FoodSided
Fansided

Halloween Baking Championship recap: Death by chocolate ends a baker’s dream

By Cristine Struble

facebooktwitterreddit

With the finals within their grasp, this Halloween Baking Championship recap dashes one baker’s dreams. Unlikely chocolate combinations proved too scary.

Four bakers entered the kitchen this week. Dreaming of making the title, only two challenges remain before the Halloween Baking Championship finale. But, the finale only has spots for three bakers. This Halloween Baking Championship recap shows that chocolate isn’t always a sweet treat.

The four remaining bakers dream of earning the Halloween Baking Championship title. With only two episodes remaining in this season, the pressure is on to create delicious and creative desserts. So far, the bakers have taken on cream puffs, cakes and a variety of unlikely twists. This week’s episode took a chocolate turn with both challenges featuring chocolate.

Halloween Baking Championship recap, photo from Food Network

The pre-heat challenge had the bakers create a twist on a classic candy bar. At Halloween, candy bars are everywhere. Who hasn’t had a bowl of candy bars left a month after Halloween? But, after all that candy, do you really want another candy bar? This challenge has the bakers rethink that candy bar flavor into something scary, yet delicious.

The four classic candy bar flavors were chocolate coconut bar, chocolate peanut butter cups, chocolate peanut nougat bar, and chocolate caramel cookie bar. The key to success in this challenge is elevated creativity. These bakers should be able to recreate a candy bar, but the judges want a creative dessert.

Halloween Baking Championship recap, photo from Food Network

These desserts didn’t look like a candy bar, but the flavors were on point. The desserts’ appearance separated the top from the bottom. As last week’s episode proved, you can’t fail at the decoration and expect to continue in the competition.

Jasmin’s spiders were creative and delicious. While her spiders were missing two legs (yes, spiders have eight legs), the dessert was well received. The flavors, textures and ingenuity (hair spider legs were smart) won over the judges. She won the pre-heat and the advantage in the main heat.

Before talking about the main heat, have you noticed what’s missing from Halloween Baking Championship episodes? It is the how-to commercials. Usually, at least once an episode, the Food Network has offered a semi-homemade Halloween treat.

More from FoodSided

With Halloween coming next week, many people look to these shows for baking inspiration. These baking tips are simple and easy. Who wouldn’t want to impress their friends with one of these treats versus a store bought cake.

Moving back to the Halloween Baking Championship recap, the bakers still had the main heat to tackle. The main heat featured death by chocolate, which was actually unusual chocolate combinations. Truthfully, some of the chocolate combinations weren’t too crazy. Jalapeno and chocolate isn’t unusual; it’s very mainstream.

Jasmin’s advantage was that she was able to choose last. After all but one chocolate combination was revealed, she could choose the unrevealed option or choose one of the revealed ones. She chose the unrevealed and got chocolate and turmeric. The other bakers had the following, Jessica, chocolate and Gouda, Jonathan, chocolate and beer and Ray, chocolate and jalapeno.

Halloween Baking Championship recap, photo from Food Network

Jessica and Jasmin had the hardest chocolate combinations. Turmeric, while quite good for your health, isn’t commonly combined with chocolate. The bitter turmeric needs something sweet to balance it. Gouda and chocolate isn’t common either. Although, there is chocolate cheese fudge, usually cheese and chocolate don’t end up on the same plate.

Of course, the main heat always has a twist. This week’s Halloween Baking Championship recap twist was a tombstone. All the bakers had to create an edible tombstone for their dessert. This week’s twist didn’t show any bakers’ creativity. From the simple candy bar to a throw away cookie, the twist lacked any imagination. It would have been better if the twist was left in the graveyard.

Halloween Baking Championship recap, photo from Food Network

Truthfully, the bakers struggled with this chocolate challenge. It seemed like they are lacking in creativity. For example, chocolate and beer are an amazing combination. Something beside a chocolate cake is a possibility. Granted, Jonathan’s ice cream float was smart, he could have pushed more on this challenge. Still, Jonathan made it to the finale.

Jasmin’s turmeric flavored dessert was smart in flavor profile and decoration. The larger, coffin style cake with its stylish decoration was easily the winning dessert. She was able to highlight the turmeric but also made the dessert delicious. Jasmin won the main heat and is in the finale.

Ray and Jessica were the bottom two bakers. Ray’s dessert was a disappointment. While he personally doesn’t like jalapenos, it doesn’t get him a free pass to make an inadequate dessert. The biggest flaw with his dessert was not pureeing the jalapenos. Some people don’t mind the spice in a dessert, but the crunch from diced jalapenos isn’t texturally appealing.

Halloween Baking Championship recap, photo from Food Network

Jessica’s dessert had a great concept. The idea of a chocolate cheese plate, with fruit and nuts was a great play on the ingredient twist. Unfortunately, her cookie wasn’t right. The cookie layer was way over-cooked and too crunchy. Plus, her decoration, including the tombstone, was repetitive of the previous challenge.

Still, Jessica’s creativity and overall her dessert was better than Ray’s dessert. Ray was sent home. Just missing the Halloween Baking Championship finale has to be heart-wrenching.

Halloween Baking Championship recap, photo from Food Network

With only one episode remaining, the three bakers all have a great chance to win the Halloween Baking Championship. The key to success with be a blend of technical precision and creativity. If the bakers get an ingredient that she likes, that baker should excel. Still, I wouldn’t expect Food Network to make the final challenge too easy.

Next: Baking tip: Don't substitute real butter

Right now, I’m undecided on who will win. Each remaining baker has had huge wins and disappointing bakes. I don’t think that anyone is the clear favorite at the end of this Halloween Baking Championship recap.

Who do you think will win the Halloween Baking Championship this season? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section or on social media @FoodSided.

Home/Food TV