Step aside CUPCAKE, it's the DONUT's time to shine!
Premiering Tuesday, April 2nd at 10PM ET/PT, Donut Showdown is Food Network Canada's (@FoodNetworkCA) newest baking battle show.
Hosted by Danny Boome from The Chew and Recipe Rehab, Donut Showdown (@donutshowdown) features an all-star judges panel, who will decide which fried dessert will make the cut. The judges are Food Network Canada chef David Rocco, Maggie McKeown of Recipe to Riches and Toronto restauranteur Zane Caplansky from Caplansky's Delicatessen (@Caplansky)
Chefs from all over North America will be competing in Donut Showdown, including six Toronto contestants:
Amanda Harmer - Barque Smokehouse (@barquebbq)
Trista Sheen (@tristasheen) - Crush Wine Bar (@CrushWineBarTO)
Rachel Pellet - Emma's Country Kitchen (@emmacountrykitc)
Michelle Edgar - Sweet Escapes Patisserie (@sweetescapes)
Kristen Boates - John & Sons Oyster House (@JohnandSonsTO)
Rachelle Cadwell - Dough by Rachelle (@doughtoronto)
Amanda Harmer
Each episode of Donut Showdown starts with three chefs who will be asked to create the most tasty donut using a mystery basket of usually bizarre ingredients (think "Chopped" but with donuts.) At the end of each week, only one contestant will prevail and walk away with a $10,000 prize.
In the spirit of this new show, I received this Donut Showdown mystery box in the mail from The Food Network.
In the box was a pre-made donut along with a tube of icing sugar and six small containers of toppings. Genius. I'm glad the folks at The Food Network know that I have no clue when it comes to making donuts.
Six very random toppings. Sweet, savoury, crunchy, salty, spicy...
What should I do? Which toppings should I use?
I quickly decided that this will be a pure donut-decorating exercise.
With that in mind, I used all the toppings because obviously, more toppings = more colour = a prettier donut.
Did I make a pretty donut? Yes. At least I think so. It looks like a Christmas wreath. Beautiful.
Did I eat it? Heck, no!!! You crazy?!
Making a pretty donut may not be hard but making one with bizarre ingredients under a time constraint that actually tastes good is no easy task!
My donut was all show and no go, but I'm sure the talented chefs in Donut Showdown will be making some wonderful donut creations! So remember to watch them battle it out on Donut Showdown next Tuesday :D