Holiday Baking Championship - General Discussion

[eleanorofaquitaine]

16 hours ago, TVbitch said:

I thought Janet should have gone. She has been playing it safe and back of the pack for several episodes.

In the first heat, I think it was either Melissa or Sarah, who said the challenge was kind of like one of her favorite desserts and they flashed a picture of some heavenly looking golden cheesy cake thing --does anyone remember what that was called?

Melissa said it reminded her of a Gâteau Basque, which I've never had but which sounds delicious. 

Edited November 27, 2019 by eleanorofaquitaine

[TVbitch]

Thanks! Oh god help me, there is a chocolate version... 

[RoxiP]

Oh gosh that looks divine!

My dad loved a slice of cheddar cheese on top of his hot from the oven apple pie, so the notion of cheese and desserts doesn't seem foreign to me.  Is that a southern thing?

[Spunkygal]

32 minutes ago, RoxiP said:

Oh gosh that looks divine!

My dad loved a slice of cheddar cheese on top of his hot from the oven apple pie, so the notion of cheese and desserts doesn't seem foreign to me.  Is that a southern thing?

You must be my long-lost sibling! My dad did, too, and I really prefer cheddar on my slice, too. It may be a southern thing. 

[mojoween]

You guys are boggling my mind.  I mean, I did say that I do not even like cheese, but even if I did, I feel like those tastes are so diametrically opposed that they would not go together!

It’s like this old commercial for California almonds that says that instead of ice cream, you should have almonds.  Umm, no, if I want ice cream almonds are a terrible substitute.

[Rammchick]

1 hour ago, RoxiP said:

Oh gosh that looks divine!

My dad loved a slice of cheddar cheese on top of his hot from the oven apple pie, so the notion of cheese and desserts doesn't seem foreign to me.  Is that a southern thing?

My father did too, but I believe it's a New England "thing".

I also make the baked brie en croute, and it's fabulous as an hors d'oeuvre with drinks/wine.  I buy prepared frozen puff pastry, wrap the brie wheel in it and add a tart spread of some kind right onto the cheese -- it depends what I find at the supermarket, but the last time I made it (which was Thanksgiving last year, actually), I used a sour cherry spread.  It really helps to cut the fattiness of the dish.  When you bring that out of the oven, it smells divine and just oozes.  People go crazy for it.

[RoxiP]

1 hour ago, mojoween said:

You guys are boggling my mind.  I mean, I did say that I do not even like cheese, but even if I did, I feel like those tastes are so diametrically opposed that they would not go together!

It’s like this old commercial for California almonds that says that instead of ice cream, you should have almonds.  Umm, no, if I want ice cream almonds are a terrible substitute.

Maybe almonds ON TOP or INSIDE of ice cream.  Not in lieu of.

[eleanorofaquitaine]

1 hour ago, Rammchick said:

My father did too, but I believe it's a New England "thing".

I also make the baked brie en croute, and it's fabulous as an hors d'oeuvre with drinks/wine.  I buy prepared frozen puff pastry, wrap the brie wheel in it and add a tart spread of some kind right onto the cheese -- it depends what I find at the supermarket, but the last time I made it (which was Thanksgiving last year, actually), I used a sour cherry spread.  It really helps to cut the fattiness of the dish.  When you bring that out of the oven, it smells divine and just oozes.  People go crazy for it.

Yes, agreed, though it tends to be more of a Vermont thing than an "all of New England" thing (I'm in Massachusetts). Apple pie with a slice of cheddar is on practically every menu in Vermont. 

mojoween, brie is a pretty mild tasting cheese and as such, doesn't fight with the jam it is often paired with. But regardless, cheese and fruit is not an uncommon combination in general. So no, those tastes aren't usually in competition with each other - in fact, the saltiness of most cheeses usually pairs well with the sweetness of different kinds of fruit. 

[mlp]

4 hours ago, RoxiP said:

My dad loved a slice of cheddar cheese on top of his hot from the oven apple pie, so the notion of cheese and desserts doesn't seem foreign to me.  Is that a southern thing?

I don't know if it's a southern thing or from New England but I grew up in Buffalo, NY, and a slice of cheddar on apple pie was common there.  I've never seen it in the Midwest.

[crazycatlady58]

1 hour ago, mlp said:

I don't know if it's a southern thing or from New England but I grew up in Buffalo, NY, and a slice of cheddar on apple pie was common there.  I've never seen it in the Midwest.

I know some people who put grated cheese in their pie crust for the apple pie.

[Jesse]

Always cheese with apple pie! (Source: am from Massachusetts.)

It's interesting to me how that is dessert (or breakfast....) + cheese, but the brie with jam is a savory appetizer + fruit.

[trudysmom]

3outta5, love your picture, Linda is my spirit animal. 

I can't believe Jennifer's deep fried crescent rolls worked, much less worked so well.  It looked like a mess on the plate, I was shocked that Duff said it looked good.  I've never fried crescent dough, but now I'm tempted to.  I was so sure it was going to be full of grease.

[Mittengirl]

“Apple pie without cheese is like a hug without a squeeze.” I hear this from my mother every time we have apple pie.  She was born and raised in SW Michigan, as were her parents, grandparents and great grands (and more in some cases).  I recall being served an apple pie sample at Costco that was topped with cheddar cheese.  I love them both but, together?  Yuck!

[Pallida]

I seem to remember cheddar cheese on the mock apple pie recipe on the Ritz cracker boxes in the 80s. I have yet to try cheese on apple pie but I’m open to it. 
 

I’m not open to any of those Brie things. Brie is grossssssssssssss. I did like watching them make jam though! 

[susannot]

19 hours ago, mlp said:

I don't know if it's a southern thing or from New England but I grew up in Buffalo, NY, and a slice of cheddar on apple pie was common there.  I've never seen it in the Midwest.

I'm a Midwesterner and my Dad also loved a slab of cheddar cheese atop his apple pie.

[libgirl2]

34 minutes ago, susannot said:

I'm a Midwesterner and my Dad also loved a slab of cheddar cheese atop his apple pie.

Growing up we never ate pie that way, but we rarely had apple to begin with. It never made sense to eat cheese with pie. Now that I'm old and eat toast with jam and cheese, or put syrup on my eggs, I get it.

[Dirtybubble]

On 11/27/2019 at 11:03 AM, RoxiP said:

Oh gosh that looks divine!

My dad loved a slice of cheddar cheese on top of his hot from the oven apple pie, so the notion of cheese and desserts doesn't seem foreign to me.  Is that a southern thing?

I've lived in the south all my life and I've never, EVER, heard of cheese on top of any dessert much less a pie until I read it on this forum.   So it must be a nothern/midwestern/Vermont thing.😃

[theatremouse]

Cheese and fruit in general is an extremely common thing.

[Adiba]

15 hours ago, theatremouse said:

Cheese and fruit in general is an extremely common thing.

Right? Cheese and fruit platters, kabobs, pears and blue cheese--very common and have been around forever.

Personally, even though I'm from the northeast and have heard and seen cheese with apple pie, I do prefer a scoop of ice cream on warmed apple pie.

[Brookside]

I am very confused - are there two Holiday Baking Championships going on?  I'm watching one with Joshua, Pablo, Jennifer, etc.  Who are Jessie, Janet, Melissa?  This forum has gone from discussing the show I've been watching to one with an unrecognizable cast of characters.  Help!

[theatremouse]

Jesse is the host. Janet and Melissa are contestants in the current season, S6. Joshua, Pablo and Jennifer appeared on S4, which may be reairing periodically?

[dleighg]

10 minutes ago, Brookside said:

I am very confused - are there two Holiday Baking Championships going on?  I'm watching one with Joshua, Pablo, Jennifer, etc. 

I think that was season 4? The current season is 6. https://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/holiday-baking-championship/photos/meet-the-competitors-of-holiday-baking-championship--season-6

[Brookside]

3 minutes ago, theatremouse said:

Jesse is the host. Janet and Melissa are contestants in the current season, S6. Joshua, Pablo and Jennifer appeared on S4, which may be reairing periodically?

3 minutes ago, dleighg said:

I think that was season 4? The current season is 6. https://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/holiday-baking-championship/photos/meet-the-competitors-of-holiday-baking-championship--season-6

Thank you guys.  I guess the problem is that the Comcast guide touts old episodes as "New".  Idiots.

[kj4ever]

They sure are marathoning the heck out of all the different seasons.  It's been fun rewatching some of the old ones.

Season 1-3 are very, very good.  Season 4 had it's moments, and I don't think I really finished watching Season 5.  I just FF to the judging, and sometimes didn't make it through that.

I remembered most of my favorites even though none of them won...lol

I loved Bill in season one, Alberto in season two, and didn't really have a fav for season 3, and didn't mind Jason winning.  Season four I loved Joshua, but I also liked Jen.  I just always wanted to eat Joshua's desserts.  Season five just sucked any way you looked at it.

[Brookside]

If Eugene Levy and Christopher Guest ever make a "Best in Baking" movie a la "Best in Show", they could just have Parker Posey study Sarah and they'd have a perfect (over-the-top, way too perky, obnoxious) character.

[Richness]

I think what annoys me about Sarah (other than an adult woman bubbling over with a teen girl personality) is that she talks and gesticulates with her hands non-stop. Granted, I don't dislike her as much as Erin. At least Sarah can bake. Jason country bumpkin stick doesn't bother me too much either.

What I don't get is the dislike for Nancy feeding Jesse, or the size of Lorraine's bites. The former just shows the fondness the two have for each other. If they don't mind it, I don't mind it. And the latter just doesn't make sense to me.

The only judge that tends to annoy me is Duff. His taking a huge bite, then looking up and to the side in an overly dramatic fashion. Furthermore, his commentary fake out is getting overdone too. "I don't like this cake. *dramatic pause* I LOVE THIS CAKE!" Whatever Duff. Just comment directly and be done with it. The contestants are already stressed enough; they don't need you triggering a heart attack.

[dleighg]

I think Melissa got away with murder not being the bottom two. Clearly Janet was going to go, given that she's never been strong, but her decorations were pretty sad!

[RoxiP]

On ‎11‎/‎28‎/‎2019 at 10:50 AM, libgirl2 said:

Growing up we never ate pie that way, but we rarely had apple to begin with. It never made sense to eat cheese with pie. Now that I'm old and eat toast with jam and cheese, or put syrup on my eggs, I get it.

I put syrup on my hashbrowns and eggs when I go to IHOP!  

[gilmourgirl]

On 11/27/2019 at 7:16 PM, Mittengirl said:

“Apple pie without cheese is like a hug without a squeeze.” I hear this from my mother every time we have apple pie.  She was born and raised in SW Michigan, as were her parents, grandparents and great grands (and more in some cases).  I recall being served an apple pie sample at Costco that was topped with cheddar cheese.  I love them both but, together?  Yuck!

Also in Southern Michigan and this is def. a thing there.

[BusyOctober]

Both of my Boston-born and life long residents grandfathers always had cheddar on top of their apple pie.  I personally don’t like it, but even though both gentlemen have been gone for 30+ years, my family still serves a platter of fruit and cheese along with the apple pies during the holidays.  One of my cousins tried a new fangled apple pie recipe one year...the crust was made with crushed Cheezit crackers. It only had one slice taken out of it, and it never showed up again!

Sarah is one is one of those people that I couldn’t tolerate too long.  That kind of perkiness and always “ON!” personality brings out my passive-aggressive gene.  (In all honesty, more light on the “passive”, but “aggressive” turned up to 11).

[Pepper the Cat]

Damn it Janet! I was so cheering for you! So sad to see you go!😿

[MerBearHou]

Ugggghhhh, Sarah the Insufferable...

[littlebennysmom]

Two bakers, Dwight and Janet, chose vanilla cupcakes?  Couldn't believe it, but then thought they were being strategic -- you never know when the mid challenge twist will be "incorporate cloves!" or "include wasabi!"

Dwight is a good looking man, but the hair styled to a point on the top of his head and scraggly beard hanging off his chin seem like an ill advised plan to make his face seem longer.  Unnecessary, his eyes are great, smooth that hair tuft/shave that chin!

[mlp]

I really liked Janet and I was sorry to see her leave but she just didn't have the skills and experience of the pros.  I was surprised they didn't ding her for the panettone.  All she did was hollow it out.  Everyone else used it as flavor in some way.

I have to give Jesse props for carrying off the pajamas.  He didn't even look embarrassed.

[GaT]

The pajama challenge was really stupid. Why have them make cupcakes & then cover a bunch of them with a huge sheet of icing? Why didn't they do this for a cake challenge?

[BigBingerBro]

I know that pull-apart cupcake designs are trendy, but pairing it with Chistmas pajamas was just too much.  Some of them took the challenge way too literally (looking at Sara).  I'm surprised that none of them actually tried wearing the pajamas (besides Jesse).

I see Panettonne every holiday season, but I've never actually tried it.  It just looks so dry.  It was interesting that they added the "no bread pudding" restriction.  Did they really think that the majority of them would have done that?  It would have been better if they were just simply warned that bread pudding wouldn't be considered "championship-worthy".

That was a pretty rough twist.  Janet whined about getting cherry curd, but that could have totally saved her had she executed it correctly.  I have a feeling she checked out a few episodes ago.

[luvapickle]

6 hours ago, GaT said:

The pajama challenge was really stupid. Why have them make cupcakes & then cover a bunch of them with a huge sheet of icing? Why didn't they do this for a cake challenge?

Lol, because that's what pull apart cupcake cakes are. It's mainly for those who don't want to bother with cutting, or in my case I get a lot of families who take them to venues. So it cuts out the cutting & cutting charge.

1 hour ago, BigBingerBro said:

I know that pull-apart cupcake designs are trendy, but pairing it with Chistmas pajamas was just too much.  Some of them took the challenge way too literally (looking at Sara).  I'm surprised that none of them actually tried wearing the pajamas (besides Jesse).

I see Panettonne every holiday season, but I've never actually tried it.  It just looks so dry.  It was interesting that they added the "no bread pudding" restriction.  Did they really think that the majority of them would have done that?  It would have been better if they were just simply warned that bread pudding wouldn't be considered "championship-worthy".

That was a pretty rough twist.  Janet whined about getting cherry curd, but that could have totally saved her had she executed it correctly.  I have a feeling she checked out a few episodes ago.

Panettone should not be dry if made right(Sicilian here). And bread pudding was the first thing I thought they would all do as it is the type that soaks up easily.

[BusyOctober]

Is there  forum for "Holiday Wars"?  I see one for "Halloween Wars" (UGH!  Tater will forever haunt my Halloween nightmares). Thanks!

[TVbitch]

I'm glad they put Janet out of her misery cuz she was just not up to par. ...okay plus it also annoyed me how she forced a laugh after everything anyone said. I'm sure it's a nervous tick, but ugh. 

So far, this season is not blowing me away. 

[libgirl2]

9 hours ago, mlp said:

I really liked Janet and I was sorry to see her leave but she just didn't have the skills and experience of the pros.  I was surprised they didn't ding her for the panettone.  All she did was hollow it out.  Everyone else used it as flavor in some way.

I have to give Jesse props for carrying off the pajamas.  He didn't even look embarrassed.

I liked her too. She reminded me of a childhood friend's mother. I knew she was not going to get thru though. 

I really wish they would add the twist earlier on, not when the things are half baked already! 

[joanne3482]

28 minutes ago, libgirl2 said:

I really wish they would add the twist earlier on, not when the things are half baked already! 

Right. It really was a problem for Jennifer (I think that was her name) who had already filled her cupcakes. Had she known that she could have done it differently. And they dinged her for the two fillings being too similar, well duh. She had a plan and had executed her plan it's not her fault TPTB had her do a second filling and since the cupcakes were almost done it wasn't like she could redo them. 

I'm not a fan of the cupcake cake as Cake Wrecks calls them. 

I was also surprised they liked Janet's pannetone bread bowl thing. I thought she'd get dinged too for just using it as a bread bowl. 

[Deskisamess]

On 12/1/2019 at 3:55 PM, Brookside said:

If Eugene Levy and Christopher Guest ever make a "Best in Baking" movie a la "Best in Show", they could just have Parker Posey study Sarah and they'd have a perfect (over-the-top, way too perky, obnoxious) character.

I'd pay to see that! Love those movies that group does together.

[Deskisamess]

11 hours ago, littlebennysmom said:

Dwight is a good looking man, but the hair styled to a point on the top of his head and scraggly beard hanging off his chin seem like an ill advised plan to make his face seem longer.  Unnecessary, his eyes are great, smooth that hair tuft/shave that chin!

That point makes him look like a cupie doll.

[libgirl2]

22 minutes ago, joanne3482 said:

Right. It really was a problem for Jennifer (I think that was her name) who had already filled her cupcakes. Had she known that she could have done it differently. And they dinged her for the two fillings being too similar, well duh. She had a plan and had executed her plan it's not her fault TPTB had her do a second filling and since the cupcakes were almost done it wasn't like she could redo them. 

I'm not a fan of the cupcake cake as Cake Wrecks calls them. 

I was also surprised they liked Janet's pannetone bread bowl thing. I thought she'd get dinged too for just using it as a bread bowl. 

They almost always look like a wreck. 

[libgirl2]

29 minutes ago, joanne3482 said:

Right. It really was a problem for Jennifer (I think that was her name) who had already filled her cupcakes. Had she known that she could have done it differently. And they dinged her for the two fillings being too similar, well duh. She had a plan and had executed her plan it's not her fault TPTB had her do a second filling and since the cupcakes were almost done it wasn't like she could redo them. 

If I were her, I would have screamed and thrown the cupcakes at the judges/host! 

[Rammchick]

2 hours ago, BusyOctober said:

Is there  forum for "Holiday Wars"?  I see one for "Halloween Wars" (UGH!  Tater will forever haunt my Halloween nightmares). Thanks!

One was requested.  The response suggested we start a thread in Other Competitive Reality Shows.

As to last night's episode, I thought, if I heard Sarah say "PAN-A-TONE" one more time during her talking heads, I was going to reach through the TV and stuff pannetone down her throat.

[Spunkygal]

[BusyOctober]

38 minutes ago, Rammchick said:

As to last night's episode, I thought, if I heard Sarah say "PAN-A-TONE" one more time during her talking heads, I was going to reach through the TV and stuff pannetone down her throat.

OMG!  Me too!  I've never liked panetone, but I fear I will always associate it with Sarah's pronunciation....PAN-a-TONE, and "calm-pOHt" (compote).

Thanks for the info on Holiday Wars too!

[springbarb]

20 hours ago, littlebennysmom said:

Two bakers, Dwight and Janet, chose vanilla cupcakes?  Couldn't believe it, but then thought they were being strategic -- you never know when the mid challenge twist will be "incorporate cloves!" or "include wasabi!"

I couldn't believe Dwight's train of thought--he said that he isn't good at decorating so he was going to...make a vanilla cupcake.

[libgirl2]

22 hours ago, Pepper the Cat said:

Damn it Janet! I was so cheering for you! So sad to see you go!😿

I just got that. Too bad there was no Brad!