JOEL: The last time we visited our teams of family members...
- What's this? What's this? - That's a cute picture.
JOEL: They were in a frenzy of shaping and scraping dough...
- Ooh! - Whee!
JOEL: In a focaccia-fueled scramble to survive...
Oh, my God. It's smoking.
JOEL: And claw their way closer to a hundred grand.
Anyatta and Sonjii dabbled in some light vandalism...
Taking a knife to their focaccia, it hurts.
JOEL: Opening the door for Becky and Daniel to win safety...
(Cheering)
While the other four teams
pushed their detective skills to the limit.
Look at this. Look at this.
This is the hardest Crime Scene Kitchen
I've ever seen on this show.
Oh, I really hope this is
not going to send us home.
In an elimination bake for the ages...
This is the first time that all of the teams
have completely failed to identify the mystery dessert.
Wow.
...the sisters from Texas
suffered a bout of color confusion...
It looked like key lime was in there.
Oh.
...which sent them off to greener pastures.
Tonight...
- All right. Let's do this. - All right.
...the four remaining teams of family members
must face two new crime scenes
and try to keep their emotions in check.
(Screaming)
- Oh! - Jeez.
Our bakers are in a stressful battle
to reach the team merge at any cost.
DANIEL: Somebody's going home tonight,
and we really don't want it to be us.
I have no clue what this is. Spiraling.
So, I thought this would be the perfect time
to invite my buddy from my other job.
Whoa. Hello, Kai.
She just took my head off with that side eye.
Wow!
It's time for Crime Scene Kitchen.
PRODUCER: Here we go. Cue family bakers.
We're always the runner-up.
We never quite get it.
If we win this safety bake,
we are automatically going into the merge.
I mean, we have to win.
DANIELLE: We have not won safety yet.
We've taken all the criticism.
We've honed all of our skills.
And we're going straight to the merge.
Friends and family coming together, merging.
Welcome to Crime Scene Kitchen.
This is the last time you will be competing against one another
before you merge with our teams of friends.
Oh, I'm so ready to take on those friend bakers.
Yeah, right? We'll see how many of you are friends after this.
After the merge, there are no more weeks off.
You'll make two desserts per show until someone wins $100,000
or I go into a diabetic coma, whichever comes first.
(Laughing)
Behind me is the Crime Scene Kitchen.
A delicious dessert was baked there.
You must search the kitchen for clues left behind
as to the dessert's identity.
Don't bother dusting for prints.
Most desserts don't have fingers.
With the clues you gather, you'll recreate
the mystery dessert as best you can.
And now, our judges.
She has oodles of loyal followers.
It's Yolanda Gampp.
(Applauding)
He loves culinary competitions and barely tolerates me.
Superstar chef Curtis Stone. Curtis?
(Applauding)
Also, we have a very special guest joining us tonight.
He's a comedic actor and filmmaker
with no formal training in cooking or pastry-making.
Who better to decide your $100,000 fate than my co-star
from Animal Control, Ravi Patel. Ravi?
(Cheering and applause)
Hi, guys.
RAVI: This feels like bring-your-friend-to-work day.
There's two people who have accomplished so much
in the food space, and then you have me,
who's just, like, on a show with that guy.
KATELYN: This is so exciting to have Ravi here.
He is so funny in Animal Control,
and now we get to see him in person.
Bakers, each of you will have two minutes
to investigate the Crime Scene Kitchen.
Search carefully but quickly for clues
to help you recreate the mystery dessert.
And really try this time, okay? Don't make me look bad
in front of my friend from my other job,
Kai.
- There it is. - (Laughing)
Becky and Daniel, start your search.
- All right. Let's do this. - All right.
All right. Do your search.
- Okay. - I got the trash.
All righty.
Nothing in the drawers.
Nothing here.
A strainer. Well, it might be clean.
There's a pie dish.
Look. The bathwater in the oven.
DANIEL: Springform.
You mean a water bath?
(Laughing) You know what I mean.
Water bath.
A water bath is an inch or so of water in a big roasting pan
that you place your baking pan inside of.
And that's just to help it cook more evenly and slowly.
You would use a water bath to bake flan or a crème caramel.
Let's see. The whisk attachment.
It looks like-- I think this is from a meringue.
- Yeah. Definitely a meringue. - Really wet whisk. Yeah.
A meringue was made.
I see little white bubbles,
which to me says "meringue." These are whipped egg whites.
A spatula with pumpkin on it, I think.
I know this is pumpkin,
because I often make pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.
Could be a pumpkin chiffon pie.
Cinnamon. This AP flour's open.
Okay. We got-- We got pineapple.
I hit the fridge and we've got pineapple, blueberries,
strawberries, and we've got raspberries.
So, fruit must have been used.
- Okay. - Sheet pan.
- Lemon was used. - Lemon.
The juice has definitely been extracted.
Whatever we're making has lemon in it.
Lemon. One lemon.
Trash.
I see cake rounds, cake strips.
I see cream cheese.
Finding this cream cheese is huge.
I'm thinking it has to be some type of cheesecake.
The question is what kind of cheesecake.
- Curdling. - Look at this. What is this?
That's-- I don't know.
Come check this. It might be--
- All right. - I can't tell. Butterscotch?
Some type of brown sugar.
I don't know if there's coconut in there.
Pumpkin, maybe? Pumpkin or squash.
What is that?
I can't tell what that is.
I don't know what it would be.
Oh, 10 seconds.
We have 10 seconds to figure it out.
10 seconds.
Check. Does it fit in any of these?
No. It's not a pie.
This is a little bit too big. It fits in that one.
It's got to be some kind of cheesecake.
I'm thinking cheesecake. Yeah.
Okay. With pumpkin, though?
- JOEL: That is time! - All right.
The Crime Scene Kitchen is now closed.
You now have three hours to bake the mystery dessert.
Whoever wins gets safety and goes directly to the merge.
Ready, guess, bake.
Okay.
So, I'm thinking because we saw a water bath
and the egg yolks and whites were split,
that for me is pointing towards a Japanese cheesecake.
A Japanese cheesecake does not have a crust.
It's a lot fluffier, a lot lighter.
It's almost like a soufflé when you're eating it.
Do we think it was pumpkin?
I think it was definitely pumpkin. Yeah.
Okay. Would that go with any fruit?
Pumpkin and pineapple, definitely not.
The only one I could possibly see is blueberry,
but we didn't find any other evidence of it used.
And then what would you do?
Either a coulis or a compote.
Because we saw the parchment paper strips,
the pumpkin mixture on the double boiler
and the blueberries in the fridge,
we're going to make a pumpkin Japanese cheesecake
with a blueberry compote on it.
How does this work? I got to open it?
- Yeah. Watch. - (Shouting)
Let's finish saying what we saw.
I saw the whip attachment with meringue on it.
And then, on the stove was a double boiler.
Immediately, that's Japanese cheesecake.
When I saw that double boiler, I automatically knew
it was going to be a Japanese soufflé cheesecake.
There's no other cheesecakes that have that same method.
In the sink, I saw the spatula that had the pumpkin on it.
And then I saw a ramekin that has cinnamon in it, though.
That's what threw me.
- Pumpkin spice. - Oh, okay.
I want to use one of those racks to do a powdered-sugar garnish,
and then lift the rack up,
so it has, like, that cross pattern.
- You get what I'm saying? - Okay.
Because we saw the parchment strips,
cream cheese in the trash
and the double boiler on the stove,
we are making a pumpkin spice Japanese cheesecake
with a beautiful design of powdered sugar on top.
JOEL: Kai and Starlett.
- Hi. - Hello.
- It's TV's Ravi Patel. - Hi, hi.
- Hi, Ravi. - Ravi. So nice to meet you.
What are you making?
So, we decided to make a pumpkin Japanese soufflé cheesecake.
Already sensing a lack of confidence
in the way you said that.
- Whoa! hello, Kai. - That, that-- Yeah.
I hope there's some of that in the cheesecake.
She just took my head off with that side eye.
Wow!
She's never actually looked at me straight on.
It's an only-side-eye relationship.
She plays her cards very close.
She'll be, like, "I'm having a lot of fun."
(Laughing)
Watch your eyes.
(Laughing)
Okay. I'm going to whip this up.
You know what?
In the ramekin could have been spices.
- Yes. - Katelyn and Ronan.
- Hi. - Hey. Hi, Joel.
- Oh, my gosh. Ravi. - Hi!
- How are we doing? - Good.
You guys have incredible energy.
- Oh, thank you. - Ah, thank you.
What are you making?
We are making a pumpkin Japanese cheesecake.
Because we saw the water bath,
the meringue and the pumpkin,
we're deciding to make a pumpkin spice Japanese cheesecake.
JOEL: So, Katelyn makes beautiful cakes, right?
- And she is beautiful. Yeah. - Oh, thank you.
- Look at this. - Get a room. God.
Have you made a wedding cake before?
Yes. It was for my sister.
Bless her heart.
She trusted me to make a three-tier wedding cake.
I go to place the last tier,
and it just crumbles down the side of the cake.
Was your sister, like, "No, that's fine!
I'm fine with a two-tiered cake. It's fine."
RAVI: Yeah, yeah.
It's not like a girl grows up
thinking of three tiers her entire life.
You know, 10-year anniversary, we could make it happen.
You should do a six-tier wedding cake for their 10-year.
Ours was seven.
- Yeah. - It was incredible.
Pop-up picture of our wedding cake.
Show the wedding cake.
RAVI: Is this the thing now?
You guys are always pushing yourselves
to do, like, bigger, cooler bakes?
Absolutely. Yeah.
We're always looking to grow, definitely.
If you can dream it, we can bake it.
Damn it.
I couldn't find the thingy.
- The squeeze thingy. - Here it is.
Do you want it?
- No. - (Laughing)
Danielle and Courtney, it's Ravi Patel.
- Hello. - Hello. Hi.
Ravi Patel.
- Nice to meet you, Courtney. - You, too, sir.
- Hey, Danielle. - Hi. Nice to meet you.
JOEL: What are you guys making?
Lemon cinnamon cheesecake.
Due to the major clue of the water bath in the oven,
lemon in the compost bin
and cinnamon in the ramekin,
we're making a lemon cinnamon Japanese cheesecake.
Guys, we are almost at the merge.
- Woo! - So, how are you guys feeling?
I am 99.25 that this is a cheesecake.
We are going to the merge.
You are going to win the safety bake.
We are going to win the safety bake.
I feel cushioned seats in our future.
Okay.
I don't know how much lemon juice you need.
Not that much.
That's not a key component.
Is it going to stay that color?
'Cause what I saw in the Crime Scene Kitchen was darker.
Then maybe we should add more.
I'll do that.
YOLANDA: Everyone is baking some form
of a Japanese cheesecake.
And because a Japanese cheesecake is soufflé-based,
you have to be careful when baking it.
It can crack or collapse just like a traditional soufflé,
and that's not what we want to see.
Dude, do you think we'll win safety?
- I really hope we win safety. - I really hope we do.
And we go right into the merge if we win safety.
Oh, my gosh. That'd be so cool.
Why does our stove keep clicking at us?
That's what I want to know.
- It's just settling. - Yeah.
And the fan's got to turn on and turn off.
Ooh. It's starting to crack a little bit. We okay?
Oh, no. Shoot.
Looking in the oven and seeing that crack
on top of our cheesecake makes me so nervous.
RONAN: Crack is turning into a crevice.
I'm worried that we're out of water.
- That could cause it to crack. - Yeah.
I think it's dry.
All the water has evaporated in our water bath.
It's just sitting in another pan at this point.
We have to add more water, but if we open the oven too soon...
...we could turn our cheesecake into a pancake.
Do we risk opening it?
I don't know.
How bad can it get if there's no water in there?
Yeah. It's pretty much what's happening.
- Yeah. - We have a cracked top.
- Okay. Let's add more water. - Okay.
It's risky to open the oven to pour more water,
but we have to do this or else the cracks will get bigger.
Open it. One, two, three.
Yeah. It's all gone out, the water.
I want to make the merge so bad.
I really hope this crack doesn't keep us from winning.
Hold yourself together, please.
Curtis and Yolanda, please welcome
Ravi Patel to the triangle table.
- How are you, Ravi? - Welcome.
It's good to be here. It feels right.
Yolanda, you set this challenge. How are the teams doing?
All four teams are making a Japanese cheesecake.
Three kitchens are making a pumpkin Japanese cheesecake.
The only exception is Danielle and Courtney
are making a lemon cinnamon cheesecake.
Hmm.
I kind of like this,
because when we have similar guesses across the board,
then it comes down to baking and technique,
- and of course, flavor. - Yeah.
I'm worried about the crack.
Got a little crack in the top of their cake.
Ugh.
I just need to flip this over.
Oh, no, are they going to-- Are they going to flip it?
Try to get away from that crack.
But the cheesecake is so delicate.
Here. Can you fix the paper? Put that down.
They run the risk of wrecking the top of the cheesecake.
CURTIS: Yeah.
- Ooh. - Oh.
- Oh-ho-ho! - Crack be gone.
That felt risky. Heart was beating.
Bakers, 30 minutes left in the bake.
Also, just so you know, Yolanda and Curtis
are approaching your stations with a bonus clue.
What?
Oh, jeez.
What is this clue?
It looks like cornstarch.
It looks like cornstarch to me.
Yes.
I just see, like,
this powdery white substance in this bag.
For legal reasons, I cannot say my first guess,
but I think it's more along the lines of
what I wanted to decorate this cheesecake with.
And that stencil, what is that stencil?
It's a Joel.
The first thing I see is Joel holding a magnifying glass
as a stencil.
It's definitely powdered sugar, and that's--
That's definitely Joel. We got that.
- Thank you. - Okay. This is--
- It's the brand. - This is the brand. Yeah.
Traditionally,
Japanese-style cheesecakes have a brand on top.
And that's the Crime Scene Kitchen logo.
It's Joel's face with a magnifying...
- It is Joel's face. - Yes!
If we're putting the design on top, I almost feel like maybe
there wouldn't be blueberry compote served with it.
Okay. Scratch it.
I'm telling you it's powdered sugar.
Let's do it.
Kai wanted to do a design
of some sort of powdered sugar on top of this cheesecake.
When they came by with that clue,
we both knew that's what we were supposed to do.
I think that's spot-on.
That looks like Obama.
(Laughing)
One minute! One minute, Ravi!
- We got to pick this up. - Be nice to us, Yolanda.
Get a little on this side.
I think that really pops.
Five, four, three, two, one.
Time!
That is time. That is time.
- Nice. - Yeah. All right.
Give me a hug.
Becky and Daniel, please bring us
what you think was made in the Crime Scene Kitchen.
Ooh!
Looking good. Looking very good.
Oh, my goodness.
Oh, snap.
JOEL: You guys win.
It's my favorite design of all time.
Of all the things I came here expecting,
one of them was not eating Joel's face.
We have prepared a pumpkin Japanese cheesecake.
- Pumpkin? - Hmm.
BECKY: On top of the double boiler,
we found what we concluded was pumpkin and cheesecake.
Seeing that extra clue helped us.
We had thought maybe some type of fruit compote would pair with
the Japanese cheesecake, but we switched to powdered sugar.
You flipped this over?
We did, yes.
They flipped it over.
So, the bottom is the top?
It started to crackle on top.
Is that cheating?
You need to show the top on a Japanese cheesecake.
Is it gauche to turn your cheesecake over?
You expect a nice golden top.
That's where it gets most of the color.
CURTIS: It cuts really nicely.
You can see those tiny little air bubbles,
and that gives that beautiful lightness.
I'm eating my face.
RAVI: I actually enjoy it more with every bite.
YOLANDA: I think less pumpkin
would have gotten you a higher level of sweetness.
This is almost bordering on savory.
Oh, shoot.
But it's beautiful. It has a lovely texture.
Good luck.
- Awesome. - Thank you.
Starlett and Kai.
- Oh, yeah. - Very nice.
We have a pumpkin spice Japanese soufflé cheesecake.
Ooh.
Are there any other flavors or additions to the pumpkin?
There is lemon. There was half a lemon that was squeezed.
That was in the compost bin.
I know for Japanese cheesecake,
there is a hint of lemon
to bind all the flavors together.
This is delicious.
This is the exact level of sweetness
I expect from a Japanese cheesecake.
It has a lovely texture.
Thank you so much.
Having that little bit of browning on top
I think is really quite nice.
The only downside, really,
of that increased browning
is that Joel's face is more prominent.
That's really the only downside that I can see.
(Laughing)
You've made a pumpkin Japanese cheesecake.
We've already seen one of those.
If you were guessing right in the Crime Scene Kitchen
and indeed that is what was made,
then it's going to be very, very interesting.
It's going to come down to every little detail.
- Good luck. - BOTH: Thank you.
Danielle and Courtney.
- Very nice. - Ooh.
- Wow. Lovely. - Nice.
Beautiful.
We have made a lemon cinnamon Japanese cheesecake.
Lemon cinnamon?
- No pumpkin. - Ooh.
Inside the bowl, I didn't smell anything except for the cinnamon
that was also in the ramekin next to it.
We found the lemon in the trash can,
so we used it as a base for the cheesecake.
Are you concerned that we've now seen
two Japanese pumpkin cheesecakes?
No. There was no pumpkin in there.
Okay. Well--
No. They're crea-- No. They're very creative people.
That's good for them that they thought to put pumpkin in.
(Laughing)
I think the flavor's really nice.
I am getting a hint of lemon,
a little bit of sweetness.
I think it tastes really good. I love the texture.
You're the only team so far to make us
a lemon-flavored Japanese cheesecake.
And if that's what was made in Crime Scene Kitchen,
not only are you in a good position to get safety,
but you'll be sailing right on through to the merge,
which is really exciting.
JOEL: Kaitlin and Ronan.
- Oh. - Look at that browning. Nice.
Very nice.
JOEL: Hey, guys.
- Wow. - This looks good.
What do we have here?
We have a pumpkin spice Japanese cheesecake.
Three pumpkin cheesecakes?
Damn.
Everybody made pumpkin spice.
There's clearly a couple of cracks
that have come through here.
And of course, when you're making a Japanese cheesecake,
that's the thing you don't want to see.
It's moist, but it's still lovely and light.
And that's exactly what you want in a Japanese cheesecake.
- It's delicious. - Thank you.
- Yeah.
I'm really enjoying the texture.
The biggest problem I have with your pumpkin cheesecake
is the lemon is winning over the pumpkin.
Okay.
And I love lemon, but you have described it
as a pumpkin spice cheesecake.
We've been given four Japanese cheesecakes.
Mm-hmm.
If it's a pumpkin flavor,
then we really have to go through all the details
and see who got all the elements
as close to what was made in the Crime Scene Kitchen.
I really feel the pressure of this bake, because our crack
could be the difference between winning safety
and coming this close.
Welcome back to Crime Scene Kitchen,
where our guest judge is Ravi Patel.
The stakes are high now.
Whichever team wins the safety bake
gets to skip tonight's elimination bake
and is guaranteed to make it to the merge,
with our teams of friends and the run-up
to our $100,000 prize. Here we go.
Confectionator 3000,
reveal the Crime Scene Kitchen dessert.
- Oh. - Ooh.
There better not be no damn pumpkin.
We want lemon cinnamon Japanese cheesecake.
Come on, pumpkin.
JOEL: The mystery dessert is...
Come on, no pumpkin. Please, no pumpkin.
Please, no pumpkin.
...a pumpkin spice Japanese cheesecake.
- Damn. - Ah!
A light, airy, crust-less cheesecake
with pumpkin spice flavor,
dusted with an image of me.
- Yuck. - (Laughing)
YOLANDA: Agreed.
Here's how you should have got that answer.
The double boiler on the stove, the water bath pan in the oven,
and the whisk attachment with egg white meringue
pointed to the signature soufflé of a Japanese cheesecake.
Right.
The evidence of use of pumpkin purée and spices
suggested a dessert with that flavor profile.
Never saw any pumpkin.
There were many fruits in the fridge,
but no evidence that any of them had been used.
The small amount of lemon found in the compost indicated
the typical amount used
to brighten up the flavor of a cheesecake,
but not enough to impart actual lemon flavor.
The bonus clue stencil of Joel's face
led you all to the powdered-sugar finish.
Following these clues should have resulted in
the light and fluffy
pumpkin spice Japanese cheesecake.
This bake was a triumph.
Every team nailed the dessert,
and almost all of you got the flavors spot-on.
Well done.
Between the three pumpkin cheesecakes,
we had to look at the smallest of details
of execution, taste, and of course, presentation.
The winners of the safety bake who go straight through
to the merge with our teams of friends are...
...Kai and Starlett.
Oh!
- (Laughing) - (Applauding)
Thank you. Thank you.
I'd like to point out that Kai is fully smiling, everyone.
(Laughing)
How do you guys feel?
I feel like I want to scream,
but I'm not going to give you that satisfaction, okay?
It is television, so go ahead and scream.
(Screaming)
- Did that feel good? - Felt great. Felt great.
See you later, Kai and Starlett.
Safety bake, merge, merge. Right into the merge.
We don't have to do the elimination bake.
'Cause I was kicking our butts.
Ravi, thank you for being here tonight.
I had a great time, and I can't wait till the next time I'm here
with Joel's job.
(Applauding)
- Thanks, buddy. Thanks, guys. - Ravi, thanks.
- Bye. - Thank you.
(Applauding)
Now, it is time for the elimination bake.
See? Whoever does the worst will be eliminated.
The mystery dessert for the second bake is Curtis Stone's
brainchild, which explains why he keeps petting and cooing
at it backstage.
Bakers, the Crime Scene Kitchen
is once again open for your searching.
Two minutes on the clock.
Danielle and Courtney, start your search.
All righty.
All right. Let's do this.
Powdered sugar. Granulated sugar.
- Flour is used. - Okay.
We got fruit up here. Strawberries, blueberries.
Oh, vanilla extract was used.
Open cocoa powder right here.
I see cocoa powder and the top is torn off,
which leads me to believe
this definitely is a part of this bake.
All right. There's parchment.
Oh, there's ring impressions on this.
Okay.
So, there's ring impressions. A ring mold.
I can't tell what this is. It's some type of pink bake.
The first thing that comes to mind is a cookie.
That's got nothing there for me.
Look. A circle. So, it could be, like, some type of cookies.
I run a cottage business.
I make custom cookies.
So, when I see the circles on the parchment paper,
I'm thinking back to when I bake at home.
Ground cinnamon might be open.
A powder.
Yeah. What is this?
Is this strawberry powder?
I'm having trouble connecting these together.
Why would you have a strawberry and cinnamon cookie?
A few different cutters. This has remnants on it.
Vanilla extract was used.
Cocoa powder is open.
We've got pans.
Oh, in the freezer. In the freezer. Let's see.
Okay. Orange sheets in the freezer, like this.
I open up the freezer, and I see
a baking sheet covered in colored parchment.
Okay. That's definitely pastry or craquelin.
Okay.
Because these colored things came from the freezer,
I'm thinking it has to be a craquelin.
Craquelin is a sweet dough that's used for a topper
to create a really cool texture on choux pastry
or other dessert.
Mixing bowl. Dough hook.
Okay. A dough.
Is this--
There's an active baking yeast on the floor over here.
Okay.
What type of seed is this?
That looks like, uh, yeast.
- 10 seconds. - 10 seconds left.
10 seconds.
This one's baked in.
I can't tell what kind of dough this is.
Do you see yeast anywhere?
JOEL: That is time.
The Crime Scene Kitchen is now closed.
This is the single most important elimination bake
so far.
Three teams are left,
and only two of them will make it through to the merge.
Somebody's going home tonight,
and we really don't want it to be us.
JOEL: Bakers, you will now have three hours
to recreate the mystery dessert.
All right.
Talk to me. What did you find?
Ready, guess, bake!
Two sticks of butter, three eggs,
and we put that all in a bowl
with flour, dry yeast.
What the hell would that make?
It could be some sort of cookie?
No. Not with the yeast.
The yeast is really throwing me off.
I don't know what we could use dry yeast for.
I'm so lost, I don't even know what to do right now.
I mean, whatever you pick, I'm just going to go with it all.
I don't have anything.
There was strawberry powder used.
There was cocoa powder used.
I'm sure we have cocoa powder in this bake.
A paddle was used, so we know it's a dough.
I mean, those are the clues.
Is it a tart with chocolate pastry cream and fruit?
That's fine.
Because we saw strawberry powder, cocoa powder
and fresh fruit,
we're making a strawberry tart
with chocolate pastry cream and fresh fruit.
We're doing the best we can with what clues we got.
We just decided not to use the yeast, right?
- Yeah. - Okay.
I think the dough is a sugar cookie.
You think the dough is a sugar cookie?
Yes.
Why's that? It was sticky. It was elastic.
It very much felt like a bread dough.
But whatever was baked was baked in circles.
I think that might've been craquelin,
because typically, when you make a craquelin,
you freeze it and then you cut circles out of it.
Okay.
So, I'm thinking the only bread dough that I can think of
that has a craquelin,
and you're going to know what it is, is conchas.
Conchas are a Central American sweet bread
with a craquelin on top.
Let's get going on our sweet dough.
Our dad would always take us to the different Latino bakeries
in the community,
and one of the things that we always went for was the conchas.
So, let's hope we make our dad proud.
- Daniel and Becky... - Hello.
...what's happening, guys?
So, right now, we are making conchas two ways.
We're making half with a strawberry craquelin,
and then the other half with a cinnamon craquelin.
If you make it through to the merge,
how good do you think the other bakers are
on the friends' teams?
I mean, they have to be good to get that far.
- As well, to have gotten-- - Absolutely.
JOEL: Yeah.
We have no idea who these friends are, where they're from,
or what they can do, but they should watch out for us,
because the Rosales family will prick you with our thorns.
Tell me about the tattoos.
On my arm I have a phoenix.
Are you going to get any more tattoos?
We're going to get some kind of
matching Crime Scene Kitchen tattoo after all of this.
It's going to be Joel's face
with a magnifying glass, you know?
- Yeah, yeah. - My eyes are watering,
my ego's so out of control right now.
I just want to say, Ken Jeong,
anybody got a Masked Singer tattoo of your image?
(Laughing)
RONAN: You're doing such a great job.
- Thank you. - These look so pretty.
I just cannot remember the name of what this is called.
It's got to be that Spanish bread treat.
What's "bread" in Spanish?
I have no idea what "bread" in Spanish is.
We don't speak Spanish.
- Maybe, like, a cone? - Nope.
- A le, a la? - Nope. We have no idea.
- Yeah. We really don't. - Oh, I feel so bad.
I'm thinking we make a dozen buns.
Mm-hmm.
Half will be our cinnamon and half will be our strawberry.
Let's bake it happen.
KATELYN: Because we saw yeast, parchment,
freeze-dried strawberries and cinnamon,
we are making sweet bread
topped with cinnamon and strawberry craquelin.
CURTIS: When the elimination bake rolls around,
that's when the stress gets much more intense.
The pressure is on.
What our teams have to do is really stay concentrated
and make sure that they're not panicking.
Any baker can crack under pressure.
(Sighing) Okay.
Even though we're in the process of making tartlets,
I'm completely unsure of what we're doing.
The cookie thing made sense
until I saw the yeast, and then there was no cream.
I have no clue what this is.
This yeast keeps sending me in a loop,
and I'm still trying to figure out what it could be.
Spiraling.
We may not make it to the merge.
COURTNEY: The hardest thing is watching my niece
deal with her emotions.
I never want to see her hurt or, you know, sad.
Baking is what you love to do. This is your passion.
Now, you're on a platform with one of your heroes.
So, of course you care about it.
Of course it makes you feel, you know, strongly.
Can we take a minute?
I don't want to do this right now.
Forget it.
Be here in this moment.
Take a deep breath.
Who do you love?
Oh. Am I supposed to say, "Me"?
- Yeah. - Oh. Um, I love myself.
You do.
I am reminding Danielle that she is loved.
It gets my head back in the game.
I'm going to try to come back and be in the moment.
If we are actually right, I will give you $100 if it's a tart.
- I'm going to hold you to that. - You know what?
I'll even throw on some dinner.
(Laughing)
All right, guys. Here we are at the triangle table.
- What is happening? - This is so exciting.
We've got two teams making conchas or versions of conchas.
We've got one team doing a tart.
YOLANDA: Yes. And although Katelyn and Ronan
and Becky and Daniel
have strawberry and cinnamon conchas,
Danielle and Courtney picked up on cocoa.
So, that could be another pivotal clue.
Why didn't we get all this awesome cracking?
Were they too thick?
Maybe.
CURTIS: Ronan and Katelyn are making conchas.
They look like mushroom tops.
The craquelins, they're just meant to be
a very light, thin, crisp shell.
Theirs looks like they've rolled it quite thick.
Oh, these are not looking how I wanted them to.
So far, they're looking good.
YOLANDA: Becky and Daniel seem confident today.
CURTIS: They're very familiar with what a concha is.
I've got to say this, though.
When you're very familiar with a recipe,
sometimes your mind goes straight to it
without really analyzing the clues
that are left in the Crime Scene Kitchen.
That can sometimes be a bit of a disadvantage.
Well, I hope they don't have conchas in Utah.
(Laughing)
My question is: what happens if we all get it wrong
- and nobody's close? - (Laughing)
CURTIS: Danielle and Courtney are making strawberry tartlets.
They're certainly the least confident of our three teams
that they're cooking the right dessert.
If you have a better idea, then I'm open.
At one point, I thought about the-- What are they?
Conch? They're not conchas.
Oh, look at this.
Like, the Mexican pastries? The big puffed ones?
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
- The sweet bread. Sweet bread. - Yeah.
Yeah. I know what you're talking about.
YOLANDA: It looks like Danielle has just had an epiphany.
She thinks it's a Mexican sweet bread,
just like the other teams.
- Good Lord. - Do we have time for that?
I don't know.
They might flip here. I don't know
whether they've got enough time to pull it off or not.
Well, how far left do you want to go?
I can't believe they're having to make this call.
We're already out in the ocean at this point, so--
COURTNEY: Adapt and overcome.
At this point, either we risk trying to make conchas,
or we can just complete these tarts,
whether they're right or wrong.
The merge is coming up.
This is the most important elimination bake.
Choosing to pivot at this moment
could be the deciding factor for them.
I'm going to do it this way.
COURTNEY: When it comes to Danielle and getting an idea
and not letting go of it, it's like the bite from a pit bull.
She's just-- (Imitating pit bull growling)
I'll tell you what.
That'd be pretty interesting, if we got three
of basically the same desserts for the tasting.
- The four most crackled ones. Agreed.
- Yeah. - Ooh, looking good.
We really need these to finish baking.
Six minutes.
- That one. This one. - This one for sure.
- That'll work. - They look good.
It looks like a dessert.
JUDGES: Five, four, three, two, one.
And that is time.
Step away from the bakes.
There will be a mandatory pat-down.
Ooh.
And a side note, I am a bit ticklish.
I believe that.
(Laughing)
(Exhaling)
Ronan and Katelyn, please bring us
what you think was made in the Crime Scene Kitchen.
Oh.
BOTH: Oh, my goodness.
Yes, yes.
- They made conchas. - Yeah. They did.
YOLANDA: Hello.
- Hi. - Hi, guys.
What do we have here?
We have a Spanish pastry
that we do not know the name of.
(Chuckling)
But it is a sweet dough with a craquelin on top.
Half of them are strawberry, and half of them are cinnamon.
I'm not familiar of a Spanish dessert
that resembles this at all.
I'm familiar with a Mexican one...
- Okay. - Oh, okay.
...and they're called conchas.
RONAN: Yes. Conchas.
That's what their name is. Okay.
BOTH: That's what we were aiming for.
RONAN: Yes. Conchas.
How did you decode the clues you found
in the Crime Scene Kitchen?
We found the active yeast next to the fridge,
so that helped us narrow down
the type of dough that would be used.
We then noticed the parchment paper
that looked to be used for craquelin,
both in the freezer with the orange coloring on it
and the parchment paper on the center island
with the red coloring on it.
There's not a lot of sweetness in the bun.
It eats more like a straight brioche.
In fact, if I remove the craquelin,
you could almost serve it with a burger.
But the texture of the bread is wonderful.
- It's perfect. - Thank you.
- It's delicious. - Thank you so much.
JOEL: Becky and Daniel.
Ooh.
That's what I wanted ours to look like.
Yes.
We have made strawberry and cinnamon conchas.
- Now, you know how to say it. - (Laughing)
So, we have never made conchas before,
but we grew up eating them.
What did you think of the clues
that you found in the Crime Scene Kitchen?
We found a bag of cocoa powder,
but could not find any other evidence that it was used.
That's crazy. (Laughing)
We also found freeze-dried strawberry powder,
as well as cinnamon next to the mixer.
Which is why you chose cinnamon and strawberry?
Correct.
The bun is really quite nice.
I think it's just sweet enough, especially with the craquelin
you put on top, which is on the thick side,
but I can forgive that. It tastes good.
And I just love the finish on top.
Thank you.
Danielle and Courtney.
This bake was super tough, being disappointed
and, you know, not knowing exactly what to do,
but we pulled it together.
We know the flavors are legit.
It's a matter of if it actually is the mystery bake.
- What do you think they did? - I don't know.
Danielle and Courtney.
Oh.
Oh, look at that.
We have a strawberry tart
with chocolate pastry cream and fresh fruit.
Were there any other desserts
that you were considering baking?
We considered conchas, but time was running out.
- It's actually quite tasty. - Oh, thank God.
You taste the strawberry.
Your pastry cream is very light
and fluffy, and with the berries, it's a tasty snack.
I agree with Curtis.
I think the tarts are very well filled,
and it's very delicate.
You know, considering where you were in your bake,
I think the result is actually much better
than you're probably feeling it is.
COURTNEY: I appreciate it, sir.
This was all about her.
I'm her uncle. I love her to death.
I think she's amazing,
and I want everyone else to see how amazing she is.
It's going to make me tear up.
Me too.
The amount of problems we had during this bake,
and to still come out on the other end
with compliments is a win within itself.
- Oh, my God. - Oh.
Ooh, ooh.
Bakers, it's time to reveal the Crime Scene Kitchen dessert.
Oh, wow.
COURTNEY: We're just hoping to see anything but a concha
come out of the Confectionator 3000.
Conchas, conchas, conchas.
- Come on. What is it? - (Gasping) Okay.
JOEL: Conchas!
- Oh, my gosh. It is. - Conchas.
BOTH: It's conchas.
JOEL: A fluffy sweet dough
topped with scored vanilla, cinnamon, chocolate
and strawberry craquelin.
Four flavors? That's a lot.
Curtis, how should they have worked this one out?
The all-purpose flour, opened yeast packet and eggs
suggested an enriched yeasted bread dough was made.
The vanilla extract, cocoa powder, powdered strawberry
and cinnamon were all used.
The parchment paper on the island and the three pieces
in the pan in the freezer all had remnants of craquelin,
colored pink, orange, white and brown.
From this, you should have deduced
the pink was strawberry, the brown was chocolate...
Okay.
...the white was vanilla, and the orange, of course, cinnamon.
- Oh. - Okay.
- We got halfway there. - Yeah.
So, Curtis, which team is going home?
Unfortunately, the team going home tonight is...
...Danielle and Courtney.
You should hold your heads high.
What you served was really tasty.
BOTH: Thank you.
You guys have served us some delicious treats.
I hope you enjoyed your time.
I got to have a really cool experience with my uncle.
I got to meet one of the greatest baking minds
that we have.
And, of course, meet Curtis.
You too, Joel.
- What the-- - (Everyone laughing)
Just okay for Joel.
Jeez.
Well done, guys. Thanks for being here.
JOEL: Thank you so much.
Thanks for coming on, Danielle and Courtney.
(Applauding)
COURTNEY: And my lovely niece
came out here, put her best foot forward.
Even through all the pressure,
she still shined like a diamond, so--
Thanks.
DANIELLE: It's been an amazing ride.
I really don't know what I would do in life
without having you as an uncle.
And I feel the same thing.
Guys, congratulations.
You three teams of family members
have made it to the big merge,
and waiting for you are our three teams of friends.
So, you'll all meet each other for the first time.
I suggest you use next week
to brush up on your conversation skills.
(Laughing)
- What an accomplishment. - It's merge time.
We are one step closer to $100,000.
We're going to the merge.
That's it for tonight.
A big thank you to Ravi Patel for honoring
his network-enforced mandate to appear here.
(Laughing)
- Good night, everybody. - (Applauding)