Halloween Baking Championship Season 9 episode 6: Who lost their head?

The Food Network carnival has another wicked tale to tell. As the bakers unbury unique flavors and bake curiously decorated pies, Halloween Baking Championship Season 9 episode 6 has everyone wondering if these twisted treats are worth losing their heads?

As the number of Halloween Baking Championship bakers dwindle, the challenges are pushing the remaining few to incorporate bolder flavors and more creative visuals. The middle of the road or the safe approach is a path to nowhere.

For the Thriller Challenge, the bakers had to make a trifle that incorporated an ingredient that grows underground. While some people might think that eating beets is type of death, these buried alive trifles might be their worst nightmare come true.

Overall, the trifles were good. But, the divide between the struggling bakers and the top ones continues to grow. For example, Christa’s beet trifle had some undercooked beets and an unfinished presentation. It is too far into the competition for these mistakes to continue.

Hollie impressed once again. The judges thought that the Lamington with turmeric was smart. While it was lovely to see her version of an Australian Lamington, it was the smushed face visual that wowed the judges. If the challenge has a visual component, Hollie is the baker to beat.

Ryan had another top dessert. His use of fennel three ways was delicious. Plus, the judges swooned over that almond crunch.

A first this season, Stacy was a top baker. Her trifle was a love letter to sweet potato. From the sweet potato chips to the great flavor, it was definitely a top choice.

Winning the Halloween Baking Championship Season 9 episode 6 Thriller Challenge was Hollie. She earned an advantage in the Killer Challenge.

For the Halloween Baking Championship Season 9 episode 6 Killer Challenge, the bakers had to create shrunken head pies. While the heads were just decoration, it would require a keen hand to ensure that the pie crust is flaky perfection.

The pie flavors featured dried fruit. As the Thriller Challenge winner, Hollie was able to pick her flavor and chose golden raisins. Given the other fruits, this option seemed like a good advantage.

Also, the Killer Challenge had a curious twist. The bakers had to add gelatin eyes to the pie’s decoration. It was not necessarily a difficult component, but it needed to be a cohesive flavor.

Looking at the various pies, the flavors were more impressive than the visuals. Granted everyone had great shrunken heads, it was the time to put flavor first.

The two top bakers were Ryan and Stacy. After her impressive Thriller Challenge, Stacy once again brought big flavor to her pie. The use of thyme and rosemary crust with the figs was smart. That hint of savory really brought out the fig’s flavor. And, her décor was well done.

Ryan had another great bake. His use of apple and currants had a feeling of mulled wine. While the décor was good, he used the eyeball twist to his advantage. The coconut cream eyes felt like a dollop of cream to tie all the ingredients and flavors together.

Unfortunately, the bottom bakers were Christa and Mandi. Given that Mandi forgot the parchment paper and her pie weights baked into her crust, it seemed likely that her pie would be in the bottom. In addition, her date filling was very dense. Zac Young said it felt more like a protein bar than a pie. She might have been going for a meaty texture, but the concept had the judges wishing for an alternative ending.

Christa’s pie was ok, but she made some simple mistakes. By not cutting her peaches into smaller pieces, the texture was unpleasant.

The baker eliminated in Halloween Baking Championship Season 9 episode 6 was Mandi. There were too many mistakes in her pie to overlook. She took her walk of shame through Cranky’s mouth.

Could a new baker emerge as a potential contender? Stacy’s two top finishes might change the rankings. Plus, Hollie had a few mistakes. The finale is quickly approaching and now is not the time to falter.

Be sure to watch a new episode of Halloween Baking Championship Season 9 Monday nights at 9 p.m. ET or stream the next day on MAX.