Masterchef (2010–…): Season 10, Episode 15 - Small Dessert, Big Problems - full transcript

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Gordon: Previously
on "masterchef"...

Welcome, everybody,
to sweet week.

It was a baking battle
to the balcony...

One of the most difficult
frostings on the planet.

...With only one home
cook claiming immunity.

- What in the hell?
- ( bleep )

one thing that you cannot
afford to screw up tonight

- is a cheesecake.
- Yes.

I have nothing good
to say about this.

- Noah: That's awesome.
- The buttercream is so luscious.

Congratulations, dorian!



Oh!

I got immunity. Finally!

Renee, say good-bye, please.

Tonight, sweet week continues.

We go from big desserts
to incredible tiny ones,

with a surprise guest
judge, candace nelson.

- All right.
- Whoo!

And an elimination challenge
that's no sweet treat...

Tonight, we eliminate
one more of you,

then we enter into the top ten.

- Come on, subha!
- Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Noah: This is what
disaster looks like.

...As one home
cook says good-bye

to the masterchef kitchen.



This is just maca-wrong.

I'm sorry. Your journey's
come to an end.

( music playing )

- let's go.
- Oh, wow.

- Oh, my god.
- Macarons.

Noah: It's season 10, baby.

Expect the unexpected.

But I can't get over

that there's a dadgum
nine-foot structure

full of "macrones."

wow! That is beautiful.

( laughs )

subha: Holy "kamoley."

bri: I'm scared.

Are we gonna have to make that?

All of you, welcome
back to sweet week.

Now, check out that
macaron tower.

- That's awesome.
- Beautiful.

Dorian, it's your first time not
cooking in an elimination challenge.

- How are you feeling right now?
- I'm relieved,

and it feels a little
strange at the same time.

I love to cook and I love
to challenge myself,

but it's okay to take a breath,

and I'm so happy I'm
taking a breath today.

Especially with a
nightmare like that.

Continuing in sweet week,
we propose a challenge

that has a whole different
skill set than cakes.

Here you're talking about
very technical macarons.

We're asking a lot.

Shari, do you feel
good about that?

I do.

At home, I bake between three

to six batches of
macarons a week.

- Joe: Oh.
- My family loves macaron.

- I mean, it's-- - shari, look
down the line of the ten people

who are standing facing
elimination with you.

Tactics of intimidation
are often very successful

in games of war, shari.
Good job.

Oh, jeez.

Tonight, we eliminate
one more of you.

Then we enter into the top ten.

Please, all of you, put
on your black aprons.

- Exactly. - Nick: You know,
coming off that last challenge,

being in the bottom three,
I have to prove myself.

I can't ride on my early
success for too long,

because I know that
at any point in time,

I could be asked to leave
the kitchen and go home.

Tonight, we go from big desserts
to incredible tiny ones--

the mighty macarons.

And here to provide a
little more insight,

we have a very,
very special guest.

One of the most prolific pastry
chefs anywhere in america.

She is the mastermind

behind sprinkles cupcakes.

Candace nelson?

All of you, please
welcome candace nelson.

- All right!
- Whoo-whoo!

- Welcome back.
- Thank you.

Oh, wow. Holy crap,
it's candace nelson.

Candace introduced
me to cupcakes,

and that's what really
sprang my whole journey

as a pastry cook nine years ago.

( bleep )

I can't believe she's
gonna taste my macarons.

I'm both as terrified
as I am excited.

It's an absolute honor
having you back here.

- First of all, congratulations.
- Thank you.

- 24 stores, a second new
restaurant open... - That's right.

...And this gorgeous tower.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!
It looks amazing.

Thank you so much. Well, I hope
it will prove inspiring to you

on your macaron
making journey today.

A macaron is a seemingly
simple cookie,

but can be surprisingly complex.

There's only a few ingredients
that go into one,

but there are so many
things that can go wrong.

Gordon: One tiny speckle
of water in that mix,

one tiny speckle of egg
yolk in those whites,

and it's flawed, right?

The technique must be flawless.

Now, I know you're all feeling a
little nervous about this tower.

Relax. You do not have to make
us an entire tower of macarons.

- Okay. - You will have 60
minutes to bake one dozen.

That's 12 macarons,
and put them neatly

and beautifully into the boxes

that we have provided for you.

We wanna see at least
two unique flavors

perfectly situated
in your boxes.

It's our tenth season,

and it's time to get
down to our top ten.

- Prove to us tonight that you deserve it.
- Yes, chef.

Candace, would you like
to do the honors, please?

Your time starts now.

- Traffic jam.
- Whoa, you know what?

- This is amazing.
- Oh, jesus.

- Where is...
- All right, y'all.

Y'all got it. Come on, subha.

Macaron is one of the
toughest pastries

for even an experienced
professional baker.

Where the heck is
the measure things?

I've tasted them before
because my wife and kids

are crazy after macarons,
but if I didn't say

I was nervous, I
would be lying.

Let's get to town.

Coming through.

I am going to be making most
like a play on a carrot cake.

The other one is going to be--
I'm thinking lemon blueberry.

Although I don't know too
much about macarons,

my culinary goal is to create
an afterschool cooking program

for the students in brooklyn.

So, the more techniques
that I learn,

the more I can really show them.

I have not made macarons before,

but I'm gonna give it a good go.

Candace, we're so happy
to have you tonight.

Obviously, macarons,
super difficult,

super technical.
What's your take?

Are we being too ambitious with
our expectations for macarons?

I'd say two flavors of macarons in
60 minutes is really ambitious,

but if they've got
their technique down,

they should be able to
deliver exactly that.

- Micah, you got it?
- Who got time for talking?

This is crazy.

Where's the sieve?

So, candace, the
importance of sifting--

I mean, this is crucial at this stage
to set yourself up for success.

- Why?
- Candace: It really is,

because what you're
looking for in a macaron

is that smooth, glossy,
eggshell-like texture on top.

And if you have any lumps

in that confectioner's sugar
or that almond flour,

you're gonna see it
in the final result.

This little shifting thing,

this is the most
frustrating thing

I think I've ever
done in my life.

I wanna throw this
through the wall.

Shari's already admitted she's been making
these things two or three times a week,

so we're expecting
fireworks from her.

My kids love macarons.

It is my two-year-old's
favorite food.

This dish is special
to my family.

I'm really hoping that sweet
week gets sweeter for me.

Guys, we're at 10 minutes gone.

15 minutes remaining.

I think I'm gonna do a vanilla
latte with an extra shot.

So I'm gonna use some
espresso powder,

and we're gonna throw in a little
bit of a red and white peppermint,

- like a christmas macaron.
- Jamie, you in the zone.

Jamie: I've never made macarons.
I've never been around 'em.

I've never eaten one, but I
know this macaron has meringue.

When I was little, my
grandma used to make little

meringue cookies for christmas.

I love christmas.

What can I say? I'm
a christmas freak.

So, I wanna make a red
christmas colored macaron

with peppermint filling.

- Dorian: Come on, bri, you gotta
get moving, sweetie. - Yeah.

So happy I'm not down there.

- Hi! Nervous.
- Bri, how you feeling?

Give us an insight to the flavors.
What are you doing?

I am doing a chocolate mint and
then the chocolate orange.

- Sounds good.
- Delicious.

Somebody's going home.

- Last night was a tough one for you.
- It was so tough.

- You gonna bounce back?
- If anything, the toughness of last night

just inspires me to
not be there again.

- I'm glad to hear.
- Bri: Macarons,

they are so involved
and detailed,

which is kind of my strength.

I really wanna redeem
myself with this challenge,

so I'm trying to stay
positive in my head.

- Good luck.
- Thank you.

- Is this stiff enough?
- It's soft.

You want just a little bit more.

I'm gonna be doing a
raspberry chocolate,

and then I'm gonna be
doing an espresso cream.

I've never made these,

so I'm focused like
a laser right now.

So, bri looks in control.

Chocolate mint and
chocolate orange.

I'm delighted to taste her work.

I'm looking forward to those flavors.
And you know what?

The sky's the limit. Let's see some
beautiful design on those shells,

- if they have time.
- For me, it's important

that the color speaks
to the flavor.

You eat with your eyes,
so you wanna have a hint

as to what you're
eating from the color.

- Exactly that.
- Uh-huh.

Subha: 15 minutes into
it, I start to panic.

I see others getting
ahead of me.

- What is subha doing?
- Ah, colors, colors. Okay.

Rose. Uh, cherry.

In the pantry, I realized everybody
took the colors that I wanted.

- Strawberry, lemon.
- Subha!

I just have to make a decision

because time is the
enemy right now.

- I'm getting worried.
- Holiday green.

- Come on, subha! - Strawberry
and lemon, I can get rose color.

Subha: Colors, colors, okay.

Lemon and cherry
will give me orange.

Come on, subha!

- Subha! Vamonos!
- Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

- Vamonos.
- Oh, my god.

Subha: I could not
find the right colors,

but I need to
improvise and catch up

because if I don't get it
into the oven on time,

it'll be a disaster.

- Subha, you good now?
- Yeah, I'm good now.

I'm trying to mix some
colors to get the orange.

Subha, it looks like he's had
a powdered sugar explosion.

Oh, my god.

- Young man, give us an insight
to the flavor. - Hi, subha.

- What are you doing?
- I'm making orange one flavor

and the other one is the rose flavor,
which is my ever popular rose flavor.

He's obsessed with rosewater.
Explain.

I love my wife. 25 years
we've being married,

and every single birthday,
every single anniversary,

and every single
valentine's day,

I have not missed
giving her roses.

Aww! What a romantic guy.

- Maybe, but-- - try to keep the
powdered sugar in the bowl.

- Oh. Oh, sorry. - Oh, jeez. Come
on, hurry up and sieve, man.

These things should
be in the oven.

- Multitask. Let's go.
- Thank you, thank you.

Oh, no.

Jamie: As soon as I put the
dye into my buttercream,

turns out "burgundy
red" means purple.

I gotta switch gears. I can't do the
peppermint, because it didn't come out red.

So, I just switch gears and think
for flavoring-- raspberry.

The color's not exactly
the way I want it,

but I think it's still gonna
look good for this second one.

I'm moving as fast as I
can move, though, so--

one thing I'm really worried
about is anyone over-folding

during their macaronage stage,

because if there's one thing
that you cannot save,

that is an overbeaten batter.

Like lava.

Sarah: This is my
chance to redeem myself

after the last challenge,

so I'm making something
a little different.

I'm doing blueberry almonds
and raspberry rosewater,

and I hope the judges love it.

She's already piping.
She's way ahead.

- Federico!
- Hello, chef aarón.

- How are you, sir?
- Hello, joe.

So talk to us out your macarons.

Fred: I'm gonna do a
mixed berry cheesecake,

and my second one is gonna
be a black and white sesame.

Knowing that I have to cook these
macarons for candace nelson

and knowing that the judges
have such high expectations

and standards for my baking,

it makes the pressure
that much higher.

How are you with
that pastry bag?

I would expect you to be a
little bit more domineering

in your pastry bag technique.

- Are you just nervous?
- A little bit, joe.

If I don't deliver
on these macarons,

it will be a giant
embarrassment.

You got some good ones there.
It's a good start.

- Thank you.
- Good luck.

So, deep breaths, deep breaths.

Don't faint while you're baking.

So, fred, he's doing
cheesecake, black sesame--

no, stop it. That sounds terrible.
Black sesame?

- Oh, my lord. Not tonight.
- It sounds ambitious.

Let's see if he can get it done,

because the expectation
is high for him.

Candace: I want a smooth shell.
No lumps, no bumps.

And also, at a certain
point in this kitchen,

it's gonna get loud. They are
gonna start banging those pans

on the counter.

- That is the first pan I've seen
being dropped. - There you go.

The purpose of that, it lets
out any potential air bubbles.

What you're looking for in
a macaron is that smooth,

- glossy, eggshell-like texture on top.
- Absolutely.

- I mean, they should look like
a box of jewels. - They should.

These look like crap.

Fred, I want one
of those so bad.

- Those are really pretty.
- Thank you, dorian.

That means a lot
coming from you.

Dang, them boys spread.

- Yee-oh!
- Subha, just start piping.

You don't need the whole bowl.

Subha, you've got to pipe.

- Aarón: Pipe, subha, pipe.
- Yes, yes, yes.

- Let's go, mijo, come on.
- I'm getting ready. I'm getting ready.

As I start to pipe, I realize
I overbeat the eggs.

Oh, lord, have mercy.

Subha's macarons look chunky.

Subha: My macarons
are out of shape.

Candace: They look
like meringue kisses.

But there's nothing I can do.
I gotta keep moving.

He has always this
secret ability

through in his flavor
to pull it out,

So maybe they can taste really amazing.

This challenge, it's an opportunity
for me to try to redeem myself.

So today I'm making
a passion fruit

with a purple exterior

and a yellowish
interior like the fruit.

And then a really nice rosewater

with candied pistachios
around the edge.

So, I hit on my favorite fruit,

and then also something
from my persian background.

Well, shari, you've actually
talked macaron smack.

Did you like that?

I didn't know you were
such an aggressive killer.

Let me tell you, my oven
light has been burned out

for, like, two years and
I refuse to change it

because I have not had a
bad batch of macarons

since the oven light burned out.

Wow, you're superstitious, too?

- I use a flashlight.
- Can you give joe and I

some insight on what
your flavors are?

So, I'm gonna have a
saffron and cardamom,

and then t other one is gonna
be a lavender ganache.

- Mmm.
- Exotic flavors.

Don't be afraid to put
some fairy dust on it.

Oh, I already got fairy dust
on them, so we're good.

Right, micah, how you feeling?

- Honestly?
- Yes.

I'm not as happy as I wanna
be with my macarons.

- Several of them spread.
- Damn.

- But as long as I have 12 on,
I don't care. - That's right?

- What are you doing?
- Lavender and blackberry.

And then I'll be doing a lemon
buttercream and a raspberry jam.

Wow, that's still-- you
still have all that to go?

- I'm making the lemon buttercream
right now. - Okay, great.

- Good luck. Come on. You got this.
- Thank you, chef.

- Good luck.
- Let's go.

Gordon: Oh, boy. Guys,
just over halfway.

Look, bri hasn't even
started piping yet.

I mean, they should be
piped, resting, tapped,

- and forming that shell.
- Bri, what's happening?

I'm just making sure that
everything's the right consistency.

After you mix that and get it piped,
you gotta move like lightning.

- Okay? Wow.
- Yeah, definitely.

She's really running behind now.
I'm a little worried.

Okay.

Bri: Looking around, everyone
seems to be ahead of me

and the clock is
just ticking away.

- Bri, you've got to start piping.
- Yes.

I'm worried I'm not
gonna finish on time.

- Oh, my god.
- Lord god almighty.

30 minutes gone, 30 minutes remaining.
Come on!

- Come on, bri.
- Almost there.

Bri, peel one at a time, just
so you can get one sitting.

- Then come back and do the other ones.
- Good idea.

All right.

Jesus, take the wheel.

Candace, in a perfect macaron,

- what is the cook time?
- 325 for about 12 minutes.

They need to be
careful of the bake.

They need to be careful of
the temperature of the oven.

If your pink color
becomes marred

- by the caramelization in the oven...
- Yep.

- ...That's not a pretty color.
- Yeah.

What kind of spices you got for
your carrot cake filling, wuta?

Cinnamon and nutmeg.

- Right, wuta, how you feeling?
- Hey!

I'm feeling pretty good. These are
about to go in in literally a minute.

Just be careful. This liquid is
looking a little bit too runny.

- That's too big, as you know.
- Yeah, that one's too big.

- Just be careful. - You're gonna
have to find a mate for each one

so that they're exactly the
same size on both ends.

Right, a lot of
work to do, yeah?

- We need perfection tonight.
- Yes, chef.

- Good luck.
- Thank you.

I've been in six
elimination challenges

and I've gotten out
of all of them.

I'm hoping that I
can do it again

and make it into the top ten.

Gordon: 20 minutes to go.

Hello, sarah. You came
out of the gate today

like a wild, rampant horse.
Where do you stand now?

I'm making my swiss--

my swiss meringue
buttercream right now

and my preserves.

So you're making your own
preserves at this point?

- I am. - That's pretty ballsy
because you gotta get the water out

and you don't have
a lot of time.

The worst thing that can happen

is you put a macaron in the box

and a little bit
of syrup drips out

from having too watery a
filling and stains the box.

Macarons a very
intimidating thing to do

because you have
to be so precise.

Get yourself a wider pan,

a big wider pan, and throw
it in to reduce quicker.

- Joe: It's gonna go faster.
- Aarón: And it will go faster.

- Understood. Thank you so much.
- Cool. Come on, sarah. You can do it.

- Joe: Good luck.
- Thank you.

I just have to keep
my head in the game.

I'm a big believer in,
like, mind over matter.

It sounds ridiculous, but two
weeks before a marathon,

I told my husband I was gonna
run it without training,

and I ran the whole marathon.

Looking good.

15 minutes, everyone.
15 minutes.

Okay.

Guys, all your macarons should
be out of the oven now.

Take them off the tray to
cool them down quicker.

You gotta get these things cool.

You can't pipe a
buttercream in there...

- No. - ...Butter frosting,
any form of cream inside

unless they have cooled down.

- Nick, they look beautiful.
- Thank you, dorian.

Come on, bri, you're
almost there, sweetie.

- Thank you.
- Jamie don't really fish for a living.

- I think he owned a bakery. Look at
them right there. - They're not bad.

I was worried for awhile that we may
not have anyone finish this challenge.

- Those look perfect.
- But I see shells coming out of the oven.

I see buttercreams almost done.

There is a race on right now.

- I mean, the energy is incredible.
- Yeah.

Those are all trash.

Micah: I looked in my
oven, and for some reason

my pink macarons turned brown,

and my ( bleep )
started to caramelize.

Damn, damn, damn.

I gotta make sure that
they look decent.

If I can make the box at
least semi-presentable,

I have a chance.

I'm just praying to god
it doesn't send me home,

because I'm not
ready to go home.

I have so much more to prove.

But I can't think about
defeat right now.

All I can think about
is fixing what I got.

- Ten minutes to go.
- All right.

I should be able to do it.

Oh, my god.

Subha's are still in the oven.

Candace: Oh, he's shaking his head.
Not a good sign.

Subha is not gonna make this.

Gordon: Let's go!

The most important part, actually
assembling your macarons.

5 minutes to go, yes?
12 stunning macarons.

Oh, no.

I'm trying to peel these delicate
macaron shells off the tray,

and they're not coming off.

The bottoms are just not done.

They're basically breaking off

and leaving two-thirds
of them behind.

No. Oh, lord.

Nick has just put his
macarons back in the oven.

- Can you do that?
- Why? I don't know.

The only option I have is to
toss them in the oven again,

hopefully get them to kind
of hold together better,

and cross my fingers that, you
know, when I take them out

and pipe the filling
in when it's hot,

it doesn't completely melt.

Candace: What happens
if he doesn't finish?

What happens if he does not
present us with the two?

Gordon: He's going home.

I'm starting to freak out.
This isn't good.

- I could go home today.
- Uh-oh.

Aarón: Everyone, just
over four minutes.

Let's start to assemble
them beautifully.

Nick: I hope tt I can
take these out very,

very quickly fill all of them,

and put them in the box.

They've gotta come
out of the oven now.

- Right this minute.
- These ones look done.

- Yeah, they do. - Remember, you
gotta get 12 of them in the box.

This is unbelieve--

this is what
disaster looks like.

Let's go!

- Subha, come on, subha!
- Joe: Three minutes, guys.

Three minutes left! Let's go!

I don't think subha's
gonna make it.

Come on, guys. Come on,
this is crunch time.

Look at the comeback
kid right here, bri.

Yes, thank you.

I don't wanna speak too
soon, but I'm happy so far.

Joe: I see a lot of
shaky hands out there.

A lot of nerves for sure,
assembling the macaron.

( gasps ) no!

Joe: Get 'em in the box.

Oh, jeez. They're too big.

One, two, three,
four, five, six.

- Aarón: Come on, wuta!
- Oh, my god. Why?

Just put them in the box, flavor
or no flavor. 45 seconds!

Come on, guys. Come on, wuta!

I don't know how the time got away
from me, but I'm crumbling fast,

and I'm worried I don't have
enough time to finish this.

Get 'em in the box!
Oh, for the love--

I'm gonna need a bigger box.

We're coming down to
the last ten seconds.

- Ten, nine, eight...
- What if they don't all fit?

- Put it on top, bri. Put it on top.
- ...Seven, six, five,

four, three, two, one.

- And stop. Hands in the air.
- Aarón: Hands in the air.

Gordon: Well done. Oh, boy.

I did the best I could, so
I got that going for me.

But, otherwise,
I'm pretty upset.

Getting close to top ten, and
you need to have everything.

They do pretty much look the
way I wanted them to look.

I mean, they're all in
there and I'm happy.

Wuta: I look to my left,
and I look to my right,

and it seems that everybody's
boxes are filled.

I couldn't get 12 in because
a lot of them didn't set.

And I'm terrified right now.

I may be the only one
in this competition

that didn't complete the task.

( bleep )

I missed one. I
have 11 in the box.

It'll be okay, okay?
It'll be okay.

Now, unfortunately, for
one of you tonight,

you've cooked for the very
last time inside this kitchen.

The first macarons
we'd like to see

belong to noah.

Let's go, please. Thank you.

I tried to do some
interesting flavors,

and I think that the
flavor is there,

but the texture is
definitely gonna be off.

So what we have today,

we have a raspberry and
chocolate macaron,

and then we have a coffee
and french buttercream,

with a little coffee liqueur
and minted chocolate.

Right, noah, consistency-wise
what happened?

It looks aesthetically
unappeasing,

but I believe the flavors are
gonna be there, hopefully.

- Shall we then?
- Let's do it.

All right.

So, when you think
of the aesthetics,

in paris, of a macaron,

they're like a
beautiful diamond.

That's a raw diamond.

There's a beautiful diamond
inside flavor-wise.

You just have to chip
away with your teeth.

What I'm missing here is
a body to this macaron.

It sort of crumbled in my
hands and just gave way.

- I was looking for a little bit more bite.
- More bite, yes, ma'am.

I do agree with you, mildly,

that the flavor there does
help rescue it a little bit.

Let me put it in terms
you might understand.

Big hat, no ranch.

Perfect. Nailed it. Got it.
Thank you, joe.

Yeah?

Noah, the macarons
aren't good enough

to get up to the
balcony just yet.

- Step down, please.
- Thank you, chef.

Next up, bri, please.

The last two challenges have
been really, really tough,

and that took a toll
on my confidence.

But looking at my macarons,
I'm feeling super confent.

They all came out perfect.

Bri, describe the
macarons, please.

I have a chocolate
orange macaron,

which is an orange-infused
mint chocolate ganache.

And then I have a
chocolate mint macaron,

which is a mint-infused
dark chocolate ganache.

So, visually, I mean...

...How do we end up like that?

I was honestly so
nervous that my hands

were really shaky when I
was putting them in there.

Candace, would you display
them in one of your shops?

Unfortunately, I wouldn't.

These macarons are
lacking the refinement

that I really look
for in a macaron.

Gordon: Shall we?

Candace, how was that?

Well, I thought that
there was a nice balance

between the chocolate
and the mint,

but I did find your shells

to be a bit grainy and lumpy.

You can just see visually that
there are bubbles in there.

Joe: I'm just really
disappointed.

It's just not what
we were looking for.

What a shame. Bri,
unfortunately at this stage,

you're not heading up to
the safety of the balcony.

Please, stand next to noah.
Thank you.

Bri: This is embarrassing.

Here I am trying to
get out of the bottom,

but I'm in the bottom again.

Yours look better than mine.

I'm so disappointed with myself.

I really am.

The next box of macarons
that we would like to taste

will be from fred.

My only fear is being sent
home by candace nelson.

I just want her to
love my macarons.

I have a cinnamon-infused shell

with a whipped mascarpone

and a tangy lemon-berry coulis.

And then I have black
sesame sprinkled on top,

and then I did a black sesame-infused
italian meringue buttercream.

See that beautiful little crust?
You have a beautiful word for it.

- The foot or the ruffle.
- The ruffle.

- Joe: Ruffle. - Yeah, the
ruffle right there is beautiful.

- Thank you.
- It is enticing.

So that right there is a
good start, young man.

Thank you so much, chef.

But these flavor combinations
sound very risky.

All right, here we go.

My goodness me.

Aarón: All right, here we go.

Here's the thing, you pushed
the boundaries out big-time.

I mean, the flavoring, uh...

...They taste exceptional.

Thank you, chef.

Fred, welcome to the
competition, my friend.

- Thank you, chef.
- The sesame is nutty, well-balanced.

You just were very considerate

about all the elements of these
macarons, and it shows up.

I would love to sell a box of these
macarons in one of my stores.

I mean, this is a professional
box if I've ever seen one.

Thank you, candace.

I think it goes without
saying, head upstairs.

But first, I think
you should take

that box up to dorian and munch out there.
Congratulations.

- Thank you so much. Thank you.
- Proud of you, fred.

- Great job, buddy.
- Fred: Candace nelson just told me

that she would
display my macarons.

This is probably the best moment
in the whole competition for me.

I can die happy.

Thank you.Hank you.

Micah, please come on down.

Go, micah!

I am embarrassed. I
am disappointed.

It's just unfortunate that
this is what I'm serving.

Eight, nine, ten, eleven.

- You're one short.
- Yes, chef.

Several of my trays
ended up spreading.

- So I just had to salvage what I could.
- What flavors did you make?

I made lavender and lemonade.

What's most concerning
to me about your box,

besides the missing
macaron, of course,

is the caramelization
on your shells.

I think you were baking at too
high of an oven temperature.

And so your beautiful purples,
your beautiful pinks,

are now sort of an
odd shade of orange.

- I understand. - Lavender could've
been a little bit stronger.

- Not your best challenge.
- Yeah.

Please stand next to bri.

Good job, micah.
Keep your chin up.

Next up, nick, thank you.

I don't wanna bring
this up to the judges.

I'm nervous. You know, I got a
taste of what it was like to be

in that bottom three
group last time,

and it's not a fun feeling.

- Oh, dear.
- ( sighs )

gordon: Visually, I think
I am as upset as you.

- Yeah. - Four minutes to go,
you put them back in the oven.

One thing you never do
is cook a macaron twice.

So what's happened here
is you've actually got

the lids with no
filling, as you can see.

Describe the flavors, please.

So the one on your
right is rosewater

with candied pistachio,
sticking with my persian roots.

And then the one you're
holding is a passion fruit.

It's such a shame, because the shell
on the outside, beautifully done.

Yeah.

It's certainly a shiny shell,

but there's absolutely
no body inside.

Aarón: I have to
share the sentiment.

I think this just not a
good representation of you.

But here's the thing
that's frustrating,

is that the actual passion
fruit curd is beautiful.

But everything else is wrong.

Yeah.

I think we're all in agreeance.

Nick, please remain down here.
Thank you.

- Thank you.
- Yeah, not good.

Not good at all.

- Wuta, please come forward.
- Come on, wu!

( applause )

wuta, what's wrong
with this box?

A lot of the macarons, when I tried to
peel them off, they didn't seem done,

so I put what could see
were the best ones,

the ones that had
the most filling.

I didn't want to box garbage.

Aarón: Well, let's see if
the flavor can compensate.

What have you
attempted to make us?

Lemon macaron with
blueberry filling,

and an orange
carrot cake macaron

with cream cheese filling.

Oh, wuta.

So, obviously, there were
some technical issues here.

The shell was shiny,
but just broke away

in a very sort of
brittle fashion.

The taste of sugar was right
on the tip of my tongue.

I was hoping that your filling
was going to really sing.

But this american style
cream cheese frosting

reminiscent of a carrot cake
was pretty shockingly sweet.

Sweet? It's almost sickly
sweet, in a way that I cannot

take a second bite,
which is the last thing

you need to feel
eating a macaron,

I'm gonna to be honest with you.

- Yeah.
- Please, step back.

Next up, please, sarah.

Make your way down, please.
Thank you.

Describe the flavors,
please, sarah.

I have raspberry rosewater

and blackberry and almond.

A slight sort of
overindulgence in size.

They look really messy in the box.
They barely fit.

But you got the color, the balance,
the rainbow. They're glistening.

And, look, you know, we've
got that little magical moat

of frosting around the outside
with this beautiful liquid.

What is that, blackberry?

Blackberry and almond.

One word, delicious.

- Thank you.
- Wow, these are good.

The sparkling sugar just adds a
very fancy touch that I appreciate.

Gordon: Last night there
was a near disaster.

Tonight, you've absolutely
redeemed yourself.

Please, take yourself and
those beautiful macarons

upstairs to the safety
of the balcony.

Well done. Man!

- That was great.
- They were good.

Yeah, very good.
Very good indeed.

Sarah: I'm on cloud nine.

Not only am I safe-- top ten.

- Mmm.
- Thank you.

- Those are really good.
- I love this.

Okay, the next macarons

we'd like to taste
are from shari.

Come up.

Ba-boom. Wow.

- ( whistles ) - shari,
what did you make for us?

I have saffron,
pistachio, and cardamom.

And then I also have a
dark chocolate lavender

- with fleur de sel.
- Candace: It's perfection.

- The fillings just pop from
that white canvas. - Thank you.

You know, you started this competition
off like a bit of a dark horse.

Tonight, I think you're looking way
beyond the top ten, young lady,

because that for me is one of the
best macarons I've ever tasted

- in ten years of this competition.
- Thank you so much.

- Noah: Great job, shari.
- Thank you.

Awesome job.

Shari, take those, and yourself,

- upstairs to the safety of the balcony.
- Thank you so much.

Great job.

This is the best I've felt
since I got my apron.

And next up, please, subha.

Let's go, thank you.

Subha: I'm not
proud of my work.

My macarons are out of shape.

They wouldn't even
fit in the box,

but I'm hoping that the
taste will prevail.

Oh, dear.

Oh, dear. So, they
look like nuggets

as opposed to macarons.
What happened?

I over-mixed the meringue,
and it is a disaster.

Your box is supposed
to be presentation.

It's like it's just been
picked out of the trash.

- Can you describe the flavors, please?
- Yes.

One is the orange flavor,

and the other one is a rosewater
with a rose flavoring.

I have to say, even in its own
way, as deformed as they are,

they have the crunchiness,
they have the chewiness,

and at least in my case, the
flavor, I think, is good.

Subha, you have a decent amount
of chew to this macaron,

but I have to say, visually,
this is just maca-wrong.

Yeah.

And you know someone
is leaving tonight.

- I understand, chef.
- Right now,

you may have one
foot out the door.

It's obvious you're
not going upstairs.

- Yes, chef. Thank you.
- Thank you.

My macaron shape was a disaster.

I'm just hoping that somebody
else had a worse day than me.

Please, jamie, describe
your macarons.

So, on the left side we
have a vanilla latte

with an extra shot of espresso.

On the right side, I
went with raspberry.

Visually, this is
just beautiful.

- It's so satisfying to look at.
- Thank you.

That's the kind of box I expect
bri to bring up, not you,

and it's just nice that
you're hitting those marks.

- I'm happy for you.
- Thank you, chef.

- And they're good.
- Thank you.

I'm not exactly sure

how they're supposed to
taste, to be honest.

I was-- I was worried.

You gave us a crisp shell,

you gave us the chew, and
you gave us the flavors

that you really delivered on.

Thank you so much.

It's executed beautifully.

- Thank you, guys.
- Guys? Yeah?

Head upstairs with
that delicious box.

- Catch of the day.
- Catch of the day.

Reeling in the competition
right here, baby.

I'm like, "what? Are
you kidding me?"

I'm about to set up a macaron
stand when I get home.

It means the world.

It's validation on a
whole 'nother level.

Who would've thought
such a humble macaron

would've brought you
guys to your knees?

Joe: We need a
moment to discuss.

Candace, tonight
we're heading into

the top ten, as you know.

Crucial decision here. A
lot is riding on this.

Gordon: If there's one person
I singled out this evening

to absolutely nail something
successfully, it was bri.

Candace: I know you had
high hopes for her,

and they definitely didn't
fit in the box very well.

- Wuta.
- How many macarons did he even serve us?

- Yeah, seven.
- Seven.

- Subha's weren't exactly
attractive, were they? - Nope.

- We're all in agreeance?
- Yeah.

- Yeah, let's go.
- Okay.

We're reaching the top ten.

But not one of you six
were capable of executing

a full, beautiful
box of macarons.

Bri.

Micah.

Nick.

Noah.

You did not present us with
your best work tonight.

And any other night, any one
of you would be leaving.

But fortunately for you,

there are two more
boxes of macarons

that turned out even worse.

Please head up to the balcony.

Thank you, joe. Thank you, chef.
Chef, thank you for coming.

- Thank you. Thank you.
- It won't happen again.

Bri: The judges have
seen the worst in me

for too many weeks
in a row now.

Going forward, I need
to prove to the judges

that I belong on the balcony.

Wuta, the flavors
were way off piece,

and you presented yours
with seven macarons.

Tonight, you've fallen short.

Subha, you're as
chaotic as a hricane.

And tonight, your plating
and finesse again

were nowhere near the
masterchef standards.

Unfortunately, for one of you,

you've cooked for
the very last time

inside this incredible kitchen.

Oh, my god.

Subha, you know, you're a
very peculiar home cook.

But somehow you manage

to create food with
intense, quality flavors.

And tonight...

Subha, you've earned
another chance

to keep surprising us
inside this kitchen.

Please, say good-bye to
wuta, head upstairs.

- I love you.
- I am feeling relieved.

But I really have
to step up my game

because it is just, you know,

by the skin of my
teeth that I survived.

Oh, wuta, I'm sorry.

Your journey's come to an end.

You are a great student,
a man of integrity,

and I don't feel bad sending you
out of this kitchen tonight,

because I think the world needs

- what you have to offer more than we do.
- Yep.

I can only, only be thankful
for this wild ride.

- Class act.
- Yes.

Gordon: Come and say good-bye.

As much as I'm bummed out,
I'm not disappointed,

'cause I get to go back
to the kids that I love.

I get to take the things
that I've learned here

and teach it all
to my students.

- Season 10!
- Season 10, baby!

Season 10, baby!

All of you, congratulations.
The top ten of season 10!

- Season 10, baby! Season 10.
- Gordon: Incredible.

I suggest you all get ready
for what comes next.

We are shifting up a
gear, and all of you

are gonna have to move
super fast to keep up.

Good night.

( music playing )