Holiday Baking Championship - General Discussion

[Rammchick]

15 hours ago, Salacious Kitty said:

Didn't both Nancy and Carla wax rhapsodic about Megan's pie? Nancy even gave her the stupid conductor's gesture. 

Oh don't even get me started...

If anyone didn't think Nancy's opinion carried more weight than the other judges', this episode should have cleared that up, once Jesse said, "You know, Nancy hates cranberry...."

Edited Wednesday at 03:35 PM by Rammchick

[ruffy666]

On 11/8/2024 at 7:14 AM, cowgirlwen said:

Another similar flavor is rose.  They always remind us that if they get too much rose extract, their dessert will taste like potpourri.  I can't say I've ever tried it, but it doesn't sound appetizing to me in even small doses.  So why, oh why, do they insist on trying to make it work? 

I'm not typically a fan of floral flavors myself but they are way more prevalent in some cultures (I've seen plenty of rose and violet candies in UK, for instance.  Or rosewater / orange blossom water in middle eastern baking...)

But I literally just visited a semi-local bakery-- coincidentally owned by a former Baking Championship runner-up-- and their rose macaron was actually how I assume they should all be:  lightly perfumed with rose but mostly just pleasantly sweet.  The texture was *chef's kiss*  I'm not sure if it would ever be my go-to but it was enjoyable!

[RoxiP]

Carla actually started the conducting over Megan's pie while talking about how Nancy does the conducting thing.

[Salacious Kitty]

6 minutes ago, RoxiP said:

Carla actually started the conducting over Megan's pie while talking about how Nancy does the conducting thing.

Yeah, she went all kinds of crazy before she gave Nancy the floor.

[dleighg]

So Karen apparently got away with leaving the foil inside her cornucopia. But one of the judges (Carla I think) mentioned that it tasted good. Wouldn't breaking off a piece show what the deal was?

Besides, how on EARTH did she expect to get the foil out -- it was curled up inside!

[libgirl2]

1 minute ago, dleighg said:

So Karen apparently got away with leaving the foil inside her cornucopia. But one of the judges (Carla I think) mentioned that it tasted good. Wouldn't breaking off a piece show what the deal was?

Besides, how on EARTH did she expect to get the foil out -- it was curled up inside!

I thought the same thing and I thought they would have dinged her for that. 

[MerBearHou]

2 minutes ago, dleighg said:

So Karen apparently got away with leaving the foil inside her cornucopia. But one of the judges (Carla I think) mentioned that it tasted good. Wouldn't breaking off a piece show what the deal was?

Besides, how on EARTH did she expect to get the foil out -- it was curled up inside!

Agreed -- I was waiting for someone to mention the foil inside.  That was a design fail, Karen!  The cornucopia looked good but I'm surprised they didn't want to taste it.  

 

[libgirl2]

9 minutes ago, MerBearHou said:

Agreed -- I was waiting for someone to mention the foil inside.  That was a design fail, Karen!  The cornucopia looked good but I'm surprised they didn't want to taste it.  

 

Don't they always say everything should be edible? Then why not eat it? 

[Salacious Kitty]

I don't think they ate any of the toppers. I saw a couple bikers take them off before serving. 

Edited Wednesday at 10:34 PM by Salacious Kitty

[kathyk2]

5 hours ago, Rammchick said:

Oh don't even get me started...

If anyone didn't think Nancy's opinion carried more weight than the other judges', this episode should have cleared that up, once Jesse said, "You know, Nancy hates cranberry...."

Everybody knows that they have to please Nancy. How many times have contestants said they add more alcohol so she can taste it? I like the Summer Baking Challenge because the judges are equal.

[RoxiP]

1 hour ago, dleighg said:

So Karen apparently got away with leaving the foil inside her cornucopia. But one of the judges (Carla I think) mentioned that it tasted good. Wouldn't breaking off a piece show what the deal was?

Besides, how on EARTH did she expect to get the foil out -- it was curled up inside!

I did see Carla eating some of the cornucopia but it looked like a layer peeled (pealed?) from the outside.  Perhaps Karent got all the foil out and she had all that fruit stuffed up inside of it to hide the carnage that inevitably took place from pulling the foil out?

[libgirl2]

3 minutes ago, RoxiP said:

I did see Carla eating some of the cornucopia but it looked like a layer peeled (pealed?) from the outside.  Perhaps Karent got all the foil out and she had all that fruit stuffed up inside of it to hide the carnage that inevitably took place from pulling the foil out?

No, I could see the foil in a close up shot. She put the fruit in front to hide it. 

[MerBearHou]

2 minutes ago, libgirl2 said:

No, I could see the foil in a close up shot. She put the fruit in front to hide it. 

I thought I saw it too!  You know the judges had to know it was there.  Again, so surprised they didn't mention it.

[libgirl2]

1 minute ago, MerBearHou said:

I thought I saw it too!  You know the judges had to know it was there.  Again, so surprised they didn't mention it.

Exactly. It was so obviously there that I was surprised they didn't. 

[mlp]

21 minutes ago, MerBearHou said:

I thought I saw it too!  You know the judges had to know it was there.  Again, so surprised they didn't mention it.

I didn't really have a problem with the foil being left inside the cornucopia.  The toppers were mostly for decoration, not for eating.  It wasn't meant to be sliced and served.

[libgirl2]

1 hour ago, mlp said:

I didn't really have a problem with the foil being left inside the cornucopia.  The toppers were mostly for decoration, not for eating.  It wasn't meant to be sliced and served.

They did eat Meghan's pumpkin though. If it had turned out bad, would they have said anything? Or would it have made a difference. And did they specify that the topper didn't have to be edible? I think they did eat some of them. 

Edited Wednesday at 11:40 PM by libgirl2

[Grizzly]

They did snap some of the chocolate decorations to test if it was tempered. 

I loved Carla's hairstyle.

[libgirl2]

13 minutes ago, Grizzly said:

They did snap some of the chocolate decorations to test if it was tempered. 

I loved Carla's hairstyle.

I liked her hair too. 

[mojoween]

I really need Andre to bring me that pie he made posthaste.  Delna’s sounded awesome too.

The winning cupcakes had sprinkles.  Very upsetting.

[Splashy]

6 hours ago, Salacious Kitty said:

Carla actually started the conducting over Megan's pie while talking about how Nancy does the conducting thing.

 

6 hours ago, Salacious Kitty said:

Yeah, she went all kinds of crazy before she gave Nancy the floor.

And that was still closer to real conducting compared to that nonsense Nancy does. 

5 hours ago, dleighg said:

So Karen apparently got away with leaving the foil inside her cornucopia. But one of the judges (Carla I think) mentioned that it tasted good. Wouldn't breaking off a piece show what the deal was?

Besides, how on EARTH did she expect to get the foil out -- it was curled up inside!

As she was doing it I said out loud, "How are you going to get the foil out?"

 

3 hours ago, MerBearHou said:

I thought I saw it too!  You know the judges had to know it was there.  Again, so surprised they didn't mention it.

Maybe they did, but it got cut during editing for comments they thought were more important to keep?

[40Love]

7 minutes ago, Splashy said:

Maybe they did, but it got cut during editing for comments they thought were more important to keep?

Yeah, especially because they weren't her home. The baker they eliminated was way over his head. Seems like a nice guy... but, definitely not ready for primetime. 

[TVbitch]

Sometimes when Courtney giggles, it sounds exactly like when you press Poppin' Fresh's tummy. 😁

[storyskip]

On 11/12/2024 at 12:06 PM, dleighg said:

I'm always surprised when someone just dumps their "failure" into the garbage can. What if their second try is even worse? Shouldn't you have a backup?

And the guy who dumped his cupcakes (I haven't figured out names yet) then just riffed on his second try-- AP flour instead of cake, baking powder instead of baking soda. Sheesh-- don't you have an actual recipe? Or are you just winging it?

And one of the other guys presented "Linzer cookies" where he was filling the holes with red gel from a piping bag. Sir, that is not how you fill a Linzer cookie!

Editing.

Editing for dramatic effect. I doubt the “failures” are trashed in the genuine timeline. They are most likely “dramatically” thrown out after the bake is completed and the editors just move that sequence to where they want it for the narrative.

[dewelar]

20 hours ago, Salacious Kitty said:

I don't think they ate any of the toppers. I saw a couple bikers take them off before serving. 

...and now I am giggling like mad imagining a couple Hell's Angels types randomly riding in and stealing all the toppers...

[dleighg]

as someone who hates waste, I'm really opposed to these challenges where they spend time and ingredients on something that won't be eaten. Such as those cute little marzipan pumpkins.

On the GBBS airing now, they did some beautiful fall (oops autumn) tarts with elaborate top crusts. They were meant to be eaten!

[carrps]

On 11/13/2024 at 6:22 AM, RoxiP said:

I love a good peanut butter pie so I'm not mad at Megan (?) winning.  

My absolute favorite cream pie. And it's not that easy to find!

[libgirl2]

5 minutes ago, carrps said:

My absolute favorite cream pie. And it's not that easy to find!

I am not a fan of cream pies, preferring fruit. I do like a good key lime but those are harder to find. Back in the day when Denny's had pie, they had a really good one. 

[Rammchick]

37 minutes ago, libgirl2 said:

I am not a fan of cream pies, preferring fruit. I do like a good key lime but those are harder to find. Back in the day when Denny's had pie, they had a really good one. 

Key lime pie is the only "cream" pie I like.  And it's actually so very easy to make.  It's a shame it isn't easier for you to find.

[libgirl2]

26 minutes ago, Rammchick said:

Key lime pie is the only "cream" pie I like.  And it's actually so very easy to make.  It's a shame it isn't easier for you to find.

It probably is easy to make but I am not a baker at all. Maybe one day 🙂

[laredhead]

1 hour ago, Rammchick said:

Key lime pie is the only "cream" pie I like.  And it's actually so very easy to make.  It's a shame it isn't easier for you to find.

If you live near a Trader Joe's they have one during the summer months that is very good, IMO.  Bakers/cooks who make them at home may not agree, but I think it's a good substitute for home made.

 

[LoveIsJoy]

Can someone explain the purpose of the black gloves that (some) of the bakers (sometimes) wear?  Since watching these baking shows I’ve noticed that some wear them when they’re kneading or handling dough.  Others don’t wear them at all.  I even spotted one baker who just had a glove on one hand.

I’m guessing it’s personal preference, but are they meant to keep your hands warm, are they massage gloves for repetitive motions, do they help keep dough from sticking to your fingers, used for sanitary purposes, or something else?

Just a question I had as a non-baker.  Thanks.

[cowgirlwen]

8 hours ago, LoveIsJoy said:

Can someone explain the purpose of the black gloves that (some) of the bakers (sometimes) wear?  Since watching these baking shows I’ve noticed that some wear them when they’re kneading or handling dough.  Others don’t wear them at all.  I even spotted one baker who just had a glove on one hand.

I think it's just a matter of preference.  Black nitrile gloves protect hands from chemicals, grease, oil, and other hazardous materials. They are durable and resistant to punctures and tears, providing excellent protection against abrasions, punctures, and cuts. Additionally, black nitrile gloves are often textured on the fingertips. This allows for a better grip.  The butchers at my local meat market have been wearing them for years.