Spring Baking Championship recap: Colorful treats aren’t just for Leprechauns

While the Spring Baking Championship pot of gold won’t come till later in the season, this Food Network episode featured all the colors of the rainbow. Even if the Leprechauns pulled a little green ingredient mischief on the Food Network bakers, there was no running away from the colorful treats in the kitchen.

After the first Spring Baking Championship episode, it is hard to tell the top bakers from the struggling ones. Although the Spring Board ranks all the bakers, the ranking are due to fluctuate. Top baker one week could be in danger of going home next week.

For the pre-heat, the Spring Championship bakers are inspired by the Spring festival Holi. A celebration of good over evil, the colorful Indian festival focuses on a positive spirit. While the bakers were not doused in colorful powders, their desserts needed to feature vibrant hues.

Since Holi is an Indian festival, the colorful desserts had to feature some Indian spices. While some spices were familiar, a few ingredients are not typically found in a grocery store dessert.

In all, the bakers had to create a colorful, flavorful and portable dessert that impressed the judges. That trifecta could be one of the most difficult Spring Baking Championship tasks ever.

For the most part, the bakers handled this challenge in stride. Although it seemed that Keya had an advantage because she understood the significance of Holi and the Indian spices, other bakers excelled as well. Still, Keya won the pre-heat and the advantage in the main heat, which is not having to incorporate the main heat twist.

Unfortunately, Veruska fell to the bottom of the Spring Board. While a few bakers had some mis-steps in the pre-heat, her flavors were off. All the bright colors cannot hide a bad dessert.

For the main heat, the Spring Baking Championship bakers were weary of a little mischief in the kitchen. Their desserts were to be inspired by a St. Patrick’s Day leprechaun, use a green colored spring ingredient and had a twist of using an Irish tipple. While there might be a pot of gold at the end of that rainbow, it took a lot of effort to find it.

What did the leprechaun do the the Spring Baking Championship bakers?

Looking at the green ingredients, some of the choices were harder than others. Matcha is always a dangerous ingredient in a dessert. If the bakers aren’t careful, the grassy flavors from the matcha can overpower all the other flavors.

The interesting aspect to the spring ingredients was avocado. Although avocados are year-round fruit, it seemed that this ingredient filled the green color component. Also, it seemed that the green color needed to come through in the dessert. Even though avocado can easily be used to create moist brownies, the bakers who used this ingredient took a different route.

While most of the bakers had dessert flavors that were on point, the decorations seem to be quite strong this season. Instead of sad looking cakes and thrown together displays, these desserts look as if it took the bakers hours to complete the finished design. From the adorable leprechauns to the perfect mirror glaze, this group of Spring Championship Bakers have brought their “A game” to the competition.

Still, the top two bakers had very impressive leprechaun inspired desserts. A top baker two weeks in a row, Derek wowed with this dessert. Using cookies as gold coins in the pot was smart. At the same time, his flavors were strong. Based on just two episodes, Derek could go far in the competition.

After winning the pre-heat, Keya was a top baker, too. Her smart use of mint in her ice box cake was a good choice. In addition, her decorations were vibrant. Any leprechaun would have been happy to leap into that dessert.

In a curious choice, Keya won the main heat. By winning both challenges in a single Spring Baking Championship episode, Keya could be a threat. Everyone will have to watch her place on the Spring Board.

Unfortunately, Veruska and LeAnne were bottom bakers. Given her disappointing showing in the pre-heat, it seemed that Veruska would go home. But, that mischievous leprechaun got the best of LeAnne.

LeAnne’s dessert was way too savory. While avocado can be used in a mousse, brownie and other desserts, her avocado pie seemed almost like avocado puree in a pie crust. Even though another baker made a play on chips and guacamole, LeAnne’s dessert tasted more like that actual dish.

Although LeAnne’s pie was colorful, the savory flavors had her sent home. Somehow a little luck was on Veruska’s side.

Could a shake up on the Spring Board happen next week? Be sure to watch the next episode of Spring Baking Championship to see what these talented bakers create.