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00:00I think this is one of the best things about the holidays,
00:10snuggling up and watching a Christmas movie.
00:13Their skin is glowing, and their teeth are so white.
00:15What's it about?
00:17Oh, this is my favorite part.
00:18She moves back to her hometown, bumps into an old flame
00:22from college.
00:23You think they don't like each other,
00:25but I feel that might change.
00:27Perfect.
00:29Welcome to Baked With Love.
00:37Last week on Baked With Love.
00:39This recipe didn't work.
00:40Sally and Amy's cupcakes fell flat.
00:43I think you've kind of dropped the ball with the flavor.
00:45Rosanna was feeling the pressure.
00:47A little stressful right now.
00:50It's split.
00:51Yes.
00:52While Renee and Sade's trifle failed to wow the judges.
00:56It could definitely have looked more elegant.
00:59One duo came out on top.
01:01Susan and someone.
01:02Wow.
01:04And we said goodbye to another team.
01:06James and Karen.
01:11Oh, my gosh.
01:12Like, to be now halfway through the competition is amazing.
01:16It's been a bumpy ride, so we feel pretty fortunate.
01:19Last week was a wild roller coaster ride.
01:23We weren't sure if we were even coming back.
01:25On the other side of this, there's four more challenges
01:28that stand between us and the prize.
01:30So it is becoming a little bit more high stakes.
01:32Welcome back to the barn.
01:34How are you feeling?
01:35Good.
01:36Good.
01:37You have made it halfway through the competition.
01:39You are one step closer to winning $50,000 and having your bake featured in a Hallmark movie.
01:49Shall we bring Anna and Vaughn in to tell you what's in store today?
01:52Yes.
01:53Yes.
01:54Okay.
01:54Anna and Vaughn.
01:55Yay.
01:56Hi.
01:57Good morning.
01:58It might be chilly outside, guys, but things are about to heat up in the barn.
02:04The theme this week is sugar and spice, and, of course, everything nice.
02:13So for today's holiday classic, we want you to make donuts.
02:17Specifically, baked donuts, 12 of them.
02:21So we're looking for your donuts to look absolutely stunning, almost like an ornament.
02:29We want two different types of decoration, and we will be judging you on the bake of your donut,
02:36but also on your level and control of spice.
02:40You know we have a twist for you, right?
02:43As you can see, we have a Christmas tree here and lovely presents underneath it.
02:47I would like one person from each team to walk up, grab a gift, go back to your stations,
02:55open up the gift, and tell us what you have inside.
02:59Ooh.
02:59We have cardamom.
03:01Ground star anise.
03:05Ground nutmeg.
03:06We have pink peppercorn.
03:10Ginger spice.
03:12My favorite spice girl.
03:13Really?
03:15Ground cloves.
03:17Yes.
03:18Yes.
03:19So each of you have a spice that you have to use as one of the flavors in your donuts.
03:25You have one hour and 30 minutes.
03:29Off you go.
03:37You already fail.
03:38Hey, I'll do that all the time.
03:39Let's see where the creative mind takes us today.
03:47Oh, bless you, baby.
03:48It's that peppercorn.
03:48Whoa, all that pepper.
03:49Whoa.
03:49We have a funky spice pink peppercorn, so we're thinking of pairing it with things that can
03:54handle that essence.
03:56Well, maybe something spicy.
03:57They want us to try things, so we will try things.
04:01We've got cardamom.
04:03Normally, it goes really well with apple, but we decided to go with a blueberry.
04:08It's just kind of a play off of my family's favorite.
04:12They like my blueberry biscuits that I make.
04:14Maybe I'll wash them.
04:14I don't know.
04:16Have you ever made baked donuts before?
04:20This will be my first time to make a baked donut, made fried donuts, but never baked.
04:26In regards to our inspiration, during Thanksgiving, Christmas time, my grandmother, she makes
04:32an apple pie, and she puts a crumble.
04:34However, her version of a crumble is Italian breadcrumb mixed with sugar, and it's not very
04:40good, but no one has the heart to tell her that that's not how you make a crumb.
04:45Yes, that's not how you make a crumb.
04:47So for one of our donuts, we're using that as the inspiration, but it's all about the
04:51decoration, ladies.
04:52Remember, we're looking for finesse and elegance.
04:54Finesse, yes.
04:55You've got it.
04:56For the finesse of it.
04:57Yes.
04:58Well, we have ground star anise, which personally, we have not baked with.
05:04However...
05:05It's definitely not even in our kitchen.
05:06No.
05:07But it is definitely in my grandparents' kitchen.
05:09That's for sure.
05:10And it's a flavor that really reminds me of my Grammy and Poppy, who passed away this
05:15past Christmas within one month of each other.
05:19They were truly each other's soulmate.
05:21So this is a really nostalgic flavor.
05:23I mean, literally, just when we smelled it, it brought back so many special memories.
05:27The spice that we received is ground cloves.
05:30So I'm trying to get these flavors together so it has a little bit more of my grandmother's
05:37Christmas cake feel to it.
05:39My grandmother's Christmas cake is near and dear to my heart.
05:44You start smelling the spices.
05:45You start experiencing it.
05:48All of a sudden, all these memories flood back.
05:50I literally felt like my grandmother was with me.
05:53I'm there.
05:54Cool.
05:55I'm there.
05:56Fasa, I'm happy.
05:57Yay!
05:58I'm happy.
05:59That's it.
06:00So tell me, what flavor are you going in your donut, and what flavor's going to go as
06:02your decorations?
06:03Ginger is the star of the donut show today.
06:06There's a little bit of cinnamon in there.
06:08We are still kind of brainstorming our toppings.
06:11We know we're going to do one that's not savory, but salty.
06:15Salty.
06:16You feel a lot of pressure now because you are associated with really upping your finesse
06:21game.
06:22Oh, yeah.
06:23Yes, ma'am.
06:24Yeah.
06:25We do.
06:26We're feeling the pressure.
06:27It is.
06:28It's real.
06:29Well, we are expecting very beautiful donuts from you ladies.
06:30Okay.
06:32Hopefully, the cinnamon will balance out and bring out the ginger flavor once the donuts
06:36are baking.
06:37We hope.
06:38This is a challenge.
06:39We went to the local bazaar and got paian smoked paprika.
06:44Ooh, yeah.
06:46White pepper and the pink peppercorn.
06:49Oh, my.
06:50Okay.
06:51This will wake you up.
06:52I'm excited for this.
06:53This is the good day in the barn.
06:55All right.
06:56Well, I'm going to leave you to it.
06:58Appreciate it.
06:59Bye, guys.
07:00Do you taste it?
07:01Yeah.
07:02I feel it at the end, but I feel like it might get lost in the donut more.
07:05It's a smidge more.
07:07I think that it'll be interesting to see this one, especially how they implement the
07:13spice.
07:14Mmm.
07:15Because spice is a tricky thing to get right.
07:16Yes.
07:17You know?
07:18And you need confidence, you know?
07:19When you're not sure about something, you have to kind of go to the depths of your memory
07:23of when you've used spices before.
07:25I think it's good for them to use their baking instincts with this challenge.
07:29Mmm.
07:30Check and see when something's done.
07:31Know when you've filled the donut pan up to the right amount.
07:34This is a recipe we've never used before, so we don't know what the lift is.
07:39You really just bake them, hope for the best.
07:43We're putting it in there for about 10 minutes at 3.55 Fahrenheit.
07:50And you're setting it time for how long?
07:5212 minutes?
07:53I wanted to ask you, what does it feel like to be in a competition with each other?
07:59You know, sometimes when we're baking family recipes or talking about them, it just takes
08:04you right back.
08:05How does that make you feel when you reminisce?
08:07Well, it feels good.
08:08Happy and sad.
08:09Yeah.
08:10We miss the ones that aren't here, but know that we can't be forever together here on
08:15Earth.
08:16Mm-hmm.
08:17But it's important to make lots of memories while we're all here.
08:22Yep.
08:26I am so lucky that I had two wonderful grandmothers, Granny and Mama, and a mother that encouraged
08:33me wanting to cook from a very early age.
08:36Yeah.
08:37They taught me a lot, and Mom still teaches me a lot.
08:39I mean, I'll try.
08:46They have been in there a little over 12 minutes, and the recipe calls for 12 to 14.
08:53Cake's coming out.
08:55I set it for 12.
08:56Yeah.
08:57So they only cooked for eight.
08:58I know, but I think our temp was high.
09:00Okay.
09:01Well, that's not good.
09:05This one's cooking.
09:06Oh, oh, oh, oh.
09:07This one's cooking a little bit slower, so I'm going to add two more minutes.
09:10Oh, oh, oh, oh.
09:11I'll just toss it back in.
09:12It's the fruits.
09:17Halfway through.
09:19Halfway through.
09:20Perfect.
09:21They're light brown.
09:22They're not too dark.
09:23I think these are done.
09:24Ooh, they look pretty.
09:25Look at that blueberry.
09:26Oh, those look great, Susan.
09:28Thank you, Chef.
09:29Wow.
09:30Come on, baby.
09:31Please, please.
09:32I like the top bake better than the bottom bake.
09:35First time for something.
09:36I think it's because we should have actually put one in each oven.
09:51So that may be a downfall for me on these.
09:55Trying to get the donuts out so they can cool and the other batch out so they can cool.
10:01I did see a lot of the teams out of the oven fairly early on.
10:05That's a good chance to test your donut.
10:08OK.
10:09But then that also means that we're going to be expecting some fabulous decorations
10:12because they have extra time, in my opinion, to do that today.
10:17We're trying to figure it out, the flavors.
10:19When you have an hour and a half and you have this much to do,
10:22sometimes it just has to come to you when you get to that step.
10:25Let's be real.
10:26For donuts, it's all about the toppings.
10:28At least that's how we feel.
10:30For one of our toppings, we're going to have this savory pancetta crumble.
10:34Rosanne, did you put maple in here too?
10:36No, I wanted to season it.
10:38Even a little bit of rosemary.
10:39I know you're not a fan since we can't add an acid to it.
10:42Wait, rosemary in there?
10:43No.
10:44No?
10:45No, you're going overboard.
10:47OK.
10:48She's constantly like, Ma, let's try this,
10:50because she likes her unique tastes and unique flavors.
10:53And I'm like, sure, bring it on.
10:55And there's times I'm like, oh my goodness, that's so delicious.
10:58And then there's times I'm like, uh, yes, mommy's not liking this one.
11:02I really think it needs some herb.
11:0415 minutes, guys!
11:0815 minutes!
11:09Time is running out, so just going to go very, very fast to get this done.
11:16I think I might just do half a wing.
11:18Yeah.
11:19Because we don't want to overdo it on the decoration either.
11:22Dang it.
11:23What, honey?
11:24These just don't look good.
11:26Well, we're going to have to garnish them.
11:28The glaze just has to dry.
11:30OK.
11:31Stand on the backside here.
11:32I need you to fan.
11:33Just don't whack me in the head.
11:35Just adding a little razzle-dazzle with some piping here.
11:39Yeah, they're melting.
11:41I'm almost there.
11:42OK.
11:46Oh, that's the wrong flavor.
11:47Oh, no.
11:48This tip is so fine.
11:50Get me another bag.
11:51Load your tip.
11:52I'm just running out of time.
11:54Rosanna, gold leaves we could put on that, too.
11:58See?
11:59But with purpose.
12:00Right.
12:03One minute!
12:04Dang, not enough time.
12:06That's it on the rosemary, I think.
12:09Rosanna.
12:10Make it snow, baby.
12:11Gorgie.
12:12That looks so good.
12:13Get something to scoop them with, please.
12:15Here.
12:19Those feel very German.
12:20Yep.
12:21Feel very fun.
12:22Yep.
12:23They're not ornate, but we hope they're very flavorful.
12:26Some of them sticking.
12:27Some of it's not.
12:28It's fine.
12:29This is a test of my dexterity right now,
12:31and I am shaking like a leaf.
12:33Time's up!
12:36Good job.
12:37Oh, OK.
12:40You see, theirs blew up a lot.
12:42Ours didn't do that.
12:43Look how high theirs is.
12:45Oh, this one's making me nervous.
12:47But we did it.
12:48It's the kind of cookie that gets you in trouble.
12:49Overall, I'm a little bit disappointed.
12:51I am in awe of you.
12:53I'm going to do the little icicle.
12:54My donut, that's not fully cooked.
13:02Six batches of donuts are ready to be tasted.
13:07We browned pancetta with oats, rosemary in there as well.
13:11And then we had made orange nutmeg.
13:13They are stunning.
13:17I'm excited to dive into these.
13:19So we're going in for the pancetta one.
13:22The saltiness of the pancetta is delicious.
13:24I think it's caramelized really nice.
13:26As I'm speaking to you now, I can taste the rosemary.
13:29That's a really good flavor.
13:30Thank you so much.
13:33To be able to use that, it shows a lot of technique.
13:36And it's gorgeous.
13:38Your orange donut.
13:40I want to continue eating.
13:41I want to continue eating.
13:42Aw, thank you.
13:43Great job.
13:44These are stunning.
13:45Thank you, guys.
13:46Yeah, really good.
13:47Well done.
13:48Well done, guys.
13:49Amazing ladies.
13:50We made a blueberry donut.
13:51So we have a chai tea glaze.
13:53It also has a little bit of maple syrup in there.
13:56I'm not sure they have as much detail or interesting bits to make them look like an ornament.
14:02I kind of wish I saw just a little bit more of that Rene and Sade glam that we usually get.
14:09Let's see how it tastes.
14:15Smells lovely.
14:16Now, the blueberries weren't giving me as much of a tart burst as I wanted in order to kind of balance out that sweetness.
14:22But I am really getting that spice.
14:24And the texture is really, really good.
14:28I think the donut is delicious.
14:30I can undeniably get cardamom off this.
14:32But really, with the brief, I think you could have done more with the decoration.
14:37So we glazed it with an amaretto glaze.
14:41We topped these with the sliced almonds and cacao nibs.
14:45This one we've topped with a dark chocolate ganache and cherries.
14:50I think that these are very eye-catching to me, but are lacking a little bit of that finesse.
14:57Let's taste.
15:02I'm not really getting the star anise.
15:05Oh.
15:06I get it just a tiny, tiny bit.
15:12I'm not getting any spice again.
15:14Texturally, I think these donuts are spot on.
15:17But I don't know if it necessarily really hammers home that brief.
15:21Okay.
15:22The exterior is a vanilla and almond glaze.
15:28Here, there's lots of fruits and floral and coconut.
15:32Here, we have these cute little German-style candies.
15:36The ones with the sanding sugar and the sparkle would have just looked so much cleaner without the gummies.
15:42Your donuts, which has dried fruit and floral on it, for me, there's an initial warning sign that they are smaller.
15:52My donut, that's not fully cooked.
15:55So I see the way I can kind of pinch it.
15:57It's not crumbling, which breaks my heart.
15:59But it also makes sense why they're smaller.
16:01Right.
16:02And I think there's a real elegance and length of flavor.
16:04Okay.
16:05But, obviously, your donut is not fully cooked.
16:07Okay.
16:08And I kind of like the balance of spices.
16:12Well, thank you, guys.
16:13Thanks.
16:15So this is a ginger brown butter glaze with a ginger brown butter buttercream.
16:23And this is a lemony ginger glaze with a lemony ginger buttercream.
16:29I was expecting a little bit more from this team.
16:35It's missing the real kind of Christmas sparkle.
16:41I can get the ginger.
16:43Your donut is a little bit tough.
16:44It's a little bit dry.
16:46Okay.
16:47The brown butter is really nice, though, in that glaze.
16:50I'm excited to try the lemon.
16:57The lemon is very low.
16:58There's very little acidity in there.
17:00I really feel, on this challenge, you guys have struggled.
17:05We have a orange vanilla donut.
17:09It's kind of a tangy orange glaze.
17:11And this one is spiced dark chocolate.
17:15Visually, I am not getting ornament.
17:19I'm not getting much decoration.
17:21Pink peppercorns sit forward, which is excellent.
17:24Oh, good.
17:25So that's really quite fun to taste.
17:30And I would love that kind of complemented and reinforced on the bottom.
17:34I love the heat on the back end.
17:36You know, to me, it's not overpowering.
17:38And I think that, honestly, as this competition goes on, I'm looking to applaud creativity and risks a little bit more.
17:46But these are looking a little on the sloppy side to me.
17:51Well, well done, guys, for getting through that challenge.
17:57Judges, what do you think of their donuts?
18:00Overall, I'm a little bit disappointed.
18:03I think that this is the point in the competition that we do have to be a little bit more critical.
18:08We really struggled to find a lot of decoration in these bakes today.
18:13Well, I'm going to try and lighten the mood with a joke.
18:18How about, do not give up?
18:24If we would have spent more time on the decorations, maybe it would have gone better, but we didn't.
18:29And we have a saying about that.
18:31It's, if bits and butts for candy and nuts, every day would be Christmas.
18:37And today was not Christmas.
18:39No, it was not.
18:42The team that really nailed the brief was Rosa and Rosanna.
18:53Another example of mother may not always know best.
18:56Because she had said, don't put Rosemary, because it's not her personal preference.
19:00Good job.
19:01I think we made a good combination together.
19:04This is not the right texture.
19:06We're a little soft.
19:07That's not good.
19:08I want to make my mom proud with these cookies.
19:11Oops, sorry.
19:12I'm sorry.
19:20Welcome back.
19:21Now it's time for the ultimate festive bakes.
19:25Judges, what do you have in store for the teams?
19:28We would like you to make a gingerbread centerpiece, and it needs to be inspired by a very special place in your heart.
19:37We also want it to light up.
19:40Just like the place that's special to you lights up your hearts, I'm sure.
19:45We would also like some cookies to accompany the gingerbread centerpiece.
19:52I truly find gingerbread houses challenging.
19:56It has become a tradition in my household, so now we just kind of buy them already made.
20:03Can we do that?
20:05You're not allowed to do that.
20:06No, no.
20:07However, I'm really excited to see you guys excel at that, because I know I did not.
20:13All right, well, you have two hours and 45 minutes to complete this challenge.
20:19Off you go.
20:24Two hours and 45 minutes is longer than we've had, but not a huge amount of time for a lot of detail.
20:31Yeah, I don't like this paddle.
20:33That's a no-no.
20:35We've made it several times, so hopefully all will go well today as it did when we practiced.
20:41Gaby, come here.
20:42Yes.
20:43This is not the right texture.
20:45Oh, okay.
20:46It needs to be more crumbly?
20:47No, it's not.
20:48It's too crumbly.
20:50Let's restart it and do less flour.
20:54Okay.
20:55All right.
20:57We're from Chicago and our roots are in Memphis, and so what we're going to be doing is representing
21:02our grandmother's house and the Memphis Bridge.
21:05So we're going to incorporate a pistachio white chocolate chip cookie into some of the landscape.
21:10We always cross the bridge when you're driving in to my grandmother's house.
21:14My husband and my son, the first time I took them, we crossed the bridge and it was kind
21:18of like a full circle moment.
21:22You okay?
21:24Oh, no.
21:25How did they get all the way over here?
21:27Clean up on aisle three, please.
21:29Three, please.
21:30What do you think?
21:32It's definitely clumpier.
21:33Okay.
21:34I mean, that feels good to me.
21:36I think that feels good.
21:37It's definitely better.
21:38Okay.
21:39Good.
21:40Our gingerbread cookie is actually not a traditional gingerbread.
21:43I was going to say, it looks a little darker.
21:45What's going on there?
21:46So it is inspired by the Italian gingerbread called massicoli cookies.
21:50Uh-huh.
21:51And it has a traditional gingerbread base, but it also has rum, orange blossom water,
21:55orange zest, and cocoa powder.
21:57Oh, my goodness.
21:58It's a little bit more softer than a gingerbread.
22:00Ooh, that smells delicious.
22:02I grew up and lived on the farm my entire life.
22:05Okay.
22:06And we are doing a farmhouse and pinoli cookie as the cobblestone pathway.
22:12In Italian, pinoli are pine nuts.
22:15Growing up on the farm, the men were out working.
22:18So the women, we would cook and prepare meals for when the men came back.
22:22So we were always in the kitchen cooking together.
22:25In a way, that started my, you know, love for cooking because we were always surrounded
22:30by my grandmothers and my mother there.
22:32True.
22:33And she always adored being in the kitchen.
22:36Hi, guys.
22:37Hi.
22:38Hi.
22:39You made it this far.
22:40How do you feel?
22:41Honored to have made it this far.
22:43Yeah.
22:44Around this time, you can get a little lethargic, a little tired.
22:46Yeah, yeah.
22:47Or you can be like, oh, I made it this far.
22:49Let's go.
22:50Red light dance party.
22:51Bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum.
22:54Oh, I love it.
22:55Okay.
22:56It works.
22:57Yes, it does.
22:58It gives you the energy.
22:59Love it.
23:02So what is your centerpiece?
23:04Our centerpiece is a nativity scene.
23:07Oh.
23:08So we're making a gingerbread structure with gingerbread
23:10cookies and sugar cookies.
23:13That little one right there.
23:15Right there.
23:16That baby one.
23:17Oh.
23:18That I leave out year-round in my kitchen.
23:20Always makes me think about Christmas, so it inspired this bake.
23:23Yeah, and I always leave one out in my house year-round.
23:26The more we're together, I'm kind of starting to worry.
23:29We're a little too much alike.
23:31As well as a show-stopping centerpiece, the judges want the teams to make their signature
23:37cookie.
23:38I'm making my grandma's famous chocolate chip cookies.
23:42She's been written about in the paper describing her as Cookie Lil, because she gives her chocolate
23:48chip cookies away.
23:49She's amazing.
23:50I love her so much.
23:52Wish I could feed you a little dough.
23:55The best part?
23:57We got married in December of 2022.
24:00So what we're recreating here is from the welcome party from the night before our wedding.
24:05We're going to use my Aunt Susan's tea cake recipe to make a Christmas tree.
24:10Coincidentally, the downtown Christmas parade was happening that night right outside.
24:14People are toasting inside, hugging, meeting each other for the first time.
24:18And it was just a really, really great Christmas memory and one for us, too.
24:21Oh, I love that.
24:22Yeah.
24:23Hi, ladies.
24:24Hi.
24:25So is there anything that you have learned about each other?
24:28I think I've always known that my sister was really creative when it came to the kitchen,
24:31but I don't really think I've ever stopped to kind of appreciate it.
24:34Yeah.
24:35She's got such a creative mind.
24:37Aw.
24:38I'm going to cry.
24:42Sorry.
24:43Oh, dear.
24:44Y'all ain't going to make me cry today.
24:46I'm so proud of her for just jumping in and doing this with me.
24:50I know it's been hard for her to be away from her son for this long,
24:53and it's just I don't want this to be a waste for her to come here and not try my best.
24:59Well, you should be very proud of yourself.
25:05Steven and I went to Antarctica for the holiday.
25:09We had lots of little baby penguins running around.
25:13They were so cute.
25:15It's a whole series of glacier mountains made of gingerbread and sugar cookies with little penguins on top of them.
25:23The icebergs are actually Steven's mother's sugar cookie recipe that nobody else in the family has other than us.
25:32She wouldn't give it to me except for this show.
25:34I want to make my mom proud with these cookies.
25:40I think they're good.
25:42I hope so.
25:43In the oven.
25:45They are in.
25:46That's great.
25:47One section down.
25:48So Ben is definitely, I would say, the more advanced baker between the two of us.
25:53But he is so humble that I feel like I'm always his hype girl.
25:56I'm his encourager to be like, yes, let's do this.
25:58You're my hype girl for sure.
26:00So I'm working on the centerpiece, and we are making a mini replica of the Eiffel Tower.
26:05What?
26:06Yeah.
26:08We also have chai buttercream cookies, and then we have a rosewater white chocolate bark as well.
26:13And this is special to us because before our wedding, we actually went to Paris.
26:19And when we were on the Seine, there was a man playing an accordion, and he played the song Le'Veon Rose.
26:25And so we were just dancing on this bridge on the Seine.
26:28And it was just super, super romantic.
26:30So we ended up making that our wedding dance, Le'Veon Rose.
26:34My goodness, this sounds incredible.
26:36But you both look more relaxed than me.
26:38Oh, thank you.
26:40Well, we had a couple moments in the beginning where we were stressed, but now I feel like we're feeling good.
26:45We've got the gingerbread baked now, so.
26:47Keep the momentum going.
26:49I cannot wait to see this.
26:50Thank you so much, Anna.
26:52With the gingerbread baked and cooled, it should be time for our bakers to start building.
26:57Oh, we're a little soft.
26:59That's not good.
27:00We're really soft.
27:02If it collapses, then we have nothing.
27:11Well, no, we're really soft here, too.
27:15The cookie was soft, so it cracked.
27:18Oh, no.
27:2130 minutes left?
27:22Yes.
27:24I just don't think it's going to harden.
27:26You just don't want your structure to fall.
27:28Shoot.
27:29Shoot.
27:36That's not us.
27:37No.
27:38Where is it?
27:39We're good.
27:40You're halfway through.
27:42Halfway through.
27:45You just don't want your structure to fall.
27:48So I'm going to make sure that I have it lined up correctly.
27:51We're going to have to start assembling this.
27:53I need to get the other side iced.
27:55The snow is starting to fall.
27:57I should stick it in the oven a little bit longer, too?
28:01At least we found out now and not at the 9 o'clock hour, you know?
28:05Yeah, but we got to start assembling.
28:07It's soft.
28:08It might have had to stay in the oven just a little bit longer to crisp it more of a structural cookie instead of just a eating cookie.
28:14I don't know how much you want me to coat this.
28:17I'm trying to get wood-like strokes in there.
28:20What are you going to stick the centerpiece together with?
28:22Yeah, the actual structure we're using white chocolate.
28:24OK.
28:25Um, it colludes together pretty solidly.
28:27It's really about the edges as long as they're flat and they meet each other.
28:30This is so precise and beautiful.
28:32Oops, sorry.
28:33I'm sorry.
28:34Didn't break, did it?
28:35Oh my god.
28:36Thank god.
28:37I fell down.
28:39Anybody catch that joke?
28:41I fell down.
28:42So we are now piping our royal meringue icing onto this.
28:48We have tried and true tested this exact icing and it worked as a great icing glue.
28:56I absolutely think Gabriel and Ben look like they were born to make this gingerbread piece.
29:03They were working together like a brilliant team.
29:05I mean theirs will probably be the highest structure given it's the Eiffel Tower, you know?
29:10I'm a little bit worried about Rene and Shadow.
29:12Oh, really?
29:13Well, they're choosing to use white chocolate as the kind of edible glue.
29:16Oh, no.
29:17And white chocolate isn't as stable or strong as dark chocolate.
29:21Also, there's a lot of oven action happening in here, so it's pretty warm.
29:26The biggest thing I'm worried about is that the cookies are not cooked completely.
29:30Yeah.
29:31So they are soft and they're not strong enough to hold a structure.
29:33Okay, move.
29:34Excuse me.
29:38Yeah, these guys are good.
29:39Yeah, because Manny made those.
29:41Mama made those.
29:43We're going to just continue decorating everything so we'll have all our elements decorated.
29:46And then hopefully, closer to time, we can put it together and we'll be good to go.
29:51Just got to get these walls done.
29:53Oh, gosh, please.
29:5630 minutes!
29:5730 minutes left?
29:58Yes.
29:5930 minutes, Susan?
30:00We just got to start gluing.
30:01Yeah.
30:02Shoot.
30:03KVI just messed it up.
30:05Oh, no.
30:06Okay.
30:07Dang.
30:08Wait, is your glue dirty enough?
30:10Because we're not going to have enough time, I think, should we just make a creative concept
30:15and just put it flat?
30:16What?
30:17It's going to crumble.
30:18So instead of it crumbling...
30:20It's not going to crumble.
30:21I think it is.
30:22No, it's not.
30:23I was worried about the rosemary.
30:24I was worried about the pie dough.
30:25No, but I don't think we should.
30:28We've got to try it.
30:32Good job.
30:33All right, I've got our star, just so it can be dry.
30:36Just decorate the front.
30:37I know.
30:38I'm actually going to need that in a minute.
30:42There's sheeting everywhere.
30:43Let me see how many I need.
30:44I'm going to starve.
30:45It's not what I wanted.
30:46Okay, we have something on the boards, at least.
30:47We have the chocolate ready, so we're going to try and put it together.
30:51I try to keep it as thick as I possibly could.
30:52Think I should go back on the other side?
30:53Yeah.
30:54We're going to do a different concept.
30:55A shoe.
30:56A shoe.
30:57A 2D version.
30:58We're going to work with what we got.
30:59We'll give them something standing.
31:00Hold on.
31:01It's something that's standing.
31:02It looks so good.
31:03It looks so good.
31:04Can you start getting the trees on the board?
31:07Yeah.
31:08Awesome.
31:09Can I go?
31:10Because I need to put the tree in there?
31:11Okay, please.
31:12Yes.
31:14The gangs are here.
31:16It's something that's standing.
31:21It looks so good.
31:22Can you start getting the trees on the board?
31:24Yeah.
31:25Awesome.
31:26When I go, I need to put the tree in there.
31:28Okay, please, yes.
31:29The gang's all here.
31:31We've got the main characters.
31:36If you'll give me the stranded lights as well,
31:38I'll go ahead and get them in place.
31:41Ice Ice Baby.
31:46Okay.
31:47We need that to seal, just like that.
31:50Come on, guys!
31:51Five minutes left!
31:53We can't fit this in the fridge, can we?
31:54I just don't think it's going to harden without something cold.
31:59We wanted to include a Santa in the front,
32:01but Santa was really busy.
32:03He was really busy.
32:04Is it sliding?
32:05No.
32:06No, it's not.
32:07Oh, wow.
32:08They've dug the Eiffel Tower.
32:11It's so pretty.
32:12See if you can lift up the Memphis Bridge.
32:14It's a little more sticky.
32:19Is there anything I can do?
32:20I am just putting a frost on the ice.
32:23Cobblestone pathway.
32:24Where are the pinolis?
32:28Okay.
32:29Can you see the light?
32:30Yes, I can see the light.
32:34It's a little bit cooler.
32:39Watch out, watch out, watch out.
32:40Let's put your side.
32:45I can't believe this happened.
32:46It's how the cookie crumbled, I guess, right?
32:48I'm in awe of you.
32:50One minute, guys!
32:52One minute!
32:53I'm going to do the little icicles, okay?
32:55Okay.
32:56Thank you so much.
32:57Well, stay.
32:58It keeps dropping that way.
32:59Let me, here.
33:00I know what's the weight of this is pulling it.
33:02The weight, all right.
33:04Use it every minute.
33:06It's not enough if you put rosemary on it or not.
33:11We pray that it sticks together.
33:14Time's up!
33:16Step away from your gingerbread.
33:20Okay.
33:21Please don't fall, please don't fall, please don't fall.
33:23I can't watch.
33:24Don't fall, don't fall, don't fall.
33:31Gabrielle and Ben, you're first.
33:34Please tell the judges about your gingerbread.
33:37So, we present to you the City of Delights.
33:41This is inspired by a really romantic moment that we had in Paris on the Seine River by the Eiffel Tower.
33:46We wanted to bring that to life because it's a place that is absolutely very special to us.
33:51Good job.
33:52I mean, like, this is, like, c'est très bien fait.
33:58I think your gingerbread centerpiece is fantastic.
34:02I think it looks secure and stable.
34:05Cutting into it, seeing the lights, I'm sure at night it would glow gorgeously.
34:10There's a really nice spice element to that.
34:16It has a nice finish of ginger at the end.
34:23I really love the cookies.
34:25I am just astonished at how you pulled this off in just a little over two and a half hours.
34:31Our gingerbread house is our, sorry, our grandmother's house.
34:42And, um, our goal is just to kind of represent, you know, as best we could, what her home looked like.
34:49But for us, it represented love.
34:51So, uh, it looks like there might have been a few little tricky moments when you were making the house.
34:56There's quite a lot of white chocolate on there.
34:57It's just kind of breaking my heart a little bit that it didn't go all to plan for you guys.
35:03Um, so you can see that some of your cookies weren't actually cooled down before you iced them.
35:08There we go.
35:12It's a good structural gingerbread.
35:14Really good, like, punchy, spicy flavor.
35:20Great chew.
35:22I think the flavor of your biscuits are really good, but quite a few things went wrong with your house.
35:25Our structure was influenced by the farm, which is where I grew up.
35:32All of our fun, family memories, Christmases, family gatherings, everybody came to the farm.
35:38Oh, don't.
35:39Oh.
35:40Don't, you did good.
35:42You did fine, that's it.
35:43You did fine.
35:45Yes.
35:46I'm sorry.
35:47We were so confident.
35:48All the elements were done.
35:5040 minutes left, and then we went to go put up the structure.
35:52It turned out our cookie was just a bit soft.
35:55Oh, it's heartbreaking, isn't it?
35:56I know, I know.
35:57We can see so much detail.
36:04The chocolate gingerbread cookie.
36:06I think it could have been a little bit sweeter.
36:08Just a tiny bit.
36:13It's the kind of cookie that gets you in trouble.
36:15Uh-oh.
36:17You get out of bed in the middle of the night to go downstairs and eat these.
36:23Just the front of the barn.
36:25Yeah, yeah.
36:26Did us dirty.
36:27We got married on December 3rd, and on December 2nd was the night when all of our loved ones came together for the first time, and they congregated in this building, in this space in my hometown, and it's so special to me.
36:43And it was so special to see all the people who poured so much love into us pouring into the room for us.
36:50You can see the lights in there kind of all, what do you say, higgledy-piggledy?
36:57Higgledy-piggledy.
36:59Higgledy-piggledy.
37:00I love the detail in the roof.
37:07I think it's quite nice.
37:08You know, I love the molasses-y flavor.
37:10So, yeah, it's good.
37:15It's got really interesting flavor, quite crumbly texture.
37:18Yeah.
37:19All in all, I would say you showed a lot of skill with the size of your cookies.
37:23It's definitely missing, like, finishing finesse.
37:28Our story represents an old story about 2,000 years old that most people have heard.
37:36Your centerpiece would not be out of place on a dinner table on Christmas Day.
37:41My only thing is the lighting.
37:42That's also maybe a little higgledy-piggledy.
37:44Yeah, yeah, that is.
37:49I quite like the chew on that.
37:53Good.
37:54I think it needs a little bit of salt.
37:56I think it's a bit heavy on the molasses.
38:00Your Christmas trees look so lovely.
38:02The sugar cookie's good.
38:03You both do simple classics so well.
38:13Sometimes I'm waiting to be wowed.
38:18OK.
38:21We traveled to Antarctica for the holidays.
38:24Wow.
38:25We spent Christmas with the penguins, hundreds of them running around our feet.
38:30So that was our inspiration with the structure.
38:33I think it looks amazing.
38:34I think it looks so cool.
38:35And the use of the lights is my favorite, most intentional use of the lights.
38:42I think I see Jack Dawson under this one.
38:48I think it's probably too heavy on the spice for me.
38:52OK.
38:53I think that the gingerbread is a little crumbly.
38:55I think it's a little dry.
38:56The little iceberg cookies that the penguins are on is my mother's sugar cookie recipe.
39:01Your sugar cookie has a similar texture to a kind of cake or a sponge.
39:06So I think it might have needed just maybe a little bit longer to cook.
39:09But I really love the story behind it.
39:15I think we're just going to have to be kind of daring.
39:17What we think is a lot of flavor is clearly not enough.
39:20So we've got to really spice it up.
39:24And they said, I can't taste the ginger.
39:25I thought, oh, gosh.
39:27Half a cup?
39:28I think next time.
39:29I don't know.
39:30Well, I'd say it's been quite a day.
39:39We take out the front of the barn, and it's bending.
39:41I'm like, no.
39:42For us, we were literally holding our roof with one minute left.
39:46Yes.
39:47And we just had to let it go and hope.
39:49I don't know how, but for some reason it stayed.
39:51This week has been an emotional rollercoaster for me.
39:53I don't know about for you, Mom.
39:55I've been cool, calm, and collected the whole time.
39:57You've got amazing bakers you're going up against, so.
40:00I don't know.
40:01It could go any way.
40:06You know, I have to say, I'm slightly confused.
40:10Rosa and Rosanna did amazing, but wait.
40:13They're in the bottom.
40:15What happened today?
40:17The fact that you can be in the top and then suddenly be in the bottom
40:20is, I think, a good sign that it's a healthy race.
40:23I do feel like Ben and Gaby, they're Eiffel Tower.
40:26Maybe their Eiffel Tower was genius.
40:29It was fantastic.
40:30Beautiful.
40:31Do you have a clear idea of who's going home today?
40:33Renee and Sade kind of come to mind.
40:36Unfortunately, that gingerbread house just really didn't go to plan for them today.
40:40I'd be a bit worried about Marco and Steven.
40:43Really?
40:44Well, I think they struggled with a couple of their bakes.
40:46I feel like that's a common theme for them as well.
40:49Their bakes are always either too eggy, dry.
40:53Amy and Sally, I think that their donuts were just not there today.
40:58Their gingerbread was gorgeous, but I'm just kind of over the vanilla with the vanilla frosting.
41:07You have a big decision to make.
41:09Do you want to make the decision?
41:10No.
41:11You are not putting that on me.
41:13Oh, no.
41:14What a sweet and spicy day we've all had.
41:20Well, I'll start with the sweet.
41:22Anna, who do you think were the strongest bakers today?
41:26So the team that we really felt excelled in today's challenges were Gabriel and Ben.
41:40Oh, I'm so excited.
41:43Honestly, we were not expecting this.
41:45So, like, my heart about dropped in my chest when they said our names.
41:49That was awesome.
41:50I, like, had tears in my eyes.
41:51I was so excited.
41:52Yeah.
41:53Sadly, one team will be leaving us today, and that team is Renee and Sade.
42:10Will you please hang up your aprons in the barn?
42:13We're sad to see you go, but please don't stop baking with love.
42:23That's so great.
42:25Honestly, I'm only heartbroken because I did want my grandmother's house to look a lot better.
42:29But our intention for this competition was really to have these challenges be a love story to our family.
42:36And I hope we did them justice.
42:40We know we have some very tight competition in this.
42:44And, um, we're going to bring her a game.
42:47Yeah.
42:48Everybody's so good.
42:49Everybody's so good.
42:50Yeah, our glasses are rose-colored right now after that, which is pretty fitting.
42:58So, yeah, I honestly, this is, like, just the best feeling.
43:31Amen.
43:32Mom.
43:33I do better like this.
43:37Welcome over.
43:40So,
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