

The whole show seems forced to me.  It's like the kids are reading cue cards for what they are to say. I just don't see Valerie and Duff being good judges.  Maybe because of the Holiday show Duff was on.  Valerie I'm sorry I don't value her as a judge in a baking competition.  Celeb guest judge sure but just because you have a cookbook, so what.  I guess I'm over her because I find her annoying now and really eh as a judge.  Get a good show about a baking competition with legit judges instead of adding the 'celeb' factor to the Food Network Family.   For me it's a robotic show with robotic contestants and a robotic judging duo.  Really don't you need 3 judges to balance out the group.  Two at adds and with a third you get the tie breaker.  Unless one judge holds more weight, lol.

[Crucial]

Not a fan of Duff being a judge on baking competition shows.  He showed his bias on his last one, the Holiday Baking, (at least for me).  Valerie is just a 'celeb' being brought in to the Food Network.  Why?  Honestly why?  I don't see how you can have a competition show with 2 judges.  You need at least a 3rd to break tie breakers to balance out the judging.  Who is the deciding factor when they are tied?  Get a good show judging a competition with qualified judges.  I don't want a celeb with a cookbook years ago who has their cookbook on clearance.  If you have to question if that person is a chef, cookbook author, etc then DON'T have them.  I saw Valerie and was like WTF is she doing on a show. 

 

What a shame because Master Chef Jr showcases how good the young cooks can be.  Instead here we get a celeb and Duff.  What a shame.

[mlp]

It's like the kids are reading cue cards for what they are to say.

 

 

They sound like that to me also when you hear them but don't see them.  When they're on camera or just running around, they sound natural but most of their comments are voice overs. 

 

I like Duff but I agree there should be a third judge.  Duff tends to be very subjective as in "I don't like mint or cilantro" when his personal taste shouldn't  be a criterion.

 

The final decision tonight felt all wrong to me.  The boy made a very impressive plate of fake spaghetti and some less impressive bread sticks.  The girl made some crappy looking sushi and "rice" that looked nothing like rice and got to stay.  That made no sense to me at all.

[blubld43]

The final decision tonight felt all wrong to me.  The boy made a very impressive plate of fake spaghetti and some less impressive bread sticks

 

I agree-when Duff commented about cornstarch being all over the outside I thought for sure she was a goner.

[Josette]

 

.  The boy made a very impressive plate of fake spaghetti and some less impressive bread sticks.

 It was the pizza boy (Payton) who went home.  Spaghetti boy (Jackson) was in the top two. 

 

What bugged me was when they talked about the taste considering everything had to double for something else.  I mean, does a smooshed brownie covered in buttercream and corn flakes taste fabulous.?  Maybe, I don't know.  I'm pretty sure I would not want to eat a salad of shredded coconut.

[nottopbravo]

 

I'm pretty sure I would not want to eat a salad of shredded coconut.

 

 

Or how about a plate full of fondant that looks like spaghetti?

[BensBritches]

I don't get why the boy with the "pizza" was offed over the girl (Annika?) with the bad "sushi" and even worse imitation rice.  Was the boy offed because Valerie didn't like the gummy worms?  Or was it simply because his bread sticks had some issues? The judges didn’t seem to say too many negative things about his dish and seemed generally positive (with the exception of the gummies) about his pizza (which was the main part of the challenge).  IIRC, the judges made mostly negative comments about the girl’s dish- corn starch all over the outside of the “sushi,” underdone or dry cake on the inside and a companion dish (the rice) which didn’t work at all... so I too am very confused about the decision.

Lil Britches knows one of the girls on the show (Natalie).  Natalie told Lil Britches that the kids were told to pick out a certain number of recipes to bring with them and they have a binder with their recipes to refer to while cooking. I want Lil Britches to find out how scripted these kids are, as they do sound like they have been fed lines to say... Natalie can't reveal too much at this point, but it's kind of cool to get the inside scoop on a few things.  I'll share more details as I get them!

[Bella]

Lil Britches knows one of the girls on the show (Natalie).  Natalie told Lil Britches that the kids were told to pick out a certain number of recipes to bring with them and they have a binder with their recipes to refer to while cooking. I want Lil Britches to find out how scripted these kids are, as they do sound like they have been fed lines to say... Natalie can't reveal too much at this point, but it's kind of cool to get the inside scoop on a few things.  I'll share more details as I get them!

 

Bribe her!!! Give Lil Britches whatever she wants, as long as she finds out why those kids sound so stilted in their talking heads!

 

Seriously, this is cool. Thanks for sharing.

[LennieBriscoe]

 Pizza Boy went home because, as I think Duff said, he had the easiest challenge and yet wasn't fab.

 

I, however, remain impressed by all their endeavors!

[nottopbravo]

All of these kids are adorable.  I credit whoever cast this show for getting a bunch of great kids.  Better cast than MasterChef Junior or Rachael vs. Guy Kids Cook-Off. 

 

My favorite though, is Hollis.  So cute and seems quite knowledgeable.

[peacheslatour]

Can someone help me out, I'm having a brain fart:  What were the marmalade orange juice thingies supposed to go with?  I remember spaghetti, pizza, sushi, hamburger and taco.

[peacheslatour]

Never mind, I just remembered- bagels.

[Rammchick]

It seems to me that $10,000 is a bit of a chintzy prize. I realize that they're just kids, but adults on these shows get the same amount for only one appearance: Chopped, Food Network Challenge, etc. And this is an entire competition.

[Bella]

I'm just glad it's over. I think it was mostly a showcase for Duff and Val, FN's next wave of "stars." 

 

Why, why, why did they have those poor children sound so stilted? It was painful to listen to.

[mlp]

 

Why, why, why did they have those poor children sound so stilted? It was painful to listen to.

 

I agree.  I did like all the kids except Natalie though.  I knew Jackson wouldn't win because he'd had too many missteps but he sure was a cutie.  I would have been happy with either Hollis or Annika winning - both darling girls.  This wasn't the greatest kids' competition ever but I enjoyed it.  I liked that the kids' final offerings were flawed like the kids actually made them.  Also I thought Duff did a good job of being nice but also straightforward and blunt about mistakes.

Edited February 24, 2015 by mlp

[BensBritches]

This wasn't the greatest kids' competition ever but I enjoyed it.  I liked that the kids final offerings were flawed like the kids actually made them.

 

This is why I enjoyed this show.  It was short and the items baked looked like they were actually prepared and decorated by the kids.  It's part of the reason why I have difficulty with Masterchef Jr at times.  I just find it hard to believe there are so many youngsters who can create "restaurant quality" dishes so flawlessly.  It was clear on this how there was no adult interference/assistance.

 

As I noted earlier, Lil Britches is semi-friends with Natalie (they've gone to school together for years).  Natalie told Lil Britches that the TH segments and the voice-overs while they are baking are pretty much scripted, down to "oops, I dropped that egg."  However, Natalie said all the interaction with the judges during judging is "real."  LB also let us know that Natalie did not win, which didn't surprise me.  Natalie certainly did develop a negative, almost bitchy attitude at the end.  I was a bit put off her when she said, "Cake, OMG, I don't know how to bake a cake" (or whatever she said about not wanting the bake said cake)... It's a baking competition, wouldn't cake figure into it somewhere, somehow?

 

Jackson was adorable, but screwed up a lot and seemed uncoordinated in the kitchen some how (maybe it was a remnant of his burn from the last episode?).  Not surprised he didn't do well.  Thought it was clear (even without LB spoiling us), that Hollis and Annika were the front-runners.  Would have been happy with either winning... although I like that Annika was the ONLY one who did not go for lemon.  Haven't checked out the price of Hollis' cake from Charm City, but I may be tempted to buy it.

[Bella]

Thanks so much for sharing, BenB, and give an extra hug to Lil Britches for getting the info for us.

 

 

As I noted earlier, Lil Britches is semi-friends with Natalie (they've gone to school together for years).  Natalie told Lil Britches that the TH segments and the voice-overs while they are baking are pretty much scripted, down to "oops, I dropped that egg."  However, Natalie said all the interaction with the judges during judging is "real."

 

This isn't surprising. I wish they'd let the kids be themselves more.

 

 

Haven't checked out the price of Hollis' cake from Charm City, but I may be tempted to buy it.

 

I was curious, so I went to the Charm City website, which kicked me over to the FN website. The cake is here. It costs $65 plus $20 for shipping, and it has changed. 

 

That appears to be fondant, which she emphatically avoided. I'm sure it's easier to produce and ship a bakery cake made with fondant, but still. Oh, well. "Inspired by" would be more accurate, and that's what they say further into the description.

[BensBritches]

Thanks for checking that out,  Bella.  I am not impressed with the changes.  I hate fondant and was so happy when Hollis said she wasn't using it because it doesn't taste good.  I wanted to try her frosting... Oh well, the price is a bit out of my "I wonder what it tastes like" budget, so I guess I'm glad they changed it to something I'm less interested in trying.

 

And I agree that I wish they had let the kids be more of themselves during the talking bits... but loved that their end products were truly theirs.

[EyewatchTV211]

This is why I enjoyed this show.  It was short and the items baked looked like they were actually prepared and decorated by the kids.  It's part of the reason why I have difficulty with Masterchef Jr at times.  I just find it hard to believe there are so many youngsters who can create "restaurant quality" dishes so flawlessly.  It was clear on this how there was no adult interference/assistance.

 

As I noted earlier, Lil Britches is semi-friends with Natalie (they've gone to school together for years).  Natalie told Lil Britches that the TH segments and the voice-overs while they are baking are pretty much scripted, down to "oops, I dropped that egg."  However, Natalie said all the interaction with the judges during judging is "real."  LB also let us know that Natalie did not win, which didn't surprise me.  Natalie certainly did develop a negative, almost bitchy attitude at the end.  I was a bit put off her when she said, "Cake, OMG, I don't know how to bake a cake" (or whatever she said about not wanting the bake said cake)... It's a baking competition, wouldn't cake figure into it somewhere, somehow?

 

Jackson was adorable, but screwed up a lot and seemed uncoordinated in the kitchen some how (maybe it was a remnant of his burn from the last episode?).  Not surprised he didn't do well.  Thought it was clear (even without LB spoiling us), that Hollis and Annika were the front-runners.  Would have been happy with either winning... although I like that Annika was the ONLY one who did not go for lemon.  Haven't checked out the price of Hollis' cake from Charm City, but I may be tempted to buy it.

I had all the same thoughts as you. Jackson was adorable - loved his facial expressions. And he was so happy for the girls at the end! They may have scripted what the kids said, but the facial expressions were all pure kid and pure natural. I also liked both Hollis and Annika, but I definitely was slightly rooting for Annika for the lack of lemon AND the use of chocolate and raspberry. I LOVE chocolate especially and raspberries and actually dislike lemon. So on top of her cake being different, it was the only one that I actually really wanted to try. Too bad Duff wasn't more obvious about his favorites. Valerie was too obvious there, and the kids latched onto that. 

[nottopbravo]

I was curious, so I went to the Charm City website, which kicked me over to the FN website. The cake is here. It costs $65 plus $20 for shipping, and it has changed. 

 

 

 

Thanks for the link.   I just checked and they are sold out.

[blueray]

I was happy that Hollis won. Annika kind of came across to me as one of those girls who thinks they are entitled to win (I know she's like 11 but still). Everyone else just seemed nice and having fun.

Edited February 27, 2015 by blueray

[formerlyfreedom]

A place to discuss particular episodes, arcs and moments from the show's run. Please remember this isn't a complete catch-all topic -- check out the forum for character topics and other places for show-related talk.

[Scarlett45]

I didn't watch season 1, but I think I'll check this out. I saw the first episode, and I think they need another judge. One thing I like about the kid shows is that most have a pleasant attitude, even if they mess up, compared to adults who act like whinny brats.

[mlp]

I enjoyed the episode right up until the end when they had the stunt with the pie in Duff's face.  That was totally unnecessary and felt like something they tacked on because someone saw it on Master Chef Junior.  Slapstick and having kids disrespect adult judges do not improve either show.  

[Rammchick]

And here we go again with the wasting of food. Ugh.

Edited January 7, 2016 by Rammchick

[Aquarius]

Two things that bothered me about this episode.

First, the "Duff's pie-hole" challenge. It reminded me of gym class counting toward a grade point average - why should the more athletically inclined kids get an advantage in an endeavor that is not athletic?  Although, I loved when one of the contestants said, "I thought this was a baking competition?"  You go, girl.  That was great.

 

Second, that kid from Maine was bordering on whiny.  Last season, the reason I loved this show was that not one of the kids was like that.  Hearing this kid whine about how he wanted the blueberries, waaaannnnted the blueberries, realllllllly wannnnnnntttttted the blueberries - well, that almost harshed my mellow.  But I'm willing to forgive, for now, because as seen above, the kid did have a basis.  But he's under observation as far as I'm concerned.

 

I felt very sad for Alex A. and his chocolate soup.  (Although, how cute - "It's chocolate soup!"  Only a kid!)  I don't quite understand what he did wrong but it was a pretty big failure.  I still feel sad for him because he seemed really nice.

 

How did that one girl's ice cream go from those lumps of cold butter to that beauty shot of perfectly formed scoops?  And that kid who loved crusts made of half-cookies (yeah, right?), how did the shots of his pie look so perfectly formed?  I sense some food styling behind the scenes.

 

I also liked how flummoxed Duff and Valerie were by the winner's (Beth?) understated reaction.  I love how these kids don't know yet how they are expected to act, and just act genuinely.  It's delightful. 

 

I loved this show last season.  I hope this season will be similar,

Edited January 8, 2016 by Aquarius

[Girl in a Cardigan]

I caught part of this show last night and I really enjoyed it. The kids seemed pretty understated after the overcoached, shrill MasterChef Jr kids. I really liked Jane, the winner, but her nasally voice made me think that she's got a cold, which makes me not want to eat what she's baking. Maybe that's just her voice.

 

I'm always impressed that these kids can just whip out a pie and then some ice cream at the last minute. Maybe there's most coaching behind-the-scenes, so they know what they're supposed to be doing and they are acting surprised at the twist, but it's just impressive. When the adults do it, I kinda expect that someone with their own bakery or whatever knows how to make ice cream. But since I would have no idea how to make ice cream (even with an ice cream machine - which I have a lot of questions about), the fact that these kids can just keep it going is awesome.

 

I really liked that the judges give positive feedback first before tackling anything that may be lacking in the dish. I'm not necessarily of the school that kids need to be coddled on these competition shows, but it shows a stark contrasts to Gordon Ramsay's "If you did that in my kitchen, I would have fired you," to a 12 year old before Christmas. I do wish there was another judge or two and Valerie was more of a host. Because beyond liking to eat food (which I do also), I'm not sure what qualifies her to judge the kids' dishes. (Maybe this was explained at the beginning that I missed.)

 

If I can remember when this is on, I'll definitely watch again.

[Iseut]

For a kids cooking show, this is a fun one. I'm impressed with Duff as a judge. He does really well at making the kids laugh and feel less nervous while also giving them good tips.

These kids are all so amazing. "I'm a competitive runner and swimmer,and I'm CEO of my own baking company..." And by and large they're poised, polite and well-spoken. They make us poor slobs watching them from home on the couch look pretty bad!

That said, watching a kid lose is always hard. I always think of Ralph Wiggum in the "I choo-choo-choose you" episode of the Simpsons. "If you pause it right here, you can see the exact moment that his heart breaks in two..." Poor chocolate soup kid!

[SandyToes]

I caught this one, too, and was pleasantly surprised.  I think chocolate soup/pie didn't use eggs in his mixture. I remember watching it, and he rattled off his ingredients, then was interrupted by Duff, and I recall thinking Eggs! No eggs! So maybe that was what happened.  

 

In scoping out the comments on last season's (caught it today on the repeats), one of the posters with inside knowledge said the kids were allowed to bring a set of their own recipes, so they aren't necessarily creating everything from memory. That makes tons more sense, and even makes me feel like it lessens the stress a little bit on the kids. 

[BensBritches]

 

one of the posters with inside knowledge said the kids were allowed to bring a set of their own recipes, so they aren't necessarily creating everything from memory.

 

Yes.  Little Britches' friend was on last season, and the kids are allowed to bring any and all recipes with them. They do know what they will be baking (though not when)- so the added surprise of making ice cream was a true surprise. 

 

I really enjoyed this second episode because the kids just act like real kids and they all made some pretty errors and/or served sloppy stuff.  I loved the one boy who tried to make the panda éclairs and then laughed at himself in a talking head after Duff called him out on it.  I still don't know most of the kid's names, but I pretty  much like them all. Well, except for the one, blondish boy who seems to be whiny and kept making excuses for his mistakes during judging (in essence saying, "but I meant to do that... that's how I like it"). 

 

None of the kids seem drawn from central casting the way the MCJ kids are, and I find that refreshing.

[KLovestoShop]

I like how the kids BS about a lot of things, just to curry favor from the judges.  When the judges ask something to the effect of "Do you really like snakes, or do you really like your filling to look like soup", I just laugh when the kids know they've been caught "fudging' their responses.  

[mlp]

I like Duff.  He seems to be a very smart guy despite the schlub-y persona he puts on.  I think he's the perfect judge for kids.  He's informal and just silly enough to make them comfortable without being condescending and, of course, he's qualified to judge baking and knows what he's talking about.  I like Valerie too although I don't know enough about her to know what qualifies her to judge pastry and baking.  She seems to genuinely like kids.

[Aquarius]

I like how the kids BS about things, with the exception of Colby.  Something about the way he's always saying things like "Well, I like my dough unbaked" and "Well, I really don't like a lot of color on my baked goods" just rubs me the wrong way.  Yeah, kid, you meant to not bake it properly because you like improperly baked goods.  Sure.  Actually, I hate to say this about a kid, but he just rubs me the wrong way in general.  He seems like quite the special snowflake.

 

Duff is great with the kids.  The way he interacts with them makes me smile.  I never really cared much for Ace of Cakes or Duff in other shows, but here, I sort of love him.

 

That must have been some scene during the elimination.  Everyone, including Duff and Valerie, seemed to have tears in their eyes, and it looked like Valerie had a couple running down her face.  I'm glad they edited out whatever caused all that emotion.  It was hard enough to watch what they showed, with the kids being all upset.  And then Duff saying, "That's the worst it's ever been."  I'm glad they mostly keep that stuff out.  I don't need to watch that.

 

My husband keeps asking me who my favorite is.  I still don't have one, but Peggy is so cute I want to put her in my pocket and take her home, and I love Alex P.'s droll delivery.

Edited January 14, 2016 by Aquarius

[Frost]

I hate to be negative about a child, but Colby is a liar, not a cute spin meister.  I'm very glad he's gone.  The rest of the kids are adorable.  And much be bakers than I'll ever be.

Edited January 19, 2016 by Frost

[twoods]

I am in awe of how amazing and talented these kids are. I love how they support each other as well. Most of those desserts looked amazing, and I'm not a fan of spice being mixed into dessert.

[MerBearHou]

With this being a kids' completion, it's hard to feel free to be as critical as I normally would on a cooking competition show....but having said that, I'm so glad Colby is gone. His cake was a mess, especially the crumb filled icing and the glob of chocolate around the top serving as decoration. On top of that, his manner is very exaggerated and affected -- it was hard to take. I thought he was a royal pain.

The other kids are a blast to follow and I am super impressed. A couple of them sound like they have colds which is concerning.

Duff and Valerie are adorable as hosts. I did not come into this as big fans of either but I feel their temperaments are spot on for this type of show. They get specific with instructions and gentle criticism to help the children learn and improve, but are fun and relatable with the kids.

Edited January 19, 2016 by MerBearHou

[penbrat]

Not a fan of Colby = very glad he is gone.    He always had an excuse and was way over the top.    The rest of the kids are adorable.  I could put Peggy in my pocket she is so cute and Alex just makes me smile.

I think Duff and Valerie do well with the kids and I am enjoying these contestants way more than the adults that are usually on these shows.

[backgroundnoise]

Lots of hilarious faces last night:  The kids when hearing they'd have to add spice/chili to their dessert, and Valerie's when trying to eat some of the stuff.

 

Overall, it seemed the kids did pretty well with what is probably something they never thought about doing. 

[Grommet]

I caught the last half of last night's episode and really enjoyed it. I like Duff and Valerie as judges and the kids are adorable and awesome. I wish I could pipe frosting like that! I'll definitely be watching the rest of the series and am sorry I missed the earlier eps.

 

I would also like to put Peggy in my pocket and take her home.

[Aquarius]

I hate to be negative about a child, but Colby is a liar, not a cute spin meister.  I'm very glad he's gone. 

 

This!  He lied even when called out on it.  Not cute in the least. 

 

I thought FN spoiled the judging by showing a shot of Colby fanning cupcakes or something, that I didn't remember from previous episodes.  I was very glad I was wrong. 

 

Valerie was hysterical with that "hot dog" ice cream.  I guess it was the gift that kept on giving, LOL.  I could only imagine how bad that must have tasted!

 

I was glad to see Peggy do so well, after her misstep with the chili in the eclairs.  And Rebecca's cake!  THAT looked like a professional pastry chef had made it.  Not to take away from Yashimabet's little chocolate cakes, because those were incredible looking as well.  I loved the little butterflies.  I think at this point she may end up winning.  She seems to have a lot of baking poise, if you know what I mean.

 

I can't bake to save my life.  So I am continually amazed at what these kids create, even if they bring every recipe they've ever seen with them. 

[needschocolate]

As a substitute teacher, I spend a lot of time around kids and I like how these kids act just like kids most of the time.  And their answers to the standard FN question (often asked off camera) "What was your inspiration for this dish?" crack me up sometimes.  Instead the long, sounds-embellished, stories we often get from adults, the kids are so matter of fact - "My inspiration for this is my Dad because he likes blueberries" or "I am making this dessert because I like to make it."

 

I hate to be negative about a child, but Colby is a liar, not a cute spin meister.  I'm very glad he's gone.  

 

I have known kids like Colby who try to lie/spin their way out of trouble, although he seems quicker than most at coming up with an "explanantion" - often offering one before he is asked.  I wonder how much of this is producer influenced "So, what do you plan to tell the judges when they ask why there are crumbs in the frosting? Do you think they will believe you if you say that was the look you were going for?"  I agree that this sort of excuse making is not cute, but it seems like the type of stuff that the FN honchos think the viewers will find cute.  

 

I am glad the other kids don't make as many mistakes as Colby did, or we would probably be hearing this "spinning" from a lot more of them.  On the other hand, I don't recall Jane coming up with a "I meant to do it that way" story for her black hole cupcakes, which kind of surprises me since I am getting the feeling that Jane is starting to like the attention a bit too much - she seems to be getting a little "hammy."

[Iseut]

I'm not usually much of a kid person, but these kids have all won me over and I am just getting the hugest kick out of them. I also want to put Peggy in my pocket! She's too cute for words. Considering she's contending with adorable Jane and her pigtails, that is some impressive cuteness right there. 

 

My favorite, though, is Alex. "I like pandas 'cause they're awesome. They just sit there and they eat their bamboo." Hee. They do! They do do that! And Duff's perfect impression later in the episode made the panda comment even funnier later on.

Edited January 20, 2016 by Iseut