Natchez baker is lone remaining female contestant on Food Network hit show
Published 8:47 pm Monday, April 17, 2023
- Molly Manning Robertson's winning Raspberry Parfait Muffin on Monday night's Spring Baking Championship (Submitted)
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NATCHEZ — Molly Manning Robertson is like the Energizer bunny! In the bottom two again after Monday night’s episode 7 of the Food Network’s hit series, Spring Baking Championship, Robertson just keeps going and going.
Judges sent home April Franqueza of Sapphire, N.C., who Robertson said on social media became a best friend during their experience in Knoxville, Tennessee, on the Food Network’s campus during the production of the 12-series show.
Robertson is now the lone remaining female contestant and among the final five bakers in the competition. She will compete against Christian Velez of Hollywood, Florida, Luke Deardurff of Bronx, N.Y., Josh Cain of Orlando, Florida, and Clement Le Deore of San Diego, California, next Monday in what Natchez fans have coined Molly Monday.
On Episode 8, Robertson and the other bakers will be tasked with celebrating their love for the flavors of the world. They will create blind date mash-up desserts and will bake cheesecakes that feature exotic and international flavors for judges Duff Goldman, Kardea Brown and Nancy Fuller, according to a Food Network preview of the show.
Robertson won the preheat competition Monday night among all bakers when she created a tower of raspberry yogurt parfait muffins with an oat streusel on top, which judge Duff Goldman said was the best he has ever tasted. It had vanilla Greek yogurt cream on top.
All three judges said the muffins were both delicious and beautiful.
During the elimination round, contestants were asked to make chocolate pies. Robertson as the winner of the preheat round, got to choose which chocolate she wanted to work with, and assign other chocolate flavors to remaining contestants.
Robertson created a dark chocolate French silk pie with a dark chocolate crust, a dark chocolate mousse and a whipped cream topping. She decorated with tempered dark chocolate bird’s nests with robin’s egg blue chocolate eggs inside each.
Judges praised the springy look of her pie and its taste, but criticized the chocolate crust as chewy.
Episode 9 of Spring Baking Championship is next Monday — Molly Monday — beginning at 7 p.m. on the Food Network.
Robertson and the other four contestants are competing for the title of Spring Baking Champion and its $25,000 grand prize.