What type of desserts "wow" BBQ judges?

7/26/2012

Question

In the dessert category of a grilling contest, what has provided a 'wow' factor for you in the past visually and for it's taste?

When judging a dessert category and as you head to your seat, what specific dish are you hoping to get to sample (ie. cheesecake, pig candy, apple pie, etc.)?

Thank you!

Eric Devlin
Huntington, NY

Competition Cook
Certified BBQ Judge
Contest Organizer
BBQ Team: Grill Scouts BBQ

READ THE COMMENTS BY CLICKING HERE

7/26/2012 01:37:59 pm

When judging desserts I want fresh ingredients, seasonal ingredients, something that is a little acidic to help counter all the savory bbq meats I just ate. Originality and creativity is great as well! How many cheesecakes, apple tarts, and pound cakes can you expect to enjoy? I had a peach cobbler with home made style ice cream that was obviously cooked in a smoker or grill due to the amazing hint of hickory smoke. That was a highlight for me! Get crazy, get creative, and awe the judges!

Tom KCBS MCBJ

7/26/2012 03:18:14 pm

The most memorable for me was a german chocolate cake from about ten years ago. our table really enjoyed scoring it very high and when word got out it was devoured at the leftover table.
Second was homemade strawberry ice cream with i think a homemade cookie dipped in chocolate.
Third is pound cake browned in butter with a mascarpone whiskey or rum added and I think orange or lemon zest. with a candied twist of the rind on top.
One thing to never never do is give us more meat to taste!!!!!! After sampling 24 pieces of meat we are on overload.

Dan R.

7/26/2012 03:20:47 pm

I still LOVE cheesecake as a dessert, if you have 10 cooks you will have 10 different cheesecakes some light and fluffy some heavy and dense. One of my favorite things to make is a LN2 (Liquid Nitrogen) Ice Cream to compliment the dessert. Grilled peaches with a sweet cream cheese filling drizzled with honey and dusted with cinnamon is always a nice course for after BBQ. Of course with the LN2 Ice cream.

Bill cbj kcbs

7/26/2012 11:50:23 pm

I personally don't care what kind of dessert it is as long as it is prepared well. Not just something put in a bowl at the last minute. If the cook took pride in their work, I will be excited to taste it.

Ed KCBS MCBJ

7/27/2012 01:36:18 am

Round these parts desserts are few and far between, and usually judged by the table captains due to so few entries.
When I do get to judge dessert, I'm an blank canvas paint on me as you wish.
I'm open to just about anything, but visual on arrival makes the table squeal with delite! Only advice I have is to remember that I just consumed a couple pounds of meat and I want something that will be light and very tasty.

Deb/KCBS CBJ/CTC

7/27/2012 01:51:14 am

Creativity, originality and a fresh appearance are all hallmarks of a top-scoring entry for me. Where taste is concerned, a dessert should have a balance of flavors. A fine example was a mouth-watering margarita-flavored parfait, served in a traditional (if oversized) margarita glass. The finishing touches of lime slice and rim-sugaring gave a hint of what was to come before one even took a spoonful. It was obvious that a lot of care went into the execution of the dish and it showed in the scores received.

buzz--cook--cbj

7/27/2012 02:21:25 am

personally wish we could judge desserts first ;>) , well cooked(and presented) plates will usually score well.. interesting presentations are a bonus if the product delivers as promised---use seasonal ingredients-- a component of your dessert can bring the whole dish down--like a gorgeous chocolate dipped strawberry--that has NO flavor---alcohol and ice cream are always good

Doug KCBS Master CBJ / CTC

7/27/2012 05:01:15 am

The dessert category is truly a "you don't really know what you're going to get." If you have ever met me, you would know I have not met a type of dessert I didn't like. Some desserts I like more than others, but it is all good. So for me I am just hoping to get something that is outstanding. One example of "WOW" dessert was a chocolate cake. Chocolate is something, for me, that a little goes a long way. This cake was chocolate, with chocolate frosting and chocolate shavings on top of the frosting. It looked awesome and tasted awesome. I "forgot" my bias against chocolate and ate the whole piece I had and still wanted more. That is a sign of a truly great dessert. I have also had awesome cheesecakes, pies, etc.

The one thing I think really helps a dessert is to have enough sweetness to offset all the savory meat the judges have sampled. If a dessert looks like a lot of time and effort went into it and tastes great it should do very well regardless of what it is.

Lorne Rae

7/27/2012 11:15:25 am

The best "wow" dessert I have ever had was served in a martini glass. It had ground graham crackers in the bottom with a bourbon flavored cheesecake pudding filling the rest of the glass. It was so good we had the head judge and all the table captains come over to also taste it. Everyone gave it top marks.

BBQ Critic

7/28/2012 12:33:03 am

What I notice in the judge tent is the way heads turn. If an item comes and every judge head turns to look at it - you scoring high points already. If you really like the way it tastes, you probably got a 180.

So the key word is WOW us! Judges do complain when they see a table that gets one of those WOW turn ins and they end up with cookies or some bland, mediocre dessert sitting in font of them.

I do not have any requirements on what you should turn in, but just be creative in a BIG WAY and Wow us! :-)

-- Herb

Comments are closed.

What type of desserts "wow" BBQ judges?

BBQ FAQ for Cooks and Judges

FAQ on judging competition BBQ