Holiday Baking Championship - General Discussion

[dahling]

Semi-professional cake maker here -- and Melissa's cake was a dumpster fire, at least visually.  It was the most embarrassing "winner" this show has had.  Possibly one of the worst things I have ever seen.  

The judges said all 3 cakes tasted good. There is no way on this earth that Melissa's cake tasted so much better than the other two that it overcame its visual deficiencies.

It's television, not taste-o-vision.  Food Network is clearly so embarrassed about this "winning" cake that I can't even find a picture of it on the entire interwebs.  So here are some screenshots. 

Melissa's cake is unpresentable.  I know, time constraints, blah blah blah. I'm not faulting her for making a crappy cake. I'm faulting the judges for crowning it the winner.

 

 

 

[CrazyInAlabama]

My guess is the 'reason for winning' is just as much a put up job, as any other backstory for the contestants.   Especially since the second she won, Melissa said she was getting married the second she went back home, and that sounds like a courthouse ceremony to me.    

The close up of Sarah's cake showed the gaps in the plaid that Duff mentioned.    I liked Melissa's cake, I liked Sarah's cake. 

However, the third one just didn't look elaborate enough for the finals of this show.  Plus, the layers weren't straight on the top.    Jennifer, decorating only the bottom layer with plaid was a fail for me.    I don't see why they don't give them more time.  

Edited December 30, 2019 by CrazyInAlabama

[40Love]

1 hour ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

Especially since the second she won, Melissa said she was getting married the second she went back home, and that sounds like a courthouse ceremony to me.   

That's exactly what she said "We're headed to the courthouse!"

[Frost]

I thought they were all embarrassingly bad from a decorating POV.  The judges from the Great British Baking Show- which has all amateur bakers - would have ripped these to bits.  Plus, the amount of food coloring needed to make cake those colors to match the plaids must affect the taste and texture.   Just a stupid final challenge and a poor result all around.

[mlp]

I didn't think any of the cakes were as good as some from past shows.  If I had gone to a bakery and had to pick one of those for myself to take home, I would have chosen Jennifer's.  The best thing about Melissa's IMO was the bells and Sarah's looked like a flannel shirt plus the red was saturated and black gel or whatever she used turns your tongue black.

[Maverick]

 Forget your tongue. It turns your poop green. Neon green. 

 I've used red food coloring for Red Velvet and don't notice any flavor issues. But too much blue will give a metallic taste since it's made with aluminum. 

 I thought the white cake was the best looking of mediocre lot. 

[mlp]

10 hours ago, Maverick said:

Forget your tongue. It turns your poop green. Neon green. 

LOL  At least nobody sees that.  A few years ago, I made some cute cupcakes that involved black gel for an open house at the clinic my daughter managed.  It ended up with a bunch of veterinarians standing around with black tongues.  Fortunately, they were amused.

[RoxiP]

I think this was a dud final challenge but I disagree that Melissa's cake was not winner worthy.  I think it at least showed some understanding of interesting techniques - the two other cakes just looked sloppy to me.  Her's might be a little messy but at least it showed more technique.

But then I'm not a semi-professional baker, just a consumer...LOL  My cakes never look pretty but they taste good, and I liked Melissa's personality best of the final 3 so I was happy she won.

[Pallida]

Stumbled on this article today from the local paper in Melissa's neck of the woods and thought others might fight it interesting!

https://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/10652923-181/food-network-holiday-baking-champion

This part is particularly interesting from a production side of things:

Quote

Yanc was one of 10 competitors baking furiously during the 2½ weeks of filming at the end of July last summer. They cranked out the eight episodes that were shown in November and December on the Food Network. Each challenge came with a surprise that had been kept secret.

Though she was four months pregnant at the time, Yanc managed to navigate through the 10- to 15-hour production days. She credits the production staff with making the days easier for the competitors. Staff regularly reminded her to drink the water they kept supplied.

 

[LexieLily]

Show starts for season 7 on Monday, but for whatever reason the premiere is two hours long.

[Spunkygal]

17 minutes ago, LexieLily said:

Show starts for season 7 on Monday, but for whatever reason the premiere is two hours long.

Gotta have time for all those ridiculous twists! 😂

[BigBingerBro]

It looks like Carla is hosting?  Did I see right?  What happened to Duff, Lorraine and Nancy????

[Spunkygal]

24 minutes ago, BigBingerBro said:

It looks like Carla is hosting?  Did I see right?  What happened to Duff, Lorraine and Nancy????

Jesse is back as host. The judges are Nancy, Duff and Carla. I guess Lorraine either chose not to return or maybe had travel restrictions.

[BigBingerBro]

34 minutes ago, Spunkygal said:

Jesse is back as host. The judges are Nancy, Duff and Carla. I guess Lorraine either chose not to return or maybe had travel restrictions.

Thanks!  I like Carla for Halloween Baking, but she just desn't scream Christmas to me,,,,,  we'll see

[LexieLily]

22 minutes ago, BigBingerBro said:

Thanks!  I like Carla for Halloween Baking, but she just desn't scream Christmas to me,,,,,  we'll see

I'm not sure why Carla has seemingly been on everything this year, honestly. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

I think a lot of the judging choices are that some are willing to quarantine, and stay sequestered before and during the contests, and I'm betting they filmed back to back for the Halloween, and Holiday contest.    So that way some judges weren't away from home so long if they were only on one show or the other.   

[Rammchick]

1 hour ago, LexieLily said:

I'm not sure why Carla has seemingly been on everything this year, honestly. 

Carla signed a big development deal with the Food Network 😉

[GaT]

On 10/31/2020 at 1:44 PM, BigBingerBro said:

It looks like Carla is hosting?  Did I see right?  What happened to Duff, Lorraine and Nancy????

I'm thinking I won't be watching this, there was so much Carla on the Halloween show, I can't stand the sight of her. Maybe I'll watch the first episode & then decide.

[LittleIggy]

Carla? Ugh. 

[Spunkygal]

I hope Jesse gets his own plate this season since Aunt Nancy won’t be able to fork feed him. He deserves to graduate to the big boy holiday table!

Edited November 2, 2020 by Spunkygal

[Matryoshka]

On 10/31/2020 at 2:10 PM, Spunkygal said:

Jesse is back as host. The judges are Nancy, Duff and Carla. I guess Lorraine either chose not to return or maybe had travel restrictions.

Lorraine lives in London so I'm guessing travel restrictions.

[HyeChaps]

Also, for safety's sake, Jesse needs his own fork.

[Bunnyette]

Nope Lorraine was dumped for Carla.  Lorraine doesn’t have young children so coming over & quarantining wouldn’t be a big deal. Maybe she disagreed with Nancy one too many times.  I’d rather they had dumped Nancy.  I just hope Carla tones it down...I am starting to dislike her.  I liked Lorraine and her honest evaluations as well as the way she wasn’t afraid to disagree with Nancy.  

[GaT]

20 minutes ago, Bunnyette said:

I just hope Carla tones it down...I am starting to dislike her. 

I am way past the "starting" stage.

[susannot]

I used to like Carla but now she is so full of herself.  I dislike the schtick of her giving out "dudes" to contestants.

I love how Kess rose so effortlessly to the top.

 

I also like Santa from Atlanta.  And how cute is it that Jamaal thinks he will find a boyfreind by appearing on the show, because the way to a man's heart is through his stomach.  Maybe Santa can introduce him to some nice men since they are both from Atlanta.

[The Bullpen]

1 hour ago, Bunnyette said:

Nope Lorraine was dumped for Carla.  Lorraine doesn’t have young children so coming over & quarantining wouldn’t be a big deal. Maybe she disagreed with Nancy one too many times.  I’d rather they had dumped Nancy.  I just hope Carla tones it down...I am starting to dislike her.  I liked Lorraine and her honest evaluations as well as the way she wasn’t afraid to disagree with Nancy.  

 

Any source for this??  I had assumed it was travel restrictions when I started seeing commercials for the new season.  I too like Lorraine and her matter-of-fact forthrightness.  I will miss her.  But I don't mind Carla; I think her critiques are smart.  And she may be "A Lot" at times, but she's not hosting here.

 

Agreed that there are some fun, cute contestants this season!

[LexieLily]

Recorded but haven't watched yet. Was tonight actually two hours or one hour of new show, plus a recap show, like it was for the first few weeks of Halloween Baking Championship?

[Grizzly]

Jesse gets a seat at the table! I don't mind any of the judges. The contestants all seem good with their flavors. And the twist wasn't too difficult. But that poor girl with her raw chicken. How did she waste all her time?

6 minutes ago, LexieLily said:

Recorded but haven't watched yet. Was tonight actually two hours or one hour of new show, plus a recap show, like it was for the first few weeks of Halloween Baking Championship?

First hour was preheat and second hour was main heat. So all new.

Edited November 3, 2020 by Grizzly
Clarity.

[LexieLily]

5 minutes ago, Grizzly said:

First hour was preheat and second hour was main heat. So all new.

Thanks!

[Spunkygal]

That was a good episode! Lots of good bakers, Jesse moved to the big boy table with his own utensils, the twist wasn’t ridiculous and I’ve totally perfected my “hit the mute button” technique for commercial time. Next week’s episode is 1 hour.

[CheshireCat]

I felt that the hats were far too complex for the little time that they had, especially the specialty hats, but really all of them. Usually when they have more complex task, there are a few bakers who still do a great job and impress me but none of the cakes impressed me this time around. They all looked somewhat sloppy and/or not clean and/or rushed (which is understandable given the time constraints).

I thought that Jon's cake was the one that looked like a knitted hat the most (he nailed the colors and the pattern) and it was a bit odd that he wasn't part of the top two after the judges made a point of pointing out how his cake looked warm and fuzzy just like the cake.

What was it with all the bakers and the 2 inch layers or however tall they were and these teeny-tiny bits of frosting in between? And why did none of the judges comment on the cake-frosting ratio?

I'm not a fan of alcohol in cakes but aside from that, I liked most of the flavor combinations, especially in the pre-heat.

[The Bullpen]

Jesse IS very likeable, huh?  Happy he literally gets a seat at the table this time around. However, the camera angles with him and the judges all sitting at a rectangular table were odd. And it seemed like they all felt a bit awkward having to turn their bodies so much in their chairs to face the bakers.  It certainly looked awkward, anyway!

[mlp]

I was so relieved!  After watching Holiday Wars last night, I was afraid they'd spoiled this show too.  I was very happy to see that little was changed and the few changes were just fine.  The Covid precautions were barely noticeable.  When I saw the ranking system, I wondered if someone was reading comments here as that has been suggested several times over the seasons.

I like all the bakers so far and I thought they sent the right person home both times.

Did anyone catch where Kess said she was from originally?  She has a peculiar accent that sounds a little like baby talk.  

I've always liked Carla but I'm into Carla overload now.  I miss Lorraine.  I love Duff so I'm glad he was able to do the show.

[CheshireCat]

2 hours ago, mlp said:

I like all the bakers so far and I thought they sent the right person home both times.

Agreed.

 

Quote

I've always liked Carla but I'm into Carla overload now.  I miss Lorraine.  I love Duff so I'm glad he was able to do the show.

The fact that Lorraine often times seemed nit-picky and now Carla was the one who found a little something wrong with every cake makes me wonder if they get instructions. (Or maybe they just edit the comments weirdly?)

I love Duff, too. I feel like he's the most objective and gives the best constructive criticism.

[Rammchick]

2 hours ago, The Bullpen said:

Jesse IS very likeable, huh?  Happy he literally gets a seat at the table this time around. However, the camera angles with him and the judges all sitting at a rectangular table were odd. And it seemed like they all felt a bit awkward having to turn their bodies so much in their chairs to face the bakers.  It certainly looked awkward, anyway!

I was going to comment on the same thing.  Shooting him from the right side made him look like Zippy the Pinhead.

Ok, we get it, Nancy, you're a lush.  Can we move on now?  And forget anyone using any colors besides red and green because that's not "holiday".  Sheesh.

Two hours of rolling my eyes... I have to go rest now.  But glad to see that almost everyone did well.  They seem like a good crop of bakers this season.

 

[GaT]

2 hours is too long.

I basically FF'd through Carla

Was the strange table their idea of social distancing? They looked liked they were only a foot apart.

[Guest]

4 hours ago, GaT said:

2 hours is too long.

It is a bit long, but I didn't mind it for a first episode. It gave more time to meet more people before someone got the boot. And since they did eliminate someone at the end of the first hour, it wasn't just wasted time.

I was amused when Jessie was about to announce the winner of the pre-heat and they were showing closeups of the contenders, for some reason Megan had wind in her hair. I guess she was standing under a vent or fan, but it made her look like she was in a hair commercial or on the runway XD

I'm not a fan of gushing over the host, particularly when it's followed by "but I'm married", so I was a little put off by Julianna at first. But she won me over with her awkward cuteness. Really all of them seem pretty cool this time, and in the final hour, no one got seriously dinged on their actual cake flavors/textures until Kristina's underbakedness (which made it pretty clear she was out) - so this is encouraging!

[Deskisamess]

Those were some of the ugliest cakes I've ever seen on a competition show. I'll be rooting for Kess.

Nancy, ugh. Enough with the drinking comments. Can.not.stand.her.

During the first challenge, I said to my husband, he'll (Jonathan) go home. Adding an egg to already mixed batter is going to ruin it.

[Texasmom1970]

I guess Nancy needs bright colors on whatever they make so she can see it through her booze goggles; big lush.

[Claire85]

I already like this one better than the Halloween baking show. I’m glad Jesse gets a seat and a plate all his own! I’ve always thought they should let the hosts eat as well. 

[NYGirl]

I loved having Jesse back and I'm even happy to see Duff and Nancy but I'm so sick of Carla.  I would even have accepted Zach or Stephanie ..anybody but her.

I didn't like that hat option.  None of them looked like hats..ugh.  I called the bearded guy going at the very beginning.  That poor girl with the raw chicken..ugh.

At least there are actual bakers and not just cake decorators this year.  I like that.

As an aside a friend's daughter went to culinary school for baking.  Her cakes taste terrible but they are beautiful!  I like a nice fresh cake and you need to bake them days before so they can be properly decorated.  Plus she charges an exhorbitant amount for each one. 

[Spunkygal]

13 minutes ago, NYGirl said:

I loved having Jesse back and I'm even happy to see Duff and Nancy but I'm so sick of Carla.  I would even have accepted Zach or Stephanie ..anybody but her.

I didn't like that hat option.  None of them looked like hats..ugh.  I called the bearded guy going at the very beginning.  That poor girl with the raw chicken..ugh.

At least there are actual bakers and not just cake decorators this year.  I like that.

As an aside a friend's daughter went to culinary school for baking.  Her cakes taste terrible but they are beautiful!  I like a nice fresh cake and you need to bake them days before so they can be properly decorated.  Plus she charges an exhorbitant amount for each one. 

If your friend’s daughter’s cakes don’t taste good, they clearly don’t have enough bourbon throughout! 🤪

[CrazyInAlabama]

I liked the double elimination, but I'm glad after this it's one hour only.    Sadly, I feel sorry for the first two eliminated, but the judges picked the right ones.     I was surprised at the good bye hug between Jon and Jonathan.      I think a lot of the hats looked great.  

[mojoween]

Lorenzo said “peh-cahn” and “pee-can” and I appreciate someone who can split the difference.  Also a toasted coconut cranberry cake sounds like an absolute dream.

Jon’s fiancée is way cute and his dog is adorable so I picked him as my favorite for no other reason.  Got nervous after the first round, and also irrationally angry because Aubrey’s criticism was worse than his.

If the show is called Holiday Baking Championship, your dessert looking like Thanksgiving rather than Christmas should be a-ok, should it not?

It gets cold enough to wear earmuffs in Texas?

Kristina was SO EXCITED to get the turkey hat she called it a chicken, and then made a chicken.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I think the chicken hat and cake should have been a little more tan, so it looked cooked, not raw.   

Yes, they can get snow and blizzards in Texas.   

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, mojoween said:

If the show is called Holiday Baking Championship, your dessert looking like Thanksgiving rather than Christmas should be a-ok, should it not?

Oh my lord, seriously. I don't mind Nancy that much usually, but that made me twitch a bit. They've often had early episodes in a season center around Thanksgiving (or fall in general), which I appreciate since I don't like going whole-hog into Christmas right after Halloween.

[mojoween]

And the funny thing is that the girl who put that awful yellow bow on her wreath didn’t even need it, because her colors were red and green, just not bright BRIGHT red and green.

To me Holiday Carla seems like a whole different person than Halloween Carla.  I like Holiday Carla better, I think.

[springbarb]

5 hours ago, tracyscott76 said:

Oh my lord, seriously. I don't mind Nancy that much usually, but that made me twitch a bit. They've often had early episodes in a season center around Thanksgiving (or fall in general), which I appreciate since I don't like going whole-hog into Christmas right after Halloween.

Nancy annoys me and it's for exactly this reason. More fall than the holidays? I literally swore at the tv.

[LittleIggy]

Duff is my fave! I was dreading Carla, but she wasn’t so over the top here. Always good to see cutie Jesse. His hat joke made me groan and laugh. Megan reminds me of Jennifer Garner. I wanted to taste so many of those cakes.

[Lady J]

13 hours ago, Texasmom1970 said:

I guess Nancy needs bright colors on whatever they make so she can see it through her booze goggles; big lush.

Really, I would keep Carla, and send Nancy  packing.