Baking It (2021–…): Season 1, Episode 4 - Episode #1.4 - full transcript

- Two, three, four...

- Good luck, everyone.
- Good luck.

- You got your game face on?
-

- There we go.
- We can do this.

- Coming into this,
it was about the experience

of doing this alongside my dad.

- Win or lose,
it's been so much fun.

We've met some great
new friends.

We've become even closer
than we've ever been.

Hello.
- Hello, bakers.

- I can't believe
I'm saying this,



but today we are
halfway through our time

here at the cabin.

- The halfway point
of every holiday getaway

is when you start thinking
about the healthier choices

you're gonna make
in the new year.

- And then push those thoughts
out of your head

with a nice big pie.

Bye.
- Bye.

On that note,
it's time for your second...

- Big Ol' Bake.

- Buying a house
is a big investment,

but one hot tip that realtors
don't want you to know

is that you can bake your own
dream home out of gingerbread.

- Mm-hmm.



For this Big Ol' Bake,

we want you to make the holiday
gingerbread structure

of your dreams.

It can represent
your dream vacation,

your dream house.

It can be anything
you can imagine.

Don't limit yourself.

- Now, Maya, I believe you
started the last big challenge.

- I did. I did, Andy.

Yes, I did start
that Big Ol' Bake.

- Okay, and would you like
to start this one, too?

- This what?

- Big Ol'--
- Big Ol' Bake.

- You can start.
- All right, here we go.

- So we need anise.

We need white pepper.
We need ground cardamom.

- Okay, little bit
of allspice...

and cloves.

- Okay.

- You're getting
an early start, aren't you?

- I'm hungry.
-

- This is a snack.

- Niyati, Abhi,
what are you guys working on?

So...
- We're making the Taj Mahal.

- Ooh, I'm making a tree house.

- Amazing.
- Amazing.

- So we have heard
about gingerbread houses,

but we have never really made

a gingerbread house before.
- Yeah.

- I think I'm having
gingerbread nightmares.

- All right,
let's get creative.

- This Big Ol' Bake.

- So these guys
are gonna spend hours

building their dream houses.
- Yeah.

- Tirelessly working,
sweating,

and then we're gonna
eat their dreams?

- Yeah.
We're gonna eat their dreams.

- Cool.
- It's like having kids

- Got to get four cups
of brown sugar.

You got vanilla over here, G?

- Vanilla's underneath--
right on the top shelf.

- Got it.

- So our dream is to go
on Christmas...

Vacation...
- Baby.

Let's do it.
- Exactly.

- You know, we've been friends
for over 30 years.

We've always talked about
going away for Christmas,

you know, just jump up
and kind of take the family

and go do something
at Christmastime.

So we are going to the islands.

We're gonna build an overwater
bungalow out of gingerbread.

- This is for sure
the hardest challenge

- Don't like it.

I don't particularly
enjoy gingerbread.

Already don't like it.
- Yeah.

Personally, I just don't like
how gingerbread tastes.

- Okay.
- Ugh.

- We're up for the construction
of the challenge,

but in terms of the taste,

I really could care less...

Frankly.

- How you doing over there?
- I'm good.

- Oh, it smells divine in here.

I'll tell you, I love
this gingerbread bake.

- Why did the Grannies come in?
Just to make us nervous?

- Well, you know, this is going
to be a big challenge today...

- Yeah.
- Because it's gingerbread,

constructed to bring out
their dreams.

- We are making
a gingerbread temple

based on our dream trip
to Japan.

- I love gingerbread,

and so this is gonna bring back
a lot of nice memories.

- There's something
about a gingerbread house.

Doesn't it make the holidays?
- It's true.

- These are gonna be
crunchy, delicious-y.

- Now, I'm fussy
about gingerbread,

because if there's
too many spices

and if people get
carried away,

and then you can't eat it,
it almost burns your mouth.

I like a gingerbread

where there's a balance
to the spices.

- So we are going to integrate
some matcha into the recipe,

but we're a little worried
just because

one of the first critiques,

Grandma Harriet said something
was earthy and spicy,

and she didn't like it,

and that's exactly
what this spice brings,

so we're gonna
use it sparingly.

- Oh, so thick.

- Jessica?
- Yeah.

- Serrated--it's like a saw--
for trimming the pieces.

Just--
- You're the best.

- Lines are way smoother,
lot faster.

- This probably makes
it brittle, doesn't it?

- What?

I would imagine you want to be
careful with that stuff.

We have never made
a successful gingerbread house.

I've tried to make gingerbread
houses out of a kit.

I get almost to the point
where they're looking okay,

and then it falls apart.

- So we're going into
this thing thinking, "Ay."

I think this is gonna work.

And then put the sprinkles
on top.

- Tom and Steve.

- More like Tom and Steve.

- How are you guys?
- We're great.

How are you holding up?

- Feeling the heat?
- Yeah, we're good.

- What are you gentlemen
making today?

- Great question, Maya.

- Well, you see
that little structure there?

Those are the row homes
of Annapolis.

- Where we live.

- Ah.
- It's one long house.

Our dream is that
I'm gonna live in one,

and the other one's
where Steve will live

with his little family.

Then we're gonna have a bakery
on the end.

- Beautiful.

- Our dream would be
to live close to one another

and to have a bakery.

I started baking sourdough
as a passion,

and we had the idea

that we were gonna open up
a bakery at some point

- I was
in the restaurant business.

I was the manager
working the front of the house.

I was never really
a kitchen person.

I was about to retire
until he made me say

I wanted to go in
the bakery business with him.

- We're gonna do
some nostalgia.

So we're gonna do
oatmeal cream pies.

Look at the gingerbread men.
- Excuse me.

- That's those.

- But it's
the flavor of gingerbread.

So it's got the cloves
and the--

What's it called?
What else?

- Ginger.
- Ginger.

- And nutmeg and cinnamon
and allspice.

- I've heard of them.

- And then we're also gonna do
a gingerbread muffin,

and that's gonna be piped.

It's gonna have lemon curd.

We're the curd boys now,
I think.

- I have all your albums.

- Do you?
- Curd boys.

- Curd boys sounds like
a rap team from Canada.

- Oh.
- French Canada.

- Guaranteed to clear
the dance floor.

- We asked our bakers

to build gingerbread houses
of their dreams.

- Here it comes.
- Don't move it.

- Go, go, go.

- But it's no small feat.

- Whoa, whoa, whoa,
it's coming fast.

- Okay, okay, okay.

- Making a good gingerbread
house is difficult.

The bakers are all
a little stressed out.

- I can do this. I can do this.
I can do this.

I got to find a way
to keep this up.

- I wonder how this
is gonna work.

- Okay. First pour.

- They're working
with isomalt.

Isomalt is very difficult
to work with.

- Isomalt
is essentially sugar.

For construction,

it's gonna be the element
that binds together the house.

When you heat it up
in a microwave,

it becomes dangerously hot.

So this is not something
to play around with.

- Watch yourself.

- There has got to be
some adhesive that is edible

that does not burn me
every time I touch it.

-
- I don't know about you,

but I don't work
with isomalt ever.

- I will work with isomalt,

but it's not allowed
to look me in the eyes.

- I am pouring on corn syrup,
butter, and sugar.

It will bind the popcorn.

I'm gonna form it into balls
for the cherry blossoms.

- * Jonah and Patrick *
- Hello.

- Oh, yeah, are those brains?

- So we're gonna be making
a cherry blossom tree.

That's gonna go outside of
our dream vacation structure.

So it was always
a dream of mine

growing up to go to Asia.

So the last big trip we had
was to Japan.

- Oh, you got to go?
- Cherry blossoms.

- Yes, we got to go.

So we are going to combine
sort of two visual indexes.

There's a temple--
"Enjoki" Temple,

which you sit and you meditate
and you look off into nature.

And then we're also gonna
play off of Enju-ji Shrine,

which is a shrine
to the god of strong legs.

- So we'll be incorporating
some marshmallows.

- And then we're gonna serve
matcha gingerbread cookies...

sort of in honor
of a lot of the animal cafes

that you can go to in Japan.
- That's adorable.

- So we went and had beers
while in a room full of owls.

- Wait, owls?

- Yes. An owl cafe.

- Why a shrine to strong legs?

- One of the elements
of the house,

it is gonna be
a wheelchair ramp,

because, you know,
those shrines aren't really

wheelchair accessible.

And my younger brother had
cerebral palsy his whole life.

And then two months ago,
he died.

- I'm so sorry.
- Thank you.

My younger brother
Teddy couldn't travel

because he was in a wheelchair

and we want to build
a gingerbread wheelchair ramp

going into the shrine
because we think it's a place

that my brother
would've liked to visit.

- When we were there, the one
thing we kept thinking about

was he couldn't be with us.

And when something's
that beautiful,

everyone should have a chance

to, you know, take it in
and enjoy the moment.

- Thank you for sharing
that with us.

- Appreciate it.

- Abhi, how does this look?
- Looks good.

- I've got some mangoes.
These are not ripe.

- So we'll have to puree them
maybe with some sugar.

- Yeah, with sugar.
- Yeah.

- Niyati and Abhi.
- Hello.

- What are you guys making?

- So we are making
the Taj Mahal.

- Ooh.

- So tell us
about the Taj Mahal.

- Taj Mahal is
one of the most popular

and most visited monuments
in India--

one of the seven wonders
of the world.

- Sorry, Abhi. I am familiar
with the Taj Mahal.

I meant tell us
about your Taj Mahal.

- Oh.
- Got it. Got it.

- Since it's
the symbol of love--

and we never have taken a trip
to Taj Mahal together.

- Yeah, so we want
to go there together.

- Wow.
- So we thought of making it

a part of our
gingerbread house dreams.

- So it's a sign of love?

- Yeah. The emperor Shah Jahan,
he built it

in the loving memory
of his late wife, actually.

- Oh.
- I knew that.

- Did you?
- No.

- So, if you've ever seen
the Taj Mahal,

there is a lot of carving...

intricate details.

- So we have to build
a lot of custom pieces

for this particular
gingerbread.

- Yeah. I don't know what
we've gotten ourselves into,

but, you know,
you go big, or you go home.

- I don't know--
I'm really nervous,

'cause I have never baked
a gingerbread house before,

and we are representing
our country here,

so we want to live up to it.

- If you get a chance
to visit Taj Mahal,

there's an elephant ride
which people normally take.

So we're gonna be
making elephants

made up of gingerbread cookies,

and they're sandwiched
with, like...

Lemon cream cheese frosting.

- And what's going on
with your mango?

- It's gonna be a mango lassi
pate a choux cream puff.

Mango lassi is a summer
Indian drink.

- India is very famous
for mangoes.

- I do like mangoes
quite a bit.

- I know you do.

- Mm-hmm.
What's your favorite fruit?

- How can I choose?
I love a mango.

I love a strawberry.
I love a raspberry.

I love a snozzberry.
- Snozzberry?

- I love a Crosberry.
- Mm-hmm.

- And I love a--
- A Stills and Nash?

- I love a Stills and Nash.

- Let's go back to the guy
who had the Taj Mahal made

for his wife
who had passed away.

- Yeah?

- Dude builds the Taj Mahal
for his late wife,

and I can't even get
a text back.

- The holidays can be lonely
for single people,

but here at "Baking It,"

we have dozens
of gingerbread men

hot off the baking sheet
and waiting for you.

- Let's see which of these
spicy suitors

we're going to swipe
into our gingerbread house.

- And which ones
we're gonna feed to the dog.

- This is Josh.

I know what you're thinking--
"A 'J' name? Absolutely not."

But give him a chance.

He's worn the same pair

of sneakers with no socks
for the past two years.

- Yeah, it's a boat look.

This is Francois.

Uh...what's that?

Oh, I pronounced it wrong.
It's Franko-is.

What do you think Maya?
Would you pump it or dump it?

- I'm gonna dump it.
-

- This is Gil.

Gil sucks.

- Enough said.

This is Trent Rivington III.

His name totally matches
his look.

These tattoos were all done
with a safety pin...

using squid ink.

What do you think, Maya?
You like this guy?

- I think I'd date him...

in prison.

- All right.

I love gingerbread houses.
I love it.

This is the best ever.

- It's the best challenge.

- Ladies, you know
what I'm looking for?

Is that wow factor.

The decorations
are gonna be important.

- That's why
you're the detail girl.

- Perfect.

- Is that front door
okay for you?

- Put a little knob
on that thing,

'cause Gigi
will be looking for the detail.

- You think this is gonna be
the hardest

of all the challenges
we've seen so far?

- Whoa, whoa, sorry.

- I just hope it holds.

- Oh, don't crack.

- Just doing
the construction...

it's really hard to do.

- It is.

- I'm curious to see,
you know,

how they construct it,
if it stays together.

If you just use a buttercream,
it's gonna fall apart.

- It's a little bit crooked.
- Yeah. Okay.

Start making elephants.
- Yeah.

We have eight elephants
that we are doing.

They're made up of the ginger
and allspice.

It's a traditional
gingerbread cookie,

and we are sandwiching it with
a lemon cream cheese filling.

So I think it's a good
amalgamation

of a lot of flavors.

We have to cut out
all the elephants

'cause we don't have a mold
for it and stencil for it.

That's gonna take
a lot of time.

I think this will be okay.

- Hopefully the Grannies
would take those details

into consideration
when they judge.

- You know how some people
will say,

"What is your animal?"
- Mm-hmm.

- Well, honey,
it threw me for a loop.

-
- Okay, me, I think polar bear.

They're bold. They're brave.
They're big.

Fits me perfectly.

- I love it.
- I think I'm a koala bear.

- Aw.
- That's cute.

- Maybe koala bear
is not the right one.

- A sloth.

- Anne, I'm not a sloth.
- Oh, my God, I'm just joking.

- They move slowly.

- They all go slowly,
but I don't move slowly...

because I have that spirit
to just do it.

You know? Let's go.

Maybe I'm a gazelle,
leaping through life.

I'm gonna have
to change my mind.

- I'm worried
about cutting through

'cause it's so delicate.
- Okay.

Should we get this next one on?

- Oh, it looks pretty good.
- Hi, Jessica and Stephanie.

- Hey.
- Hi, Maya and Andy.

- Is that isomalt?
- It is isomalt.

- Oh.
- Don't eat that.

It's not gonna be
the same as fondant.

- I don't know
if you guys know this,

but they call 'em Isomalt Andy.

- Oh, they do?

You want
to come do this for us?

- My original birth certificate
was Isomalt Samberg.

- Were you named
after your great-grandfather?

Isomalt Samberski?

- Isomalt-a-bitch.

- Well, then you should be
over here helping.

- Totally. Fun side fact,
I don't know how.

- Neither do we.
This is our first time.

- What are you guys making?
- Smoosh it together.

- So the night
before our wedding,

we had, like,
a sister slumber party

in this, like,
tree house hotel.

It was the wedding
of my dreams--just magical.

So we're gonna re-create
the tree house.

It won't be, like,
the typical bright,

candy-all-over
gingerbread house.

We really want
to create something

that looks very woodsy
and natural.

- Is there gonna be a tree?
- Yeah.

- Okay.
- So it's gonna be built up.

- This is the tree...
- On some trees.

- That will be inside
the house.

- Is that choco-latte?
- This is fondant.

And then we're making branches
out of modeling chocolate.

- And we love our concept.
- Yeah.

- We're very excited about
the tree house of our dreams.

We just hope
that we can pull it off.

- We need to figure out how
to suspend it above the board

and have a tree come up
through the middle of it.

- It's a lot to do,
and we're pretty nervous.

We're gonna
make sponge toffee...

- Ooh.

- That looks like rocks
and boulders and things

and then speculoos--
cookie goats

and a little bride and groom.

So we had goats
as our ring bearers.

- Wait, goats were your
are actual ring bearers?

- They were so naughty.

They did not follow directions

and just ate the rose petals
all over the altar way.

- So you're telling me goats
were part of the ceremony

and they didn't behave?
- They didn't behave.

Shocker, right?
- They never behave.

Our neighbors always call us,
and they're like,

"Um, your goats
are on your roof."

- Goats at the wedding?

- You know what they say--
goats have more fun.

- They do say that.

- Until you eat them.

And then they have
significantly less fun.

- And then their zombie goats
come back and say,

"You ate us.
Now you must die."

- Yeah, and like,

"The zombie goats
will take over the Earth."

And that is why you can't
have a goat at your wedding.

- Jinx!
-

- Are you gonna put eyes
and pants on them, too?

- I think so.
- Okay.

These are almost done.

- Do you like 'em?
- I've seen better.

- We're halfway
through this bake,

and we are feeling
a little nervous

because we look around
at these teams left,

and there are
some artistic people

who we know have
some serious skill.

We're not artists, and so
I think decorating the house

is probably my main concern--

trying to get what we have
in our head down on a plate.

- This guy can look outward,
like...

Everybody waits in line.

- Okay.

Ready to assemble?
- Yeah, let's do this.

Scoot that one back,
just, like, a half an inch.

You think that works...
- Yeah.

- Support-wise?
- Mm-hmm.

I think that's at least enough
that it's gonna hold it.

- Okay. Yeah.

- Oh, my gosh.
- Amazing.

- He's built.
- Okay. Cool.

- What else do we need to do?

I'm really stressed right now,

and I have to focus
on all the intricate details

that I have to do
on the Taj Mahal.

Abhi, how does this look?
- Looks good.

- The carvings and the
intricate details on Taj Mahal

are really, really fine.

So we will have to pipe it out
so neatly and very delicately.

And I don't think
we have too much time

to do all the detailing,
so I'm a little nervous.

I just hope it stays.

- Don't worry.

- Both of these just broke off,
just picking it up.

- What?

- We are not doing well
at all.

- No.

I love it.
- And it's broken.

I don't particularly enjoy
putting together

gingerbread houses because
my sister kicks my tail

every year
in a gingerbread competition.

You know, like, I would live
in her gingerbread house.

So it brings back memories

and whatever else of always
not quite being perfect.

- I don't even want to know.
I don't even want to know.

- I'm--I'm nervous.

- You guys are
a little quiet today.

What's going on?

- Yeah. 'Cause you hear
that banging?

That's the sound you want to
hear with a gingerbread house.

So gingerbread is a little bit
of my nemesis, you know?

but we're gonna duke it out

right here.
- Let's go.

- How's that not lining up?
That's crazy.

- I don't know.

- Gerard and Shawn.

- Gerard and Shawn.
- What's up, guys?

- How you guys doing?

- Why do you always show up
when we're failing?

- I think it looks good.

But I'm not wearing my glasses.

- What's happening over here?
What are you making?

- So we are building
a gingerbread house...

- Yes. That's good.

- Of our vacation dreams.

- Yes.
- Tell me more.

- Right? We're building
an over-the-water bungalow.

- Mm-hmm.
- Ooh.

- Okay?

- We're gonna have
a cake on the bottom

with frosting that looks like
the ocean...

complete with fishies
swimming.

- Candy cane stilts to bring
it up over the water.

And then we're gonna use
the delicious blondie

with pecans and caramel inside

to build
a lot of the furniture.

- Have you been on vacation
to a place like this?

Like, is this
the ultimate dream?

- Yeah, this is
the ultimate dream, absolutely.

Have not been.

Definitely think that's, like,
the most romantic.

- Yeah. Same, by the way.

I mean, I'm just saying
if you needed a third,

you just let me know.

- You can always be the third.

- Did you just invite yourself
into his belated honeymoon?

- Yes, I did.
I most certainly did.

- It's our build today,
and there's been a struggle.

- What has been challenging
about it?

- Just--
I can't even begin to tell you.

We love doing this. This is,
like, the best thing ever.

- We love the build part.

- Do you truly like the build?
- You know what?

I thought you could smell
the sarcasm.

- The candy canes have been
a huge challenge.

- Yes.
- Right?

From the initial cut,
and then getting 'em on

is a whole other conversation
because they're so brittle.

- Yeah.

- You know, using isomalt
to attach them doesn't help.

- Well,
if it's any consolation,

I believe in you.
- Thank you.

- As do I.
- That is a consolation.

- And I think
it looks fantastic.

- Thank you.

- And I think
it looks really hard.

- Our concept is super risky.

We don't do anything
simply, right?

- Even if it's not to code,

just bribe the Grannies.
- Yeah.

- When I was growing up, one
of the things that we wanted

was an Easy-Bake Oven.

Y'all remember those, right?
- Oh, I remember that.

- Baking those, you know,
those little cakes,

and you used the light.
- Yes. The mini things.

- Yeah.

- I asked Santa Claus
for a Ping-Pong table.

There was a Ping-Pong table.
- Oh, my goodness--

- I mean, I remember
that started crying.

I'm getting
all choked up now.

- You never get
over your dreams.

- This Kleenex has been
overworked, you know?

- Yeah, well, I dreamed about
sitting with all of you girls

and doing
what we're doing today.

Aw.
- You must be clairvoyant.

- Andy and I love giving gifts,
right, Andy?

- Yes. Every holiday season,

me and Maya
buy gifts for everyone...

- Around the world.
- On Earth, yeah.

It's expensive.

Hi, you guys.
-

- We have a holiday gift
for you.

- Oh, my God.
- That looks amazing.

- Today everyone is being asked

to create gingerbread houses
of their dreams.

And I'm gonna be honest
with you--it's hard.

- It is very difficult
to make a good one.

- So we're gonna give everyone
holiday gifts

to give 'em a little boost.

- It's a little something me
and Maya threw together.

- I mean...
- Oh, well,

this is definitely going
on my Christmas tree for sure.

I see chai.
- Well, we know you like it.

- Oh, my God.
- Absolutely love it.

- Spicy masala.
Thank you so much.

- We'll definitely make this
by the fire side.

- Then maybe you invite us over
'cause it sounds delicious.

- Oh, yeah. Absolutely.
You don't need an invitation.

- So the door's open?
- Always open.

- Always.
- Always.

- There's always gonna be
delicious bakes

and maybe something
to drink as well.

- Yeah.
- Now you're talking.

- Now we are talking
the language of the gods.

- Ooh.
- Bourbon?

- Listen, if it has
grain alcohol in it,

Andy's there.
- Yeah.

I'm a perfectionist.
- It shows.

- When it comes to giving gifts

to bakers
inside a snow globe...

- Uh-huh?
- I want to nail it.

- What?
Get out of here.

- They're for BFFs.
- BFFs only.

- Did you whittle this
with your very own hands?

- I'm a wittle-known whittler.

- A wittle-known whittler.

- He stole my joke.

That's a great cup.
I'm so grateful.

- Aw.
-

- I love them.

- That's perfect.
- I know.

- "Keep taking whisks."
- Get it?

- You guys.
- Thank you.

- There's no gift receipt,
so smile.

- They are not returnable.
- Just smile.

- I feel like they actually
did love the gifts.

- No, don't beat yourself up.

- I think the reason
is because...

they're not that great.

- That's so nice.
- Oranges!

- It's the thought that counts.

I mean, we like giving gifts.
We're givers.

- I noticed none of them
got gifts for us.

- Yeah, I noticed that, too.

I mean, I feel like
if we're giving gifts,

like, someone should have
given us something,

but we got nothing.
- Yeah.

- So...

- You know, like a pendant.

- Like a simple potted plant.

- Bottle of water.
- Bottle of wine.

- Or, like, an Alfa Romeo.
- Yeah.

- It doesn't have
to be a new one.

- Gerard and Shawn,

I like our, like,
suspension-in-the-air theme

we've got going.

It's kind nerve-racking,
though.

- It's extremely
nerve-racking.

I'm like, "Don't move."
- Don't move a muscle.

- Wow.

- We're getting to do
the sponge toffee.

And I'll add the baking soda,
and it's gonna... puh!

If I can't get it coated
in chocolate,

it will just be volcanic rock.

- Yeah.
We know it tastes delicious.

- I'm gonna ease it in.
Do not push down.

And good.

Okay, easy, easy.

- I'm really worried that
we're not gonna finish in time.

- Ah, okay, I can do this.

I've never built
a gingerbread house.

It's just gingerbread.

So I'm feeling the pressure

far more than I have
in the previous challenges.

I don't know
if this is working.

I don't know what to
at this point.

- Let me pour some more
on there.

- It's not that.
It's just gonna fall down flat.

- Okay.
- That's the problem.

- Everything is taking
too long.

I'm in full-blown panic.

- Still want to use
the breadsticks?

- They're not sitting.
Let's just have bushes.

- Now at this point,
we just need to get it done

so that we don't
get disqualified.

I mean, that is
my biggest fear.

- It's a frickin' disaster.

- Oh, you got
an Auto-Tune implant, too?

- Mm-hmm.

- Looks great.

- We got to get
that taste element in.

- This is just very brown.

- Just use it.
- Okay.

- We don't have time
to start over.

- Do you need any help?
- Actually, yes.

Could you pour
that white chocolate

into the different cups,
please?

- It's almost time!

- Get some shredded coconut,
just throw it.

- You're good with that, right?
- Beautiful, yeah.

- What a hot mess.

- Ooh,
that's cutting it close.

- Ugh.

The dream...

turned into a nightmare.

- Oh, wow.
- Too cute.

- Niyati and Abhi, please
come up and show us your bake.

- Wow, okay.

- So we made the Taj Mahal.

We thought of making

gingerbread house
as a dream home.

We have never been
to Taj Mahal,

and we always wanted
to go there together.

- Can't get over it.
- Look at your detail.

- Look at
the little pearls there.

- You know, it's hard
not to pick it up and munch.

- I love the candy cane touch.

- The elephants--
too cute, too cute.

And you didn't use
a cookie cutter on these?

- Just freehand on it,

and then I used it
on all the gingerbread.

- That is amazing.

- And I can see
the little cardamom on the top.

So those
special little details--

before I'm even eating it,

I know what
it's gonna probably taste like.

- I'm waiting for the maharaja
to come out, you know?

- Spectacular, y'all.

- Can't wait to taste
the taste of India.

- So the elephants
are gingerbread cookies

with lemon cream cheese
filling in them.

And we also have
the side elements

as our mango lassi
pate a choux.

- God, that cream is good.
- Yeah, it melts in your mouth.

- You can really taste
the mango.

It's just wonderful.

- The cardamom could have
easily overpowered the mango.

The sweetness is just perfect.

- And the texture is
lovely and creamy--very tasty.

Thank you.
- The flavors are delicious.

And again, I'm being introduced
to flavors of your country,

and I appreciate that.

- Thank you.
- Thank you.

- You want to go back for more.

-
Thank you.

- I have to tell you
it's gonna be clean

by the time I give it back.

-
- Thank you.

- Jonah and Patrick.

- Hello.
- Hi.

- So my dream had always been
to go to Japan,

and so we built
a Japanese temple.

And then there's a wheelchair
ramp because we think

that my brother would've
really enjoyed going to it.

- The first thing
that I'm drawn to

when I walk up here,
of course, is the smell.

You can really
smell that ginger.

- Yeah.

- But your piping, you know,
that's got to be

a little bit neater.
- Yeah.

- Did you run into
some problems or something?

- The construction
and holding the awnings

in place took much longer.
- Okay.

- I mean,
the idea is wonderful.

The execution is fine,

except that it isn't
touching the gingerbread.

You've got gaps.

I would've liked to see

the construction
just a bit better.

It definitely falls
a little short.

- Yeah.

- This is excellent.

From the cookie
to the popcorn ball,

I love it--
sticky, sticky, sticky.

- Thank you so much.

- Really different.
Really, really different.

I forgot to mention this, too.

I think putting the ramp in
for the wheelchair

was really an incredible touch.
Thank you.

- You guys, thank you.
- Thanks.

- Great job.
- Thank you so much.

- The matcha gingerbread,
they like it.

- We've converted Nana Harriet.

- That was a surprise
and a relief.

- Good job, guys.

- Nice work, guys.
- Thanks.

- Steve and Tom,
please join us.

- There's a lot of meaning
in this house.

The first two homes are mine
and my dad's,

and the third
is gonna be our bakery.

- God, look at the little men.
Cute, cute, cute.

- This is unbelievable.

In fact, I have to say,

two snaps up and a clap
for more on this.

- Oh, I love a snap-up.

- Your execution is beautiful.
- It's adorable.

- The detail work
is really good.

Even the side door here...

- Yeah.
- It's marvelous.

Thank you so much.

- Wow, that is delicious.
And this is your oatmeal.

- That's the oatmeal cream pie.

- Seriously,
the oatmeal cream pies, I love.

- It says it all right here.

You better have these
in your bakery.

- Yeah.
- Thank you.

- I mean, both of them.

I mean, equally the texture,
the sweetness--

it screams gingerbread
without having to be

a gingerbread, you know,
cookie cookie, per se.

- That was delicious.
Really cute.

- Overall, so good.
Thank you very much.

- Great job. Great job.
- Thanks to you all.

- Gerard and Shawn,
please come up.

- Hello, everybody.
Hello.

- So what we did

was an over-the-water
bungalow for you.

- We also have
a few elements inside

made with
our favorite blondie.

- I have to tell you,
the details

on you and your families...

The bathing suits are precious.
- Thank you so much.

- You definitely can tell

this is a beach bungalow.
- Mm-hmm.

- I love that color
of that water.

And the fish--come on.

Construction-wise,
it seems like

you may have had a problem
with that.

- You know, I don't know if
it's gonna meet building code,

'cause it's a little off
to the side.

You know, rather that it be
a little sideways

than, you know,
completely falling apart.

So that was--we had to make
a decision then.

- I love the whole theme.
I think it's fun.

- Although
I have to be honest,

your finishing is lacking.
- Mm-hmm.

- You can see the cake
through the frosting.

Your edges are not even.
- Okay.

We went with a traditional
gingerbread cookie.

- I think that the blondie
is delicious

- Gingerbread's got
a little bite to it.

I'm still tasting the bite.
That was good.

- Thank you.
- Thank you. Thank you so much.

- The gingerbread
was a little bit too spicy.

It wasn't my favorite,
but that blondie, right on.

- It's a hit.

I mean, It's just great.
- Thank you.

- And your gingerbread cookie--

I like mine crispier.
- Crispier.

- Yeah,
'cause it's a little soft.

- Mm-hmm.

- Andy, why are you shaking
your head?

- Yeah, I don't really get down

with crispy
gingerbread cookies.

I'm more into the soft, chewy--
- You're into soft? Okay.

- He's a soft guy.
- He's the soft guy.

- I've often said
you can call me Han Solo

'cause I'm rolling
with chewy.

- Okay.

-
- Oof. Oof.

- I just got an "oof."

How do you think we're doing
as hosts so far?

I mean, we're pretty
deep in now.

- On a scale of one to 100?
- One to two.

- I think we're a two.
- I was gonna say two.

- I think we're the best hosts
in the world.

- Jessica and Stephanie,
please come up.

- Hi, Grannies.
Hello.

- Hi, Grannies.
- Tell us about your bake.

- We have made a tree house
for you today

that represents
my greatest dream

of getting married
and having a family.

- Look at the little pen to
keep the goats in--good luck.

- Adorable.
- Very cute.

- I mean,
this is just stunning.

I mean, really,
the intricate detail--

The only thing
is, like, the window,

just a little crooked.

Just a little.
- Yeah.

- Your icing work is really,
really outstanding.

- Thank you so much.
- Thank you.

- So we made the goats
out of speculoos cookie,

which is like
a gingerbread-style cookie

from the Netherlands.
- Very tasty.

I like the cookie.
- Thank you.

- It's crispy,
but it's not real crispy--

so hard that, you know...
- Can't bite through it.

- You could break your teeth
on it, tight.

- It was an explosion
in my mouth.

This is the kind
of gingerbread cookie I want.

- Thank you so much.
- Thank you.

- Believe it or not, me of all
people to say this,

I find this too sweet. I know--

I know. I know.
I know it doesn't make sense.

I know it.
I like the texture of it.

It's just a little
too sweet for me.

Maybe it's the icing.
- 'Cause you're so sweet.

- I know.
Well, I get enough sugar.

- Royal icing is very sweet.

- The gingerbread
wasn't my favorite.

- Okay.

- You know how it pains me
to have to give negatives.

Oh, gosh. I'm so sorry.
- That's okay.

- You know, it's just
my personal opinion.

- Of course.
- Okay.

- That's why you're a judge.

- Oh, shucks.

- Bakers,
your last Big Ol' Bake

was a big ol' success.

- Now our grannies are going
to tell us

which gingerbread building had
the most tasteful architecture.

- So, Gigi Sherri,

whose gingerbread dreams
are coming true?

- Bakers, we all want
to thank you

for your beautiful dreamy
gingerbread creations.

But we know
that there can only be

one number-one bake team
for this challenge.

And that team is...

Tom and Steve!

- Good job.

- The construction,
it's beautiful.

The story, the little bakery,

that little muffin thing
was so good.

- Thank you.

- And that
oatmeal cream cookie?

I'ma tell you right now,
that was Gigi diggity.

- Yes!
- Gigi diggity.

- I mean, it really was, okay?

- Come and get your broach.

- Come get your broach.
- I want my broach.

- There you are.
- Thank you.

- Thank you so much.
- Congratulations.

- Whoo!
- We got another broach, baby.

- The gingerbread broach--
that's the biggie.

- Yeah. That was a big one.
We're excited about this one.

- I think it's my first
gingerbread house ever.

- To get a win on a challenge

that we were
really uncomfortable with

gives us a little pep
in our step, yeah.

- Now we've reached my least
favorite part of the day.

- The huge sugar crash

after we've been pounding
gingerbread for two hours.

- And also the moment when
we have to send someone home.

- Or at least watch
our grannies do it.

So, Bubbe Norma,

which baker has to return
to their regular house

which may or may not
be made of cookies?

- Unfortunately,
this is part of our job--

the unpleasant part.

And today the team we have
to send home,

sadly, is...

Gerard and Shawn.

Your blondies were delicious,

but your house
was not executed well.

I can't tell you how badly
we feel about this.

We just adore you, and we adore
watching your friendship.

Look at Harriet and Anne.

I mean, their friendship
is an inspiration.

- Is this what we're looking
forward to right here?

- I could see you both 50 years
from now sitting on a porch,

eating a blondie.

My advice to you--don't wait.
Life goes very quickly.

- Yes.
- So don't put your dreams off.

Go take that vacation.

- For sure.
- Absolutely.

- For sure. For sure.
- But you are not leaving here

unless you get a big hug...

- Big hug.
- From Bubbe.

Look-it, I'm so sad
it's for the last time.

- We're so blessed to have been
with all these great people.

It's unfortunate,
but, honestly,

the competition is tight
in this, so...

- Come on, I mean...

This is a once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity.

And who do you
go through it with,

you know,
besides your best friend?

- Anne and Harriet 2.0.

- Oh, man.
- I love them. I love them.

- My man.
-

- Good luck to you both
and your families.

- Absolutely.
- I mean...

- I know.