Rob Pryce
Megan portrait, as seen on Holiday Baking Championship, Season 7.
Megan Rountree was back at it last night on the second episode of Food Network’s “Holiday Baking Championship.” Hot off of her first-place finish during the show’s premiere, the Keller baker was ready to head back to the kitchen and compete in the first heat.
The 10 bakers were challenged to highlight a nut or seed in a holiday dessert, so Megan made a spiced walnut cupcake with apple compote and American buttercream, topped with a walnut macaron in the shape of a Christmas tree. Megan’s bake was met with mixed reviews.
“I love color, and I love holiday, and it exudes both,” judge Nancy Fuller says on the episode. “For me, your macaron was a little overcooked.”
Megan was able to shake it off and continue on in the main heat, where bakers were able to spin a wheel to determine which fundamental holiday ingredient they would need to feature in an unseasonable dessert. Megan picked an icebox cake and the wheel landed on holiday spirits, so she created a holiday liqueur ice box cake with chocolate cookie layers. Megan’s individual cream layers were accented with various additives including Irish cream liqueur, coffee liqueur and hazelnut liqueur. Thankfully, she could rely on her competitors to help ensure her flavors were on point.
“Of course the pregnant lady gets the booze,” Megan jokes during the episode.
When showcasing her final icebox cake to the judges, the chuckles continued as the cake began to melt before their eyes.
“Megan, it’s a cold mess,” judge Carla Hall says in the episode.
But thankfully Megan’s flavors were enough to get her through to the next round. She ended the night in the eighth slot on the nice list, just one placement away from landing in the bottom two. But next week provides a new opportunity to showcase these competitors’ talents.
On November 16, the top nine bakers will make holiday cookie-topped mini pies as well as fall favorites. “Holiday Baking Championship" will air on Monday at 9 p.m. on the Food Network.