Thank you Karen, that really means a lot! I like the Cake I'm making tonight 
Well, Brian, we would all like to know if you're done hurting yourself in this series, or can we expect more bloodshed? If you're going to carve something toward you, then you have to hold the tip of the blade in the other hand for stability. Glad to see the electronics worked this time.
Poor Dana - he could have melted the shortening before adding it to the batter. It's got such a low melting point that the warmth would not have harmed the batter, and it would have blended right in. I've already forgotten the butter in a recipe, and that's what I did. Couldn't tell the difference between that one or the other tier of the same flavor, which was made the right way.
Goodbye, Greggie! Your Christmas Tree still rocks!
Theresa
you rocked it tonight brian!!! congrats!!!
I get up at 3:55 am to go to work but had to stay up to watch the show. I cannot believe Corina is still on the show. Brian you did a great job! I enjoy the show and my girls ages 13 and 10 watch it over and over.
Looks like next week after all the work on the cakes they drop them from a roof!!! What's up with that? Maybe to see how well they are stacked?
!!! I am putting that technique in the back of my brain. (hope it doesn't get lost!!!) I noticed Buddy was much nicer to Greggy when he asked him to leave. That was nice!
Yeah...Brian finally stepped up to the plate....Poor Dana...they brutilized his chocolate cake....Corina didn't seem to be such a B#*%$ tonight!Greggy...well his time was up..and those glasses..who can see out of specs that are three sizes too big for your face!
I am really curious to know what kind of recipe Dana used that the shortening could have been forgotten. In every scratch recipe I make it is such a major component that it would have been apparent right from the beginning.
And he really should have made a new batter. I wonder what he was thinking about not doing that.
Brian, beautiful job on the cake. You are definitely turning into the the guy who hurts himself the most! But hey, s*** happens.
And yes, it was nice to see Buddy nice to Greggy. This shows me that everything else is just show or being a tough guy to the other tough guys. I have other thoughts on this part, but it isn't worth discussion. So I'll just keep it to myself.
It's so hard to do your thing in a new environment. Glory just adding in people to watch you is nervey nerve nerves. Add in a tv camera??? I'd probably be squirting myself in the face with the wrong end of the piping bag!
Great stuff, Brian!!!! Way to go!!! Awesome moon and the extreme things worked yay!!!!!
Wow fifty big ones! The tension and drive must be absolutely crazy.
I was really gutted for Greggy--he is such an artist! But rkt take a while to set up. He must have fondanted too quickly.
Now guys--see Megan's bow??? THAT's where you knead in cornstarch first(if it's provided) Megan tried to make a thin skinny bow a la minute. If you just add a bunch of cornstarch you can get it to stand up right now. Right out of the bucket, ain't too easy but then you over steam it? Oh no! She melted hers.
Dana--I would have started that cake batter over. Free flowing shortening in an already made batter? With 50 big ones at stake--ugh uh no way. I mean apparently he forgot some other stuff too. Good thing he got another chance.
I am with a lot of the other CC'ers that Brian you are the reason I keep watching. Just your attitude and effort towards things is great.
I was so happy last night when your special effects finally worked. YaY!!!!! It must of been rough when they didn't before.
Oh, and I was extremely happy when Pam left.
Greggy, well what can we say he has talent, I just don't think that buddy's ideas are the right way for him, I think he did get the short end of the stick. after all whats his face was just as much to blame, he said he could stack balls like that.
I honestly do not know if I could do what these bakers are doing. I tried making a cake out of my kitchen once and it was a disaster. Using things that I don't normally have and not having my own tools was crazy. Congrats def.
I too am very glad your special effects worked. But Brian, OMG, that moon was out of this world (pun intended). The design, texture, everything was fantastic.
And Brian, come on, if you keep brutalizing yourself, there won't be anything left of you if you are the winner...... 
btw, how is your hand doing?
I'm joining this thread a little late, but I have 2 questions:
1) Someone mentioned on an earlier page that there's been trouble with Remy at Buddy's bakery. What's that about? I must've missed something!
and,
2) Didn't anyone else find it unfair that the contestants were forced to cook an Italian dinner? After all, it's called The Next Great Baker, not The Next Great Chef. I don't eat tomatoes, so I'd have been reaaaaalllly mad if I'd been a contestant!!!
I'm joining this thread a little late, but I have 2 questions:
1) Someone mentioned on an earlier page that there's been trouble with Remy at Buddy's bakery. What's that about? I must've missed something!
and,
2) Didn't anyone else find it unfair that the contestants were forced to cook an Italian dinner? After all, it's called The Next Great Baker, not The Next Great Chef. I don't eat tomatoes, so I'd have been reaaaaalllly mad if I'd been a contestant!!!
http://www.nj.com/hobokennow/index.ssf/2010/12/cake_boss_brother-in-law_remy.html
J- google the Remy thing--very sad--as much as I know about it it's innocent until proven guilty but apparently somebody thinks there's a ton of proof somewhere.
Yes that Italian dinner thing was strange. We usually eat out after a delivery or order a pizza or something when I finish a cake. Nobody wants to cook anything least of all me. Producing an Italian dinner has nothing to do with cake makin' in my book.
2) Didn't anyone else find it unfair that the contestants were forced to cook an Italian dinner? After all, it's called The Next Great Baker, not The Next Great Chef. I don't eat tomatoes, so I'd have been reaaaaalllly mad if I'd been a contestant!!!
I honestly didn't think it was all that strange. I had once given thought to doing something similar, were I ever to have my own shop, inspired by Duff's brainstorming sessions. I thought it would be nice to also have a breakfast or lunch during those sessions.
Theresa
Im done hurting my self
It's about time!!!
Thanks for coming on here & talking to us all about your adventure.
Im done hurting my self
LOL! There you are! We've been waiting for you.
Theresa
Sorry I have been hammered prepping for the Austin Wedding Show!
Im really not that accident prone but when you go 20 some odd day with very little sleep, you do things you know are not safe. I want to win even if I loose a finger or burn my hand, as long as it does not end up in the cake.
You notice I now have to wear blue gloves for the rest of the show. The Clear ones showed off too much of an unpleasant hand for a food show. I had to cut the finger tips off so I could feel what I was doing. It made it harder to do any sort of fine work.
Ok, so let's talk about last nights episode.
I would like to start with, way to go Brian, so happy you made it trou again.
Second, was any one else appauled at how Megan and corina treated Joe? I am sorry I understand that joes talents are a bait laming but honestly, I feel that Megan and corina should of gone home last night for how rude and inhuman they were to Joe. Also Megan shouldn't be putting down some one elses calla lilies when heres were also horrible.
Next let's discuss the first challenge. All the string and lattice work. Was buddy blind? Or was I the only one who noticed that jays drop lines were not even.with some of them they were really off. I understand that lattice work and lines are difficult but for him saying he does it all the time..if he does it all the time those lines should be perfect.
Brian your challenge cake was excellent for a first attempt. Keep the good stuff coming.
I am done ranting now, sorry folks.
Second, was any one else appauled at how Megan and corina treated Joe? I am sorry I understand that joes talents are a bait laming but honestly, I feel that Megan and corina should of gone home last night for how rude and inhuman they were to Joe. Also Megan shouldn't be putting down some one doses calla lilies when heres were also horrible.
THANK YOU!!! I thought the same thing!!! Joe told them the support would not work and they ingnored him! I am not a professional but my cake could have looked better than the girls cake. I was shcked that Buddy didn't send them both home. I really like Megan but was disapointed in her last night. Corina on the other hand was acting like herself!
Ok, so let's talk about last nights episode.
I would like to start with, way to go Brian, so happy you made it trou again.
Second, was any one else appauled at how Megan and corina treated Joe? I am sorry I understand that joes talents are a bait laming but honestly, I feel that Megan and corina should of gone home last night for how rude and inhuman they were to Joe. Also Megan shouldn't be putting down some one doses calla lilies when heres were also horrible.
Next let's discuss the first challenge. All the string and lattice work. Was buddy blind? Or was I the only one who noticed that jays drop lines were not even.with some of them they were really off.
Brian your challenge cake was excellent for a first attempt. Keep the good stuff coming.
Yes, I agree with your thoughts on Corina and Megan. Even on televison, you can see in the eyes of the women that they were in a coup against Joe. Instead of taking 5 minutes to teach him how to do the flower edges cleanly, they chose to hang him. No team spirit at all. And that just tells you that there's no honor amongst cake decorators. I wouldn't trust those women with a two-ton statue. When Megan said that she and Corina did the callas on their second cake, the judges should have asked Joe if they let him participate the second time. He would have said No, and then the judges could have questioned why not. When they said his flowers didn't look good, the judges could have reminded them that their callas looked like they spent too much time in the florist's refrigerator. The first cake those two did looked very sloppy and amateur. And both their first and second designs were boring.
Did you see the bulges on the women's cake? Jay and team's cake was clearly the better of the two.
While Jay's droplines may not have been very even, his cake was still the best, as it had a bigger variety of piping techniques on it.
Brian, about your challenge cake - Everything old becomes new again. It's only a matter of time before people will start wanting the opulence of piped cakes again, so start practicing, and you will be able to provide what your customer wants. Go on eBay and get the Wilton encyclopedias. Everything you need to know about old-school techniques is in there.
Theresa
Brian, for a first attempt at piping, way to go! I think Buddy did a good job judging the challenge, he took into consideration the vast difference in experience, so a pat on the back for that! I sure hope piping doesn't make a come back, as pretty as it is - as I get older, my carpal tunnel does too! LOL
The guys cakes, were just lovely, both times and no bulging! White chocolate champagne, sounds yummy!!! To the girls: Shame on you for treating Joe like that!! I agree, 5 minutes to help him with the flowers, would have gone a very long way! I understand that money changes people, and when you are competing - you may get a little crazy, but still shame on you! IMO, Corina should have gone home, but she got lucky. Megan at least baked a great cake that everyone loved.
I think both girls should be ashamed of themselves...Joe was trying but they were treating him like a Butthead...If Megan doesn't watch it and stop taking tips from Corina in the B%#&$* dept then she will be next to go home and I think Buddy kinda eluded to that.The guys cake was excellent....Better episode..not so fake.
I agree with what everyone is saying here. But something else keeps coming into my head. On the very first challenge that Joe won, he got immunity. When they did their celebration cakes everyone told Buddy to ignore the immunity and send Joe home anyway. Buddy said, "I'm a man of my word", and his immunity stood. Well, you said at the beginning of this challenge that "TWO" would go home. So where was your word? I really get the feeling each week Buddy knows ahead of time who he wants to send home next. I'm sorry, you said you were sending two home, so do it. A part of these challenges is supposed to show teamwork, well, everyone saw clear as can be the girls had no intention of working with Joe. So, they decide they don't like Mauro, they can ignore him on a project? I don't think so.
Joe, I'd love to had the chance to see you do your pastries. I'm sorry but that experience I don't think could ever have won you this contest when it's decorating. But you've behaved with honor and for that I applaud you.
I hear what you are all saying. But these shows are so edited. I have to say that both Megan and Corina were very tolerant of the situation and it was much worse than the editing showed at least in my opinion.
They dint show that I help the girls take their cake apart and re-dowel it. It was a mess. It is frustrating because I am not getting credit for some really good things. Oh well, nothing I can do now.
I really did enjoy piping. I had done it before but just was not comfortable with it. No one else did 8" drop lines on their cake. I also finished 10-12 minutes before the others.
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