The Food Network Kids Baking Semifinal and Final aired last night. For 12 year old Piper Lowe of Princeton, the semifinal was spectacular. Tasked with creating housing for animals, Piper rose to the occasion with a barn-inspired creation. She crafted an amaretto sugar cookie and glued the pieces together using hot sugar glue. The standout part of her presentation was her peach puree, made from her grandma’s peach pie filling recipe. The judges absolutely loved it, even asking for grandma’s email to get the recipe. Piper’s barn was a tribute to the milk barn she grew up next to. She added a personal touch by decorating it with stained glass windows, melting hard candy to create the glass panes. In the end, Piper’s barn making skills and her delicious peach puree earned he a second win a a row and pushed her into the finale.
In the finale, the kids had to create a two-tiered cake in the theme of an animal enclosure. Piper designed a monkey enclosure and chose a chocolate cake paired with chocolate hazelnut mousse, toasted hazelnuts and wafer cones nestled in the middle. She created popcorn rice crispy treats to use as the leaves on her tree and made leaves and flowers from modeling chocolate and a mug cake to create moss.
The judges praised the moistness of her cake, especially her chocolate hazelnut mousse; however, in the end, there can only be one winner and this time, Piper didn’t quite hit mark. The title went to another baker. While Piper didn’t win, the judges remarked that these were some of the best cakes they’ve ever seen in a finale and the decision was incredibly tough.
Congratulations Piper for chasing your dream and showing your remarkable baking skills for all of America to see.
