Category: baking shows

Baking Championship Next Gen Season 1 Episode 6: Mith Reacts

February 11th, 2026

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“COOOOORN!” – Emmett

“Now, we need to figure out this corn situation.” – Maci, panicking

“Who’s scared of corn? It’s just corn.” – Duff, observing

“Friendship bracelet” cream puffs. Apparently, friendship bracelets are trending right now? I had no idea. I can’t even keep up with what’s on trend anymore; I think I stopped noticing ten or fifteen years ago. Apparently, skinny jeans, side parts, and ankle socks age you now. Trends come and go so quickly. Like, Kardea was wearing bell-bottoms in this episode. Those were big in the ‘90s, when I was a kid! And I guess they’re back again now?

Aging millennial rant moment: I vividly remember how popular 1960s style was in the ‘90s: bell bottoms, door beads, inflatable furniture, lava lamps, daisies and peace signs, et cetera. When I was a kid, thirty years ago was ancient history! Comparable to like the Civil War or the invention of the automobile. How funny it was, that trends from thirty years ago were popular again. Now, I’m thirty-six, and trends from thirty years ago are resurfacing once more, but this time I remember the last time they were around. It’s so dizzying.

A couple years ago, I was walking through the mall with my kids, and saw a teenage boy wearing a “My Chemical Romance” t-shirt, and I thought to myself: “wait! That band belongs to my teenage years!” and then I realized that, back when I was a teenager, kids were wearing “Nirvana” and “Metallica” t-shirts, which at the time felt like a very “old” and “vintage” thing to like. Bands from the ‘80s! How retro, how cool! Because Metallica was big in the eighties and Nirvana was big in the early ‘90s → I was in eighth/ninth grade in 2003-05 → so an approximately an twenty-to-eleven-year difference. Similarly, MCR was big in 2004-08 → this kid at the mall was rocking a MCR shirt in 2024 → a sixteen-to-twenty-year difference there. It’s no different from the trends when I was a teen. Wait. Wait, wait, wait. WHAT?!

Getting old is so whack!!

Anyway, back to the youths, and the baking.

Friendship bracelet cream puffs. With a “choux your own adventure” twist, announced halfway through the bake.

I have a love-hate relationship with the Twists on these Baking Championships. Love them because they keep it interesting and keep us on our toes. Hate them because they tend to ruin the flavor combinations that I was already looking forward to. And this week, it was definitely more of a “hate it” scenario. Because most of the teams changed their plans pretty drastically. So instead of a twist, it felt like a completely new challenge was introduced halfway through.

I thought Abigail and Kenneth’s plan for a coconut cream puff with white chocolate ganache sounded stupendous! And I like dates (more than the average person, actually, I really like dates), but adding the date paste and changing the topping to royal icing completely threw them off. Jovie and Lenore did a 180 from passionfruit to ube. Maci and Emmett were going to do London Fog cream puffs (not my cup of tea, but interesting flavor choice, I was here for it!), but then they got stuck with corn as their twist ingredient?! Wisely, they decided to change plans entirely, because a tea-corn cream puff would just be weird. I guess with a cream puff, unlike in a cake, you don’t really have room for more than one or two flavors, so you have to be discerning.

The “corn situation” was, imo, the great drama of Episode 6. Corn was definitely the most adventurous ingredient out of the six on that table. Emmett seemed really excited to have received corn as their twist ingredient (lol), but it did require them to completely regroup. It was nice to see little Kenneth, the midwestern farmer kid and resident Corn Expert, inspecting the kernels for Maci and Emmett and advising them about the flavor profile of corn – that might have been my favorite moment this week! They ended up making it work, albeit at the expense of their decoration. I’m just glad they pulled through.

And glad to see Genesis and Akbar win this week! We knew, going into this week, that they were masters of cake, so I was curious to see how they’d do with a non-cake challenge. And they nailed it! Their décor was actually some of the most effective out of all the teams’ (the way they did white topping and black letters for the “letter bead” cream puffs made it read very authentic; I was surprised that they were the only team who did this).

But, sad to see the Bow Gals Harper & Holland go home. I’m sure we haven’t seen the last of them; they have real star quality. I was so not surprised to learn that they are Swifties who’ve attended the Eras tour not once, but twice. So cute. And the way they cooperate so seamlessly as a baking team is really impressive, especially for kids that young. What even happened to their filling, though? Am I crazy, because I swear I did see Harper filling those cream puffs. Where did it go? The case of the disappearing ricotta chantilly. I guess it will remain unsolved.

Oh, and can’t not mention Leia and Kiera! They did great with their flavors this week, which was nice to see. Strawberry pastry cream and yuzu curd sounds like a delicious combination – I actually like that better than their original plan to do strawberry-mango. For once, their flavors got better feedback than their decoration! Clearly, they can do both. I still think these two are going to win the whole thing.

I haven’t yet written about what I would do for this challenge if I were on this show, which has apparently become a thing that I do, so here goes. I’ve never made cream puffs, but, being me, I’d probably want them to be filled with chocolate. If my sister and I were baking together, we’d probably do either chocolate or coffee flavor, since we’re both coffee drinkers, and for the twist ingredient – I think ricotta would have been the most fun to work with. You could do like a tiramisu flavor.

Each team also had to do a little “slogan” written out on their cream puffs, something to represent their team (we had “wolf pack” for Kenneth and Abigail; “rock rats” for Jovie and Lenore; “luv 2 bake” for Leia and Kiera; “soul sibs” for Genesis and Akbar, etc.). What slogan would my sister and I put on cream puffs, if we were on this show? The only thing that comes to mind is “Twilight Zone” lol, because that was how we used to refer to our family home, back when we still lived at home with our parents in our teens and whenever we’d come home during our college years. Like, whenever someone in our family did or said something weird, awkward, annoying, or triggering, one of us would look at the other and just start humming the Twilight Zone theme song. Growing up in the Twilight Zone was a pretty defining aspect of our lives and our sibling relationship.

What would you guys do?! Tell me!! On to this week’s Stats:

Superlatives from the judges: 0 (Running Total: 4)

Kid who most deserved a hug: Maci, when she was panicking about the corn situation.

Kid who most deserved a high five: Also Maci, for finally managing to create a delicious, sweet, cereal-milkish pastry cream out of fresh corn, even though it took two tries.

The dessert that I would most have liked to eat: Genesis & Akbar’s winning tahini-strawberry cream puffs. In my family, we’re really big on PB&Js, and I personally love sesame flavor, so this sounded like a really great one to me. I also appreciated that they opted to keep the strawberry flavor they’d originally planned, and swirl the two pastry creams together. Very bold choice, and it paid off well.

What do we think?! Leave me your comments!
Baking Championship Next Gen Season 1 Episode 5: Mith Reacts

February 4th, 2026

CAUTION: SPOILERS for this episode of BCNG!

Breakfast imposter challenge: at first, I wasn’t too excited about this episode. Just like Genesis, as all the kids were jumping about and shrieking with glee upon hearing the theme, I was nonplussed. Imposter desserts are not my favorite thing. I like cakes that look like cakes, and imo the whole “is it cake?” trend has gone way too far. But, this was honestly really impressive. These kids did way better than I expected them to. It was cool to see what they could do.

What would I do for this challenge if I were on the show?: No one did a bowl of cold cereal. A cake made to resemble a bowl of Froot Loops or Fruity Pebbles would have been fun. You could do a white confetti cake for the sponge, and top it with rainbow feuilletine, or like miniature cookies or something, then a vanilla glaze to look like milk. For the two side dish desserts, I think a soft-boiled egg bonbon would be really cute: like a vanilla mousse with a truffle center, inside a white chocolate shell. All of which sounds really fancy, so I’d probably do something simple for the last item, like a slice of pound cake “toast” with coffee flavoring (for the surprise coffee flavor twist that the kids had to do) and like yellow buttercream “butter.”

What would you guys do??

Also, I know I’ve said before that I’m not really as into the kids’ version of these shows – but, I’ve realized, one thing I really like about the kids’ baking championship: no one bakes with booze! Not a drop! As a non-drinker, it’s always disappointing for me to see how much alcohol gets used in dessert-making: couldn’t eat that, couldn’t eat that either. But on this show, all the desserts are fair game!

My silly little thoughts:

– Leila & Melody: When Melody was dumping the coffee flavoring into their apples, and Leila was freaking out screaming at her to stop, I was sitting there going: “let her cook!!” because last week when Melody had a crazy idea and Leila tried to stop her, Melody ended up being on the right track and actually should have done even more. Unfortunately, this week, Leila’s instincts were right; the coffee flavor in the apples just didn’t work out. I am bummed to see these two go home, because their little interviews were always so entertaining; I loved their chaotic energy. But it did seem fair; their cake tasted burnt, and their “sausage” treats were “too sticky.” I’ll miss you, girls!

– Maci & Emmett: Their second win?! These two are ones to watch. Their desserts aren’t as visually spectacular as Leia and Kiera’s, nor are their flavors as outstanding as Gensis and Akbar’s, but they have that magic ingredient of consistency that judges on these shows always love. Their three desserts were all really good; Maci and Emmett were, in fact, the only ones who served three good desserts. Although, I will say, big thumbs down to Duff and Emmett’s little comedic back-and-forth about vegetarian bacon being so “gross.” The Morningstar Farms soy bacon is actually really delicious, and objectively way less “gross” than strips of greasy fatty swine flesh, thanks very much. Emmett gets a pass for this because he’s a child (and a sweet, adorable one at that!), but Duff, as a foodie adult – come on now.

– Abigail & Kenneth: Abigail so wanted to win! And they came so close. Sweet little Kenneth did such a good job on that “parfait” all by himself, and Abigail’s “avocado toast” with the two-tone green buttercream was astounding. She’s not messing around anymore: I fully expect this team to win next week, with how determined Abigail is. Jovie agrees with me – she said this week that she thinks Abigail and Kenneth are her fiercest competition.

– Harper & Holland: Crisis averted! Harper accidentally dyed their rice pudding an unfortunate shade of pink! It looked nothing like oatmeal – more like raw ground turkey. Little Holland was pissed, lol. Then Harper had the idea to add just a drop of black food dye. Black?! “NO,” I was shouting at the TV, “not black!! what are you doing?!” but, lo and behold – it worked! That dish came out looking exactly like oatmeal! Just goes to show I know absolutely nothing about baking and cake decorating! Way to go, Harper! These two are so precious, I love to see them do well – and their flavors sounded delicious too.

– Genesis & Akbar: Massively impressed with these two once again. They weren’t even looking forward to this challenge, but their “stack of pancakes” cake looked so good – and so real! And the way they got those sugar cookies to look like sausage patties – I did not see that one coming. Too bad they forgot to put the coffee glaze on one of them, and too bad they didn’t have time to do the meringue for their egg; but the rest of their work was outstanding.

– Leia & Kiera: Once again, blowing everyone else out of the water with their decorating skills. That “bagel breakfast sandwich” was a work of art, visually, and their milk jelly + coffee ganache “sunny side up egg” was technically insane work! How on earth did kids this young learn to do that?! Unfortunately, their donut was underbaked, and the fondant filling didn’t add much to the flavor. They do err on the side of pretty rather than delicious. These two need to team up with their friends Genesis and Akbar – with their powers combined, these four would be unstoppable!

– Jovie & Lenore: Another good week for these two. That pate a choux bun looked exactly like a cinnamon roll! And their cheesecake “parfait” sounded delectable. Keep it up, Jovie and Lenore. This is my husband’s favorite team – he has a soft spot for “weird” people (obviously, considering that he married me). So I kind of hope they win, because he’ll be heartbroken if they get eliminated.

Stats:

Superlatives from the judges: 2: one was Duff to Leia and Kiera “best egg imposter ever”; and the other was Duff to the whole group, “some of the bet I’ve ever seen”. (Running Total: 4)

Kid who most deserved a hug: Kenneth, when he and Abigail came in second instead of first. “I dreamt of winning,” he said wistfully, but with resignation. Poor thing! Next week, Kenneth. My money’s on next week.

Kid who most deserved a high five: Genesis, for producing yet another “phenomenal” sponge. She mentioned adding buttermilk and sour cream to her lemon-blueberry cake, to make it extra moist. They have not baked a bad cake yet. She may not have quite the decorative finesse of Leia and Kiera (no one does), but what’s more important is, that girl seriously knows what she is doing with cake!

The dessert that I would most have liked to eat: Harper and Holland’s “oatmeal” imposter: coconut rice pudding with crumbled coconut macaroons and coconut-macadamia brittle. Or maybe Jovie and Lenore’s cheesecake “parfait.”

What do we think?! Leave me your comments!
Baking Championship Next Gen Season 1 Episode 4: Mith Reacts

January 28th, 2026

CAUTION: SPOILERS for this episode of BCNG!

Puzzle piece cakes: this week, the teams were challenged to create cakes in the shape of puzzle pieces that fit together. Each team was assigned a different flavor, and each individual baker got to solo-decorate a piece of their team’s puzzle – so, for the first time, we got to see individual bakers’ talents shine.

My Silly Little Thoughts On This Week:

I love the idea of decorating a cake in honor of your sibling. It made me think: what would I do, if I were on this show and on a team with my sister? I hope we’d be assigned chocolate; Jovie and Lenore, who won the draw and got to assign flavors, chose the correct answer. IMO, if a cake’s not chocolate, it’s got some explaining to do: it had better be really interesting, and really special, and compensate in other areas. Chocolate covers a multitude of sins, and is a relatively hard flavor to get wrong.

But the decorations were the interesting part this episode; I liked seeing how each teammate chose to represent their sibling. I think if it were me, and if I had the skills to decorate a cake (which I absolutely do not; realistically, the only baking competition show I might have a chance on is Nailed It!) – I’d like to represent my sister with like a lace design of some sort, maybe using a stencil and powdered sugar, because my sister’s always been really good at dressing up, crafting, sewing, decorating, needlework, that sort of thing. To top it off, I’d try to do a wildflower arrangement in a mixture of ivory- and dusty-rose-colored buttercream, fondant, and modeling chocolate: wild roses, dogwood flowers, blackberry blossoms, mountain laurels – a nod to where we grew up and her love of the outdoors and native plantings. Then I’d probably try to place a chocolate ukulele on top of these, because my sister loves music as well – she also plays guitar and piano, and likes to sing. And maybe a little stack of fondant books to set beside it, if I had time, because she’s very literary. My sister is way cooler and more accomplished than I am, and also a much better baker, so no doubt her cake half would look better than mine, if we were on a team. All the younger siblings’ halves were messier, so I guess that tracks.

What about you, what would you do for this challenge, readers?

My highlights of this week:

– Maci telling us that she was gonna let Emmett choose the shape of their cake, then immediately proceeding to shoot down his suggestions, and deign to offer to consider the last one. LOL. Siblings really are alike all over. Everyone thinks we youngests have it made (and we kinda do), but in some ways we do get the short end of the stick.

– Genesis and Akbar once again producing an incredible sponge – these two just can’t be stopped, with cake, apparently. Their flavors and textures never miss. Even though they were in the bottom two, they really stood out to me again this week; they pulled it back together and got the thing done even after one of their cakes dropped on the ground (!). And little Akbar did a really impressive job on his decorations – that golden hibiscus flower looked professional.

– Poor Harper and Holland! Their nice, girly, should-have-been-pretty-in-pink raspberry cake turned gray?! Due to some chemical reaction? I Googled it, and apparently it’s a reaction between anthocyanins (the raspberry’s natural pigment) and the cake’s alkaline ingredients (baking powder and/or soda). Wild! Note to self, never dump fresh raspberry puree in a cake batter. I felt so bad for these sweet girls, because they were already bummed about getting stuck with raspberry – a flavor they like, but just weren’t prepared to work with. Luckily they pulled through.

– Leila and Melody created one of my favorite cakes, visually. That little cookie pizza looked incredible, and it blended nicely into the beach scene of the other portion, matching the vibe while still standing out as its own section. I’m glad these two did well; I enjoy their chaotic banter.

– “Corn is our good luck charm,” – Kenneth and Abigail. I just love these two so much. Also – weight lifting at fourteen?! How are all these kids such overachievers! You know what I was doing at fourteen? Doodling in notebooks, and listening to divorced dad rock, and feeling sorry for myself. The diametric opposite of these two strong, wholesome rays of sunshine. Abigail and Kenneth’s parents should write a parenting book. I would read it.

– Jovie and Lenore also produced an incredible cake. Even though it wasn’t as technically flawless as Leia and Kiera’s, I actually liked its appearance a little better: it had so much personality, and so vividly captured the two sisters as characters.

– Speaking of Leia and Kiera: it’s not even fair anymore lol, these two are on a completely different level. Amazing work – that wood grain around the “garden box,” and those tiny little vegetable toppers? I strongly suspect these two have a future as Food Network stars. Because she is a child, I can even forgive Leia for pronouncing it “marscapone,” even though this peeves me when adult bakers do it.

– Bummed to see Abby and Cameron go home, though. (Where did their filling go?! It just seeped into the cake!) I’m especially going to miss seeing little Cameron – what a delightful child! He was so funny! So much positive energy and confidence. I just know he’s going to do well in whatever he does.

Superlatives from the judges: 0 today (running total: 2)

Kid who most deserved a hug: Melody, because she knew they needed to add more strawberry to their cake – more puree! More syrup! More powder! – but Leila straight up wouldn’t let her. Then, at the judging, Duff commented on how they needed more strawberry flavor. I see you, little sis!

Kid who most deserved a high five: Kenneth, for being so nice to Cameron after he got eliminated. “You did insane! Keep baking!” What a gem. I already commented last week on how Abigail was similarly encouraging to a competitor, so I really think these two are just proper Good Samaritans.

The dessert that I would most have liked to eat: Leia and Kiera’s cookies and cream cake with mascarpone marshmallow whip. Duff seemed to think the filling was “too sweet,” but so be it; this was one of the boldest and most interesting decisions this episode. Well-deserved win.

Friends, what do we think?! If you’re watching, leave me your comments!
Baking Championship Next Gen Season 1 Episode 3: Mith Reacts

January 21st, 2026

CAUTION: SPOILERS for this episode of BCNG!

“Your marshmallows have become one with the universe.” – Duff, judging Abby and Cameron’s s’mores empanadas

Week three: vacation desserts. The teams were assigned to bake desserts inspired by things they’ve eaten while traveling.

This got me thinking. What would you make for this challenge?

Like last week, I’m at a loss. I’ve traveled a fair bit (nowhere near as much as Harper and Holland though, damn! 15+ countries before they’re even twelve years old?! As I said to my husband: oh, they’re rich rich) – but as you know, I don’t really eat a lot of sweets usually. So, I don’t really have any “vacation dessert” associations in my memory banks.

There was in fact only one trip that I took that happened to coincide with a rare, more permissive, sweet-eating phase of my life: a trip to Germany in ‘09. I was a complete fatass on that trip, and I’m actually not just making fun of myself this time; I was literally quite fat, at my highest weight ever. This was during what I now refer to as my “revenge fat” phase, which occurred in between two restrictive periods, like a very drastic pendulum swing, and was just a really horrible and depressing time in general, and is making me depressed to even think about. So, to get to the point, I consumed a lot of things in Germany… so many things.

Nutella, for one. In ‘09, Nutella was still a rather uncommon thing in my part of the US, not yet mainstream; so seeing it everywhere in Germany was very exciting, and my fat ass inhaled a lot of it. It was in vending machines! It was on my host family’s breakfast table every morning! It was wherever I went! It was like my only friend, on that horrible Godforsaken trip! So, yeah, maybe I’d make something Nutella-themed. Some kind of Nutella-filled pie or tart. What about you?

Anyway, back to the kids. Out of nine teams, three did Florida-inspired desserts. That tracks, considering the age range of these contestants; they’re in their peak Disney era. Then we had two France, one London, one Hawaii, one Arizona, and one Washington, D.C.

The D.C. one came from Abigail and Kenneth. They were my favorite this episode (shh, don’t tell Food Network, I don’t want them getting sent home next week), not only because D.C. is the only one of these locations that I’ve actually been to, but also because I really sympathized when they said “we don’t travel much,” because they stay too busy on the farm. Humble, simple folk! Country mice in the big city! Love it. I kind of hope they win the whole thing now.

Although, good luck beating Leia and Kiera. Everyone named them as their #1 fiercest competitor, and it’s plain to see why. Those passionfruit eclairs looked phenomenal! Those girls know what they’re doing, that’s for sure.

Time to complain now! Maybe I’m being cynical here, but when Harper and Holland went up for judging, and little Holland kept talking about the “Unique” Jack – I kind of suspected that her sister and/or her parents or someone had told her to say it that way, because it would look so cute. Is it just me? Was that acting? These girls just seem too precious to be real, lol I almost get the impression that they’re acting. Well, whether it’s an act or not, they’re doing a fabulous job; they’re obviously very much in their element in front of the TV cameras.

A bummer of an outcome this week. Both of my husband’s favorite teams were in the bottom two. I was surprised that Jovie and Lenore got such negative feedback; that galette des rois looked like it had turned out beautifully, didn’t it? I kinda feel like the judging was maybe a little too harsh on them because the judges expected more from last week’s winners?

And then, poor little Taanvi and Kavya going home. It was fair enough – their chai-spiced macarons did basically disintegrate, unfortunately – and they handled it very gracefully, without any tears. I will miss them and their goofiness.

Enough complaining, time for stats:

Superlatives from the judges: 0 (running total: 2)

Kid who most deserved a hug: Abigail: when Abby (of Abby and Cameron)’s caramel burned, and Abigail came up and was trying to be encouraging and friendly like “that happened on my mom’s brand-new stove one time!” and Abby was just like “… oh… great.” LOL I’m sure Abby was probably just really flustered in that moment, and probably trying to think of what to do next, but I felt bad for poor Abigail, getting brushed off like that.

Kid who most deserved a high five: Genesis, just because I loved her positivity. The judges were disappointed that the jalapeño didn’t come through in their cupcake, but Genesis just seemed really steady and glowing and focused on the compliments they got on their mango sponge. Also, really bold choices: not only baking with jalapeño for the first time ever on a TV show, but also using that bright blue frosting! I just love her confidence, and she clearly knows cake.

The dessert that I would most have liked to eat: It was going to be Abigail and Kenneth’s cherry tart, but the judges said that it was kind of lackluster and needed another element; so, guess I’ll have to go with Leia and Kiera’s passionfruit eclairs with coconut ganache. Normally I’m not big on tropical flavors, but these just looked and sounded really special, with that flaked coconut on top. I’ll be very surprised if they don’t win the 25k. On to next week. What did you think? Leave me your comments!
Baking Championship Next Gen Season 1 Episode 2: Mith Reacts

January 15th, 2026

CAUTION: SPOILERS for this episode of BCNG!

Posting this a day late, sorry! Can you believe I completely forgot that this show was on last night? It’s hard to believe, but I simply forgot about Baking Championship because (a) as mentioned, I’m just not quite as excited about Next Gen as I usually am about baking shows, and (b) my husband and I were super immersed in the finale of a different show (more on that forthcoming).

So, last week was the “tryouts,” and now the real competition begins. It was nice to see the set looking all bright and bold and exciting again. Last week it definitely looked kind of, well, not there yet, and I was feeling mildly disappointed; but now, at last, it looks like the Baking Championship set that we know and love.

Family favorite desserts, decorated to give a nod to family traditions. What would yours be? This is sad, and embarrassing to admit as a SAHM, but: my family doesn’t really have any such desserts.

My parents – neither of them have a lot of cozy childhood memories, whether of food or just in general, I think. There was a lot of sadness in their home lives. And, being boomers, both of them have always been deeply entrenched in diet culture. So, ours wasn’t exactly a “grandma’s chocolate chip cookies”-type household.

The only sweet treat that I remember being made semi-regularly in my childhood home was my mom’s chocolate fudge, which I’ve written about on here before. I’ve tried to make this fudge myself exactly one time, as an adult, and it failed epically. So I don’t feel I’ve earned the right to say that I’d re-create that on TV.

My husband didn’t inherit any special recipes, either. His mother, who’s an artist and decorator, prefers other hobbies over being in the kitchen, and his father, according to the stories I’ve heard, just slapped together all kinds of manly dishes like pork chops, meat loaf, mushrooms, and sauerkraut, but didn’t make desserts. So, my husband and I, we just don’t come from those kinds of families.

Which feels shitty, because I feel like I ought to be that kind of mom, and I’m failing if I’m not.

Now that I have my own kids, I do bake with them occasionally. I’m trying to make it happen. I would really like to have some Traditional Family Recipes that my kids will remember with nostalgia one day… but, for us, it’s just not like that. Not yet, at least.

In our house, baking is always kind of… an experiment. It’s not like we bake tried-and-true recipes because we want the resulting product. It’s more like a time filler – “let’s try this for fun” – or a specific, targeted seasonal/educational activity, like when we made apple pastry “roses” on St. Thérèse’s feast day, or gingerbread cookies at Christmas.

As much as I love to watch baking shows, in my own daily life I kinda struggle with the idea of baking, tbh; it just doesn’t seem practical. All that money spent on ingredients, all that precious time spent, all that mess made in the kitchen, just for an end result that, if it even gets eaten, won’t provide us with much nutritional value. I know it’s not a great way to think, but as someone with creative Te in socionics, I have a really hard time doing stuff that doesn’t have a greater purpose or serve some function. “So what” is a question I’m always wrestling with. It can be kind of demotivating.

Probably the only actual dessert that I “bake” semi-regularly nowadays is a summer berry icebox cake that I make every year around the Fourth of July. I love it because I’m a terrible baker, and an icebox cake doesn’t actually require any baking, hahaha. So, maybe I’d recreate something like that, for a “family recipe”-themed challenge, if I were a contestant on this show: blueberries and strawberries with white chocolate and vanilla layers. Maybe I’d decorate it with some Catholic theme, like arranging the berries in the shape of rosary beads (kind of like the edible rosaries that I make with the kids every year on the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, out of stuff like Cheerios and M&Ms). Curious to know what you all would make for this challenge!

Anyway, enough about me. This week, halfway through the challenge, Kardea invited the kids to join her in a short “dance break,” and whoever had the best moves ended up winning five extra minutes for their bake time. This would have been unbearably cringey if it were adults, and I kinda take issue with rewarding the bakers for something entirely not baking related… but with kids, it was pretty funny. Cameron from Philly ended up winning – “I locked in,” he said proudly afterwards, which made me giggle like a maniac. But Abby and Cameron didn’t really end up needing the extra five minutes for their chocolate chip blondies, so Cameron passed the prize on to Leila and Melody, who were struggling to finish their chocolate-raspberry-pistachio cake in time. How gracious! What a little gentleman. And it really helped Leila and Melody, because they spent that extra five minutes making that pink cake look gorgeous. With those raspberries perched pertly on top of the little buttercream swirls. Well done, girls.

It’s funny: I’m not as into this show as I am the adult versions, but my husband actually seems to like it better. He likes that there’s no angst and melodrama, lol. (Imagine that!) And he’s really rooting for Taanvi and Kavya, the goofballs. (Kavya especially reminds him of our younger daughter, our goblin, who’s always bouncing around and asking random questions like that: “what happens if the cameraman needs to go to the bathroom?”) When they were in the bottom two, my husband literally had to hide his face behind a pillow until it was over, so full of dread was he at the thought of them going home. Thankfully, they made it through to next week.

Although, I feel bad for Olivia and Norah. I was pretty sure it was going to be them going home, I mean, come on. Two and a half hours and all they produced was a mediocre cookie. (What a shame – chocolate cherry thumbprint does sound phenomenal, and the presentation was about as fancy as could be for a simple cookie!) But, the fact that they were the only ones who refused to dance in the dance break – lol, I related to that so hard. That definitely would have been me.

Also of note this week:

– Genesis and Akbar. After struggling through the challenge and barely finishing with some rather sloppy decorations, their German chocolate cake ended up being one of the best-tasting on the set. These two seem to really know their stuff!

– Leia and Kiera obviously brought their A game again, with that stunning little Meyer lemon cake that looked like two adults made it. I think they might actually be adult professional bakers in clever disguises.

– Taanvi and Kavya did peaches again. Second consecutive peach dessert. Do you think this will become a thing, for them?

– Little Harper and Holland with the berry-flavored whipped cream was a peak baking show moment.

– And, can we talk about Abigail and Kenneth? How much butter did he put into their cake? He didn’t know! “What do you mean, you don’t know?!” LMAO, do you think they’re like that at home? Their little tractor design on their cake was so cute though, and no one commented on this particular detail but I loved the black and yellow sprinkles around the bottom border. Very original. What a team, what a delight: Kenneth the little ray of sunshine with a lisp, and tough, take-no-shit farm girl Abigail. I love these two, and would happily watch a reality show about their life on the farm.

Which brings us to nine teams remaining. Next week, I’ll try to be on time. Let’s go:

Superlatives from the judges: 1, Duff telling Harper & Holland that that was the “best looking kladkakka he’d ever seen” (running total: 2)

Kid who most deserved a hug: Genesis, after accidentally baking her chocolate cakes with no dry ingredients! The way those things bubbled and gurgled in the oven like they’d come to life, lol. For real though, I’ve done this before, and it’s devastating.

Kid who most deserved a high five: Cameron, for passing on his “Five Extra Minutes” to Leila and Melody.

The dessert that I would most have liked to eat: Definitely Jovie & Lenore’s Cherry Cream Cheese Pie. I might be misusing the modern slang here, because I’m at that age now, but I’m pretty sure today’s youth would say that Jovie and Lenore “ate and left no crumbs.” Gooey cherries, nice thick cream cheese filling layer, and graham cracker crust. With the little guitar on top! This one spoke to my heart. I might just try to copycat this at home — next time I find a good-enough reason to go to all the trouble of baking something.
Baking Championship Next Gen Season 1 Premiere: Mith Reacts

January 7th, 2026

CAUTION: CONTAINS SPOILERS for this episode of BCNG!

Alright, here we go. Baking Championship: Next Gen – this one is sort of a wild card, for me.

I typically do not watch kids’ baking competition shows. I’ve tried, but it just doesn’t grab me. They’re just a little too wholesome and clean, for my taste; as you know, I live for the drama, the angst, the intensity. In kids’ versions, the judging is, of course, always gentler, and the bakes less technically impressive – although, at the same time, it’s also more impressive, in a way, because all these literal children are such better bakers than I am! It does make me feel a bit inferior, lol, which, in that way, makes it actually more depressing to watch! And also, it just feels more senselessly cruel, when the kids get sad. If an adult breaks down in tears over baked goods, it’s sad but it’s also relatable, dramatic, compelling, and draws me in as a viewer. But when a kid cries on reality TV, my maternal instinct can’t really take it – it just feels bad. Nothing fun about it, not at all. So overall I find the kids’ versions of these shows less enthralling and satisfying; they activate a whole different emotional spectrum in me than the adult versions.

But I decided to watch this one anyway. Why, you ask? Well, two reasons: one, I don’t have any other baking shows right now (why did they stop making Sugar Rush?! Why did they stop making Zumbo and Nailed It!?). And as you know, I’m addicted to baking shows, so even a less-satisfying one still fills the void. (“Are you liking this at all?” my husband asked me, halfway through tonight’s episode, sensing the dissatisfaction emanating from me, as only a partner of 10+ years can. “It’s like park coke for Kendall Roy,” I replied. Which reference is super inappropriate for a discussion of a kids’ show, but, whatever, this is still Mith’s blog.)

And, reason number two: as you may have noticed, I haven’t been posting on this blog as much in the past week, which is because I’ve decided, in my free time, to try my hand at writing some Middle Grade fiction! Which is something I haven’t done since I was middle grade age myself, and I feel kind of rusty on it; what are kids that age even like?! So, I’m kind of treating BCNG as research, as a way to study how kids this age actually behave and talk and interact. (Even when I was that age, I was hardly a “normal kid,” lol, so I honestly have no clue.) Why write middle grade, then, you ask? Your guess is as good as mine. It’s so unnatural for me – so much action, so little rumination! The minds of kids this age are fascinating. I don’t have any kids in the 8-14 range yet – my oldest is only five – so they’re kind of a mystery to me. This should be a learning experience.

So, Mith, you may be asking, what are your thoughts on “Next Gen” thus far? Well… I guess it’s not un-fun. As mentioned, I just don’t really click with middle grade. But it will hold me over, I guess, until Spring Baking returns. And there are things that I like about it. The bright and airy set and the back-to-basics challenges are refreshing after all the holly jolly madness of Holiday. And, of course, I like all of the contestants so much.

It’s so hard to pick a “favorite” contestant, when the contestants are children. All of them are so precious. However, one of the teams that stood out to me the most, and I guess you could call them one of my “favorites,” did, predictably, end up being one of the two that got sent home first. The Curse of Mith’s Favorite strikes again! I’m so sorry, Liam and Michael. Those two were adorable, and such a good team; I loved their positivity. They were such “dude bro,” “tough guy” types while still being so warm and good-natured and sweet. The way they supported each other! Their parents have clearly done a good job (and they have two other boys, as well!). I hope these two don’t lose that energy as they grow up. As adults, they will be the very picture of positive, healthy masculinity!

I guess their elimination was fair, though. Their yellow cupcake was apparently “tough,” and their apple pie just did not work out. I was literally shouting at the TV: just re-start your pie dough! Why did they not just chuck that mess in the bin and start over?? Lord knows I’ve been there before, with pie dough – too wet, add more flour, then it’s too dry so add more water, then too wet again, add more flour… dude! Just start over! It would’ve saved you time, and it’s not like there’s any shortage of ingredients, on the Baking Championship set. And then, unfortuntately, their decorative toppers didn’t look like much of anything, and the apples looked dry.

That was too painful. It does make me wonder: are they allowed to use recipes on this show? I still don’t know. I was actually watching a livestream on Instagram the other night with Charles, Ashleigh, and Alyx from Holiday Baking, and people kept writing into the chat asking if they were allowed to use recipes on the show, but Alyx insinuated that they were not allowed to answer that question. Weird! If these kids aren’t allowed to use recipes, that’s intense – and makes it even more impressive when they succeed. It’s impressive either way.

But speaking of dry pies, there were at least three of them this challenge! Abigail and Kenneth’s peach pie didn’t have enough goo. Abby and Cameron’s apple pie was just as dry as Liam and Michael’s. And Leila and Melody straight up drained all the goo off their pecan pie – the best part of a pecan pie! Wild. Although, I could really relate to big sis, when at the end of the episode she was wondering aloud why on earth she had done that. When I’m anxious or under pressure I make stupid decisions as well.

My other “favorite” team (if you can call it that) is still in the game. Harper and Holland! What darlings! Are they like that in real life, I wonder, or are they playing it up for the camera, with the matching bows and blond hair, the alliterative names, and the sugary, outgoing sort of Disney star vibes. They’re so cute! (Also, their parents have great taste in names: Holland and Harper are two of my favorite “guilty pleasure” girl names, i.e. names that I wouldn’t use on my own kids but absolutely adore on other people’s kids.) Also, these girls created my personal favorite dessert in both challenges: the vanilla cupcake with chocolate ganache filling and that delectable-looking peanut butter-chocolate buttercream, followed by the S’mores Pie – a chocolate pie in a graham cracker crust with a toasted marshmallow topping. And watching little Holland’s reaction when they sliced the pie and the piece came out cleanly – delightful! What a great moment. She’s hilarious.

Little Holland also had the most one-liners this episode. After Duff and Kardea called their cupcake sponge “tight,” she told her sister: “It was tight – maybe we should take it to the gym so it can stretch!” LOL. And then, after they made it to the end of the episode without getting sent home, she goes: “I’m like screaming! My whole body is so excited!” Lol I’m weeping. You’ve got to love the way kids think and speak; it really sheds light on the bizarre truth that people, all people, really are just babies with experience.

My sweet husband kindly watches these shows with me, even though they’re not his cup of tea (his cup of tea is sci-fi, fantasy, and horror), as you guys know if you read this blog; and his favorite team is Taanvi and Kavya. Because they are goofballs, and remind him the most of our girls (ages 5.5 and 4.5), who are also goofballs. Being a Southerner myself, I do like that they did a hummingbird cake for their cupcake – and their spicy black pepper peach pie was a bold move.

Speaking of peaches and the South, I’m also keeping an eye on Jovie and Lenore. They’re here to represent the weird kids, they said, and as a weird kid who also wore purple hair and a necktie at that age, I salute them. Had you ever heard of Seth Thomas before? I had not, and judging by their reaction when Kardea knew what it was, probably most people don’t. I do wonder why their band is named after a brand of clock; probably an inside joke. Ah, I remember being that age and having inside jokes. My middle school BFF and I used to joke about starting a band and calling it “Dying Irish,” which was a whole inside joke that I haven’t even thought about in years if not longer. Which, wow!, see?!, this whole “middle grade research” project is apparently working already — waking up my inner 8-14 year old! Unearthing all those horrible deep core memories! Maybe I should go listen to some Hoku and Vitamin C to really complete the experience.

I was super bummed that Clara and Amelia’s berry pie was too tart. Raspberry-blueberry-blackberry sounds like an incredible flavor combo, and their decorations were some of the smartest (half lattice, half pie crust cutouts). Also noteworthy for me are Abigail and Kenneth, the farmer kids from the Midwest. Their dynamic as a team is hilarious! I laughed every time they were on the screen. Same with Genesis and Akbar (who absolutely killed it with that sweet potato pie, btw, stunning work) – the bossy big sister/sensitive little brother situation. I also really like Abby and Cameron from Philly – I was relieved that they made it through the pie challenge even though their apple pie was off. I guess their Chai Latte cupcake was good enough to keep them in the running.

Well, until next week then. I don’t normally watch kids’ baking shows, so I don’t really know what kind of stats to count and what tropes to look out for. If you have any suggestions for stats we should keep track of this season, or if there’s anything else you want to talk about, let me know in the comments. For now, let’s just do the following:

Superlatives from the judges: 1, Kardea to Leia and Kiera, “one of the best key lime pies I’ve ever had”

Kid who most deserved a hug: Liam. Why did Kardea not come out to give him a hug and a pep talk?! That’s like her whole thing! She must have been busy somewhere else, because Kardea is the sweetest woman on TV, there’s no way she could have seen that happening and not come to his aid. It killed me to see the poor kid so upset and no grown-up come out to help him.

Kid who most deserved a high five: Holland, for that beautiful slice of S’mores pie.

The dessert that I would most have liked to eat: Easily, said s’mores pie. Duff said it was “a skosh loose,” but ain’t nothing wrong with that if you ask me; I’m never one to complain about a nice jiggly chocolate pudding.

Mith’s official prediction for the winning team: Leia and Kiera. With those decorations – the little hazelnut truffle heart on their cupcake, and those fancy little whipped cream swirls filled with raspberry puree on top of their key lime pie – they are pretty clearly on another level! It almost seems unfair. I’m eager to see if any of the other teams can catch up.
Holiday Baking Championship Season 12 Final: Mith Reacts

December 24th, 2025

CAUTION: SPOILERS for this episode of HBC!

This finale… you know, tbh, this really kind of taught me something about myself.

My whole life, I’ve scoffed and shaken my head at sports fanatics, the types who get so pumped about Their Team, who take it so personally, and become seriously down and depressed if Their Team plays a bad game. I’ve always looked at people like this and chuckled and thought to myself: “lol why? It’s literally just a sports game?” But then… but then! I took a look at myself watching the Season Twelve Finale of Holiday Baking Championship, and I was humbled. I get it now. I am no better than those die-hard football fans. This was personal. I needed Charles to win.

As I’ve mentioned time and again: Charles, in addition to being just a really cool and fun-to-watch contestant, is from my hometown. Like, one of my high school friends had a part-time job at the country club where Charles is executive pastry chef. So that’s like, what, four degrees of separation, between me and Charles. I practically know him. I’ve never seen another contestant on one of these shows from my hometown. So obviously I’ve been rooting for him since day one, with more enthusiasm than I’ve ever rooted for a baking show contestant in any show.

And it was so important to me that he win this. I really needed this, this year. It’s not been the best December ever, for me. One of my closest friends unexpectedly died last week (one of exactly two that I had), so I’ve been really down about that. And there’s been financial stress, on top of the stress of being mom to four little kids and trying to make ~Magical Christmas Memories~ happen for them on a tight budget while grieving and just managing normal life stuff, like keeping everyone fed and clean, which is already a freaking challenge in itself even without the holidays and the grief.

It’s been a lot of little stupid things, too. Like, since we moved into this house six years ago, I’ve been wanting to put Christmas lights up outside, but we were having an issue with the outdoor electrical, and it’s just never happened; and this year, we got the electrical figured out and we were finally going to do it – we got a late start, with all the money stress, but we did it, we bought the lights, and my husband hung them up carefully, following all the instructions on the little Command hook thingies, and they were up, and it was going to look so great… but then, at the very first rainfall, the Command hooks failed and the strings of lights just straight up fell off the house. Just lying there in the dirt in the rain. Which was pretty depressing.

It’s been a lot of things like that. So, I just really, really wanted and needed Charles to win this episode.

And, thank God!! My champion won! Finally, some good news.

Man, the tension! I couldn’t even watch, at the end, when they were about to call the winner. I was so sure they were going to give it to Ashleigh. I was squeezing my eyes shut, bracing myself. It just felt like they’d been building up to this. And often, on this show, they seem to prioritize narrative over accurate judging, which drives me insane.

But not this season! Thank God! I keep saying that over and over, lol perhaps I’m being dramatic, but this win really meant a lot to me. THANK GOD!

Charles killed it. All season, just killed it. He’s seriously one of the coolest contestants that’s ever been on one of these championships. As I pointed out in my post about the season premiere, the thing about Charles is, he’s so delightfully, quintessentially a C-Villian (right down to the name, Charles, I mean come on!). Our hometown, which I both love and love to make fun of, is a beautiful, wealthy, historic Southern college city: very smart, snooty, elitist, arrogant, liberal, BMW-driving, Whole Foods, organic, crunchy, Fine Arts, highbrow, and “cultured,” but also just a little weird, in places. Not that weird, but just a little… eccentric. And I feel like Charles as a character kind of embodies the whole essence of that city. He’s just so charming, so classy, so witty and put-together. In the early episodes, they really played up his arrogance and made him seem unapproachable, but as the season’s gone on, they’ve shown more of his warm, “human” side. I mean, he even said this episode that he was going to miss his fellow bakers, and stay in touch with them going forward! AWW. Stop. I love to see it.

His desserts have been next-level this whole season. Haven’t they? Honestly, it wasn’t until tonight that we saw him have a technical failure of any kind – when that peppermint brownie stuck to the pan – but even that, he came back from, wisely using that buttercream around the edges to hide any trace of damage. The only evidence that something went wrong was that apparently the ganache was unevenly distributed across the top.

Speaking of that, I noticed in both the first two challenges that Nancy and Kardea disagreed about Charles’s desserts. Nancy liked his black licorice tart, but Kardea complained about it. Then, Nancy loved his peppermint hot cocoa brownie, but Kardea complained that she got too much ganache (which, come on, is that really a problem, lol? I dunno about you guys, but my fat ass could house a whole bowl of straight ganache). I was starting to wonder if Kardea had some kind of beef with Charles – but then, in the last challenge, she defended him when Zac was whining about the ribbons on his cake. Which, I’m glad she did! That was such a minor imperfection, and, as Kardea pointed out, it was only even mentionable because the rest of Charles’s creation was so perfect that it made even the most minor imperfection evident.

I do like Zac as a judge, though. What do you guys think? I wish Duff could have been there (is he okay?! I follow him on IG, and he just posted something for Hannukah today, so I know he’s alive – hopefully it was just a temporary illness or something!), but, if someone has to replace him on this finale, I’m glad it was Zac. “If you say ‘naughty elf’ three times, I appear,” lol that was spot on.

There was a lot going on in this episode, whew. The first challenge, the contestants had the opportunity to bid on the choice of ingredients by cutting time off their bake – and Charles was the only one ballsy enough to actually bid a substantial chunk of his time! Twenty whole minutes – and he still managed to produce an immaculate-looking dessert, décor and all. Licorice was a bold choice. Almost no one likes that shit, haha. It looked beautiful though. I was surprised by Charles’s other choices, though – I really thought he’d give sauerkraut to his archnemesis, Ashleigh, but instead he gave her the one that I think was the easiest to work with: avocado. And he gave red curry paste to Chase, which, Chase is so good with flavors, I already knew he was going to produce something incredible with that curry paste. (I’m not personally big on the spicy + chocolate combo, but his red curry chocolate mousse cake sounded kind of awesome.)

Poor little Tarek! Once again, coming in just shy of the win. I know he’s probably annoyed about that. But, he did really well. He had a little attitude on him today! Like when Charles entered into the first challenge twenty minutes after everyone else, coolly saying I’m not behind as he was getting started, and Tarek echoes “iM nOt bEhiNd”, lol! And then, with the butt! “Hi, my name’s Tarek and I’m five years old, and I made a butt.” I only wish that his “butt” had been more successful, because, I dunno, maybe I’m five years old as well, but that was hilarious. My husband was saying that he should have gone all in and made butts for the second and third challenges, too.

I was sad to see Nico eliminated though. Especially after all that emotional build-up in the first half of this episode. How dare they include all that and then eliminate him! Ugh. A bit too much emotion for me, there. I was a bit overloaded and uncomfortable. And also, wtf, why did they eliminate him for those hot cocoa tiramisus? Those looked incredible! They were stunning! With the little white chocolate cups, am I right? Literally the judges’ only issue with him was not enough chocolate?! I was seriously confused why they eliminated Nico instead of Tarek here. Tarek’s pots de crème sounded seriously good (mmm, bowl of ganache), but were much less ambitious and festive than Nico’s. I don’t really understand this judgment call.

I would have been happy if Nico had won. He was a close second favorite, for me, after Charles. He’s just been a joy to watch – what an adorable and lovely little person. I wish he’d been in the final challenge. But, at least he made it this far. I can’t wait to see what he does next.

And, the important thing was that Charles won. Thank God. That was the only thing I wanted for Christmas.

Readers, what did we think?! Was this the best finale or what? What an absolute cluster of a season, but it ended well. How are we feeling about it? Leave me a comment. Because, I lied, Charles winning was not the only thing I want for Christmas; I also want your comments.

Can’t forget the final stats:

Superlatives from the judges: 1, Kardea to Charles. Season Total: 9

Judge says “remember, you’re on Holiday Baking Championship”: 1, Nancy to Nico. Season Total: 2

Nancy says “bite of food”: 2.5 plus Kardea also said it once, so a season total of three times plus two half times plus a bonus from Kardea.

High point: OBVIOUSLY CHARLES WINNING!

Low point: I COULD HAVE USED ABOUT 5-10 MORE MINUTES OF CHARLES GLOATING AND CELEBRATING.

The dessert that I would most have liked to eat: A lot of good ones this episode, but, it’s gotta be Ashleigh’s Chocolate Cannoli Cake in the final challenge. The goat cheese addition to the cream cheese filling sounded amazing.
Holiday Baking Championship Season 12 Semifinal: Mith Reacts

December 17th, 2025

CAUTION: SPOILERS for this episode of HBC!

“You’re seeing none of this.” – Nico to the camera as he wrestled with handfuls of sticky, stretchy, over-gelatinized marshmallow

“Oh my God, this is so cringey.” – Charles, head in his hands, observing the judging of said over-gelatinized marshmallow

I was really looking forward to this week, but I feel pretty let down. Anyone else?

This is the first time this season that I’ve really felt a judging call was bad and wrong. Charles should have won the stupid Chance Heat. I am 100% sure that this was an instance of the creators skewing the judging in order to create more drama for TV; they just really wanted to actually utilize this stupid little “Chance Heat” concept they’d come up with, to let one contestant sail through to the final. They didn’t want to let that whole idea just go to waste (even though it should have; stop messing with the structure, already, FFS!). Especially because Ashleigh’s the last female left standing and all; it certainly makes for good TV.

But come on. Charles’s cranberry-whipped cream panna cottas were, the judges even said, “perfect.” They gushed on and on about those panna cottas. And Ashleigh’s pineapple cheesecake — it was “good,” and earned positive but sedate critiques; but then it went on to win?! Ashleigh is obviously extremely good, I’m a big fan, no hate of any kind to her; but as a viewer, her win in this challenge seemed to come out of nowhere. I am completely convinced that they just wanted to keep up this little narrative they’ve got going of “Charles is always the bridesmaid,” as well as the little saga of Ashleigh’s “redemption” after last week, because it was such an emotional thing. Very illogical, very stupid.

I know, it’s probably silly for little old me to assert with such confidence that I “know” a judging call on a baking competition show was bad. I’m just sitting at home watching TV in my bathrobe, what do I know? I wasn’t there irl to hear the full, uncut critiques, nor did I actually taste the two cakes. And, I guess that’s a fair criticism of me. Maybe I’m just finally getting jaded about baking shows.

Another thing that sucked this week: watching poor little Nico become genuinely stressed and unhappy. I don’t think we’ve seen him get so truly tense, upset, and joyless like this, up until this week. During the Main Heat bake we heard a fellow contestant check in on him, asking if he was okay, and he just goes: “No.” Ugh, it was such a downer. I felt so bad for him: first that marshmallow disaster, and then getting stuck with an ingredient that he straight up hates for the Main Heat challenge. Always, on these shows, whenever a contestant is forced to bake with an ingredient that they hate, it never goes well (just look at poor Tarek with gelatin in this week’s Chance Heat! The flavors sounded delightful, but what a technical disaster!). And then, the judges’ critique of Nico’s dessert was so stupid! The pudding flavor got lost beneath the hazelnut?! Yeah, I should hope so! What, did you want Nico to just let his cake taste like grainy artificial chocolate, to really let that pudding mix “shine”?! Would they have been happier if he’d made a shitty-tasting dessert? Stupid, stupid, stupid. Majorly disappointed.

And poor Jean Carlos. I don’t think his elimination was undeserved, but it was still sad to watch. When he said that his coconut cake was dedicated to his mom, and started talking about how he wanted to win for his mom, my husband was like: “he’s doomed.” And he kept saying this week how badly he wanted to win, to be the first Brazilian winner. He seemed like such a sweet, kind soul, the kind of positive, resilient person who refuses to blame others or be a victim of their difficult past. The way he reacted when his name was called at the end, just hanging his head for a moment, was almost too sad for me.

So what were some good things this week? I’ll try and name a few:

– It’s nice to have the “team” business over with. Every baker for himself, as it should be.

– I missed Duff, but Stephanie was a good guest judge. She was eloquent, funny, and positive, but also kept it very real.

– Nancy’s necklace this week was fabulous. The retro looks for the judges were all cute, but I couldn’t stop ogling that oversized string of pink pearls. I’m not much of a jewelry wearer anymore, now that I have kids, but I’ve always kinda loved big chunky beads like this.

– The Charles/Ashleigh rivalry is going strong, obviously. It was a highlight this week. Even though I’m disappointed with how things played out, it is certainly thrilling to witness the tension between these two, as well as Chase. No offense to Tarek, Nico, or Jean Carlos, but it’s pretty evident by now that those three are in a league of their own.

– Little Tarek did a beautiful job in the Main Heat. That white cake with spiced peach filling was gorgeous inside and out; I loved the sort of minimalist, elegant Christmas trees and holly on his all-white cake. And he was so humble about it, too – you could see at the end that he sincerely could not believe he had beaten Charles. Kardea was right, that he was really showing here that he deserves to be in the final. I kinda feel like Tarek’s been hit-and-miss for most of the competition, and at times I’ve wondered “how is he still here?”, but apparently, when he’s at his best, he’s really, really good.

– Speaking of Kardea, I feel like she really stepped up in Duff’s absence. Her critiques this week seemed more authoritative – like she took it upon herself to be a little more, well, “judgy,” to perhaps compensate for smartass Duff not being there – but without sacrificing any of her characteristic sweetness and warmth. She still managed to be just as compassionate as ever, even while taking on a bit more of a boss role. Did you notice this subtle difference as well? I’m a huge fan of hers, so I loved to see it.

But, I’m still confused. They have five finalists? How are they going to do next week? Are they going to do another three-challenge format and eliminate a baker after each of the two first challenges? That’s my prediction. I’ve never seen them go into a final challenge with more than three bakers. But this season’s been such a hot mess, format-wise, that I guess anything could happen. Let me know your thoughts.

Superlatives from the judges: 3: Kardea to Jean Carlos, Nancy to Ashleigh, and Kardea to Charles (running total: 8)

Judge says “remember, you’re on Holiday Baking Championship”: 0 (running total: still only 1?!)

Nancy says “bite of food”: 1 (running total: 1-½)

High point: “That’s the sound of Christmas,” Charles snarled irritably at the cameras as he drummed and rattled the molds of his white chocolate hemispheres against the steel countertop, trying to get the things to come out. Best lol I’ve had this week.

Low point: Bad call from the judges about the Chance Heat. I demand justice for Charles.

The dessert that I would most have liked to eat: Ashleigh’s German Chocolate cake with salted ganache. No notes, as guest judge Stephanie commented; it looked like a flawless cake, and embodied pretty much everything anyone could ever want in a cake.
Holiday Baking Championship Season 12 Episode 6: Mith Reacts

December 9th, 2025

CAUTION: SPOILERS for this episode of HBC!

“Work, work, okay.” – Nico, upon hearing that the assignment was rugelach and sufganiyot

“My cookies represent death, and that is the Christmas spirit.” – Charles, about his bloody-looking cookies

“…right now, we mad kumbaya.” – Nico, reflecting on the Naughty Team’s improvement as a team

“My favorite day to murder someone is Christmas.” – Charles, again with the cookies

But wait. You guys, what is going on with this show right now?!

This was episode six, and next week is the semifinal: what? So we’re going into the semifinal with six contestants, which means we’re going into the final with five? Traditionally they have three finalists, although in recent years I’ve seen them mix it up and go into the final with four, and then eliminate one after the first challenge. But so wait, does this mean they’re going to eliminate two people next week and two the week after? Or what? How are they going to do this?

This past spring, they split the finale into two separate episodes, but I don’t foresee them doing that with HBC, because that would push the final episode out to December 29, after Christmas Day, and we all know that in the secular world Christmas stops abruptly at the stroke of midnight on December 26^th – so there’s no way they’ll let this show continue past Christmas Day. So, what will they do? What is going on here?

And did I hear that right, that we’re getting three challenges next week?! Okay! I know I said last week that, if there were only one challenge this week, I was going to shit a brick. But, since the challenge this week consisted of three separate elements, I was actually okay with it; it really felt like three challenges in one. But so next week there will actually be three challenges. I can’t wait, I am stoked, but also, WTH? Why are they changing up the format so much? Does anyone have any insight? I need answers!

And also, I’m completely floored that Alyx got sent home. HOW? She was one of the best. I thought she’d be in the final. And with the naughty New Orleans themed dessert platter idea – brilliant! It should have been incredible.

And Ashleigh in the bottom two, as well?! My two superheroes! What happened?

I’m not saying they didn’t deserve it, because they both did seem relatively weak this week. (I had no idea which one of the two was going to go home; Ashleigh had three mediocre desserts, whereas Alyx had one great one, one mediocre, and one really bad; how were the judges supposed to make that call?!) These two being in the bottom, and Alyx going home – dang. This is such a 180 from the way things have been going. I’m shook. Speaking of shook, I wonder if having to switch teams in the middle of the action threw off Alyx’s vibe, or something.

I also think this week’s challenge was particularly ridiculous. What were they thinking? I know these championships are infamous for assigning stupidly hard challenges in a laughably short time; that’s nothing new. But this episode? This was next level. Three desserts, including a yeasted doughnut and a pastry, in the span of two and a half hours? That’s just dumb. At this point, it’s borderline just a joke; we may as well be watching Nailed It!. (Which, when is that show coming back, btw?) No wonder even the likes of Charles, Alyx, and Ashleigh were stumbling.

Speaking of Charles. He’s also kind of done a 180, right? Not talking about his baking skills – he’s still the best baker, for sure, and the guaranteed winner. No, I’m talking about him as a character. He’s so much nicer and warmer and more friendly now than he was in the early episodes, isn’t he? I mean, yes, he’s still sassy and arrogant and, as Jesse pointed out, “The Naughtiest” on the Naughty Team (LOL), but, like, in a playful and friendly way now. Is it just me?

I’m thinking that this metamorphosis was probably the way the creators edited the show; probably, they intentionally edited the scenes to make him appear more of an asshole early on, in order to create this compelling little character arc of him thawing out over time. (Did any of y’all ever watch Zumbo’s Just Desserts? Do you remember Daniel from that show? He was depicted as like the biggest asshole ever in baking show history, not dissimilar to the way Charles was presented in the early episodes of this season; but he’s said in interviews that he was actually perfectly cool with his fellow contestants, and that was just the way the show decided to present him, kinda cherry-picking which bits of his dialogue they aired, to amp up the drama. I feel like maybe HBC did the same with Charles.) Or maybe it’s real; I like to think it is. Well, real or not, it’s working for me. I’m all the way invested.

Needless to say, Chase was amazing this episode. I can’t believe he out-rugelach’ed Nico. Nico couldn’t believe it either! What a bummer, that his were charred on the bottom! I think that was his downfall. I was really hoping Nico would win the whole episode, and clearly he was too. His face when they called Chase’s name – he did not feel great about being in second place! But, at least Nico came in first on his team. And that gorgeous pumpkin pie sufganiyot he made – that might have been the best dessert this episode. Duff, who, like Nico, is Jewish and a sufganiyot connoisseur, was raving about it; it was like he forgot he was a judge, for a second, and was just enjoying the thing. That was so meaningful for Nico, you could tell. He was in his element this episode, and it was fun to watch.

Also of note this week: Jean-Carlos can not only juggle, but can manage to make orange and coffee taste good together? What? When he said he was making an orange and coffee sugar cookie, I was like: excuse me? That sounds vile! Is he insane? But, the judges gave it a solid A. Color me impressed. And, the only contestant I haven’t mentioned yet in this post: Tarek. Did you see the little clip of him from when he was on Kids Baking Championship? With the little high-pitched voice?! Hilariously cute to see the juxtaposition; reminded me of all the Stranger Things memes going around right now, showing the drastic change in the characters from season one to season five. Also, if only Tarek had had time to decorate that chocolate-cherry shortbread cookie properly, that would have been incredible! What a whirlwind.

Readers, what is going on here? What are your thoughts? Leave me your comments!

Superlatives from the judges: 1, Nancy to Nico: “Best doughnut on the table” (running total: 5)

Judge says “remember, you’re on Holiday Baking Championship”: 0 (running total: 1)

Nancy says “bite of food”: 0 (running total: ½)

High point: Nico doing the little devil horn fingers pose when Jesse said “naughty team.” He’s so cute it makes me want to punch a wall.

Low point: It was pretty painful to see Alyx searching desperately for a food processor and not finding one because they were all in use. She tried to make do with a blender, for her praline filling, but the thing overheated and didn’t work, and I wonder if that had something to do with why her sufganiyot didn’t work out. I was so frustrated for her because I too have tried and failed to subsitute a blender for a food processor before. And because, as a fierce individualist and a hater by nature, it’s always driven me absolutely bonkers when other people (even if they’re just innocently going about their business in my general vicinity) somehow hold me back from accomplishing something I set out to do. Like, if only they hadn’t been there! So I was really upset for Alyx at this moment.

The dessert that I would most have liked to eat: Got to be Charles’s fig and poppyseed rugelach. Fig and poppyseed are two flavors that are especially near and dear to my little heart, so I was thrilled to see my favorite utilizing both of them in a single dessert. Beautiful! Especially with lemon – that all sounded amazing. However, Duff said that there was “no sugar” in them and that they tasted more savory than sweet. Womp womp. With fig, do you really need extra sugar, though? Hmm. I’d still try one, in any case (Duff suggested dipping in fondue cheese!).
Holiday Baking Championship Season 12 Episode 5: Mith Reacts

December 3rd, 2025

CAUTION: SPOILERS for this episode of HBC!

My favorite bit of dialogue this week:

Kardea:“Nico, I just want to get, like, a lawn chair, and park it in your brain, and just…”

Nico (giggling deviously): “It’s a scary place up there, I don’t know if you want that.”

Duff (emphatically, to Kardea): “No, you don’t.”

Kardea: “I do, because it’s just– pure entertainment.”

Lol but okay, for real, what is actually going on with Season 12? We’re halfway through now, and I have questions. Why have they changed up the format so drastically? Why are we only getting one challenge per episode? Are they trying to trim the amount of desserts in order to save time for more drama and tension and character development, so it’s not just forty minutes of “cake, cake, cake, cake, cake”? I can kinda see that, I guess, but I never felt like the format of the episodes left anything to be desired, in the past. I still got invested in the characters and the drama in previous seasons. I’m not sure why they felt the need to change it up like this. I can’t say I’m a fan.

It completely threw me for a loop that they let the Naughty Team steal a team member, not just for this week but permanently. So Alyx is on the Naughty Team now? I’m both happy and sad about this: happy because I’m rooting for Team Naughty (Charles and Nico are both on it), and Alyx is really strong so this gives them a major advantage; but also sad, because I just feel like Alyx belongs on Team Nice, and now we don’t have the Alyx-Ashleigh rivalry that was so exciting to watch! Readers, how are we feeling about all of this – the team format, the single-challenge episodes, and the crazy advantages? If there’s not two challenges next week, I personally am going to shit a brick.

This week was tough. The only ones who did well were Charles, Chase, and Tarek. Everyone else’s reviews were mediocre to scathing. What happened?

I was so sure that Ashleigh was going to do great – and she thought so, too – that board game cake looked amazing, and fit the theme perfectly! But apparently she overdid it with the freaking almond extract. I’ve said it before and will say it again: I don’t know why any contestant on any baking competition show ever even lays a finger on any bottle of extract (other than your average, unoffensive vanilla) (although Charles apparently would have some things to say about me calling vanilla “average” and “unoffensive,” lol). It literally never goes well. Haven’t these contestants watched these shows before? Don’t they know that extract is virtually guaranteed to doom them to failure?

Tarek has apparently found his stride, though. After winning last week, he produced a fabulous rum raisin carrot cake this week, and wowed the judges once again. I hope he keeps it up. Also of note this week: Chase. He’s kind of taken over as boss of the Nice Team now that Alyx is gone. It’s been interesting to watch his evolution from chill and unassuming peace & love yoga instructor to the hotshot competitive team captain. He is one of the best, for sure. I mean, that brownie recipe this week, am I right? I think he could very well be the winner.

Finally, I was bummed about Camrey’s elimination – you all know she was one of my favorites since day one; she seems really lovely. But, unfortunately, I think this was a fair call. The judges didn’t really have a single nice thing to say about her spice cake. Alas – and then there were seven.

Superlatives from the judges: 1, “Your best yet” – Nancy to Charles (running total: 4)

Judge says “remember, you’re on Holiday Baking Championship”: 0 (running total: 1)

Nancy says “bite of food”: 0 (running total: ½)

High point: My favorite wins! Charles actually looked a bit emotional when Nancy started weeping over his vanilla cremeux? And then he even went on to say how happy he was to help his team! “My team”?! Episode 1-3 Charles would never! I love his arrogant, competitive, smart-assy side (which is still very present), but it’s nice that we’re also getting to see his warmer side as well.

Low point: Why were the judges so hard on Jean Carlos about his décor? I really felt for him, as this seemed like such a personal thing to share, and I know I would have been really embarrassed if I’d presented something so personal and then gotten shitty feedback. Plus, it wasn’t even messy! I mean yeah, the Christmas tree fell off, but before that happened, it looked fabulous. It was a design of a little kid coloring, for goodness’ sake – have the judges ever seen a little kid coloring? It’s supposed to be slightly chaotic! SMH.

The dessert that I would most have liked to eat: Chases’s peanut butter s’mores brownie. No leavening agent, only whipped eggs, apparently gives it a fluffy yet gooey texture like cheesecake. With a layer of homemade peanut butter! Chase mentioned that at his bakery he used to get a line out the door two blocks long for this brownie, and I can totally see why. It looked stunning too, with that perfect cross-section and the flawless fondant “indoor picnic” foods.

Mith’s official prediction for the order of eliminations from here on out: Jean Carlos, Tarek, Nico, Alyx, and in the final, Charles, Ashleigh, and Chase (OR, it could just as likely be Charles, Alyx, and Chase in the final). And I think (and hope) that Charles will be the winner. What do you think? Leave me a comment!
Holiday Baking Championship Season 12 Episode 4: Mith Reacts

November 26th, 2025

CAUTION: SPOILERS for this episode of HBC!

“I am gooped, gagged, bewildered…” – Nico, when they announced the unprecedented elimination format

“The Holiday Village is stress, girl.” – Camrey, at the beginning of the challenge

“No presh.” – Alyx, about five times during this episode

Only one challenge again? I am not happy about this, you guys. I’m also not happy that Jesse said we’re at the “mid-season mark” already: what?! I’m over here counting on my fingers thinking that can’t be right. Are there only going to be eight episodes?

What is going on this season? The two-team structure is weird, and I’m not sure I’m liking it. And today’s format was wild: each team had to pick their two best pies to present to the judges, which, fair enough, but it left me wondering how they were going to handle the elimination. Then we find out that the losing team has to choose which one of their own to send home?! Good grief! At least they got to do it by an anonymous vote. I was afraid we’d have to watch them talk it out. This felt like a little bit too much drama for me. All of these changes – the teams, the one-challenge episodes, today’s wild ride – it just feels like they’re veering too far from the classic structure. I don’t think I like it. How are we feeling about it, readers?

Tarek was obviously the main charcter this episode (loved to see it!), but the other main character was definitely Ashleigh. She had an absolute journey this week. When she told us about how she wants to take her dad on a vacation to Scotland, my husband was immediately like: “she’s going home this week.” Because in previous episodes it seems like every time a contestant tells us a tear-jerking story about what they want to do with the prize money, they get sent home. And I was like “Ashleigh, go home?! No way.” But then, it started to seem like it might actually be possible! And when Ashleigh herself realized that it was quite possible, she started having a whole panic attack on the set! The way she collapsed with relief when Tarek won the challenge was so cathartic to watch.

But, what happened with her and Alyx? Last week, I was going on about how Ashleigh and Alyx were like the two top contenders, both carrying their teams on their backs. And this week, neither of them even got to present their pie to the judges because they weren’t that great! I’m wondering if these two will make comebacks next week.

And, to continue the tragedy of Ashleigh this week, her BFF Erin got sent home. I loved their friendship! Even though they were on separate teams, they had become besties on the show; it was lovely to see the way they clicked. But then, alas, cruel fate tore them apart. I hope they remain friends IRL. So yeah, this week was a lot, for poor Ashleigh. Up until now she’s seemed so fierce and intimidating and even harsh, but this week we got to see her a bit more human. I still think she’s going to be in the final.

Now we must talk about Nico. You all already know that, since day one, he’s been one of my favorites, not only of this season but in baking show history. But after this week, I love him even more. I could feel my heart break when he revealed his history with serious EDs. Such a terrible disease is always tragic, no matter who; but Nico, he’s such a pure and joyful and bright and kind little person, and he seems so confident and cheerful and unselfish; you’d never have expected him to suffer from something like that. So it makes it even sadder, somehow. I love that he chose to be open about it, though, because, as he said, the stigma, especially for males, is a terrible thing. EDs often go undiagnosed and untreated in men because people just assume that men/boys can’t get them. Anyway, I’m genuinely so happy to see how Nico has evidently managed to heal his relationship to food, enough to not only recover his physical health but to become a professional pastry chef who makes others happy with food! Not to be grim, but I sincerely hope he’s doing okay off-screen. Sometimes, with these things, once you’re looking better, everyone thinks you’re A-OK and congratulates you, and so you go around agreeing with them because you don’t want to be a downer, when in fact you are not okay at all, and the voices in your head are as loud as ever.

On to my other favorite, Charles. Was it just me, or was he a little nicer this episode? Obviously, there was the remark about “wear her out before the final”, so he’s still out for blood and all, but it seemed like, same as Ashleigh, he was a little more humble and human this episode. He seems to have accepted that he’s part of a team. Like the grinch, his heart seems to have grown a few sizes. And this week, when he got some negative feedback, he seemed a little more prepared for it. I’m sure that a lot of this is just the way the editors arranged the final cut, and that they’re trying to make it look like he’s developed as a character, for the sake of the plot; but, even if it’s all fake, I’m still here for it. Also, that apple pie looked incredible; I love that he went for a simple, classic apple pie. I kind of want to try the shredded apple trick next time I make one.

Also of note this week: Chase. He went into this week feeling very confident and calling himself “the pie guy,” still riding the high of episode one. When his team had to judge each other’s pies, he was a bit extra critical of his teammates. His “perfectionist” side was definitely showing! But then, from the actual judges, his chocolate pecan bourbon pie got mixed reviews. I’m very invested in what’s going to happen with Chase, going forward. I don’t doubt that he’ll be in the final, as well.

Also, Jean Carlos. He seems to have found his stride this week! That pie was so interesting: pumpkin and cherry, who would have thought? Even though this is kind of a clash of summer and fall flavors, I think it could have worked, if he’d made it more cherry-forward. Although, buttercream on a pie? That was different. My husband, who’s not as into baking shows as I am, asked me: “why is buttercream on a pie weird?” and I, rather flustered, was like: “you just, you just don’t do that! it’s just not done!”, lol. I guess, trying to imagine a mouthful of buttercream and pie crust, it sounds kind of mealy and gross.

It was of course fun to see Tarek win this one. He needed that. And it was especially funny that he did it with such a “naughty” dessert (ash tray-shaped pie, reminiscent of his childhood Christmases spent leaving out cigarettes and shots for Santa!), being the only underage contestant. He’s been in the bottom for the past few episodes, and said that he felt like the weakest link on the team, so it was really satisfying to see him secure the victory and save his team from elimination.

And finally, it’s sad about Erin, but true to form, the way she voted for herself to go home. It did make for good TV, I suppose. I’m just bummed that she went out on such a yummy-sounding dessert. I’m not sure if I agree that hers was the worst this episode; what did you think? Please, leave me your comments!

Superlatives from the judges: 1, Duff telling Chase his crust is “some of the best we’ve had on this show” (running total: 3)

Judge says “remember, you’re on Holiday Baking Championship”: 0 (running total: 1)

Nancy says “bite of food”: 0 (running total: ½)

High point: The way the whole Naughty Team looked at each other and gasped in collective awe and delight when Nancy told Chase “maybe just a scooch too much bourbon?”

Low point: Charles not getting great reviews from the judges. The crust was too thick and tasted floury?? And why would Kardea not think the design was “naughty” enough? I agreed with Duff there: a worm in an apple is naughty enough, isn’t it? What more did she want to see, a worm with a switchblade??

The dessert that I would most have liked to eat: Erin’s blueberry ganache pie with white chocolate, topped with a little goat cheese cream tree. I know the ganache was slightly broken, and the consistencies were off throughout, but I still think this sounded like the best flavor combination this episode.
Holiday Baking Championship Season 12 Episode 3: Mith Reacts

November 19th, 2025

CAUTION: SPOILERS for this episode of HBC!

“Oh God, Food Network, please don’t cancel me.” – Nico, talking to himself while working on his little decorative yarmulke-wearing piggy

Half an episode?! Come on, Food Network, what was this about? I was looking forward to this all week, all day – this was quite literally getting me through a really exhausting Tuesday – and then you only give me one challenge?! Not happy about this at all.

I think I get why they did it, though. Episode three is a tricky point, production-wise, because they don’t want to do another long ninety-minute episode like they do for the first two – is this a budget thing? I don’t know – but in any case, they cut the time in half, at the third episode. But they still have ten bakers to get through. So, zooming through twenty desserts in forty minutes is kind of a whirlwind. I get that. However, I still would rather have seen twenty desserts.

I guess the good thing, though, about slowing down a bit and having more time to devote to each contestant’s process, allowed the show to work on fleshing out the characters a bit.

“I’m born to be here,” Jean Carlos proclaimed. As a mom, it warmed my little heart to hear him talking about how he’s here for his mom, with whom he endured some less-than-ideal living situations as a child, and now he wants to give her a nice place to live. He had a good week! Those brigadeiros were his shining moment.

On that note, I was saddened to hear Ashleigh’s lore about her family background; no wonder she’s so tough, competitive, fierce, and bossy; it sounds like that was probably a survival mechanism. I have a new admiration for her. “I need everyone to stop going in that blast chiller,” she barked at her teammates, as she started to get frazzled over those disintegrating cakes – like, damn! “Ashleigh is really tweaking right now in this moment,” Nico observed – but, being a good team player, he was gracious about it, and predicted that she was going to be the one to save their whole team. And he was right.

Ashleigh is one of the best for sure, as is Alyx apparently. I kind of love how it came down to Ashleigh vs. Alyx – there’s something delightfully comic book about the dichotomy. Both teams are spearheaded by a queen bee: on the Naughty Team, this tough, gorgeous, unsmiling blonde with all the cute holiday accessories who’s not here to make friends or mess around (looks sweet, is mean); and on the Nice Team, the witchy goth baddie with a fun sense of humor and the slow easy warmth of a seasoned Southern cook (looks mean, is sweet). I’m 100% sure that both of these two will make it to the final, along with probably Charles, who remains my favorite.

Speaking of, did you see Charles come to help Ashleigh, when she was having her little crisis near the end?! My jaw just about hit the floor! Their team really made the “team” thing happen, this episode. And it sure paid off, since Ashleigh’s tropical entremet wreath ended up being the best dessert of the show and saving her team from risk of elimination. Which left Alyx, queen of the Nice Team, feeling guilty for perhaps being too nice: it was she who, when offered the choice between a “nice” advantage and a “naughty” advantage for her team this episode (either a whole set of nifty extra tools for her team to use, or the opportunity to take stand mixers away from the naughty team), went with the “nice” option. Now she’s feeling like perhaps she should have been meaner. I think she feels semi-responsible for Violet’s elimination – like if she hadn’t played so nice, Violet might still be here! The drama! I wonder if this will affect her attitude going forward. She’s so cool though. Her Black Forest mille-feuille wreath did sound incredible!

Also of note this episode: Nico’s naughty Star of David bacon wreath! Possibly – no, definitely – the most hilarious bake ever. The nerve! The irreverence! And Duff’s reaction, as someone also raised Jewish – priceless. Duff is actually Christian now, which is awesome. Something tells me Nico’s not exactly practicing his Judaism anymore, either. I thought this was brilliant, and wished he’d gotten better feedback on the actual flavors – apparently it was actually too much bacon and didn’t combine well with the maple. Poor Nico!

Erin: this episode was a whole saga, for her! Being the Mom, she of course offered to pause her bake to go get coffees for everyone – which, can we talk about how spoiled this set of contestants is for having a coffee shop on set, lol? But, while Erin was out, her sheet pan warped in the oven. Which, can we also talk about sheet pans warping in the oven?! This moment pained me, because it was so real! But it was also kind of refreshing in its realness! This happens to me all the time at home – you’ve just put your sheet pan in the oven, and it’s been a couple minutes and then you suddenly hear an unnerving metallic pop and you look over and your sheet pan’s all twisted up, its opposite corners popping up off the rack. I hate that. I think this was the first time I’d seen it present an issue on this show. So anyway, Erin had to remake her snickerdoodle cookie cake, and was quite flustered about it – but then! Not only did she manage to make it work, she ended up getting rave reviews, for both decoration (that unconventional color scheme was really something) and flavor (that was a clever combination: snickerdoodle with apple-whiskey compote. If I were still into alcohol, I’d probably love it). Way to go, Erin.

Chase: Like I was saying, this episode seemed to be very much about fleshing out the characters. I think Chase told us three or four times tonight that he’s a perfectionist: that he comes off as chill, but he actually takes great pride in being a perfectionist about his own work. They really built him up in the first part of the episode – even Kardea came out and said that Chase is one of the best, setting the bar so high, etc. – all of which made his lackluster results even more devastating! I thought sugar plum cream puffs sounded so clever, so festive, so original! I think he could have pulled it off as a wreath if it had been, like he said, a little neater. I hope to see him back on his A game next episode.

Charles: my favorite did not have a great week! His bundt cake looked amazing, with that adorable little naughty cat pulling down the lights – but, the flavors sounded downright weird! Am I right? Banana with lime caramel? I was not surprised to hear the judges say that the taste was off. I wonder if he’d gone with something other than lime if it would have been better-received. Poor Charles!

Violet: she was lovely, and a seriously impressive baker, but tbh I’m never that sad when they send home a literal infant on these shows. You’re like 10 years old and already doing better than 99% of all grown-ups, you have your whole life in front of you, lol. So even though I was a fan of hers, I’m not super crushed by her elimination.

However, I do think it sucked that the judges came down so hard on her about her wreath cake! “Messy”?! I did not read that as messy at all! I actually thought it looked very neat! The royal icing was impeccable. Yes, the decoration had a lot of elements, but they were organized, coordinated, and super festive! I’m so confused. I guess it’s true that it didn’t really look like a literal green wreath, but, honestly so what. I’m also confused why they sent Violet home instead of anyone else. Camrey, Jean Carlos, Nico, Charles, and Chase all got feedback that was just about as mediocre as Violet’s if not worse, so why her? This call didn’t really make sense to me. Poor little Violet! Ah well, like I was saying, she’s a prodigy, she’ll be fine.

Superlatives from the judges: 1 (“this is the best thing you’ve made on this show!” – Duff to Alyx) (running total: 2)

Judge says “remember, you’re on Holiday Baking Championship”: 0 (running total: 1)

Nancy says “bite of food”: 0 (running total: ½)

High point: Naughty team group hug??! Never thought I’d see the day!

Low point: My poor favorite Charles! “Not your best work,” Duff said, and it looked like Charles was about to either attack someone or break down sobbing or just short-circuit like a broken machine, or maybe all three. Clearly he’s not used to getting negative feedback. As someone who is also pathetically sensitive to criticism, I did not enjoy watching this moment; it felt like we were witnessing something way too personal and private to be on TV, and not in a good way.

The dessert that I would most have liked to eat: Easily, Tarek’s chocolate cupcakes with pretzel crust, peanut butter mousse, feuilletine crunch, and honeycomb. Tell me yours in the comments!!