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THE SWEETEST THING
Duff Goldman in Food Network's "The Elf on the Shelf: Sweet Showdown." PHOTO COURTESY OF FOOD NETWORK
Chef Duff Goldman’s Expanding Empire
By April Neale
Food Network sensation Duff Goldman is mastering the world of TV chef stardom. The “Ace of Cakes” star’s new deal with Food Network, announced exclusively by Variety in September, sees the continuation of Goldman's beloved "Baking Championship" franchise and a brand new upcoming holiday event series, "The Elf on the Shelf: Sweet Showdown."
What began in 2006 when the network debuted "Ace of Cakes," (a reality show featuring the Charles Village [Baltimore] destination bakery, Charm City Cakes team, and Chef Duff), is now three series starring this best-selling cookbook author and chef-preneur with distinctly different competitive premises.
Of late, Goldman has been the face of series like "Ace of Taste," "Cake Masters," "Dessert Games," "Buddy vs. Duff," "Duff Takes the Cake," and "Duff's Happy Fun Bake Time," which he balances with a young family, sales through Goldbelly, and several locations for his Charm City Cakes bakeries as well as
Duff's CakeMix, a DIY cake decorating studio franchise concept. Duff's empire is rising like perfectly proofed dough.
Goldman’s "Holiday Baking Championship," where bakers flex their skills, premieres on Nov. 6. Goldman appreciates the challenge it presents to contestants. "Finishing is the hardest part; making it clean, as cake, buttercream frosting, and sugar is not forgiving. Cake is malleable, and what makes cakes so difficult to work with is creating art that looks finished and clean," he said.
But the chemistry isn’t just happening in the kitchen. Duff and fellow judges Carla Hall and Nancy Fuller are having a genuinely good time, all year round. "When the cameras are on, we're already going, but when they turn them off, it doesn't stop. The fun keeps going, and we stay in touch through text messages or whenever we see each other all year,” Goldman said. He reports that Fuller and his mom are friends, and frequently tell on him to one another. “Nancy will call me to say, 'Call your mom. You haven't called her in three days’," joked Goldman.
On Nov. 19, “Elf on the Shelf: Sweet Showdown” premieres, boasting six teams of confectionery artists competing in the fantastical world of Santa's loyal Scout Elves. Goldman hosts as competitors create edible showpieces for the ultimate gift of $25,000 and the title of Ambassador of Confectionery Concoctions.
"People love Elf on the Shelf. Many people have it as part of their holiday traditions, and what's cool about this series is that we lean into the magic of the elves, which I thought was nice—we do a lot of fun things with editing,” Goldman said. With incredible people, lots of magic, and special effects, the show promises an entertaining variety. “It wasn't just cake people, which I thought was cool. The teams are all professional pastry chefs. One person was also an ice carver, and we had a couple of chocolatiers and some sugar artists," explained Goldman.
In “Kids Baking Championship,” now in its twelfth season, kids take on exciting culinary challenges. "These kids are doing things at age ten that I didn't learn until I was 30," Goldman said. "They're tasked to create some things. And often, they're teaching me stuff because I don't work in restaurants anymore. I'm learning cutting-edge pastry things, and I try to keep up by reading many cookbooks and following pastry chefs doing cool stuff.”
Their fresh perspective, which Goldman likens to Wile E. Coyote running off a cliff and not falling because he doesn’t know it, leads to a new level of creativity in the kitchen. “The kids are like that, breaking every rule that there is to break in baking. And sometimes they'll make amazing creations. I think, 'There's no reason this should be good,' but it is," he said.
Goldman’s recipe, however, is tried and true, with a backstory as delicious as the cookie itself. Without this secret weapon, he might not have married his wife, he explained. "When I was dating my wife, she invited me to her family's Christmas cookie swap. She said, 'There are many excellent bakers in my family, so bring something good.' That's a lot of pressure for someone like me because, arguably, I am one of the most famous bakers in the country. What if I bring something mediocre? She'll never talk to me again,” Goldman recalled. “I had to really show up. I decided on my great-grandmother's Russian tea cakes. I brought them to the party, and lo and behold, I was invited back because those cookies were delicious."
RUSSIAN TEACAKE COOKIES
Duff Goldman’s Heirloom Family Recipe
INGREDIENTS
2 ½ sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 ¼ cups (20 ounces) all-purpose flour
¾ cup (6 ounces) sifted powdered sugar, plus more for rolling cookies
½ tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ tablespoon ground cinnamon
¾ cup toasted walnuts, finely chopped
DIRECTIONS
First, brown the butter: place the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat to cook. Check it after about 7 minutes; it should be a medium-brown color, not too light but not too burnt.
Once it reaches that color, take it off the heat and let it cool. Refrigerate it to continue to cool it for about 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two half sheet pans with parchment paper.
Add the cold browned butter, flour, powdered sugar, salt, vanilla extract, and cinnamon to a food processor; process until light and fluffy.
Transfer to a large bowl.
Add the walnuts and mix with a rubber spatula until combined.
Using a small ice cream scoop, portion 24 mounds of the dough onto your prepared sheet pans, spacing them two inches apart.
Place in the freezer to cool for 15 minutes.
Bake until the cookies are firm and smell nutty and toasty, 15 to 18 minutes. Rotate the pans 180 degrees halfway through baking.
Meanwhile, place additional powdered sugar in another large bowl.
Once the cookies are out of the oven, let cool for exactly 6 minutes and 30 seconds, then toss in the powdered sugar. Enjoy!
