Bakers vs. Fakers (2016–…): Season 1, Episode 1 - Cupcake Caliente - full transcript

I am Courtney
from Hampton Bays, New York,

and I am a professional baker.

I'm Bert from New Orleans,
Louisiana,

and I am a professional baker.

I'm Amie from
Woodbury Heights, New Jersey,

and I am a professional baker.

I'm Forrest from Cottondale,
Florida,

and I am a professional baker.

Hang on.
The fun is about to begin.

Four bakers are here
to do battle.

Golden-brown delicious.



Two are amazing amateurs.

Do I look like I need help?

Hey, you got an Easy-Bake Oven
down there?

And two are professionals.

Lovely.
Out of this world.

But only they know
their true identities.

Their mission?

Just winning a bunch of money.

Out-bake the competition.

If a professional baker wins,

they take home $10,000.

That sounds fancy.

But if an amateur is able
to fake out the judges...

I didn't want to stop eating it.
You're a baker?



And take down the pros,

they walk away with 15 grand.

Wow.
[ Gasps ]

Ba-da-bing, ba-da-boom.

Are you a baker or a faker?

I... am... a...

[ Laughter ]

Yeah!

You had me faked!

How we doing, everybody?
Good.

Great.
How you doing?

We're hiding your identities

so the judges
are completely unbiased.

But in this competition,
the best baker will win.

Oh, yeah.
Fair enough.

So there are two rounds
of competition.

In Round 1,
you will be baking...

cupcakes!

Whoo-hoo!
Hey!

BERT: I can handle that.

Cupcakes? It's easy.

Anybody can make a cupcake.

I got this.

BUDDY: Cupcakes is literally
a piece of cake, right?

But it takes a real pro

to make a great cupcake using...

Peppers!

Whoo!
Caliente!

Oh, no.

COURTNEY: Having to
use a hot pepper

in a cupcake
is going to be really hard

because it's hard
to create balance

when it comes to heat
in desserts.

We have dried ancho,
chipotle, habanero,

peppered jelly,

and Louisiana hot sauce.

The judges' least favorite
cupcake goes home.

Capisce?

I don't know Italian,
but that sounds serious.

45 minutes on the clock.

All right, let's do it!

Let's bake!

So, how are we going to
figure out who's the bakers

and who's the fakers
with cupcakes

and hot peppers?

A baker who knows
what they're doing,

I think,
would go with the ancho.

The ancho's
a dried poblano pepper.

LORRAINE: Yeah,
it's easy to incorporate

in the frosting or the batter.

You can control the heat nicely.

I would 100% go with that.

I would be all over
that pepper jelly.

Me, too. Get that even heat to
sweet that you're looking for.

Damaris, define baker.
What's a baker to you?

I'm looking for technique
in the kitchen

and then taste on the plate.

And you know, of course,
a baker knows the salty,

the sweet, the bitter, the heat.

And they do it professionally.
Yes.

I guess we're going to
see how they do.

I can't wait!

Hey, what are you
doing down there?

I'm making magic.
Don't burn that.

[ Laughs ]
BERT: I'm always happy,

but when I'm baking,
I'm ecstatic.

I think I made a boo-boo, guys.
Ha ha! Just kidding.

I'm baking a brown butter
praline cupcake

with an ancho chili frosting.

How we doing here, Mr. Bert?
Yeah, pretty good.

The thing I've got to do first
is get that batter made.

The ancho has a smoky sweet
flavor that I'm going for.

It'll pair very well

with the nuttiness
of that butter.

I'm going to put it in
the cupcake and the frosting.

Go big or go home, right?
Hey, go big or go home.

So you weigh it, huh?
Yeah.

Why not cup it?

My grandmother taught me
a long time ago,

weight is a little bit
more consistent.

That's something
a baker would say.

[ Laughs ]

My baking style is definitely
rooted in Louisiana.

I started baking in New Orleans

when I was five years old
with my mom and my grandmother,

and I never stopped.

I want to win this for them.

Bert's doing well.

If you want to bake properly,

I believe you
need to use scales.

You need to weigh it.

Baking is a science
and there's no freestyling.

BUDDY: But he said, "My grandma
told me when I was young."

I don't know, I don't know.

BERT: All righty.

I'm straining my brown butter
into my cupcake batter

just to give it
that fatty texture

that I'm hoping for.

This is a fantastic
baking move from Bert.

He's made the brown butter

and he's pouring it
into the cake batter.

He's keeping the machine going

and he's drizzling it
down the side.

That means the hot butter
will not cook the eggs.

Definitely a baker move.
BERT: Delicious as always.

I've got my batter made
and I get it in the oven.

Boom.
Just making the dream happen.

Come on, Forrest,
you're kind of quiet down there.

I don't hear you
talking so much smack.

I'm cooking.
What do you think I'm doing?

I don't look like
a typical baker,

but when I'm in the kitchen,
don't mess with me.

I would describe my baking style
as a lot like me -

rustic, kind of simple,
but yet complex.

That's the way I was born.

Oh, strawberries,
fresh from Florida.

Cupcakes are for children,
but I like strawberries.

Today I'm making
a strawberry cupcake

with some pepper jelly filling

and a chipotle cream cheese
frosting.

How tastier can it get?

Throwing in some strawberries,

give it some good color
and some good sweetness.

I get a simple
cake sponge batter mixed up.

I'm pouring all these chunks
of strawberries in there

that are nature's candy.

Look at my man Forrest
scooping his cupcakes

using an ice cream scooper.

Skills. Ice cream scoop,
it's so great.

You can portion it out easily.
Boom, boom, there's no mess.

That's a professional.

Except for it's the size
of a thumbnail.

He did one scoop per cupcake,

which is not typically
enough batter.

I would have done 1 1/2 scoops,
because if the cake

doesn't come up
above the liners,

it's a mess for me.
Faker.

No, he's not.
Yes, he is.

He's a genius.
He's a faker genius.

He's a genius.
He's a fa-genius.

That sounded rude.
[ Laughs ]

I got my own thing going.

BUDDY: Amie,
how you doing over there?

AMIE: Just perfect.

I am very driven, competitive.

I am big into health.

My style of baking
is secretly healthy.

I sneak healthier ingredients
like peaches into my baking,

but nobody can tell
the differences.

Get in there.

I want to win because
I want to prove to my stepkids

that it is possible
to bake healthy

and have it taste good.

I'm trying to win for them.

There were go.

I'm making a spicy
bacon peach cupcake

with a cream cheese frosting
and red pepper jelly inside.

Knife.

I'm going to make
my frosting healthy

by eliminating half
the butter in the recipe

and instead replacing it
with fat-free Greek yogurt.

Nobody's going to know
it's low-fat.

BUDDY: Amie's adding
Greek yogurt to her icing

instead of butter.

That's a perfect way
to substitute for fats.

It's not what you think
of every day,

the combination,
but it does work.

If you can do it right,
it's beautiful.

AMIE: Jelly.
Can't forget this.

Red pepper jelly is just like
any regular jelly

except it has
a nice bit of heat.

In goes the pepper jelly.

It's not too sweet
and not too hot.

It's just right
for the sweet cream cheese.

Love how you can see
the red pepper in it.

This is my famous
cream cheese frosting.

Oh, my goodness.

I may be the youngest...
Looks good to me.

But my competitors
shouldn't underestimate me.

FORREST: Hey, Goldilocks.

Have you got
an Easy-Bake Oven down there?

[ Laughter ]

When I hear that we
have to make a cupcake,

I'm excited,

but I never use spicy food
when it comes to baking.

Oh, my goodness.
I believe in myself.

My baking style is
classic French with a twist.

I've used all my nana's
old recipes,

but because I'm young,
I like to put a new, unique,

fresh twist on them.

That's good now.

I'm going to make
chocolate cupcakes

with ancho chili powder.

My nana would never put
ancho chili in a cupcake

because it's very spicy,

but I think that the chocolate

will kind of mellow
it out a little bit.

Oh, my goodness.
I'm making a huge mess.

I think that Courtney's
looking a little bit

like a lost lamb in the kitchen.

I think she's a faker.

You never judge
a book by its cover.

I think the chocolate
is key here.

You get that even keel,
heat to sweet,

like Mexican hot chocolate,

that's exactly what
you're looking for.

Mm-hmm.
Definitely a baker.

But she seems a bit flustered,
a bit lost.

COURTNEY: I hope this
wasn't a bad idea.

I want to make sure
that the ancho powder

is not too overwhelming.

I do not like spicy food.

This is a disaster.

I have to keep telling myself
to breathe.

All right, I really hope
this is going to work.

Damaris, who are the bakers?

DAMARIS: Courtney because of
her ancho with chocolate.

So smart.

That's a baker.
And...

It's impossible to tell.

It's all going to come down
to how it tastes.

Lorraine, what do you think?

I must say, everyone here's
doing a really good job

and we are really
splitting hairs,

but I think I'm going to
have to go with Bert.

Why?
Because Bert has taken

these classic
Louisiana flavors -

the pecans and brown butter.

I think the flavors
will work together very well.

Love that.

Bert is a baker,
and I'll tell you why.

When he said that his
grandmother told him the way -

[ Crashing, clanging ]
Oh!

Uh-oh.

That was him. That was him.
Wasn't me.

BUDDY: See? I was right.
It was a sign from God.

Carnage in the kitchen.

Take up the heat
just a little bit more.

Whoo!

Are you a baker or a faker?

I... am... a...

Oh! No way!

What are you doing over there?

"Prah-leen."
It's not "pray-leen"?

It's not "pray-leen," no.

Louisiana folks,
we say "prah-leen."

BERT: I have my cupcakes
in the oven.

Now I can focus on actually
getting my pecans

spiced for my praline.

Ancho in there.

A praline is
baked caramel spiced pecans.

I hope you say "pah-cans."

It's not "pee-can," right?

A pee can is what you go
to use the bathroom in.

[ Record needle scratches ]
[ Laughs ]

BERT: All right, guys,
we got some spiced pecans!

If you're not worried,
you should be.

Now it's time to make
my ancho chili frosting.

Take up the heat just
a little bit more, guys.

I add 4 tablespoons.

If you can't take the heat,

get out the kitchen, baby.

Buddy, I warned you.

LORRAINE: Look how much
ancho powder

Bert is putting
into his frosting.

It's going to be
way too overpowering.

Total faker move.

And gritty.
Mistake.

How we looking over here?

I'm checking my cupcakes
because I don't want them

to overcook,
but I don't want them

to be undercooked, either.

Let's look at Bert's cupcakes.

DAMARIS: I don't know why
he keeps taking them out

and pushing them down like that.

He only needs to touch one,
so that's a faker move.

The oven door is
still open, y'all.

No, it's not.
Yes, it is.

It's going to take ten minutes
to heat back up

to its original temperature.

Capital F Faker.

All right, this is good.
Who wants to lick the bowl?

Me, me, me!
[ Laughs ]

FORREST: Oh, let's see.

As long as this oven
don't let me down,

I won't let you down.

Before those cupcakes come out,

I need to make some filling.

It ain't easy being cheesy.

I take some cream cheese

and some sugar
and some pepper jelly.

It's just sweet
paired with heat.

Next, I need to make
some frosting.

I'm adding chipotle pepper
because the savoriness

is going to pair very well
with the beautiful strawberries.

This cupcake is going to be
pure popping with flavor.

Forrest's frosting looks
absolutely delicious.

It looks smooth and luscious.

I love the addition
of the fresh fruit.

It can balance out nicely
with that hot chili.

This is fantastic-looking,
Forrest.

It's getting quiet down there.

Yeah.

My healthy cream cheese
frosting is finished.

Everything's better with bacon.

Next I decide to use bacon
so I have protein

and a savory flavor
in my batter.

COURTNEY: Oh, my gosh,
she's using bacon?

I'm losing.

I need to get the bacon
extra crispy,

and then I need to incorporate
it into my batter.

BUDDY: There's a lot of flavors
in Amie's kitchen.

I love the combinations
of the peaches and the bacon.

I think it's fantastic.

A baker would be able
to just mix the balance

of the sweet, the heat,

and get a bit of savory, too.

And it's that beautiful
symphony of flavors

that really is going to work.

Baker, for sure.

AMIE: I need to make sure
I get bacon in every cupcake.

Cupcakes in!

If I lose, my stepkids

are never going to let me
hear the end of it.

You guys better move.
Five minutes left.

COURTNEY: While the cupcakes
are in the oven,

I'm making a classic
cream cheese frosting.

Cream cheese will help
cool down the spicy ancho

I have going on in the cupcake.

And now... where's vanilla?

My nana uses vanilla extract
in her cream cheese frosting,

but I find that vanilla bean
paste tastes a lot better

and it is like the purest form
you can get it.

Doing all right, Goldilocks?
I'm not Goldilocks, stop.

Come on, Goldilocks.

My nana sparked
my interest in baking

when I was three years old,

and I'm still baking
with her to this day.

We gossip while
we bake together.

I definitely aspire to be like
my nana when I grow up,

just maybe not
as feisty as she is.

I want to win
for my grandma today.

That should be enough.

Two minutes, guys!
I want to ask you guys now.

This deep in the competition,
who are the bakers

and who are the fakers?
Lorraine.

My two bakers
are Forrest and Amie.

Why?
I just changed.

I think Bert was doing so well
and the wheels have fallen off.

Like, he's opening the oven,
touching them,

touching them,
leaving the oven open.

That's not what a baker does.

But then I look over
and see Forrest.

He's very relaxed.

He's making the most
beautiful frosting

with fresh strawberries,
delicious.

What about Amie?
Amie has a strong command

of the kitchen the way
she's putting it all together.

Her cupcakes will have
a multi-layered flavor to it.

Damaris?

My two bakers are
Amie and Courtney

because Courtney's cupcake,
it's professional to me

because it's so artistic.

Amie, smart the way
she's filling it,

using that tip
to pierce through.

LORRAINE: What's happening now?

Are we getting
the frosting from Amie?

Oh, look at that,
look at that, look at that.

Whoo-hoo.
Whoo!

Ten, nine, eight,

seven, six, five,

Oh, my God.
four, three,

two, one!

Stop your work.
Step away from the benches.

Good job, guys.
Stop your cupcakes.

BERT: I may have used
a bit more ancho chili

than I needed to,

so hopefully it's not
going to overpower everything

and my flavors
are really balanced.

My fingers are crossed.

FORREST: I ain't really
worried about losing.

My cupcake along
with my rugged good looks

and charm, they can't resist.

BUDDY: Okay, bakers and fakers.

I gave you 45 minutes

to make delicious cupcakes

incorporating hot peppers.

It's time to face the judges.

Whoever made the judges'
least favorite cupcakes

will be going home.

Bring on the cupcakes!

Bert, why don't you
tell us about your cupcake?

I have a brown butter
praline cupcake

with ancho chilling icing.

I used the ancho chili powder
in the cupcake, in the icing,

and on the spiced pecans
as well,

so I hope it's not too spicy.

DAMARIS: Bert, I like a lot of
what's happening with this cupcake.

It is ancho-forward.

It's a little bit spicy,
but your icing pairs

really well with the savory
spices in this cake.

Hey, Bert. You've been busy,
haven't you?

Hey, yes.

LORRAINE: Brown butter,
fantastic idea to put that in.

Wonderfully caramelized flavor.

I would say the cupcake
is a teeny tiny bit dry,

teensy weensy.
Okay.

I saw you checking and double
checking and triple checking.

Okay.
But I think overall,

this is a success.
Well, thank you.

Still got some heat there
in my mouth, which is nice.

BUDDY: So, Amie, tell us
about your cupcake.

I made a peach and bacon cupcake

with a pepper jelly frosting.

I used the red pepper jelly

to fill the middle
of the cupcake

as well as mix it in
to the frosting.

Mm.

I think there's
a lot going on here.

[ Laughter ]

I just think it's too savory
and it's missing some sweetness.

The bacon is a little bit dark.

Some of it got
a little bit too crispy.

Yeah, so I'm getting
a slightly bitter taste,

which is ruining that
beautiful peach flavor.

Amie, this cupcake feels like
a complete dessert to me.

Sometimes cupcakes feel
a little bit childish.

This feels like
a grown-up cupcake,

like a kind of a sexy cupcake.

I like that.
Love the texture of the icing.

It's luscious.

But I'm not getting
a strong peach flavor,

which is fine,
because the flavor I am getting

is that delicious pepper jelly,

which is think is
a brilliant choice.

I like the savory aspect.

Thank you.
Courtney,

tell us what you
prepared for us today.

I made a chocolate ancho cupcake
with a pepper jelly filling

and a cream cheese frosting.

I used a little bit of ancho
powder in the chocolate cupcake.

Cream cheese frosting
is delicious.

Thank you.

I'm so pleased
you used vanilla bean.

Vanilla bean paste.

Yeah, it makes
such a difference,

and it's great to see the little
black flecks in there, too.

My favorite.
You have a delicious sponge.

What you need, though,
is more chili.

'Cause there's
a wonderful combination

of chocolate and chili.

It's, you know, perfect pairing,

but I just wished
you'd put more in.

I mean, I'm not getting
the heat in the cake.

It's not really satisfying
that portion of the challenge,

but aesthetically, your cupcake
is the most pleasing to me.

It looks elegant and elevated.

This is very,
very well done for me, Courtney.

Thank you.

Forrest, tell us
about your cupcake.

Well, what I prepared
is a fresh from Florida

strawberry cupcake with
a chipotle strawberry icing.

I chopped up some chipotle

and put them in
the cream cheese icing,

and I also have
some pepper jelly

that I popped down into
the center of the cupcake.

So, Forrest,
this is a absolutely

delicious strawberry cupcake.

I love these little moist bursts
of the strawberry

that are also pretty fresh

and bright inside
of the cake itself.

I'm missing the heat, though.

It's in there.
You were just enjoying

the cupcake too much,
you overlooked the pepper jelly.

That must have been what it was.

Well, I'm getting the heat,
and even though

I'm not loving the jelly,
the balance of the heat

along with the frosting
is just perfect,

so I think there were parts
of the cupcake that were great,

but other parts
really did need more work.

Thank you very much.

BUDDY: All right, bakers and
fakers, you all did a great job,

but now it's time for
our judges to deliberate,

so please give us a second.

FORREST: That didn't make me
feel too confident.

I'm nervous.

I don't think the judges
liked my cupcake.

Bakers and fakers,

I gave you 45 minutes

to make cupcakes
incorporating hot peppers.

You've already faced the judges.

Now it's time to learn
the winner of the first round

and to find out
who is going home.

Damaris.

The winner of
the first round is...

Forrest.
BUDDY: Ooh!

Forrest.

Thank you.
FORREST: I won.

[ Laughs ]

It feels mighty good to win.

Your cupcake was so light
and so fluffy

and you had just
a subtle amount of spice,

which meant it didn't
overpower the fruit.

Well done.

Congratulations, sir.
Thank you.

Our second-favorite cupcake

was made by...

Courtney.

Oh.
BUDDY: Yay!

Okay, thank you.

BUDDY: Good job, Courtney,
you're safe.

[ Forrest laughs ]

Good job.
Thank you.

Okay, judges,
we're down to two cupcakes

you liked the least,
but Damaris, please,

tell us who's moving on
to Round 2.

Bert.

Great job.

Unfortunately, Amie,
that means you're going home.

But tell us,

are you a baker
or are you a faker?

I am a...

Faker.

BUDDY: Oh!

Oh, no way!

You fooled me.
Yeah.

What do you do for a living?

I am a competitive bodybuilder.

Whoa!
What?

Get outta here.

That is awesome.

Are you allowed
to even eat cupcakes?

Most of the time, yes.

Every day, I am training
people to become healthier...

Come on, two more.
You can do it.

While also training for my own
bodybuilding competitions.

Last year, I competed against
200 women and placed second.

I plan on continuing
to train clients

but at the same time develop
my secretly healthy foods.

My clients and my stepkids
love my baking,

and the only time
they know that it's healthy

is if they ask
for the ingredients.

Sometimes I'll tell them.

Actually, I don't know
if you know,

but I work out a lot.
It's like one, two, three.

[ Laughter ]

AMIE: I came here to prove
that you can have baked goods

and have them be healthy,

and regardless of
the judges' decision,

I think I did that.

Hello, bakers and faker.

Hello, Buddy.
Who is who?

Well, we're going to
find out shortly,

because I'm going to
give you guys

the freedom to bake
whatever you'd like right now.

All right.
Okay.

There's only one little "but."

You must incorporate...

Oh, no.

Uh-oh.

School snacks!

Okay.
[ Laughter ]

Oh, wow.
Oh, my goodness.

BERT: Oh, my goodness.
School snacks?

We got carrot sticks,
applesauce, raisins.

Nature's candy.
Of course, chocolate milk.

And fruit rolls.

COURTNEY: I think using fruit
rolls might be difficult

because they tend to
be a little gummy.

These are the healthy snacks
in school.

[ Laughs ]

I'm going to give you guys
45 minutes to bake

your best dish using at least
one of these school snacks.

This is a winner-take-all
competition.

[ Exhales ]
You guys ready?

I was born ready.
Oh, I like that enthusiasm.

All right, let's bake!

All right, guys,
what do you think?

We have two bakers
and one faker out there.

How are we going to be able
to tell the difference

with school snacks?

I think a pro is going to
take their chocolate milk

and use it instead of
the regular liquid

in the recipe, like making
a chocolate pastry cream

or using it in a dough.

What about the fruit rolls?

A baker is going to
dissolve it down.

That can be a beautiful glaze
for the top of a tart.

So how are we going to
spot the fakers?

A faker is going to
choose carrot

and make almost like
a carrot cake.

Oh, God.
Snoozefest.

When you have carrot
and carrot cake,

it's cooked, so it's softened.

You're putting it
right into the batter,

it might be too crisp and hard.

What are they going to make?

FORREST: Come on,
bring it on, big boy.

I won Round 1 with my rustic,
simple food,

so I'm going to do
the same thing

with these school snacks.

Bring it on, Goldilocks.

Oh, I'm bringing it this round.
Bring it.

The school snacks are
going to be easy.

I drink chocolate milk
all the time.

I'm going to make
a chocolate cherry cobbler.

Everybody's quiet
this go-round, huh?

FORREST: Hey,
this means money.

I've cooked a lot of cobblers.

This was my mama's
cobbler recipe,

and in my batter,

I use flour, butter, and milk,

but I'm using the chocolate milk
to replace the regular milk.

Get some cherries in there.

All the food is coming together.

I'm becoming one
with the cobbler.

Next, I grab me some chocolate,
get it on the stove top.

LORRAINE: See,
that's very baker

to do that,
the double boiler, right?

Absolutely, that's a pro move.

He didn't just put it
in a pan over the stove,

which is going to make sure
that the chocolate doesn't burn.

Somebody at home might not
know to do that.

He looks as if he knows
exactly what he's doing.

FORREST: Next I grab
some chocolate milk

for my batter,
add it to the flour.

Come on, now, get together.

I get this batter mixed up
and I pour it on some ramekins

because they're smaller,

so it's going to bake in
the 45-minute timeframe.

See y'all in a little bit.

BERT: All right, Forrest,
we're back again, brother.

Come on.
Round 1,

I did not like being
in the bottom two.

Am I a little shaken
by my competition?

No.

Am I shaken by the judges?

Yeah.
[ Laughs ]

Oh, come on.

I'm making
a carrot cake beignet.

A beignet is fried dough
with confectioner's sugar.

It's the first thing I think of
when I think New Orleans.

Mm-hmm.

So this whole dish
is all about me.

I hope I can hit it, man.

The first thing I need to do
is make the dough.

I don't have nearly enough time
for it to rise,

so I got to get
my yeast warmed up,

help it bloom a little faster.

DAMARIS: Bert needs to double
that yeast to be able to get

the rise that he needs
in this amount of time.

LORRAINE: Even though what
he's doing does seem

quite difficult
with the time that he has,

doing his beignets
with the carrot filling,

he's looking much more
commanding this time,

and that's very baker to me.

I need to really play up
these carrot flavors,

and the only way
I'm going to do that

is by putting it in the dough.

This is probably
the dumbest idea

to scoop this out
with a spatula.

I've never made a beignet
with carrots inside.

I don't really know
how I'm going to do this,

but I'm going to try.

I got my dough done.

All right, I'm bringing
y'all home to N'awlins.

I'm rolling it out.

All soft and sweet over here.

Now I've got to let it sit
and rise as much as it can

and then I can focus
on my feeling.

Cream cheese.

I add a little bit of
the carrots and the raisins,

and I need some tang in there,

so I add a little bit
of the applesauce.

Applesauce and cream cheese.
Aaah!

I feel like Bert is going to
make the same mistake

that he made last time
with his icing.

The texture with the ancho
powder was not awesome.

Okay.
I feel like adding applesauce

to his filling right now
is going to make it

a little bit mushy.

Maybe he's just
a super pro baker

and he knows better
than all of us.

I think we are ready.

I have a very large family,

three kids under the age of 10.

Whatever we have in the kitchen,
we're going to use,

so, man,
would I love that money.

I came to win.

I went easy on you
the first round.

I've been in school more
recently than these two guys,

so I'm pretty sure
I've got a leg up on them.

FORREST: Goldilocks,
what are you making over there, porridge?

Other people would describe me
as a little sweet.

You making porridge, ain't you?

But I definitely
have a spicy side.

Do you guys even remember
what school snacks taste like,

or has it been that long?

Goldilocks is taking some smack.

That was uncalled for, Goldilocks.
[ Laughs ]

Don't mess with Goldilocks.

All right.

My nana has definitely
given me the tools

to make classic French desserts,

so I'm making a Napoleon

with a port fruit roll
reduction.

A Napoleon is a dessert

that layers puff pastry
and pastry cream.

♪ All right ♪

The first thing
I have to do is prepare

the puff pastry
so I can get it in the oven.

It looks like Courtney's
going to bake those off

so that it's nice and crispy,
so I think that she's

going to do something
like a Napoleon,

and that's super smart,

because knowing how
to use puff pastry

and get a good product from it
is absolutely a baker move.

Napoleon.

COURTNEY: Now that the pastry's
in the oven,

I start on my pastry cream.

A standard pastry cream
has heavy cream,

but I think that I can use
the chocolate milk

and make something amazing.

Here we go.

All right, I'm going to
get it cooling.

So Courtney just made
her pastry cream,

and now she's put it
on a sheet tray

and she's spreading it out
to cool it down fast.

She doesn't want
the eggs to overcook.

That's absolutely a baker move.

COURTNEY: Why won't you
cool faster?

This pastry cream
has to cool down

because I need it to thicken.

That way, I can layer it
between my puff pastry.

Oh, you better work.

Put it in the freezer?
That's what I would do.

COURTNEY: If my pastry cream
doesn't thicken and cool,

I won't be able to finish.

Oh, my goodness.

COURTNEY: Takes a while
for this thing to cool.

If this pastry cream
doesn't cool down enough,

I can't make a Napoleon.

I should leave it in.
I don't know what to do.

I think she wants to
get it out now.

COURTNEY: I can't wait
any longer.

I have to take this cream out.

I have to move it around
so it cools more.

DAMARIS: Even if it does go
and get a little bit too cold,

you can whip it back
or stir it back,

and that's better than
having warm pastry cream.

COURTNEY: That's really good.

Bring it.

Once I get the batter
going in the oven,

I've got to get to work on
some topping for the cobbler.

I'm going to take cherries that
are naturally sweet, some sugar,

and I'm going to make
a nice sauce.

I'm using two different
kinds of cherries

because each one of them
has a different flavor profile

and I think
they're going to work

real well with the chocolate.

This is a nice, rustic,
stick-to-your-ribs dish.

LORRAINE: The cherry sauce,
it looks really professional.

I love that Forrest
decided to use

two different types of cherry.

Maraschino cherries
and he used a fresh cherry.

A baker knows that jarred fruit

is going to taste different
than fresh fruit,

but sometimes a jar
is what you need in 45 minutes.

Oh, yeah.
Using the ingredients

that are ready-made correctly
screams baker to me.

Taste that.
Here, taste that.

Taste that cherry.

Bam, huh? Bam.
Yeah, that's delicious.

Not better than mine,
but you know, it's delicious.

FORREST: My opponents,

they're doing some
really complicated stuff.

I'm doing a very simple recipe,
but I've got confidence in it.

I think it's going to win.

What is Forrest whisking there?

Forrest, what are you whisking?
Whipped cream.

Is that a baker move?
Yes.

Is that dumb because
he should be using a mixer?

No, he's not doing like gallons.

He's just doing a little bit
in a little bowl.

It's fine.
He's obviously got the time.

BUDDY: It's soft, loose.

I think it's going to be
flopped all over.

FORREST: Any time now.
Stiffen up.

Moment of truth, I pull
the ramekins out of the oven.

The textures
of the sponge on top,

the fruit,
it's all come together.

I think I'm really going to
impress the judges.

All right.

My dough is rising nicely,
it's ready,

and now it's time
to fill those babies up.

All righty.

I'm a little afraid because
my filling is very loose.

I think it's going to
start oozing out

before I can even close
the dough up,

so I'm keeping
my fingers crossed

that this is going to work.

I didn't realize that Bert was
going to fill and then fry.

It is a very clever way
of doing it.

It's just a question of making
sure that that oil is super hot.

BUDDY: Do you think
that the pastry

is going to separate
from itself and open?

Yeah, when you're
frying anything,

you don't want to be
adding moisture,

'cause moisture turns to steam
and steam expands.

Yep, yep.
So by adding the applesauce,

he added all that moisture
to the filling,

and it's going to want
to burst open.

Faker move.

BERT: Let's hope this works.

It's fry time.

I don't know if it's actually

going to fall apart
as I put it in there.

See how we're looking.

Yeah, there we go.

It's looking good.

Perfect.

The last step, sugar 'em.

Normally we toss 'em in a bag,

but I want them to have
the full powder experience,

so I'm going to dip them.

Oh. No, no, no!

Oh, Bert's beignets
are falling apart.

They're tearing.

The filling started
dripping out.

It's making me sad a little bit.

BERT: I think it's
going to be okay.

I love these things.

The pastry's in the oven
and the pastry cream has cooled,

so now I'm making
a port fruit roll reduction

that will act as
a dipping sauce.

Oh, yeah.

I'm going to melt
the fruit rolls in a pan

and add some port wine to it.

I chose port wine because it has
a lot of sugar in it,

so I know it's going to
reduce down well.

Chocolate and port wine are
a classic combination.

That ain't "fruit roll,
chocolate, and port wine."

Yeah, but the one fruit roll
with the port wine,

all that's going to add
is that little bit of sugar

that you do when
you reduce down a port wine.

You don't know
if it's going to melt,

is it going to get like
Jell-o or rubber at the end?

Lumpy.

COURTNEY: Oh, this smells good.

Courtney! How we doing?
Hey, how's it going?

Going good.

How's your reduction
coming along?

It's cooling.

I might add some more
of the liquid.

What do you think?

I think it tastes like
a fruit roll.

COURTNEY: Oh, my gosh.
Consistency is no good.

BUDDY: Exactly what I suspected
from Courtney's reduction.

It's like a gummy disaster.

There's preservatives
and junk in there.

COURTNEY: One, two, three.

These have to be three layers.

Baking, you have to be very,
very precise,

and I'm a perfectionist.

[ Sighs ]

So I'm very nervous
while I build my napoleon.

It could fall down,
it could slide.

So many things can go wrong.

I don't like that. Aah!

BUDDY: Two minutes left!

Going to try
to knock me down, huh?

Aah!
It's crazy here, right?

It is.
It's madness, madness.

We're almost at the end here.
Who are your two bakers?

Courtney and Bert.

Courtney is stacking up
her Napoleons,

which all fits nicely.

She's taking her time
to do that, which I like.

Very baker.

And Bert's beignets,
it's quite clever to be able

to pull that off,
very ambitious,

so to me it says baker.

Damaris, who are
your two bakers?

Forrest and Courtney.

Courtney, to deconstruct
a Napoleon,

to take a classic dish,

and then using the ingredients
that she got,

the chocolate milk
and the fruit rolls,

and reinventing the Napoleon?

It works for me.

And Forrest has command
of the kitchen.

His cobbler is looking
absolutely delicious

with two types of cherries.

Ten, nine, eight, seven, six,

five, four, three, two, one!

Okay, stop your work!

[ Laughs ]

I brought a pretty good dish.

Win-worthy, but I don't know,

it's still anybody's game.

I'm really proud of my dish.

I think my nana would love
this Napoleon that I made.

I hope the judges are
going to like it, too.

FORREST: I know that
my dish tastes the best.

Them judges are fixing to
getting to eat something good.

Are you a baker or a faker?

I love this part.

I... am... a...

ALL: Oh!

I knew it!

Bakers and faker,
I gave you 45 minutes

to create any dessert you want
using school snacks.

All the dishes look great,

but only one will win the cash.

So, Forrest,
what did you make for us?

Well, today, I prepared
a chocolate cherry cobbler.

BUDDY: So how did you use
the school snacks?

I used the chocolate milk
in replacement

of the milk in my batter.

DAMARIS: Forrest, this cobbler
is insanely good-smelling.

It is sugary and buttery

and it kind of punches you
in the face.

I love that.
I notice the chocolate milk,

it's a very subtle flavor,
but it's absolutely there.

But for me,
the whipped cream is a miss.

Right.
Because it's kind of thin,

it's almost cooked onto
the top of this cobbler.

Yeah. If I had had like
a pile of whipped cream

that then started to melt,
I would have loved that.

Okay.
I loved the batter.

It's really gooey inside.

On the outside, it's crispy,

and then you get
that caramelization.

You get the flavor of
the chocolate coming through.

I got quite a lot of chocolate,
you know, which is surprising,

'cause you used
the chocolate milk.

You used two different
types of cherries.

They've got amazing flavor.

But the cherry sauce
was ruined a little bit

by the cream you put on top,

and what happened is
it's got a bit thick.

I call it gluggy.

It doesn't look like
free flowing

and it doesn't have
that rich color.

Right.
Bert, what do you got for us?

BERT: Carrot cake beignets.

I used the carrot sticks

in the actual batter
of the beignets

as well as on the inside,

and then the raisins and
applesauce are in the filling.

LORRAINE: I thought what you did
with the filling was fantastic.

I was worried it was
going to be too grainy,

but I'm getting
a smooth texture,

which is wonderful.
Thank you.

I think there's too much
powdered sugar on there,

so here I have like a paste.

I mean, I like sugar.
Hey, I eat it.

[ Laughs ]
But it's probably not

you wanted to put more
than a thin layer.

I love beignets.

Your dough is
phenomenal tasting.

Thank you.
It rose nicely.

Around the edges,
it's nice and crispy.

For me, I think that the miss

was really your applesauce
and cream cheese filling.

Your flavors compete
against each other.

Courtney,
what'd you make for us?

I made for you
a chocolate milk Napoleon

with a port fruit
roll reduction.

I used chocolate milk in
my cream in the Napoleon

and then I used the fruit roll
in the reduction.

I thought you did an excellent
job with your pastry,

the way you assembled it.

It didn't rise too much.

You put your powdered sugar
on top, which was fantastic,

and your piping was beautiful.
Thank you.

I liked the texture
of your cream.

Thank you.
It's smooth, it's silky.

I just would have loved
to have seen more chocolate.

More chocolate in
my chocolate milk cream.

Courtney, this is delicious.

Cutting into it,
it is assembled correctly.

The reduction still
has a little bit

of that fruit roll texture.

Right. It's a little
aggressively acidic.

Okay. You could have thinned
it just a little bit with water

or something so it paired
a little bit better

with the gentle
chocolate milk flavor,

but I love the choice
of port wine and chocolate.

Those for me are really
classic combinations.

I think that you chose
a berry fruit roll

to kind of punch up
that port wine flavor,

and that was super smart,
very nicely done.

Thank you.
Thank you, Courtney,

and great job, everyone.

Now comes the hard part.

The judges need to deliberate.

The judges are calling me out
on my port fruit roll reduction.

It was too gummy.

I really hope that I still
have the chance to win.

FORREST: Bert and Courtney
used multiple

secret ingredients
in their dishes.

That worries me a little bit,

but I've still got confidence
in the taste of my cobbler.

I was born to bake.

Ladies, do you have
your decision?

Yeah.
Indeed we do.

Judges have a decision, guys.

But before I reveal
who the winner is,

would you reveal
who you are to us?

I love this part.

Courtney, are you
a baker or a faker?

I...

am...

a...

Courtney, are you
a baker or a faker?

I am a...
Aah.

Baker.
Oh!

Yeah! I knew it!

BUDDY: Uh-huh.

Courtney, where are you a baker?

I'm a Pastry Chef
at Sugar Sugar Custom Cakes

in Quogue, New York.

Nice.
Awesome.

Growing up, I think I always

just wanted to be
in the kitchen baking.

I went to pastry school
right after high school,

and now I work at
Sugar Sugar Custom Cakes.

I like that there.
I love being a pastry chef

because I grew up
baking with my nana,

and now I get to do it
every day.

Hi, welcome to Sugar Sugar.

I get to make people happy
with the things that I bake.

It's a dream come true.

All right, so we've got
one baker and one faker left.

[ Laughter ]

Forrest, I need to know.

Are you a baker or a faker?

Well, Buddy, I am a...

Faker!
ALL: Oh!

No way! Forrest!
You had me faked!

I knew it!
[ Laughs ]

Tell us, Forrest,
what do you do for a living?

I'm an agricultural engineer.

Whoa.

Agricultural engineer.

I work with farmers,
ranchers, landowners.

I help them out with
environmental concerns.

I spend a good bit
of my time outside.

It's where I love cooking.

Put a four-pound bag
in each one of 'em.

I like to do it out there
with coals

on the bottom, coals on the top.

We're going to make some
peach cobbler today.

I cook for crowds.

I like to just blow
everybody's mind

when I pull the lid off the pot.

Cobbler?
Yeah.

I see the smile
on somebody's face,

it just makes my day.

Damn good.

BUDDY: Bert, I guess
we know what you are,

but for the record,
are you a baker or a faker?

I am a baker.

Oh.

Where are you a baker?

I'm actually chef and owner
of Studio B Bakery and Bistro

in Lawrenceville, New Jersey.

Ooh.
Awesome.

My bakery is definitely bringing

a little bit of New Orleans
flair to New Jersey.

I share a piece of me
and my family in my food.

That's where I get my joy.

Welcome to Studio B
Bakery and Bistro.

I love owning my own bakery.

I get to experience people
tasting the cakes

and pastries and beignets,
sharing with others,

and it is true self-satisfaction

to be a part of their experience
in my place.

Now that we know who the bakers
and the faker is,

it's time to let you know
who is going to win the cash.

Aah!

BUDDY: Bert and Courtney,
if either of you win,

you will take home $10,000.

Forrest,

if you're the winner,
you're taking home $15,000.

Woo!
And the winner is...

Drama.

Courtney!
Oh, my God!

[ Applause ]
I'm crying!

BUDDY: Congratulations.
I'm crying.

[ Laughter ]

You won $10,000!
That's so awesome.

You really impressed us
with your aesthetics,

with all the little techniques.

Your dish was delicious.
Thank you.

It was really,
really delightful,

and you were smart about
using the ingredients.

Thank you so much.

My chef is going to
be so impressed.

My nana's probably
going to be crying

from happiness that I won.

She's my best friend.

You took out some
great competition,

I really did.
so you should be proud.

Good job, guys, really.

Yes, good job.
Great job.

Maybe now I'll be able
to pass recipes on to my nana.

You're a shining bright star
in the pastry world,

up and coming.
Thank you!

Great job, congratulations.

LORRAINE: Nice job!
Awesome.

Thank you.