Kids Baking Championship - General Discussion

[snarkylady]

Ugh.  So sad to see anyone miss out on the finale for this particular challenge.  I've thought that Linsey would win for a long time now but Alex has come on strong in the last two weeks and they seem to like him.  I really hope the final challenge is a baking challenge without a single surprise ingredient or twist.  Probably too much to hope for. 

Actually I like a level playing field where the requirements are explained up front, no surprise changes, and each competitor does what he or she thinks best, similar to Chopped but without the twist of having only one ice cream machine or limited deep fryer access.  I also prefer that everyone has the exact same ingredients to deal with, much easier to judge who did a better job.  

[gingerormaryann]

For the second season, I thought the wrong person went home before the finale.  Cole and Bryn should have been in but both cried when they were eliminated.  I thought the producers spoiled the finish when Abby let her guard down and sassed Valerie but it was not to be.

Duff and Valerie was probably the best hosting duo on Food Network.  Great chemistry and they almost sound like an old married couple.  I like Duff's good guy frat boy demeanor and Valerie ties everything together with a real maternal feel.   Watching her on the floor, she gives the kids real support and ideas and has often talked them down off the ledge.  I think Food Network would be smart to give them their own show, like a Kelly and Ryan or like Chip and Joanna.

[mlp]

Quote

Duff and Valerie was probably the best hosting duo on Food Network. 

I love them both separately and together.  They're both really good with kids without being patronizing.  I wish FN would get rid of self-important and smug Nancy Fuller on the other baking competitions and have Valerie judge instead.

I wish both Alex and Linsey could win.  I like both of them so much that I can't choose between them.

Alex is a very handsome boy in addition to being intelligent and articulate and funny.  I'd love to see him again in 8 or 10 years.  He's going to be a knock-out.

[cajpgh]

The twists have always been annoying but the pineapple twist was ridiculous- why even give the kids any time to make a plan and spend precious time starting to implement and then "poof" here is a random item you must incorporate! The fact that 2 of the 4 trashed their initial bakes and started all over was just ridiculous if not a vivid example of wasting food.

As has been said by many- rice cereal treats are not baked goods and have been used enough this season. they are ungainly sugar bombs that require little skill (other than the engineering to get them to stand).

I was ( and am) a Brynn fan so it was sad to see her exit on this challenge.... I agree she played it safe so that is on her, but I still think the premise sucked!

I think there is a real audience for both child and adult competitions that really allow the art of baking to shine as opposed to reducing it to a half baked game show that rarely  produces any end products that are impressive.

I am now all -in for Linsey!

[theatremouse]

They must have been told no armatures allowed because I'm used to rice treats being used for sculpted/clunky items in showpiece cakes, and usually in those cases it's just adhering the treats to some structure. So the fact that they all were building with treats and only treats, and having issues with the walls, makes me think there must've been a stand-on-its-own rule.

I thought Abby's was sort of...a failure that didn't need to fail. She started off with those full sheets and giant walls, and even in the end was still told her walls were higher than needed. Instead of cutting those giant sheets in half, she'd have had more structure if she cut them into 2" slices and then stacked those, like a stacked stone wall. Then it wouldn't tip. The problem was they seemed to feel like they needed to use one whole piece of treat for each wall. I'm sitting here watching thinking "bricks, people! bricks!" I was also puzzled why she thought a sheet with an arch cut out was not sturdy enough, so the solution to that is make an even flimsier standalone arch? She'd have been better off doubling up the original wall, thickness-wise.

Still, I thought the ouster was logical. The pineapple was supposed to be in the dozen baked things. Bryn tried to put it in both her royal icing and directly in the cereal treats and it wasn't detectable in either. After the juice challenge where they kept telling the kids "reduce this and it'd have more flavor" I was surprised she didn't reduce that pineapple juice before adding it to her icing. Or at least put more. In the clip they showed it was very obvious to me it wouldn't be possible to taste it, unless there's more footage of her pouring in more. But I'm guessing not since they indeed couldn't taste it.

For once "plunk the twist item on top" was not an adequate means of fulfilling the twist, so, yay? But also, mixed messages show. Only reason I'm not more irked by that is that in the twist intro they very clearly said to incorporate it in the baked stuff, not specifically the cereal treats. So putting pineapple on the served cereal treats didn't meet the challenge anyway. Hence I think it's entirely fair that they took it off and tasted without.

[nowornever]

I could have understood the "rice cereal treat" (I have no idea how they keep from saying "Rice Krispy bar") as a twist, but the main event?  C'mon.

BUT, they've all done some challenges well, so I'm OK with whoever wins.  Lindsey seems to have the most talent, and is genuinely likable.  Alex entertains me to no end, so I'm glad he stayed around just for that.  Bryn did too, though.  Her giggle always made me laugh.  Abby's a kid, so I'll giver her a pass, but the wide-eyed "Who me?" thing won't work forever.  Still, she's got talent and seems sweet. 

I'd still like to see the premise change, and just keep all the kids the whole way through, with the judges recording secret scores as they go.  Anyone can have a bad day, and the sudden-death eliminations don't allow for that.  

[LegalParrot81]

I will miss Bryn, she is an absolute doll.  

I admit, I'm rooting for Linsey.  While Alex is wise beyond his years and is clearly having a good time with all of this,  I think he's been pretty inconsistent.  As far as Abby , IMO she should have been gone before now.  

[NJKBCFan]

Remember tho that Abby has won 3 challenges (along with the donut artwork challenge). She's stumbled the last two weeks, but she definitely has the skills to win it.

[NJKBCFan]

Anyone else think Linsey should have won the sand castle challenge? Alex's castle didn't have any structural issues, but honestly if you showed me a picture of it without telling me it was a castle, I'm not so sure I would have thought it was supposed to be a castle. On the other hand, Linsey's castle definitely looked like one, and the graham cracker "sand" was an excellent touch. Her only "mistake" was not enough sugar in her hand pies, but that seemed kind of minor given her creativity overall.

[gingerella]

Does anyone know if these kids bake from memory or from recipes? I ask because I've seen both mentioned on a web search...do we know for sure?

[kj4ever]

I'm sorry to see Bryn go, just for the "If I ever see a sandcastle I'm going to kick it over" line.  lol  I think they should have sent Abby packing, but that's just because I thought she should have went last week.  Lindsey is my fav, and I hate to say it for fear of jinxing it, but I think she has this in the bag wish Alex and Abby as her competition.

Bryn would have given her more of a run for her money I think.

As far as the rice crispy treats...I make some junkyard ones with pretzels & M&M's & nuts & chocolate chips & caramel & sea salt and people BEG me to make them.  They can be really delicious.

[backgroundnoise]

Maybe in future seasons they can give the bakers a list of things to expect, giving them a chance to practice at least something as vague as "a structure made of cereal treats that must stand up" or something.  I think everyone would benefit, as I seriously doubt people tune in to a show like this to watch stressed kids fumbling.  THEN the judges would have some more legs in criticizing stuff that fails.

But since this an American show, I'm not holding my breath.

I really like this bunch of kids, but other than very selective things like Linsey's space cookies, the results look exactly like a kid made it.  I think the kids are talented and given more time and information and no stupid twists, could create great stuff.  Wouldn't that be a much better show to watch?

[gingerormaryann]

The previous seasons exist on YT and other places so the contestants should be smart enough to study them to see not only what to expect to make but also what Duff and Valerie expect.  As such, if they come unprepared to make Rice Cereal treats, they deserve to go home.  In all seriousness, I think the stress of competition, the intensity of the taping schedules and just flat out brain freeze hurts these kids as much as lack of preparedness.

Project Runway has been on for 16 seasons and there are still contestants who struggle during things like the unconventional challenge, something that has been a staple every season.

[Cherry Cola]

Alex looks like a young Murr from Impractical Jokers. 

His Castle looked more like a fort.  

I hate to see the kids cry.  Breaks my heart.  

I think Linsey is the best, I hope she wins!

[Destiny74]

I just watched and I kept telling Bryn to use that royal icing she made as mortar for her walls.  Even if it had stayed up, I think she would've gone home because she didn't have any discernable pineapple flavor in her cookies.  Shame, she was good and cute too.

I like Alex but I also thought he should have been gone weeks ago.

Abby was doing well until about two weeks ago.  I wonder if the pressure is getting to her or if her bag of tricks is empty?

Linsey for the win, for me.  I think she is good and she is baking things other than cookies and cake.  She even mentioned she was doing something different this week.  Her pies looked nice, a touch more sugar and she might have won.  I just think she is super hard on herself.  I hope she has some perspective if she does lose.

Edited February 28, 2018 by Destiny74

[Chit Chat]

I'd much rather see any of these cooking/baking competitions where the bakers actually get the proper amount of time, without a "twist" being thrown in, especially for kid's competitions.  I usually FF this show during the first 30 minutes, then just watch the presentation part.  I don't like to watch them fret over running out of time, or of baked items not turning out well.  I didn't like this particular challenge.  I'm not a fan of rice krispie treats or the things that can be made with them.  I'd much rather see them bake and decorate beautiful cookies, cupcakes, or cakes.   YMMV.  

[Cherry Cola]

I agree, the twists are dumb, and they ened up wasting food because the twist won't work with the planned item.  Plus, it just adds MORE stress to these sweet kids. 

[ivygirl]

I’m sad that Bryn was sent home. She was my favorite. Alex for the win, for me.

Overall, though, this has been an enjoyable season. I’m so glad that the kids are generally “just kids” and I don’t mind if they’re a *little* stagey, because a show full of kids who had no stage presence would just not be interesting to me. And Valerie and Duff are such great hosts. I wish they’d ditch Nancy and add Valerie to the adult version. I don’t think Nancy adds anything but obvious favoritism and stank face.

But I digress. 

[gingerormaryann]

Valerie and Duff were on "The Talk" Friday and were completely charming.

I think Alex might have the winners edit because he's talked about getting a puppy if he won all season but I think based on the challenges thus far, Linsey is the best contestant.

[LizBug]

Wow ... the finale was close with each of the kids having high points and downfalls.

Alex had the best cake flavor but his decorating was sloppy.

Abby had the best decorations but her cake was dry.

So ... Linsey was the best choice for winning it.

 

PS ... hope that Alex gets his puppy after all.

[Darian]

I was hoping for a Linsey win (for weeks and weeks), so I was happy, but more than that I wanted them all to do well in the finale and they did, so I was very happy. They were a great group of kids and I enjoyed the season. 

[GeorgiaRai]

They all did so well!  (But I was reminded why I didn't want Abby to win when she decided to use fondant for her "10" after asking Linsey.  Granted, their cake toppers were very different, but this isn't the first time Abby went in the same direction as another baker.)   I was happy nobody cried, that they all did work they could be proud of, and that my favorite kid won.  Yay Linsey!!

[backgroundnoise]

The casting crew did a great job in finding kids who could bake, were interesting just being themselves and didn't resort to mugging for the camera.  I liked them all, they seemed so natural and mature without being pretentious.  Great bunch.

Linsey showed a skill level above the rest, so I'm happy she won.  Of all the cakes, I would have like to have tasted Alex's.  Abbey's was perfect for an actual 10 year old's BD, but Linsey's was perfect for the challenge.

[Mrs. P.]

That was a close call for the judges. If Abbie's cake hadn't been so dry I think she would have won. Her decorations were superior to the other two, especially Alex's. I do think that Linsey's skills were the best throughout the competition, so if my favorite Bryn couldn't win, I'm happy with Linsey.

[justjen]

It isn't on Wikipedia anymore, but - like previous seasons - the names and ages of the contestants were listed at some point (last week...though it included last names which made it kind of skeevy). ANyway, I think I remember Linsey being one of the older kids...maybe an older 8th grader and Alex and Abbey being relatively younger. So it would make sense for Linsey, getting ready for high school to think to include Food Network in the Food Network birthday cake. But maybe I'm overthinking it and I just like her more. As soon as Abbey asked Linsey how she was making the 10, I knew we were in for another unoriginal Abbey idea.

There was something Linsey said while they were baking that I thought was hilarious and something my 13 year old self would totally say - I should have written it down because I wanted to share it here. But Alex suggesting that Canada/Alberta may put on a parade for him was adorable. He's not completely an adult in a kid body!!!

[Jillybean]

3 hours ago, DallasGypsy said:

Wow ... the finale was close with each of the kids having high points and downfalls.

Alex had the best cake flavor but his decorating was sloppy.

Abby had the best decorations but her cake was dry.

So ... Linsey was the best choice for winning it.

 

PS ... hope that Alex gets his puppy after all.

Yes, I came to say something similar.  Alex's cake tasted the best, Abby's decorating was the best, but Linsey attempted hard things and created a Food Network logo out of fondant, so she won despite not having the best cake or decorations...hmmm...

Loved that Alex's immediate reaction was to say "Congratulations" to Linsey. I hope he gets his parade and his puppy.

Edited March 6, 2018 by Jillybean

[NJKBCFan]

10 minutes ago, justjen said:

It isn't on Wikipedia anymore, but - like previous seasons - the names and ages of the contestants were listed at some point (last week...though it included last names which made it kind of skeevy). ANyway, I think I remember Linsey being one of the older kids...maybe an older 8th grader and Alex and Abbey being relatively younger. So it would make sense for Linsey, getting ready for high school to think to include Food Network in the Food Network birthday cake. But maybe I'm overthinking it and I just like her more. As soon as Abbey asked Linsey how she was making the 10, I knew we were in for another unoriginal Abbey idea.

There was something Linsey said while they were baking that I thought was hilarious and something my 13 year old self would totally say - I should have written it down because I wanted to share it here. But Alex suggesting that Canada/Alberta may put on a parade for him was adorable. He's not completely an adult in a kid body!!!

I think I remember reading on one of the kids' Instagram accounts that Abby was actually the oldest of all the bakers and Linsey was the second-oldest (and both have since turned 14). Alex was 12 during the competition. Funny that the three of them are the 3 shortest bakers on the show.

Was Linsey's comment the one about chocolate being a vegetable?

Congrats Linsey! So happy she won!

Edited March 6, 2018 by NJKBCFan

[snarkylady]

I knew when they showed both girls using a tool to level their cakes and Alex just eyeballing it that he was not going to be the winner, he lost it right then and there although he should have gotten extra credit for "leaning tower of cake".   

I wanted to try all of the cakes and make my own judgment.  Frankly I see taste and texture as being far more important than appearance.

I think they all succeeded but Linsey was the correct choice for winner.   Do the runners up get anything at all?   I think they deserved it. 

[justjen]

32 minutes ago, NJKBCFan said:

I think I remember reading on one of the kids' Instagram accounts that Abby was actually the oldest of all the bakers and Linsey was the second-oldest (and both have since turned 14). Alex was 12 during the competition. Funny that the three of them are the 3 shortest bakers on the show.

Was Linsey's comment the one about chocolate being a vegetable?

Congrats Linsey! So happy she won!

YES!!! In January, for my bday, I had chocolate cake for lunch and insisted that was really a veggie and protein plate.

[GeorgiaRai]

4 hours ago, snarkylady said:

... they showed both girls using a tool to level their cakes and Alex just eyeballing it 

This!  I thought he would've been better off with thinner, even layers, & was surprised the judges didn't notice (or at least didn't mention) the huge gaps between layers that were stuffed with frosting.  Maybe he served from the top tier, which wasn't as wonky, but the picture of his cake slice definitely showed the excess frosting.  Not that I wanted him to get more criticism, but explaining that the uneven layers caused at least some of his decorating woes seemed appropriate. 

Alex's cap topper made me want to find out what a Rice Krispie treat dipped in white chocolate would taste like!

Edited March 6, 2018 by GeorgiaRai

[summerdaze]

I think Linsey and Bryn were both the most talented and they showed their skills most almost every week. I think Abby should have gone home last week. Her castle was falling over and she didn't present the pinapple upsidedown cake correctly.    It's too bad they do not consider the work over weeks rather than one mess up!   Bryn deserved to be in the finale over Alex or Abby.

Abby's cake was very nice, but I hate to say a child got on my nerves a bit, but she did!  She always was asking others what they were doing, and then seemed to do the same thing.    I know this  might sound mean, but the fact she had to keep swinging her pony tail was also annoying to me. 

Alex was cute, and very adult like, but really, he wasn't consistent  with his skills.      

I think that Linsey's cake would have been perfect for a child's birthday party, but it didn't have anything to do with Food Network, and the technique was not as difficult as what Linsey did for her cake.  Also, she had tons of frosting in between her layers, and she also had a dry cake.

Alex's cake was cute but messy.

Valerie and Duff are the perfect judges.  Very nice, and fun.   I give them a lot of credit! I am not way as patient and would not want to eat some of the stuff after kids have put their hands all over it!

[mlp]

I knew Alex had done himself in when I saw him doing sloppy work and being offhand about it.  He and Linsey are still my favorite kids though and I do hope he got a puppy.

Abby's cake looked great but nothing about it said Food Network which was part of the challenge.  Linsey's cake looked more difficult even though it wasn't quite as pretty and she did a great job with the logo.  I'm delighted that she won.

[Thadeeeyus]

Happy with the winner!  Congrats, Linsey!  I'm always sad when this show is over.  It's my guilty pleasure. 

[Chit Chat]

While I appreciate everything these kids have done this season, if I had to pick a cake to put on the cover of the Food Network magazine, it would've been Abby's.  I found the colors and consistency of her piping work to be really good.  Maybe Food Network could incorporate ideas from each cake to put on their cover.  I know that won't happen, but if we could roll the 3 cakes into one, I think it would come out looking awesome!  

Although Abby's cake was dry, a cake that's going on the cover of a magazine doesn't have to taste good. It's just got to look good!  I have a hard time believing it was that dry anyway, given the amount of frosting on it.  Oh well, I didn't taste it, so I'll have to believe that Duff & Valerie were correct in their assessment.   Congrats to Linsey!

[Farmfam]

I have a rather unpopular opinion....Alex wasn't my favorite, not even close. I was disappointed he ended up in the finale, as I think he did just because he was a boy. Bryn, Abby, and Linsey were strong bakers and decoraters the whole season. To me, he was the Matthew from a few seasons ago...keep him because he isn't "that" bad and he has a winning personality. (I found him terribly annoying). 

Linsey or Abby deserved the win. I like Abby's cake decorating better, but I did notice the higher skill level Linsey applied and had the food network logo. 

Congrats Linsey...I, too, will miss this show! 

[NJKBCFan]

Am still a little peeved that Bryn was sent home for what was essentially a non-baking challenge. I think that she would have been the favorite in the finals given the nature of what they had to create there.

Abby's cake was gorgeous, perfectly executed in decoration. But I agree that the techniques were relatively simple - not a bad thing, especially given how well they were done, but not having any real wow-factor. And based on what Duff and Valerie were saying, it sounded like they were not happy with the cake even beyond the dryness, and that the flavors, while strong, were not necessary very appetizing. And the ratio of buttercream to cake was just too much.

Alex's main mistake was not making the layers of his cake tall enough, which prevented him from making them level. This led to a few problems, like the shape of the cake, the cake/buttercream ratios. Also, his top tier was too wide relative to his bottom tier. And obviously, his decorating was sloppy. Sounded like the cake was delicious, but too many decorating and shape issues to overcome.

And finally, Linsey's cake. Perfectly shaped, moist, delicious. If she had said coconut "soak" instead of coconut "filling", the judges wouldn't have complained about not enough coconut flavor (it was clearly a soak and not a filling). Decorating-wise, she was definitely the most ambitious, and as with her resourcefulness that she has demonstrated all season, she handled the mistakes really well. Didn't look as "perfect" as Abby's, but I think the judges rewarded her for really thinking on a different level from the other kids and delivering something that looked sophisticated and unique and tasted amazing.

Congrats Linsey!

[Aquarius]

I think Linsey was the right choice to win.  Abby was close, though.  When Duff and Valerie did their final deliberations and said it was within a hairs breadth who should, it was clear to me they meant between Linsey and Abby, and that Alex had already been eliminated in their minds.  (I hope he gets his puppy too.)

I knew Abby was in trouble when she piped that HUGE amount of frosting between her layers.  Still, her cake really was beautiful and she took the challenge seriously, adding the glitter and the tiny little pearls in the florets in order to make the cake special.  I would have been okay with her winning based on this challenge, although I do agree she squeaked by in other challenges and probably should have gone home before the finale.

Linsey did take on a lot of challenging techniques in the final challenge, and her cake tasted good too. 

I love Duff and Valerie as judges.  I will always love Valerie for the way she went into the 'interview box' and comforted Peggy after she was eliminated in Season 2.  But she cemented my undying devotion when she exclaimed "I HATE this!!" during Byrn's elimination, when Bryn was struggling so hard not to cry (I think she probably did).  So nice to see, and I do not think it is one iota fake.

I too miss this show when it is done.  It is one of the few I still watch on Food Network.

[TomGirl]

On 3/6/2018 at 12:45 PM, summerdaze said:

Also, she [Abby] had tons of frosting in between her layers.

I may be alone on this, but tons of frosting is a plus for me.  Especially if it’s a really good chocolate fudge frosting, in which case I can skip the cake altogether!

Glad Linsey won, she’s darling and very talented.

[Chit Chat]

4 hours ago, TomGirl said:

I may be alone on this, but tons of frosting is a plus for me.  

Yes!  I like a little cake with my frosting. ;)

[ChicksDigScars]

On 3/7/2018 at 7:13 AM, Farmfam said:

I have a rather unpopular opinion....Alex wasn't my favorite, not even close. I was disappointed he ended up in the finale, as I think he did just because he was a boy. Bryn, Abby, and Linsey were strong bakers and decoraters the whole season. To me, he was the Matthew from a few seasons ago...keep him because he isn't "that" bad and he has a winning personality. (I found him terribly annoying). 

Yeah, me too. Can we hear ONE MORE TIME that you'e from Canada, kid? Just in case anyone missed it?  I love Canada, but STAAAAAAAAPPPPPPP.

 

I am happy that Linsey won, with the final three that was represented.  It really should have been Bryn, Abby and Linsey at the end. They felt the need to carry a boy to the end, I guess. Not that Alex was untalented. He was far and away the best of the boys. 

 

And the show needs to stop with the twists EVERY week. Watching the kids manage is stressful (yet entertaining) enough. But some of the twists were just stupid. And pointless. Maybe have one once in awhile. And have it make SENSE, not throw something out there just for the sake of having a twist. 

Edited March 9, 2018 by ChicksDigScars

[NJKBCFan]

Linsey tweeted a remake of her winning cake. It is stunning!

Edited March 11, 2018 by NJKBCFan

[LeighLeigh]

I loved Alex and I am Canadian. Still, I found the Canada-push to be too much. They might be testing the waters to set up a Kids Baking Championship Canada. We already have Chopped Canada, Top Chef Canada, etc. Maybe KBC Canada is next.

[Rammchick]

Not sure if you guys will see this but another season of Kids Baking Championship is coming our way in August.

[MerBearHou]

New season starts August 6!

[NJKBCFan]

On 7/19/2018 at 2:34 PM, Rammchick said:

Not sure if you guys will see this but another season of Kids Baking Championship is coming our way in August.

And Season 4 will marathon all day before the Season 5 premiere! August 6!

[NJKBCFan]

Check out the IG accounts for the new bakers from Season 5:

[mlp]

I'm looking forward to this.  I'm not usually a fan of watching kids but I've liked most of the ones on this show.  More importantly, I love Duff and Valerie and the happy, positive atmosphere they've created.  I think KBC will be just the right antidote for the distaste FNS left me with last night.

[Simon47]

There are some really interesting names on here! Mekdes? Enzo? Saylor? Issi? Man, this season will be fun.

[NJKBCFan]

After the first episode, Taylor, Nat and Saylor are my picks to make the finals. There will probably be a boy in there, but none of the boys seem like they have the skills compared to these girls.

[luvapickle]

Matthew broke my heart.  First with a bowtie, so cute. Then crying during the comp. My heart & my eyeballs hurt. Seriously. It's the one thing I truly hate about the kids' shows. There's no crying in kids' reality programs!!! Sorry, I just watched A League of their Own again. From all of their images of work they have done, they all seem very good at the design part. So sometimes I question why their product doesn't look quite as nice on the shows. One-time. I think they should give the kids more time. There is such a thing as edit with these shows. Two-the stress of a competition..  They really could have left that stupid twist out at the end. My only critique would be why Mekdes didn't use actual apples in her filling? Applesauce is a replacement for any liquid when it comes to baking, so she should have known what it would do to the dough in her first batch. But then she only used a very small amount in the filling. I think I smell a little "producing" on the staff part.

*as a side note anyone watching reality cupcakes?