Kids Baking Championship - General Discussion

[needschocolate]

It was interesting that Valerie, when she was comforting Peggy, was encouraging her to think of alternatives and then clearly stated, "I can't help you."  Didn't Duff offer suggestions more than once over the course of the show?  Not in this episode, but I thought he'd suggest techniques that he's used.  They both have done the "remember not to make it too sweet!" reminders but for some reason I'm thinking Duff has given a little more active assistance.

 

Maybe Valerie meant "I can't help you, because I have no idea how you can fix this." 

[roctavia]

I took it as she couldn't really make a specific suggestion... but the vague stuff we've seen other times is okay... and they already gave Peggy a big clue in saying, "Are tortilla chips really an imposter?" when she was just going to season them sweetly... so that was a big hint without specific instructions.

 

Either way though, I feel like the ones that get a 'big help' from the judges end up going home that episode anyway... so sort of a "we want you to be able to finish something, but it's likely sending you home." since they'd be going home without the help anyway.

[MerBearHou]

I absolutely love Duff and Valerie as co-hosts. They are so well-matched personality-wise and are absolutely perfect with the kids. They are funny, comforting and offer constructive criticism without crushing anyone.

It was right for adorable Peggy to go this time. I think the compliments for her two dishes were a stretch for Duff and Valerie. All of the remaining kids are great (as was Peggy) so I'm happy for any of the 3 to win. I sure do like Matthew's spirit and humor.

[Frost]

Yeah Rebecca!  Poor Mathew was a cutie but he's a messy baker so his cake never really entered into it.  Yashimabet had some unfortunate events happen.  Her decorating really wasn't up to par, although it sounded like her cakes were delectable.  Rebecca was both ambitious and creative.  I thought she was the clear winner.

[mlp]

I would have been happy with any of the three kids winning if he or she had made the best cake.  Rebecca's was clearly the best so she earned her win.  Duff and Valerie handled the final decision well too.  It was obvious that they didn't want to eliminate any of the kids but they didn't get all maudlin and handled it as matter-of-factly as possible for the kids' sake.  Good job, good show.  

 

I wish I had a time machine which would let me see these kids 10 or 15 years from now.  Yashimabet will probably be working on a PhD, Rebecca will be the most beautiful chicken farmer ever and Matthew will be selling the Brooklyn Bridge.

[Girl in a Cardigan]

Yay Rebecca! After all Matthew's cocky talking heads, I was nervous that he was going to win, but I was happy to see Rebecca's risk pay off! I love Yashimabet, but I'm sad that her perfectionist tendencies didn't serve her in this challenge. I guess I'm going to have to pick up Food Network magazine to see Rebecca's layout and hear all about her chickens :)

[mlp]

Matthew was cocky sometimes but he was never rude or unpleasant.  He was just an outgoing 10 y/o boy with less experience and maturity than the girls.  He's going to be a heart breaker in a few years with his good looks and bright blue eyes.  I would have been happy to see him win if he'd made the best cake - which he didn't.

[LennieBriscoe]

Rebecca deserved the win, but Yashimabet did not deserve to be in the Finale, not with a blatantly sweet "savory cupcake" in the penultimate show. Even in the Finale, D & V tried mightily to make a simple BROWNIE, a SMUSHED Brownie, seem like some kind of feat.

Agree, mlp about Matthew's good looks! He has eyelashes to die for! :-)

Edited February 23, 2016 by LennieBriscoe

[Frost]

Yashimabet did not deserve to be in the Finale, not with a blatantly sweet "savory cupcake" in the penultimate show. Even in the Finale, D & V tried mightily to make a simple BROWNIE, a SMUSHED Brownie, seem like some kind of feat.

 

 

I'd agree, except that Peggy did an even worse job for that challenge.  That's how it works.  Peggy's nachos didn't look anything like her photo because she ran out of time and her cupcakes were not only half as tall as they should be, they were sweet as well.

 

I'm disappointed that none of the shows did breads or something other than desserts.  Baking doesn't just mean cakes, cookies, and pies.

[LizBug]

I'm pleased with the results.  Rebecca had her share of glitches but her end product was better than Matthew's and Yashimabet's.

 

 I keep wondering why none of the kids seemed to test their cakes with a toothpick or straw before pulling them out of the oven.  That's Baking 101.

[Thadeeeyus]

Congrats to Rebecca and the other finalists!  I thoroughly enjoyed this show and I'm going to miss it on Mondays. I hope it was a positive experience for the competitors. 

[NewDigs]

What a refreshing show.

Like many, I would have been happy with any of the three winning.

I've only seen the last 2 episodes but these kids acted better than many "Top Chef" contestants. And it seemed much less frenetic than "MCjr".

[mlp]

I read through comments on FN's Facebook post about the finale and most people were saying the same things we all said here so I hope FN takes note and does this show again in the same way and with the same judges.  The only thing I'd do differently would be to give all the finalist kids something tangible to take home like win-place-show trophies or something.  I guess they're all too old for show and tell at school but I think any kid would like something to display at home.  I also think they should give the two who don't win a FN gift certificate like they do on Chopped.  It wouldn't have to be a lot of money, just something to recognize their not inconsiderable achievement.

[NewDigs]

Boding mine

I read through comments on FN's Facebook post about the finale and most people were saying the same things we all said here so I hope FN takes note and does this show again in the same way and with the same judges.  The only thing I'd do differently would be to give all the finalist kids something tangible to take home like win-place-show trophies or something.  I guess they're all too old for show and tell at school but I think any kid would like something to display at home.  I also think they should give the two who don't win a FN gift certificate like they do on Chopped.  It wouldn't have to be a lot of money, just something to recognize their not inconsiderable achievement.

I agree!

And I felt especially bad when the kids on MCjr had to hand over their aprons. I would have loved to see them take something home and the aprons, and maybe a lovely parting gift, would have been nice.

Hope FN steps up to the plate and develops other Kid stuff. They do it well.

[Grommet]

The whole series was a lot of fun to watch. All the kids were talented and likable. I enjoyed the judges, too.

Rebecca was so ambitious with her cake! It looked great. She really did well for the last two challenges and deserved to win.

[marinite]

On 2/9/2015 at 0:17 PM, BensBritches said:

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!

I teach cake decorating at Michaels in the SF Bay Area, and Payton (pizza boy) started taking classes from me!  He is a really cool kid and I am going to ask him details about his experience on the show.   /claim to fame.

These kids shows are mostly delightful for me, even though they sound scripted and sound bite-ish.  I hate it when the adult show are bickering and backstabbing. 

[autumnh]

Can we please make Valerie go away? I didn't know cooking for your friends and family made you an expert!

[BW Manilowe]

1 hour ago, autumnh said:

Can we please make Valerie go away? I didn't know cooking for your friends and family made you an expert!

She's also written at least 1 cookbook, which really seems to be the criteria for hosting/appearing on FN, & she was a celebrity spokesperson for/participant in the Jenny Craig (I think) weight loss program years ago.

[omophagia]

Caught this on today's repeat marathon, and I was impressed by the quality of the kid bakers' finished work. Any of the top 5 (Cody, Natalie, Jackson, Annika, and Hollis) would have been a shoo-in to beat the season 2 contestants. I wonder why there was such a marked discrepancy in the skill level between the two seasons. Hollis was super intense, but her finished cake was impressive for a baker of any age.

[Thadeeeyus]

I also caught a couple of Season 1 eps during yesterday's marathon. I think I like both seasons equally. I really enjoy this show and it made me want more.  :)

[zxy556575]

I thought the kids were cute and their baking skills about as good/bad as the adult versions. The cupcakes that failed seemed to be because the kids didn't know how to incorporate the additional carnival twist. A couple seemed to pretty much ignore it and didn't get dinged from the judges. It was surprising that the kid whose buttercream frosting broke was in the top three, but I guess it tasted good.

I appreciate that Duff and Valerie get along and seem to have fun together even when they disagree about one of the offerings, Lorraine and Nancy.

Edited January 3, 2017 by lordonia

[mlp]

I'm not a fan of shows with kids but I do like the baking ones.  I think it's because I like Duff and Valerie separately and together and I like that they don't baby the kids and talk down to them.  

So many of these kids reminded me of kids from previous baking shows that I had to go to the FN site and Look at their "bios" to be sure they weren't the same ones only older.  The girl who was eliminated reminded me of very annoying Jane who was just on the Christmas show.  Audra reminded me enough of Hollis who won a previous season to be her little sister.  

The blond girl with glasses said her last name is d'Arabian.  I know Melissa has 4 girls because she says so every chance she gets but I wouldn't think FN would allow an employee's child to compete.  OTOH,  that's a very uncommon last name.

[steven T]

OMG! Cupcakes!  These kids could not even make decent cupcakes or frosting.  I mean that's beginner baking.  I guess all the good kid bakers were in the first 2 seasons because Duff and Valerie didn't seem to like any of them.  The top 3 would've been the bottom 3 on the first 2 seasons.  I can only imagine how the fancy french desserts will come out with this crew.  Doesn't look promising.  The kids are just trying to look cute and say cute adorable thing for the camera, lets not even think about cooking something that tastes good.

[BW Manilowe]

4 hours ago, mlp said:

I'm not a fan of shows with kids but I do like the baking ones.  I think it's because I like Duff and Valerie separately and together and I like that they don't baby the kids and talk down to them.  

So many of these kids reminded me of kids from previous baking shows that I had to go to the FN site and Look at their "bios" to be sure they weren't the same ones only older.  The girl who was eliminated reminded me of very annoying Jane who was just on the Christmas show.  Audra reminded me enough of Hollis who won a previous season to be her little sister.  

The blond girl with glasses said her last name is d'Arabian.  I know Melissa has 4 girls because she says so every chance she gets but I wouldn't think FN would allow an employee's child to compete.  OTOH,  that's a very uncommon last name.

If the blonde with the glasses is Charlotte, then she's probably Melissa's kid. I missed when the kid said "d'Arabian" (but caught when 1 of the boys said something like he lives in a small town next to a big town, next to a bigger town). I remember Melissa saying her daughters' names on some show & 1 of them was "Charlotte" (I don't remember the other 3 girls' names, but they all sounded like they were related to France--which, as I remember, is a special place for Melissa). Plus I also remember Melissa doing an online FN show awhile back which involved her kids--at least 1 is/was a picky eater & the purpose of the show had to do with teaching the girls how not to be picky eaters.

[Ms Lark]

7 hours ago, mlp said:

The blond girl with glasses said her last name is d'Arabian.  I know Melissa has 4 girls because she says so every chance she gets but I wouldn't think FN would allow an employee's child to compete.  OTOH,  that's a very uncommon last name.

That immediately jumped out at me. WTF? And yes, her name is Charlotte and if you watch her audition tape, you'll see good ol' Melissa (who should have never won IMNSHO) and the 3 sisters in the family photo. I call shenanigans on this one, for sure. Especially if she wins -- nepotism at its most obvious. I am beyond appalled.

[justjen]

I like that Duff talks to the kids as actual people and not babies. Like when the one girl got flour in her eyes, he checked to make sure she was alright and then laughed at/with her. I like that the girls this season weren't made up too much. I feel like on the first season a lot of the girls wore heavy lip gloss and full eye makeup, which I just thought was weird and then on the second season with Jane's pig tails (and I'm sure I can think up other examples) the girls looked too young. The 9 year old girl is my early favorite.

The boys. Oh the boys...the taller, dramatic one is too dramatic for me. The one who either has a very strong accent or has a speech impediment could use some subtitles but I like him. The one who is "from a small town, next to a big town, next to a bigger town near the beach" reminds me so much of one of my friends that I need to remember to ask if she has  a baking nephew.

 

ETA: I'm not even eating it and I'm already tired of lemon stuff. Can they ban lemon?

Edited January 3, 2017 by justjen

[EyewatchTV211]

8 hours ago, justjen said:

I like that Duff talks to the kids as actual people and not babies. Like when the one girl got flour in her eyes, he checked to make sure she was alright and then laughed at/with her. I like that the girls this season weren't made up too much. I feel like on the first season a lot of the girls wore heavy lip gloss and full eye makeup, which I just thought was weird and then on the second season with Jane's pig tails (and I'm sure I can think up other examples) the girls looked too young. The 9 year old girl is my early favorite.

The boys. Oh the boys...the taller, dramatic one is too dramatic for me. The one who either has a very strong accent or has a speech impediment could use some subtitles but I like him. The one who is "from a small town, next to a big town, next to a bigger town near the beach" reminds me so much of one of my friends that I need to remember to ask if she has  a baking nephew.

 

ETA: I'm not even eating it and I'm already tired of lemon stuff. Can they ban lemon?

It's all Valerie's fault for admitting how much she loves lemon! I am sick of it, too, especially since I don't even like lemon in real life myself. They need to announce some new flavor that they like.

[KLovestoShop]

I like the tiny Maya, Reese, Kaniya and Audra.   Brooke comes off as a spoiled, pain in the butt mean girl.  When she had the one kid taste her batter and said "mine is better", that sealed her fate for me.  I'm glad she was eliminated.  I was surprised that so many of these supposed talented kid bakers couldn't do a simple cupcake.  If Charlotte is Melissa's daughter, she has no business on this show.  

[Eliza422]

20 hours ago, steven T said:

OMG! Cupcakes!  These kids could not even make decent cupcakes or frosting.  I mean that's beginner baking.  I guess all the good kid bakers were in the first 2 seasons because Duff and Valerie didn't seem to like any of them.  The top 3 would've been the bottom 3 on the first 2 seasons.  I can only imagine how the fancy french desserts will come out with this crew.  Doesn't look promising.  The kids are just trying to look cute and say cute adorable thing for the camera, lets not even think about cooking something that tastes good.

I was thinking that too. I was shocked at how poorly they all did, and can't imagine these kids making macarons or pate a choux...

12 hours ago, Ms Lark said:

That immediately jumped out at me. WTF? And yes, her name is Charlotte and if you watch her audition tape, you'll see good ol' Melissa (who should have never won IMNSHO) and the 3 sisters in the family photo. I call shenanigans on this one, for sure. Especially if she wins -- nepotism at its most obvious. I am beyond appalled.

Oh god, I fear we are close to seeing a Fieri spawn soon....

[AlliePK]

15 hours ago, Eliza422 said:

 

Oh god, I fear we are close to seeing a Fieri spawn soon....

We've seen Hunter with Lard Weasel on their own show last year.  

[steven T]

I just read this newspaper article from Charlotte d'Arabians hometown that tried to emphasize that she got on the show due to her own merits, not being Melissa's daughter which I say is bunch of BS like others have.  I don't understand how the video auditions shows a persons baking ability.  It really only shows their personality which I know is important for tv.  Do the producers just take their the word that they can cook the stuff from the audition and it tastes good?  After the cupcake challenge, personality trumped baking ability.  Hopefully there will be improvement.

[kj4ever]

I was pretty shocked that these kids couldn't pull out a decent cupcake...

Lots to be annoyed with here, but I'm a cranky gen-xer who never had kids so I'm annoyed easily by the little rugrats.

Jason? I think, the one who had the advantage cannot get off my TV fast enough.  He reminds me of that Gibson kid, who won one of the kid shows a few years back and was definitely someone who would have got their ass kicked every day at school back in my day.  

I love the baking shows because I love love love to bake but it seems like the talent pool is getting shallow, both on this show and the last couple of Holiday Baking Championships.  I was way more impressed with the contestants from earlier seasons.

[Thadeeeyus]

I also question how talented the Season 3 bakers are.  For the first 2 seasons, I was floored by how capable the contestants  appeared and watched for that reason.   I will watch now because I've enjoyed the show and was looking forward to it, but now they just seem like regular kids, not baking geniuses. 

[LizBug]

Several of the kids seem to know the jargon and a few specialty things (like that uber-fancy-schmancy frosting) but they don't know basics about making edible cupcakes?  

IMO, they are just too young.  If you can't reach the counter without a stool, you don't belong on this show (or on Chopped Junior).

[TomGirl]

Cole?  Get over yourself.  That schtik is not cute.

My favorites so far are Maya, Audra, Reese and Justice.

Edited January 7, 2017 by TomGirl

[Broken Ox]

On 1/7/2017 at 10:28 AM, DallasGypsy said:

Several of the kids seem to know the jargon and a few specialty things (like that uber-fancy-schmancy frosting) but they don't know basics about making edible cupcakes?  

IMO, they are just too young.  If you can't reach the counter without a stool, you don't belong on this show (or on Chopped Junior).

I was surprised that not just one but at least two made Swiss meringue buttercream (or tried to ... the one girl spilled her eggs). It's not hard but there's enough technique involved in it that most* don't use it on the regular.

However, I agree that the talent to (perceived) cuteness ratio has gotten skewed in casting.

*home bakers, not just kids.

Edited January 9, 2017 by Broken Ox

[Ms Lark]

Well, that was interesting. I wonder if Miss d'Arabian had to throw the challenge to avoid lawsuits against Food Network. Still, putting a FN Star's kid in a competition with a fat cash prize sucks. Especially for the kid who was next in line, but didn't make the cut. Still pissed about that whole situation. Not cool at all.

I like some of these kids, but they can't send the entitled children of privilege off too soon.

[Thadeeeyus]

1 hour ago, Ms Lark said:

Well, that was interesting. I wonder if Miss d'Arabian had to throw the challenge to avoid lawsuits against Food Network. Still, putting a FN Star's kid in a competition with a fat cash prize sucks. Especially for the kid who was next in line, but didn't make the cut. Still pissed about that whole situation. Not cool at all.

This makes me wonder if there wasn't a qualified next-in-line and it was just easy to bring Charlotte in to fill a spot. 

Since the kids were just basically making bundt cakes tonight,  why did they have so much trouble baking them properly?  I don't blame the judges for not eating all that fondant. 

[Iseut]

I was wondering if the ovens were faulty...I'm sure the kids aren't perfect bakers, but for so many of them to have nearly raw cakes, and for Duff to shout "Hey, this just needs to look like a volcano, not a bundt cake!" In the middle of the competition seemed fishy to me.

Either way, i agree that this crop of kids don't seem as naturally talented, or as naturally cute,  as in previous seasons. Some of them are mugging waaaay too hard. I like science nerd Justice and son-of-a-baker Reese (his mom's purse cakes! Whaaaat?!? Amazing). Keniyah does the mugging a little too much, but she seems to be able to back it up with some great baking (and her voice reminds me of the little girl in the old Sesame Street skit. "A loaf of bread , a container of milk, and a stick of butter." It makes me smile).

Edited January 10, 2017 by Iseut

[Ms Lark]

5 hours ago, Thadeeeyus said:

This makes me wonder if there wasn't a qualified next-in-line and it was just easy to bring Charlotte in to fill a spot. 

That's interesting. Although, given all the stage mom-types out there, I'm sure there was no lack of kids being pushed into these types of competitions. Hard to say. We may never know!

 

1 hour ago, Iseut said:

I like science nerd Justice and son-of-a-baker Reese

Me, too! I also like Audra's sense of humor and little Maya for her spunk.

On 1/7/2017 at 4:23 PM, TomGirl said:

My favorites so far are Maya, Audra, Reese and Justice.

I see we are on the same page. Winning personalities.

[steven T]

This episode reinforces the lack of baking skills from the cupcake challenge.  This challenge was just right for them, because they could be messy and unrestrained, but if you overbake or underbake, then there is no point.  No butter for marshmallow treats?  This is baking and cooking at its easiest but they are young.  I guess the bar was set very high the first two seasons.  Still not sure of the qualifications to compete on this show, especially for such a big money prize.  I guess you just have to have personality and hope you can bake something good.

[kj4ever]

Kaniyah and Cole are way above the curve compared to the other ones I think.  Cole looks like a Cullen from Twilight...lol

Jason and Aiden cannot get off my TV fast enough.

The curve is even bigger than I thought.  This challenge should have been perfect for these kids.  I mean season 1 and 2 kids made things like macarons.  You can't tell me they couldn't find kids who could actually bake.  I think I made my first cake when I was like 8 years old.  My Grandma owned a couple of restaurants and I hung out there, so I was a decent little cook.  By the time I was 10 I could bake my own bread and make a complete dinner for my family, so those kids have to be out there.

[LizBug]

Wondering if the producers go to "kid's cooking camps" to recruit the kids.  If so, looks like the camps may not be worth the $$$.

[Aquarius]

I missed the first episode but caught this one. WTH is up with the low baking skills?  I suck so much at baking that I no longer attempt it, but there's no way even I would mess up a Bundt cake as badly as some of these so-called champion level bakers.  I know they're young, but imagine what the contestants in S1 and S2 could have baked for this challenge.

I loved Maya's (?) pink and purple volcano.  Completely unrealistic but really cute and it looked awesome when it was smoking. 

Aidan really annoys me.  That sugar fire he did looked really cool, but I was thinking he would use it whole, maybe spewing from the top.  I didn't like it so much all broken up and stuck in the cake.  I guess the cake tasted really good though. 

Dylin and Cole annoy me too. Is

I like Justice the best personality-wise, although I forget how his volcano was.  And who was the girl who put the chocolate bits in the frosting to look like dirt?  I liked her too and I thought hers looked the most like a volcano.

[justjen]

At least most of the kids this season don't sound stopped up and generally germy. So that's a plus?

[LexieLily]

22 minutes ago, Aquarius said:

I missed the first episode but caught this one. WTH is up with the low baking skills?  I suck so much at baking that I no longer attempt it, but there's no way even I would mess up a Bundt cake as badly as some of these so-called champion level bakers.  I know they're young, but imagine what the contestants in S1 and S2 could have baked for this challenge.

I loved Maya's (?) pink and purple volcano.  Completely unrealistic but really cute and it looked awesome when it was smoking. 

Aidan really annoys me.  That sugar fire he did looked really cool, but I was thinking he would use it whole, maybe spewing from the top.  I didn't like it so much all broken up and stuck in the cake.  I guess the cake tasted really good though. 

Dylin and Cole annoy me too. Is

I like Justice the best personality-wise, although I forget how his volcano was.  And who was the girl who put the chocolate bits in the frosting to look like dirt?  I liked her too and I thought hers looked the most like a volcano.

Is Aiden the kid that went around lurking at everyone's station at the beginning to see what they were baking? What was up with that?!

[LizBug]

Yes, that was Aiden.  His reasoning was that he wanted to see what his competition was doing and then he did something totally different with his mango bunds cake.

[mlp]

I was relieved to see Charlotte go.  She deserved to be eliminated and now I can watch without being half angry because FN allowed an employee's kid to compete in the first place.  I did expect the daughter of a know-it-all to be a bit more skilled.  

Maya is cute.  Cole is rather obnoxious as is Aiden.  My favorite so far is Justice but he shares a name with my granddog so I'm having a little problem with that.  :)

[howiveaddict]

Came here because I saw an episode of this show this weekend. However, it must have been last seasons.  Why in the world did Duff and Valerie keep calling macarons, macaroons?  It drove me nuts. One little girl had a melt down because her macarons fell over when she tried to stack them.

[jcbrown]

This show makes me feel like a terrible person for judging the kids so much.

I find Audra insufferable as she is way too much a Professional! Child! Actor!

Charlotte is just meh and I would like her more if I did not know she was a mini d'Arabian. Why is she made up like a mini Trump? Way too much self-tanner for one so young.

Maya is adorable and seems competent.

I cannot stand either Dylin's stupid spelling of his name or his speech impediment. I am a jerk.

Keili seems okay.

Reese is a well-spoken kid and I like him

Cole is way too intense for me to be comfortable with him. I kinda want to punch him. cf re. jerk.

Kaniyah is adorable.

Aidan is not terrible.

I did not even remember there was a Jason. He is a bit insufferable.

Justice I like and he is beautiful. I suspect he will know that before too long.

I had to keep this post going while I watched the episode. It lasted like 1000 years. Hoping the show gets better as it winnows down the cannon fodder.