Pittsburgh pastry chef recalls stint on holiday baking show

Fairmont Pittsburgh pastry chef Dwight Penney is home for the holidays, after being eliminated Dec. 9 from Food Network’s Holiday Baking Championship.

Penney, 30, of Dormont, was among 10 original bakers competing for a chance to win $25,000 and the title of Holiday Baking Champion on the popular show’s sixth season.

“It was pretty fun. It was an awesome experience,” he says.

The show’s producers, Penney says, found him through his Instagram account.

“We filmed at the beginning of July. It was literally Christmas in July in California,” he says.

Anddddd it’s down to 5! Tonight the bakers are going to be challenged with making… IGLOO cakes. Watch the all new episode of #HolidayBakingChampionship at 9/8c on @FoodNetwork ? pic.twitter.com/Ub0JTnetU6

— Duff Goldman (@duffgoldman) December 9, 2019

Penney says contestants do not know what they will be expected to prepare.

“It’s ‘Be ready with all of your knowledge,’” he says.

All they are told is they will not be making any desserts from the show’s previous seasons.

The first challenge was to bake a kranzecake, which Penney was unfamiliar with.

“That threw me, but when (host) Jesse (Palmer) came out, he brought an already made one,” giving the bakers a goal to work toward.

Penney says he found all of the judges great to work with.

“Duff (Goldman) is very critical, probably because he’s seen a lot in the world. Nancy (Fuller) was a blast,” he says.

And Lorraine Pascale can be very particular about flavors, or the lack thereof, Penney says.

Along with the usual stress of competing on a televised show was the fact that Penney’s pregnant wife remained at home for the 18 days he was filming.

The couple welcomed a son three months ago.

Growing fan club

The hotel has proudly promoted its chef on social media.

“My Instagram account doubled,” Penney says.

“My hometown (Richwood, Ohio), people were saying, ‘Monday night, we’re watching you, you’re better than football.’ The support was amazing,” he says.

“It’s been wonderful. I think we, too, here as a team really root for each other. … Everybody was ‘Team Dwight,’” says Andrea Stehle, Fairmont’s director of public relations and digital marketing.

Some of Penney’s desserts, including some made on the show, are available for sale in the lobby’s sweets case.

In a Dec. 9 social media post, Penney thanked fans for their support and asked them to keep watching the remaining competing bakers.

“I picked up new skills, new friendships for life,” he says.