Spring Baking Championship - General Discussion

[dleighg]

I sure felt sorry for the ones who got the fenugreek. That's a tough one for sweets.

[40Love]

11 hours ago, LexieLily said:

Now there's an Easter Basket Challenge, hosted by Sunny Anderson, on what looks like the same set as all the ____ Baking Championship shows? 

Yes, it looks like the set they did the Girl Scout Challenge on. I can't stand Sunny... but I watched the first half. Sunny was turned down a bit. I think she tries to amp it up when she's around bigger stars like Bobby Flay. She doesn't want to be outshined. 

In the Spring Baking show, I think they sent the wrong baker home. Sorry I don't know names yet... But, the one she was up against showed less imagination in her decorating. No one is turning in hot messes taste-wise, so it comes down to the decorations and hers IMO were lacking. 

 

[MerBearHou]

29 minutes ago, 40Love said:

In the Spring Baking show, I think they sent the wrong baker home. Sorry I don't know names yet... But, the one she was up against showed less imagination in her decorating. No one is turning in hot messes taste-wise, so it comes down to the decorations and hers IMO were lacking. 

I agree.  Verushka (sp?) was at the very bottom on the first pre-heat list; she's in the bottom 2 of the main heat and she doesn't go home?  I don't understand that math -- disagreed with the decision.

[Rammchick]

17 minutes ago, MerBearHou said:

I agree.  Verushka (sp?) was at the very bottom on the first pre-heat list; she's in the bottom 2 of the main heat and she doesn't go home?  I don't understand that math -- disagreed with the decision.

That's why this whole business with the leaderboard is unnecessary.  Unless there is a point system we aren't aware of, it doesn't look like the positions mean anything.

[ShelleySue]

3 hours ago, Rammchick said:

That's why this whole business with the leaderboard is unnecessary.  Unless there is a point system we aren't aware of, it doesn't look like the positions mean anything.

I think it's just for a visual effect but the rankings themselves are meaningless from week to week.  All that is relevant is who gets the advantage in the main bake and who gets sent home at the end of the show. But as far as I can tell the next week everyone starts equal again.

Quick question -- I have never watched Nancy Fuller in anything but these competition shows in which she's a judge. When she is doing her own baking do all of her recipes contain large amounts of alcohol?  I'm trying to figure out if that's what she really likes or if she's just playing if up for these shows, like that's her schtick.

[springbarb]

I'm assuming she's playing it up? It's gotten really old, though.

I wonder if the judges are being a bit lighter on the contestants, or maybe it's just me--at least for decoration. There was one dessert where a lot of the details seemed a little messy, but the judges didn't say a word. And Duff just kind of glided over the poorly done mirror glaze, where before people have gotten hammered for it. It may also be that there are so many contestants still that the judging just goes quickly.

[kirklandia]

I never thought of myself as a baked goods snob  – however, those goofy leaping cows and ridiculous leprechauns just make me want to FF.
I hope the upcoming challenges do not continue to inspire such literal and cartoonish interpretations.

[dleighg]

17 minutes ago, kirklandia said:

I never thought of myself as a baked goods snob  – however, those goofy leaping cows and ridiculous leprechauns just make me want to FF.

I agree. I much more enjoyed the first half with the Holi-- interesting spices, and I loved the interpretations of COLOR that they did. The one who got dinged for just having red I saw coming a mile away. I barely paid attention to the second half. I never in a million years will have an interest in having a leprechaun on my cake. Reminds me of kindergarten.

[susannah]

2 hours ago, ShelleySue said:

I think it's just for a visual effect but the rankings themselves are meaningless from week to week.  All that is relevant is who gets the advantage in the main bake and who gets sent home at the end of the show. But as far as I can tell the next week everyone starts equal again.

Quick question -- I have never watched Nancy Fuller in anything but these competition shows in which she's a judge. When she is doing her own baking do all of her recipes contain large amounts of alcohol?  I'm trying to figure out if that's what she really likes or if she's just playing if up for these shows, like that's her schtick.

I haven't seen Nancy Fuller in anything else either but I noticed that too, that all she wants is the booze. I couldn't believe she kept harping on it last night. I think she should just bag the baked goods and have a bottle of booze and she would be happy. If she is playing it up, she needs to stop. I don't think it's funny or attractive.

[dleighg]

6 minutes ago, susannah said:

f she is playing it up, she needs to stop. I don't think it's funny or attractive.

I agree, but it's become such a "thing" that the contestants and the other judges play it up as well. They should tell EVERYONE to just stop.

[trudysmom]

I am enjoying Laurent, Derek and Jahmal. Although I wonder how long before one of the judges tells Laurent and Jahmal to make something besides an entremee. I really get rattled between all the women with such similar looks, I can't put a face to a name!   They have made some pretty things so far though.  

Edited March 3, 2021 by trudysmom
I can spell, really I can.

[Spunkygal]

It takes me many episodes to put names with faces but I like this season and all the bakers so far. Although I like Jesse Palmer and John Henson as hosts on the various baking challenges and I like Lorraine, I do enjoy the additions of Ali as host and Kardea as judge. It’s good to see some fresh faces. Although I enjoy a good tipple (having one now!), I don’t think booze should ever be an added twist item. It should be a regular ingredient in the pantry and if the bakers want to use it, then ok. So with that said, I was pleased that breakfast tea was offered along with the Irish cream and whiskey as a non-boozy twist choice. Overall, Ive always thought that the twists (if there has to be one) should be a decorative element and not an ingredient. 

[bkathi]

I wish they had switched the challenges - make the St. Patrick's Day challenge the preheat and the Holi challenge the main.  I would have loved to have seen what they could have done with more time.

[CheshireCat]

On 3/2/2021 at 3:58 PM, springbarb said:

I wonder if the judges are being a bit lighter on the contestants, or maybe it's just me--at least for decoration. There was one dessert where a lot of the details seemed a little messy, but the judges didn't say a word. And Duff just kind of glided over the poorly done mirror glaze, where before people have gotten hammered for it.

I don't know what their filming conditions are but one of the contestants for the German equivalent of The Great "insert country" Bake-off posted on Instagram last year that they had 96 degrees in their baking tent. Since the cake needs to be really cold for mirror glaze, it's possible that the contestant just wasn't able to get it that cold due to the circumstances and Duff was aware of that and decided not to make a fuss.

It's also possible that he did say something and they edited it out.

The mirror glaze itself looked fine to me. It just looked like there wasn't enough of it.

[TVbitch]

Agree with some you in that I am here to see beautiful bakes, not whimsical cartoon bakes. ...or bakes made to look like other food, for that matter!

[mojoween]

All mirror glaze does is make me think of Meghan from one of the last baking championships.  That result still bugs me.

Veruschka (sp?) was first in the pre-heat in the first week so maybe that’s why she didn’t go home, because her average placement was higher than Leeann’s?

Madiha’s Holi dessert looked like French fries with mustard and ketchup but it still looked delicious (for the record I hate mustard and ketchup).

It seemed like the Irish breakfast tea worked in the desserts more than the alcohol ones, except for the one heavy hand with the whiskey.

[LittleIggy]

I’ve liked all of the bakers so far. Nobody has stood out as obnoxious.

[Grizzly]

I thought Chantai was going home over Laurent. Her dough was raw, which I guess is not as bad as too dense? Loved how the judges were just as excited as the viewing audience to get bread, a new baked good for the show.

[MerBearHou]

I absolutely thought Chantai was going home and should have.  I don’t get this judging — so far I’ve agreed with the pre-heat winners and been very surprised at the eliminated bakers.  

Edited March 9, 2021 by MerBearHou

[springbarb]

Yeah, was absolutely bewildered by Chantai staying. I wonder if Laurent's poor presentation in the preliminary round fed into it at all?

It was good seeing them do something different. I feel like these challenges have been a bit more mixed up, and I've enjoyed the cute flourished--I don't really want to see some branded tie-in character, but I'm enjoying the cows and bunnies and chickens.

Edited March 9, 2021 by springbarb

[Grizzly]

Yes MerBearHou, the heat winners have been very clear. It's the person going home that has me scratching my head.

Edited March 9, 2021 by Grizzly

[ShelleySue]

I came here to see if I was the only one surprised that Laurent was sent home while Chantel stayed.  I guess that it wasn't just me.

I'm wondering if they are going to have a Passover baking challenge. Coconut Macaroons that incorporate matzo as a twist?

[oldCJ]

11 hours ago, Grizzly said:

Yes MerBearHou, the heat winners have been very clear. It's the person going home that has me scratching my head.

Absolutely agree.

Also, why show the rankings when the person who was at or near the bottom of both challenges stays over people who did well in the first round? It’s so confusing. 

[RoxiP]

Anybody else notice how the host tried really hard to avoid using "Easter"?  Is that now considered an offensive term?  

The French baker seemed really proud of himself but doesn't appear ever to have excelled. He over complicated his bread recipe and it backfired on him.  

Was the winner the baker who left plastic in her preheat?  

[Maya]

33 minutes ago, RoxiP said:

Was the winner the baker who left plastic in her preheat?  

I cannot keep these bakers straight. I need a video of them with their families, or at work in their bakeries, or something, to help me distinguish them from one other. 

A lot of that bread didn’t seem like bread. The one guy even admitted he used donut dough. 

[dleighg]

18 minutes ago, Maya said:

The one guy even admitted he used donut dough

True, but it was a yeasted donut dough. And hot cross buns are somewhere between cake and bread to begin with.

[Grizzly]

5 hours ago, RoxiP said:

Was the winner the baker who left plastic in her preheat?  

Stephanie left the acetate in her dish during the preheat. Natalie won the main heat. She was the one who did a little dance during judging. She wears glasses, Stephanie doesn't.

[laredhead]

I liked the earlier suggestion that their names be printed on their aprons so we can remember who the players are.

 

[theatremouse]

On 3/8/2021 at 7:37 PM, Grizzly said:

I thought Chantai was going home over Laurent. Her dough was raw, which I guess is not as bad as too dense? Loved how the judges were just as excited as the viewing audience to get bread, a new baked good for the show.

To me it played like: her dough was made properly, but not cooked enough. So leave it in the oven longer, would've been fine. And I think they liked the taste? His was executed totally wrong. It's not just the denseness. The way his turned out means he fucked up not only the prep but also the baking.

Don't get me wrong, I expected her to lose based on what we've seen. But I also think it's reasonable they booted him this time. Both results were pretty bad.

 

[TVbitch]

Didn't Laurent come in 2nd in the first challenge? I guess that doesn't count for anything. 

I did not know the white striping on a hot cross bun was a flour paste decoration. I always thought it was a sweet icing. Hey, I learned something! 

[LittleIggy]

Everytime someone said “pray-leen,” I corrected them. It’s “prah-leen”!

[Starry-Eyed]

On 3/9/2021 at 4:12 PM, RoxiP said:

Anybody else notice how the host tried really hard to avoid using "Easter"?  Is that now considered an offensive term? 

Yeah, that was really weird to me, especially considering last episode featured Holi and St. Patrick's Day, both holidays that also have religious origins

[bilgistic]

On 3/9/2021 at 4:12 PM, RoxiP said:

Anybody else notice how the host tried really hard to avoid using "Easter"?  Is that now considered an offensive term?

Considering that the Holiday Baking Championship and Food Network in general has Christmas all over the place starting by early November each year, I'm hedging a safe bet that they aren't "avoiding" traditional Christian holidays. At least two shows have "Christmas" in their names—Christmas Cookie Challenge and Buddy vs. Christmas.

[RoxiP]

2 hours ago, bilgistic said:

Considering that the Holiday Baking Championship and Food Network in general has Christmas all over the place starting by early November each year, I'm hedging a safe bet that they aren't "avoiding" traditional Christian holidays. At least two shows have "Christmas" in their names—Christmas Cookie Challenge and Buddy vs. Christmas.

I did wonder if they did it out of respect for the Muslim contestant (and as a Christian please do not think I am taking offense at them being respectful of her because I'm not).  What was funny was that in the next talking head one of the bakers said Easter.  It just was clear to me that the host was not going to call the day Easter, but instead a day with bunnies.

[Gramto6]

On 3/9/2021 at 8:41 PM, laredhead said:

I liked the earlier suggestion that their names be printed on their aprons so we can remember who the players are.

 

Didn't they used to do that? Also makes a nice keepsake for the chef to take home...

[goldenpuppy]

I couldn’t believe they kept the woman who had raw dough over the guy who was eliminated.

I am having a hard time remembering the women’s names and telling a majority of them apart . They all seem to look similar! Chubby with dark hair pulled up in a bun !  It makes it hard to remember anything  about them ! 

[needschocolate]

I am bad with names, but I have no trouble telling the female bakers apart ... 

The short one with the round face and dark hair

The one with round face and dark hair, who isn't tall

The short, dark-haired one with the round face

The round-faced,  short one with dark hair

The one with the dark hair and a round face who is kind of short

And the dark-haired, round-faced, short one who may or may not wear glasses all the time.

 

 

 

[Adeejay]

Is it my imagination or do all the ladies look alike? How did that happen?  Hard to tell who is whom. 

[Maya]

None of those wedding cakes looked like wedding cakes. 

[Madding crowd]

I thought the Bohemian cake was the worst looking one and it was rated the best! I liked the geode one and the cactus one but I wouldn’t have any of them as my wedding cake.

[susannah]

On 3/11/2021 at 10:02 PM, RoxiP said:

I did wonder if they did it out of respect for the Muslim contestant (and as a Christian please do not think I am taking offense at them being respectful of her because I'm not).  What was funny was that in the next talking head one of the bakers said Easter.  It just was clear to me that the host was not going to call the day Easter, but instead a day with bunnies.

How would not using the name Easter be respectful of the Muslim woman? If she doesn't observe it, she doesn't, just like there are holidays Christians don't observe. What would be disrespectful would be not calling it by name because one contestant is of a different religion.

8 hours ago, Madding crowd said:

I thought the Bohemian cake was the worst looking one and it was rated the best! I liked the geode one and the cactus one but I wouldn’t have any of them as my wedding cake.

I couldn't agree more. It was hideous. Feathers? I thought the geode one was pretty, but as you say, none of them looked like a wedding cake.

[dleighg]

How did they make that "coral tuile"?

And it was clear that doing someone else's recipe (the rosettes) was going to lead to disaster.

[KayVeeTeeVee]

On 3/9/2021 at 4:53 PM, Maya said:

I cannot keep these bakers straight. I need a video of them with their families, or at work in their bakeries, or something, to help me distinguish them from one other. 

A lot of that bread didn’t seem like bread. The one guy even admitted he used donut dough. 

How about embroidering their names on their aprons!

[dleighg]

I was surprised that the desert chic team didn't do succulents. I don't think the cactus theme is particularly "chic." Seems cartoony.

[trudysmom]

I thought that too, dleighg, but with only 3 hours maybe that's all they thought they could do.  I also thought this challenge really slammed home to me that a good cake isn't good enough any more.  Every cake has to have texture, fruit, some kind of curd or gelee.  Why though?  The slices they showed of the cakes didn't look at all appealing.  If they were to do just a really good cake, one filling, and a good icing, they may have had more time to coordinate the size of thier cakes and make them look more cohesive.  I'm really over throwing every flavor, texture or technique at a cake in short amount of time.  

[dleighg]

1 minute ago, trudysmom said:

The slices they showed of the cakes didn't look at all appealing.

particularly one I noticed where, with the ring of buttercream (because it was a half cake) meant that the "filling" was only about a quarter of the way across the slice of the cake, and the ratio of cake to "other stuff" was really small. It looked very strange.

[springbarb]

2 hours ago, trudysmom said:

I thought that too, dleighg, but with only 3 hours maybe that's all they thought they could do.  I also thought this challenge really slammed home to me that a good cake isn't good enough any more.  Every cake has to have texture, fruit, some kind of curd or gelee.  Why though?  The slices they showed of the cakes didn't look at all appealing.  If they were to do just a really good cake, one filling, and a good icing, they may have had more time to coordinate the size of thier cakes and make them look more cohesive.  I'm really over throwing every flavor, texture or technique at a cake in short amount of time.  

I understand why the bakers do this, but so many of their combinations just don't sound at all appealing. I also tend to prefer simpler cakes, though. (And generally I don't like fruit in my cakes, so clearly am not meant to be a judge on these shows.)

And agree on thinking the bohemian cake was the worst-looking of the bunch.

[Maverick]

 This show really needs to stop pretending it's the Great British Bake Off. It's really quite sad.  And induces second hand embarrassment. 

[mojoween]

I was surprised Laurent went home last week but Chiantae really redeemed herself this week.

I was so happy Madiha was paired with Derek because I think it saved her.  Her cake seemed gross to me flavor-wise though but the judges seemed to like it.

I would love to try those Angel food cakes.

OH.  If you put cayenne anywhere near my cake I will set you on fire.

[lh25]

17 hours ago, Madding crowd said:

I thought the Bohemian cake was the worst looking one and it was rated the best!

I really though Duff would ding the one baker for the leaning of her cake.  And the Tropical Opulence bakers really missed the mark, in both flavors and decorations.