Zumbo's Just Desserts (2016–2020): Season 2, Episode 10 - Bring on the Bling - full transcript
[narrator] Inside the Dessert Factory,
imagination simmered,
and fierce competition raged.
[steam whistle blows]
For ten dessert makers...
[Pearly] I'm in a dream.
Oh, it's mind-blowing.
[narrator] ...fantasy became reality.
-[gasps]
-This is cool, man.
This one's gonna blow your mind.
-[Rachel] What is that?
-I don't know.
[Zak] It's so perfect. It's amazing.
[narrator] And the race began
to find the winner...
[Kylie] It's about to get real.
[narrator] ...of this
fairy-tale food adventure.
[Pearly] For me, magic is desserts.
[in sing-song] Ah!
[Zumbo] I love surprise
and I love theater.
-It's magic.
-[laughs]
[narrator] But their worst nightmares
came true...
What am I doing?
-[Rachel] Oh, no way!
-[contestant] Sugar.
[narrator] ...and one by one,
they disappeared.
-[Kylie sighs]
-It's time to depart the Dessert Factory.
[Kimberley] You just need to do
the best you can and go for it.
[Zak] I've had
such an incredible experience.
[Kylie] My dessert dream
definitely lives on.
[narrator] And now, only two remain.
Catherine and Simon,
you're through to the Grand Final!
-Yes!
-Oh, wow.
I can do it.
-[narrator] Only 19 years old...
-[Catherine] I really wanna do well.
[narrator] ...Catherine proved herself
with elegance and sophistication.
Boom, Catherine.
-Shut the gate.
-[laughs]
[narrator] Simon wowed...
The coriander and lime was so fresh.
...with his out-of-this-world flavors
and ideas.
[laughs]
Totally blew my mind.
[Zumbo] Really well done.
That's sensational.
[Simon] Woo-hoo.
[narrator] Now, these two
extraordinary dessert makers...
[Simon exclaims]
...will go head-to-head...
[chuckles]
...and one will be crowned
the new Dessert Factory champion!
[theme music playing]
[birds chirping]
[Catherine] Oh! Oh, my God.
-[Simon] Oh, wow.
-[Catherine] It's so sparkly.
This is the Grand Final,
so my dream and my passion
and my future is all at stake.
-[Simon] Oh, wow.
-[Catherine] Wow! Oh, my gosh.
[Simon] You know, I came into
this competition as a concreter.
Now, I'm in the Grand Finals.
It's crazy. [chuckles]
[Catherine] My dream is to make
making desserts a career,
and if I can win this Grand Final,
I think it could come true.
-[Simon] Oh.
-[both chuckle]
[Simon] Wow.
Catherine and Simon, congratulations!
You're our Zumbo's Just Desserts
grand finalists.
-Woo-hoo.
-[both chuckle]
-Thank you.
-Thanks. [chuckles]
Today, you'll be cooking in two rounds,
and at the end of the day,
you'll both receive a score out of ten
for the Sweet Sensations Task,
and a score out of ten for the Zumbo Test.
The dessert maker
with the highest total score
will take home $100,000
and be crowned the winner
of Zumbo's Just Desserts.
[Simon chuckles] Wow.
$100,000 is a lot of money,
and I'm not gonna go easy
on Simon. [laughs]
I really, really want this.
We're kicking off the Grand Final
with the Zumbo Test first.
What?
[Simon laughs nervously]
Zumbo Test first?
[Simon] I hate to think
what's underneath that dome.
It's the Grand Finals
and Zumbo's not gonna hold back.
Then, you'll need to present
something mind-blowing
in the Sweet Sensations Task.
Now, this little creation
is a greatest hits of things you've seen
in my desserts before.
There's nothing in this
you haven't done before,
but we've just taken it up
a couple of levels.
-[laughs nervously]
-[Catherine] What?
What is that? [chuckles]
I have never seen
a dessert like this before.
Wow.
I call it The Sweet Smell of Success.
This is my idea of luxury.
It's a beautiful vintage table
with a bottle of my signature scent,
Zumbo N°6.
[Catherine and Simon laugh]
Love it.
Oh, my gosh. This dessert's gonna be
very difficult to recreate
[laughing] and build.
-[Simon chuckles]
-Oh, my gosh.
[gasps] Oh, wow.
[Zumbo] So, this table is completely
made out of chocolate.
Everything on there's edible.
[exclaims]
It looks kind of impossible.
-Wow.
-[Zumbo] And...
[Simon] Ah...
-[Catherine] Oh, no way.
-[Simon] Are you kidding me?
[Zumbo] Inside the drawer...
It's a functioning drawer.
-[Catherine and Simon laugh]
-...there's some chocolate bonbons.
[Simon and Zumbo laugh]
And there's a marble white chocolate disc
on the top, the tabletop.
Okay.
[sighs] Why? Why, Zumbo?
-You gonna cut it open?
-[Zumbo] Yeah, definitely.
Okay, we got our almond crunch base.
Fresh raspberries,
a peach cheesecake mousse,
a Turkish delight jelly.
On the top, we have
the peach cheesecake mousse again
with the little peach compote
liquid center.
So, in the bonbon, we have
a cherry reduction with caviar.
-Oh!
-Yeah.
And then we have an aged, pickled
vanilla-balsamic ganache.
The crystal perfume bottle is isomalt...
-[Simon] Mmm.
-'Kay.
-[Catherine] Ooh!
-[Simon] Whoa.
[Zumbo] ...with some
metallic glitter in it.
And like I said, the table's chocolate.
-[cracks]
-[Catherine and Simon chuckle]
-[Simon] Wow. That's cool.
-[Catherine] Mmm.
-Get a taste.
-Have a taste, yeah.
[Catherine] Wow.
[Simon] Mmm.
-Wow.
-[Catherine] Mmm.
It is beautiful.
-[Catherine] Yeah.
-It marries into everything.
So cool, eh? It just blends in.
That sharpness of the raspberry.
-Far out.
-[Catherine] Wow.
Ah, his dessert tastes amazing, as usual.
The flavors are balanced.
Really, really nice.
Okay, then. Head to your dessert stations,
where you'll find your recipes.
[Simon] Yeah.
Time to power-up your dessert stations.
I'm gonna give this Grand Final
everything that I've got.
It's a competition, at the end,
and one of us has to be the winner.
So, I'm gonna bring it.
Good luck, guys, and make some magic.
You have four hours on the Factory Clock.
Your time starts now!
[Simon] First thing I work on is my table,
'cause it's gonna take a while
for it to construct.
It's important that I spread out
the tempered chocolate and let that sit
so I can cut out the table pieces.
It's just like pouring a slab of concrete.
The boys will be proud.
Catherine's a tough competitor,
but I've gained some skills.
I think I have a chance
of winning this competition.
A hundred grand's on the line,
so... [inhales sharply]
bring it on. [chuckles]
So, that's good.
[Catherine] Simon, he doesn't have
any weaknesses, so I'm really scared.
If I wanna win, I have to plate up
the perfect dish. I can't show any flaws.
[Simon] Marble tabletop, here we come.
[Simon] I'm spreading tempered white
chocolate over my colored cocoa butter,
creating a marble effect.
[Catherine] This Zumbo Test,
I gotta make it perfect.
I wanna get this thin enough,
but not too thin.
Dessert makers.
[chuckles softly]
This competition started
-with ten of you...
-Yeah, it did.
...and now, your past competitors
are back to cheer you on.
-No way.
-Yay!
-[Zak] Hello!
-Hi!
[Zak] How are you?
-[Pearly] You guys are doing great.
-Hello!
-[Pearly] Keep going. You've got it.
-[Simon] Oh, my gosh.
[Simon] Can't believe
how much I missed them.
We're the Zumbo family.
-[Kimberley] Hey, beautiful girl.
-[Simon] Oh, you guys look so good.
[Catherine] Made me realize
how far we've both come
and we're actually in the Grand Final.
-Oh, look at the crown.
-[Rachel gasps]
I think they are both
such worthy competitors,
but Simon has grown so much.
I kind of think I'd like to see
Simon get the edge today.
[Kylie] Catherine is really incredible
with her technique,
but she also is very adventurous
with her flavors.
I feel like she is the one who can
really take this a long way.
I'd really like to see Catherine win it.
[Rachel Khoo] Catherine and Simon...
-[contestants exclaim]
-...your family!
[cheering]
[laughing]
Whoo!
[Simon] Having my girls with me right now
means the world to me.
I can't believe they're here.
I'm gonna do this for them. [chuckles]
[chuckles]
[contestants exclaiming and cheering]
Just seeing my family there, like... Wow.
[chuckles]
Hello.
It definitely adds
a little bit more pressure.
-Hello, Papa.
-Hey.
I go back to work.
If I'm able to win this in front of them
and prove to them that I can really do it,
they'll probably be more accepting
of what I really wanna do.
[girls giggling]
[Simon] They give me strength.
Yeah, it was beautiful. [chuckles]
-Hi.
-Hi.
Ah... You threw me off, hon.
[girl giggling]
Well, let's get this
almond crunch on the way.
[Simon] I move on
to my almond praline crunch.
This is what the perfume bottle
will sit on.
This almond praline crunch really
balances out the textures of the dessert
and it's really important.
[chuckles nervously] I'm feeling stressed.
The clock is ticking
and stress is building...
Gonna put that in the fridge.
...but I really just gotta keep moving.
[grunts]
[chuckling] My hand is too slippery.
-[laughs]
-[contestants exclaim]
Thank you.
I think Catherine will struggle with time,
whereas I think Simon
will really knock it out of the park.
I move on to my peach mousse.
It makes up the entire perfume bottle,
so that is really important
to get perfect.
Now, I'm going to
cook my egg yolks and the sugar.
I really want this mousse
to be fluffy and delicate,
but at the same time,
balance those flavors perfectly.
If the peach mousse doesn't work, I'm not
gonna have a perfume bottle on that table.
Done.
This has to get into
the blast chiller quickly so it can set.
I'm a bit of a hoarder. I like to keep...
[softly] What's this gelatin for?
Uh... Yeah.
Mmm...
I think that might be for the mousse.
I can't have a perfume bottle
without gelatin,
because it's just gonna melt
and it's gonna be a puddle on the plate.
I'm gonna redo it.
This definitely will set me back
in terms of time for presentation.
I'll do the mousse again.
[Zumbo] It's really dangerous
to lose time at this stage of the test.
You know, I think there's...
there's so many elements,
and so much finishing,
and you have to be so precise, right?
Even just redoing those couple of things,
it's gonna have an effect in some way.
Bonbons is, like, French for, what,
chocolates or something?
My isomalt crystal bottle,
my marble tabletop,
and my almond praline crunch are done.
-Go, Daddy.
-[Simon's wife chuckles]
[Simon] So, I'm gonna make
my ganache for my bonbon,
and at the same time,
make my cherry reduction.
So, these bonbons that I'm making
go into the drawer.
They're like a real fancy Cherry Ripe.
I really have to get this right.
They tasted beautiful.
Like, it had caviar in it! [chuckles]
Yes. Cherry reduction done.
I'm gonna let that cool down,
and then I can put it into my piping bag,
ready to be piped into my bonbons.
Spread onto the silicone...
Oh, silicone mat, okay.
[Catherine] My marble table is setting.
I'm rushing, and I run over to my
other bench to get a silicone mat...
My marble table just broke in half.
[contestant gasps]
[Catherine] Yeah.
I could really feel my dream
just so close,
I could nearly touch it, and...
doing this, I could feel it slipping away.
-Her marble table has broken in half now.
-Yeah.
-The mousse isn't working.
-Yeah.
[Catherine] I'm gonna be
so set back on time,
and that time, I could be really using
to perfect my presentation of my table.
I feel really nervous for her.
[Simon] So, I need clean layers
in my bonbons,
and if my cherry reduction doesn't set,
I won't have a nice finish
on the bottom of my bonbons.
Zumbo's were very neat,
and I need to make my layers
exactly the same.
I think I might have put too much in.
I'm making a mess now.
My bonbons are looking a bit messy,
but I just hope they taste great.
This is the Grand Final.
There's no place for mistakes.
-[Zak] Come on.
-[contestants] Go, guys!
You have one hour left.
[Catherine] I've remade
my marble tabletop.
I finished doing my bonbons,
and now, I can move on
to assembling my... my table.
That's ready.
Oh, the pressure.
[Simon] Now, I'm gonna
start building my table.
-Yeah.
-Come on, Si.
[Catherine] I've made
lots of tables before.
IKEA tables.
[Simon] I love this.
I've made my legs. Time for the drawer.
Was good to be back on the tools.
This is what I've been
waiting for. [laughs]
Go, Daddy. Come on.
These drawers really need to work, so I've
gotta try and get it nice and straight.
If my measurements are slightly off,
this drawer's not gonna work.
But this is the Grand Final.
They gotta be perfect.
Looks a little bit wonky.
-She's got one going that way.
-She's got one going the wrong way.
I'm rushing to get my table together.
I just want it to stick.
I want it to be level.
-[woman] Catherine!
-[Catherine] Yes?
You put your leg on back-to-front.
What? Which one?
I've already made so many mistakes
in this Zumbo Test
and I can't afford to make any more,
because it's gonna set me back on time
and it's gonna cost me the competition.
Done.
I've made the table legs,
and now I have to construct the drawer,
and it's just not sticking together.
Um, you know, I wanted to be doing this
about half an hour ago.
[grunts]
I'm trying everything I can
to get this drawer to stick,
and it's just not sticking.
Even used my head.
Just stick!
Ha! Done.
-[cheering]
-Good!
-Good girl. Good girl.
-[Catherine groans]
Time is of the essence.
I have to put the final touches
onto this dessert to get it done.
[Simon] Doorknob on.
I think I'm done.
-[contestants cheering]
-Good job, Si.
-[Megan] Yeah, go, Simon!
-[cheers]
My table's done.
Now it's time to add the bling.
Yeah, let's bling up this bottle.
This is the Grand Final,
so I gotta try and get everything perfect.
Real fiddly bling-bling, this one is.
Far out.
Perfume bottle number two.
[exclaims]
-[contestants cheer]
-[Simon's wife] Go, Si.
-These are the bottles.
-[Simon's daughter] Come on.
Yay!
Beautiful!
Ten minutes to go, dessert makers.
Come on!
[cheering]
I'm feeling so rushed...
trying to get everything together.
The complete opposite
of what I wanted to do.
[contestants cheering]
-You got this! Come on!
-Go, Si! Go!
[Simon's daughter] Come on!
It's looking really good.
I'm happy with how it's looking.
-That's it. Well done! Yay!
-[cheering]
[Simon] My skills in building
has really paid off.
No time to waste! Let's go, let's go!
Bringing the bling-bling, yo.
Just looks so drippy.
Looks like a mess.
I'm just really not happy
with that finish.
[groans]
Five minutes left. Just five minutes!
-[contestants cheering]
-[Megan] Come on, Simon!
[Simon's daughter] Go, Papa!
Go, Daddy!
Took my bonbons out.
I've got one.
They don't exactly look like Zumbo's.
They're quite messy.
I am hoping they taste amazing.
I've done something wrong.
I didn't make enough clearance
for my drawer to go under the table.
I can't believe I did a rookie mistake!
I don't have time to fix that.
I just have to run with it.
-Come on, guys!
-[cheering]
[Catherine] Oh...
[all cheering]
You can do it, Daddy! Go, Dad!
Go, Dad! You can do it!
[Simon's wife] Come on, Si.
[Zumbo] Just one minute left.
Just one minute.
It's the final seconds, and I just
gotta get everything on that table.
-[contestant] Come on!
-Push it, push it! You've got this.
-[Khoo and Zumbo] Ten, nine, eight...
-[contestants exclaiming]
...seven, six, five, four, three,
two, one.
-[steam whistle blows]
-[Khoo] Time's up, guys!
Whoo! [laughs] Yeah!
Far out!
[cheering]
Whoo! [laughs]
Happy. Happy, happy, happy.
Only two things I'm worried about
is my drawer and the bonbons,
but I know the flavor's gonna taste great.
[Catherine] I step back...
and the perfume bottle
is on the other way around.
Also, I realize
I've forgotten the almond crunch
underneath the perfume bottle.
Catherine, what is wrong?
-She must've not got the dish...
-[contestant] That's insane.
[Catherine] Just so disappointing.
I already stuffed up
my presentation enough.
Not having that almond crunch, it really
could be what costs me the competition.
I'll try harder next time.
Catherine and Simon, could you please
carefully bring us your desserts?
[Catherine] And I catch a glimpse
of Simon's, and...
his table isn't on back-to-front,
he's got his almond crunch.
It looks great.
[Simon] Catherine, on the other hand,
there was a few defects.
It might be a good thing.
It might be a good advantage
for me. [chuckles]
[Catherine] Definitely feel upset,
disappointed, and just, you know,
I'm gutted that I couldn't present
what I was really proud of to the judges.
Catherine and Simon, we'll now taste
and critique your Zumbo Test desserts,
but we won't reveal your scores
until the very end of both rounds.
Catherine, we'll start with your dessert.
You seem to be missing
something, Catherine.
-The... the crunch.
-[Zumbo] The crunch.
-It's a shame.
-I know. [sighs]
[Khoo] Simon, time to taste your dessert.
Okay.
[Simon] I can hold my head high
because I've presented them
a near-perfect dessert.
You can definitely see
you have some carpentry skills.
[laughs]
[Khoo] And then when you came
to the cheesecake, when you cut into it,
you had all the layers,
the textures were fantastic,
the flavors were spot-on.
Well done on that.
Simon, I think you did a good job today.
You know, I think your table's great,
except that drawer didn't close properly.
No.
And the bonbons,
the flavors in the fillings were great,
but the finishing was
a little bit just out of proportion.
Overall, I think you did an amazing job.
-Thank you. Mmm.
-[Zumbo] Yeah, well done.
[Simon] I think I've done a really
good job on the Zumbo Test.
I'm proud of it. [chuckles]
Catherine, look, I think
you did an amazing job.
Shame you forgot the almond crunch.
The rest of the perfume bottle
was amazing.
Flavor was good, texture was good.
Unfortunately, you've put the stuff
on top of the table backwards.
This was really difficult. You did well.
Thank you.
I think all in all,
you did a really good job.
One of the things
which let you down in this dessert
-is your presentation.
-Yeah.
[Khoo] It's unfortunate
you forgot your crunch,
but your flavors are all there.
[Catherine] I'm so happy that they
really think that my table was well done.
Hopefully, I'm not that far behind Simon.
Catherine and Simon,
that's the first round of the Grand Final.
The Zumbo Test is done and dusted.
-[all cheering and applauding]
-Yes.
It's gone. [chuckles]
Going into round two,
I think I'm slightly ahead of Catherine,
but, hey, she's a person
that you can't underestimate.
[Khoo] We've scored your desserts.
Those scores will be revealed
after the next task.
[Catherine] I think that Simon
has pulled ahead of me.
I gotta make up for the lost points
and catch up to Simon.
For your final Sweet Sensations Task,
you need to create a dessert
with a sense of luxury and bling.
[both laugh]
I definitely don't have a life
of luxury and bling. [chuckles]
I just come from a normal family,
and I've got to really
dig into my imagination
and bring out those luxurious flavors.
Give us a showstopping dessert
that demonstrates what you can do,
and make it look spectacular.
Bring on the bling. [laughs]
Catherine and Simon, this is it.
Take to your dessert stations.
-Oh, good luck. [chuckles]
-Good luck.
[cheering]
Good luck, guys, and make some magic.
You have four hours on the Factory Clock.
This is for the Grand Final.
Your time starts now!
[all cheering and applauding]
-Ooh!
-Ooh! Take that side.
[Catherine] It's the last cook that
I'm ever gonna do in the Dessert Factory.
I wanna make something that I'm proud of,
and, you know,
makes my family proud as well.
Round two is the Sweet Sensations Task,
and it's time to let loose.
[cheering]
-Come on, Simon!
-Come on, Daddy!
[Simon] Having my wife and the girls here,
it's given me
that extra boost of energy to win.
I'm gonna do this for them. [chuckles]
Sweet Sensation, here we go.
For my Grand Final Sweet Sensations Task,
I'm bringing the bling,
South Pacific-style, with a black pearl.
It's chocolate hazelnut and caramel mousse
on a banana and passion fruit crémeux.
Get this in the oven now.
I really want this dessert
to reflect who I am and my heritage.
I grew up in the Cook Islands,
where a black pearl is like
the diamond of the ocean.
So, that's where
my inspiration is coming from.
-Needs about maybe 20 minutes.
-Hey, Papa.
-Yeah?
-I love you.
I love you, too, honey,
but I really gotta work. [laughs]
I'm nervous, definitely.
My first cook today
wasn't, you know, the best.
You know, I knew I could do better.
We're nearly at the end
and that $100,000 is so close.
Being able to win this competition
in front of my family,
it will really prove to them that I have
what it takes to follow my dessert dream.
For this Sweet Sensations Task,
I'm creating three ruby rings.
It's three plum and pear biscuit rings
with rhubarb cream
and salted caramel ice cream.
The ice cream will be
in the shape of a gem,
and I'll have luxurious
white chocolate flowers.
So, I'm taking the bling aspect,
and when you think of bling, you know,
you think of rings and shiny...
First thing I need to do
is get all the layers in my ring set,
so that they can really
stack on top of each other.
So, I begin with my plum compote
and my pear compote.
This is the Grand Final,
so I've gotta go big. [chuckles]
I pour the compote into the rings.
These will be the layers in the biscuit,
and now these need to set
in the blast chiller.
Putting in the compote
into the blast chiller.
What are you making, Si?
I'm gonna start on making
-my soft caramel insert.
-Okay.
The soft caramel is gonna be
part of the black pearl.
I don't want to burn this caramel.
I don't wanna do anything twice today.
I wanna just finish one thing
and move forward.
This is not gonna be your average caramel.
I'm gonna bling it up
with a bit of bergamot flavor.
I'm trying to bling up my flavors.
[all laugh]
[Simon] So, bergamot is a citrus.
It's used in making tea,
and it's a... It's a very intense flavor.
You can taste the bergamot.
Yeah, it's... it's nice.
I'm happy with my salted caramel inserts.
I pour it into the mold
and then put it into the blast chiller.
[Zumbo] You have two hours, guys.
There's a lot riding on this.
It's really hard to tell at this moment
who's ahead,
whether it's Catherine or Simon.
-[Rachel] I think they're quite equal...
-[Jeff] It's too early, isn't it?
-...in their abilities.
-Yeah.
So, I think it'll be really close today.
[Catherine] I get the compote
out of the blast chiller,
and now I add the rhubarb cream.
So, from the bigger ring,
I can cut out two rings.
I plan to make three rings out of these
when they're frozen:
a big one, medium one and a small one.
I'm gonna stack them on top of each other.
Hopefully, it's gonna work.
All right.
Now, I've got to start
the chocolate mousse for my pearl.
I just need to melt the chocolate
till it's nice and liquid.
So, this dark chocolate mousse is gonna be
the outside layer of my pearl.
My flavors, it's gonna be
rich and decadent.
That's why I'm using sharp flavors like
dark chocolate and caramel for the pearl.
[Megan] Looks amazing.
Oh, yeah! [chuckles]
Catherine's good with flavors,
but so am I.
I really love Simon's idea
of a luxurious velvet pillow
with a pearl sitting on that.
It's all whether he can get
that presentation spot-on,
and those flavors work together.
[exclaims]
[Simon] All right. That's looking good.
Go, go, go, go, go, go.
So, the pillow's gonna have an insert
made up of banana compote, banana sponge
and a coconut jelly.
And that goes into here,
and then I pour
my passion fruit crémeux all over it.
I'm really trying to bring out
tropical flavors in this pillow,
hoping it will balance the rich
and decadent flavors of the pearl.
And then that goes
straight into the blast chiller.
And it's good, I've got
enough time for it to go hard
because I need it to go solid hard.
[Zumbo] One hour to go, dessert makers.
Use your time wisely.
My ice cream is coming together
really nicely in the churner.
Okay.
There's not much time left. I really
have to start constructing my ruby rings.
I'm gonna start cutting out my rings.
I knew this would be hard. [grunts]
The rings, they're so frozen. [chuckling]
I don't know if I'm gonna
be able to cut them out.
The clock is ticking and I have to do
whatever it takes to get these rings cut.
[Rachel] Oh, my gosh. Don't do that.
Oh, my God, I can't watch.
-Patience is a virtue.
-Oh, my gosh.
Finally, I've cut my rings out
and I can stack them.
There we go. Oh, look.
-[contestants cheering]
-[Kimberley] Yay.
[Catherine] Yay.
Thank you, thank you.
They don't look great.
Like, they're a bit unrefined,
but you can't see them,
so they're gonna be hidden
inside the tart anyway.
So, I'm just gonna
put this back into the blast chiller.
[Zumbo] I think they know
what's ahead of them.
They can feel the pressure
that's on today,
and, you know,
they've really gotta bring it.
Well, there's a lot at stake.
I mean, $100,000 plus being crowned
the winner of Zumbo's Just Desserts.
We want bling, we want luxurious,
we want spectacular.
Will we get it, though?
[Simon] So, this is the black pearl.
The insert for my pearl is soft caramel
and hazelnut praline.
I've just put my insert into my mousse.
I'm gonna pipe some more mousse around it.
Go, Papa. Come on, you've got this.
Come on!
I have to make sure I fill up
all the spaces in the mold
because if I don't, that's gonna leave
some cavities in my pearl.
All right, I'll put this
straight into the blast chiller.
These are my pearls done.
[all cheering and applauding]
-Go, Daddy!
-[Simon's wife] You've got this.
[cheering]
It's time for me to start assembling.
My frozen layer is going to sit inside
my sablé biscuit to form three ruby rings:
small, medium and large.
And they're gonna be stacked on top of
each other to form an elegant ring tower.
So, I'm gonna start assembling it now.
So, I've got this one.
Mmm.
Okay...
I've gone and cut out
the wrong-size biscuit
for the wrong-size rings,
and instead of small, medium and large,
I've got two medium and one small.
I think I've switched up my rings.
-[all groan]
-Oh, no.
-...that's a problem.
-Oh, no.
I can't fix this.
I don't have enough sablé biscuit
and there's no time to make any more.
She has the wrong rings?
Can she cut it down more?
Ugh, I'm feeling disappointed.
You know, I can't believe
that this has happened.
I wanted my big wow factor
to be those three rings, and...
you know, not having them,
I don't know if it's gonna be enough
for the Grand Final.
[Simon] I've made my black glaze
and my pearls have set.
Now it's time to make
the perfect black pearl.
So, these are my pearls.
I'm just going to demold them.
Black pearls are highly reflective.
I want to see my face in this glaze.
Yeah, they look good.
This really is the luxurious element
of my dessert.
Looks good. I want some.
I'm stoked with my pearls.
They look pretty perfect to me.
I'll keep them in the fridge
till I'm ready to plate up.
All right.
[Catherine] Thinking what I should do,
whether I should just leave it
and just use two rings.
I've really got to get a move on,
so I just decide to do two rings.
It's not gonna look exactly
the way I wanted it to look,
but the flavors are not
gonna be compromised.
It's still gonna be pear,
plum and rhubarb.
Let's start.
The stakes are so high right now.
Not having that extra ring
could, you know, cost me the competition.
So, I really gotta make sure everything...
Flavors, presentation...
Everything has to be perfect
if I wanna still have a shot at winning.
[grunts]
[Simon] So far, so good.
Let's hope it stays this way.
There's $100,000 on the line, and now
is not the time to make any mistakes.
Now, it's time
to shape this into a pillow.
So, I use a cake ring to cut some pieces
out of my pillow
to represent a shape of a pillow,
and I'm just gonna finish it off
with a peeler to give it a bit of finesse.
Dessert makers, you have ten minutes.
This is your last chance
to plate your best effort.
[all cheering]
-Come on, Si!
-Come on, Papa! Come on!
-Come on, babe. Get that on there.
-Come on...
-Are you happy with it?
-[Simon] Yeah.
Nice velvet color, eh?
Nice. Beautiful.
[exclaims] That looks good.
Now, I have to jazz it up with some
chocolate pearls going around the edge.
-What are you doing, Simon?
-[Simon] I'm decorating my pillow.
Last chocolate pearl. Hallelujah.
And then you're putting it in the fridge?
In the blast chiller.
I've got it all on the edge,
and I'm happy with it.
All I have to do now
is take my pearl out and plate up.
Pearls.
[groans]
What's wrong?
[Simon] Something's happened.
My pearls have sunk.
Are the other one's really squashed?
Yep.
-Can you not squish it into the mousse...
-No.
...to make it look like it's coming out?
I can't think.
I'm really feeling lost. I couldn't think.
[Simon's daughter] Come on, Papa,
you've got this.
My girls comforting me, supporting me,
saying, "You can do this."
You're supposed to stay pumped.
Their words were magic.
[exhales heavily] Far out.
Gotta calm down.
I've gotta get them into the blast chiller
so they don't sink anymore.
I can use one, I can use one.
Five minutes left, just five minutes.
-This is for the Grand Final win!
-[all exclaim]
[all cheering]
I'm freaking out. I'm rushing.
I'm just trying to get it done.
My chocolate flower's sprayed
and looks amazing.
[Simon] The dream is to open a pâtisserie
that I can one day
hand over to my daughters.
So, I really want to win.
[groans]
I can try and use that one.
I've reached the point of no return.
I've gotta go with what I have,
and that's my slightly melted-down pearl.
I've gotta make one of these work.
It's not gonna be a perfect pearl,
but, hey, it's something.
[Catherine] There's no time.
I want it to look as sparkly as I can.
Everything is at stake right now.
-Seven minutes. Still have time... [yelps]
-[gasps]
[contestants sigh in relief]
Cathy, stay calm.
Lucky. Phew.
[all] Ten, nine, eight, seven,
six, five, four, three, two, one!
-[Khoo] Time's up! Time's up, guys!
-[steam whistle blows]
-Well done!
-[all cheering and applauding]
[sighs]
Oh, my gosh.
[Simon laughs in relief]
That pearl was perfect.
It's all right, babe.
Don't worry about it.
[Simon] Although my pearl had melted
a bit, I know the flavors are good.
No matter what happens,
this is gonna be close.
I'm happy with most of it.
It's still sparkly. [chuckles]
-We're so proud of you.
-Well done.
My biggest concern now is just
whether everything that I have on my plate
is going to be enough for the judges.
Oh, my gosh.
It's finished.
Catherine, could you please
bring us your dessert?
Wow.
[Catherine] This is the big moment.
It's the last time
they're ever gonna taste my dessert,
and it's really what's gonna decide
whether I can win this competition or not.
Okay, Zumbo, let's get into
Catherine's Grand Final dessert.
I'm happy with my dessert,
but for me to win,
I have to do better and surpass Simon,
because I am behind him.
Simon, could you please
bring up your creation?
[Simon] So, this is it.
It's all in the judges' hands now.
I'm happy with my dessert and I'm hoping
that's enough to get the crown.
No matter what happens,
this is gonna be close.
It could go any way today. [chuckles]
[Khoo] Okay, Zumbo, let's taste
Simon's Grand Final dessert.
[Simon] My dessert
is in the judges' hands.
I really hope my flavors
will pull me through.
Thank you, Simon.
Thank you.
Catherine and Simon, as you know,
we'll tally your scores
from the Zumbo Test
and your Sweet Sensations Task
for a combined total score out of 40.
[Simon] Mmm.
We'll start with the Zumbo Test.
[both chuckle nervously]
Simon, you pulled out
all your carpentry skills today.
I think you made a good structure,
just except for that drawer.
Overall, I think you did an amazing job.
The flavor was great. Well done.
For your Zumbo Test creation,
I score you...
-an eight.
-Oh, that's good.
Good job, babe.
Simon, for your Zumbo Test creation,
I score you...
-an eight.
-Wow. [chuckles]
Simon, you're currently
sitting on 16 points.
[Simon] Wow.
I was confident with my Zumbo Test,
and I'm happy with my score.
Catherine, I think all in all,
you did a really good job.
It's a shame that you forgot
your almond crunch.
-A little rushed at the end, I think.
-Yeah, a little bit.
And it showed.
It's the Grand Final
and I really don't want
my presentation to be
what prevents me from winning.
Catherine, for your Zumbo Test creation,
I score you...
a seven.
Catherine, for your Zumbo Test creation,
I score you...
a seven.
Catherine, you're currently sitting
on a score of 14 points.
[Catherine] I am two points behind Simon,
but if I really nail
that Sweet Sensations Task,
I can hopefully make those points up.
[Khoo] Now to your task scores.
This will decide
our Zumbo's Just Desserts winner.
[Simon] I am ahead of Catherine.
I just hope I've done enough to win.
Please!
Simon, you made a chocolate hazelnut
and caramel mousse
on a banana and passion fruit crémeux.
I think you picked some great flavors.
That little hint of bergamot
just gave it a little bit of a twist.
Thing I struggled with was
a little bit on the presentation.
The reason why
the pearl collapsed a little bit was
'cause there was
too much caramel in there.
-Yeah.
-[Zumbo] For me,
I think you need a bit more work
on that presentation.
Yeah.
Simon, I loved your idea
and story behind your dessert.
The flavors, they really all worked
so well together.
I think, for your presentation,
you just needed to add
-a bit more finesse.
-Detail.
Simon, for your Sweet Sensations Task
dessert, I score you...
[exhales sharply]
-an eight.
-Wow.
Simon, for your Sweet Sensations Task
dessert, I score you...
-an eight.
-[chuckles]
[Simon] Wow, I'm really happy
with those scores.
I'm hoping it's enough to win.
That's gives you a grand total score
of 32 out of 40.
[softly] Wow.
[Catherine] For me
to win this competition,
I have to get a nine and a ten
in my Sweet Sensations Task.
No one in this competition
has gotten a ten out of ten,
and... I don't know if that's possible.
[Zumbo] Catherine, you made
plum and pear biscuit rings
with rhubarb cream
and salted caramel ice cream.
It was a great achievement
to get that up in the end.
I thought your flavors
were really elegant.
In that way, I really felt
the luxury from it,
'cause they were subtle
and your paired them really well,
and you could feel every different flavor
in all those textures,
which I thought was delicious.
And that ice cream,
-you gotta bring me some buckets of that.
-[Catherine laughs]
That was like a three-hat
restaurant-style flavors.
You know, I think hats off for that one.
Catherine, you delivered
some flavors which were...
elegant.
It's hard to imagine
you're only 19 years old
and our youngest dessert maker here.
You have so much talent.
It was such a beautiful dessert to enjoy.
Catherine, for your Sweet Sensations Task
dessert, I score you...
a nine.
[contestants gasp]
[Catherine chuckles]
I've never, ever been so nervous
in my entire life.
Catherine, for your Sweet Sensations Task
dessert, I score you...
a ten.
-[all cheer]
-[Catherine exclaims]
-Well done.
-[chuckles]
That gives you the grand total score
of 33 out of 40!
Too many emotions.
-Well done.
-Thank you.
You are the winner
of Zumbo's Just Desserts!
[contestants cheering]
Well done, Catherine.
-Oh, my gosh. [exclaims]
-[Simon laughs]
Oh!
[all cheering and clapping]
[Catherine's sister]
Cathy, that was amazing!
Winning this competition, it's really
made me realize my dessert dream.
It's not a dream anymore.
I can make it a reality.
I can go out and make
a career for myself in pastry.
My life is about to change.
-[chuckles]
-[Simon] Congratulations.
The dream's not over for me.
I can't wait to get back home
and start living my dream.
[laughs]
Catherine, congratulations.
You're the winner
of Zumbo's Just Desserts.
[all cheering]
imagination simmered,
and fierce competition raged.
[steam whistle blows]
For ten dessert makers...
[Pearly] I'm in a dream.
Oh, it's mind-blowing.
[narrator] ...fantasy became reality.
-[gasps]
-This is cool, man.
This one's gonna blow your mind.
-[Rachel] What is that?
-I don't know.
[Zak] It's so perfect. It's amazing.
[narrator] And the race began
to find the winner...
[Kylie] It's about to get real.
[narrator] ...of this
fairy-tale food adventure.
[Pearly] For me, magic is desserts.
[in sing-song] Ah!
[Zumbo] I love surprise
and I love theater.
-It's magic.
-[laughs]
[narrator] But their worst nightmares
came true...
What am I doing?
-[Rachel] Oh, no way!
-[contestant] Sugar.
[narrator] ...and one by one,
they disappeared.
-[Kylie sighs]
-It's time to depart the Dessert Factory.
[Kimberley] You just need to do
the best you can and go for it.
[Zak] I've had
such an incredible experience.
[Kylie] My dessert dream
definitely lives on.
[narrator] And now, only two remain.
Catherine and Simon,
you're through to the Grand Final!
-Yes!
-Oh, wow.
I can do it.
-[narrator] Only 19 years old...
-[Catherine] I really wanna do well.
[narrator] ...Catherine proved herself
with elegance and sophistication.
Boom, Catherine.
-Shut the gate.
-[laughs]
[narrator] Simon wowed...
The coriander and lime was so fresh.
...with his out-of-this-world flavors
and ideas.
[laughs]
Totally blew my mind.
[Zumbo] Really well done.
That's sensational.
[Simon] Woo-hoo.
[narrator] Now, these two
extraordinary dessert makers...
[Simon exclaims]
...will go head-to-head...
[chuckles]
...and one will be crowned
the new Dessert Factory champion!
[theme music playing]
[birds chirping]
[Catherine] Oh! Oh, my God.
-[Simon] Oh, wow.
-[Catherine] It's so sparkly.
This is the Grand Final,
so my dream and my passion
and my future is all at stake.
-[Simon] Oh, wow.
-[Catherine] Wow! Oh, my gosh.
[Simon] You know, I came into
this competition as a concreter.
Now, I'm in the Grand Finals.
It's crazy. [chuckles]
[Catherine] My dream is to make
making desserts a career,
and if I can win this Grand Final,
I think it could come true.
-[Simon] Oh.
-[both chuckle]
[Simon] Wow.
Catherine and Simon, congratulations!
You're our Zumbo's Just Desserts
grand finalists.
-Woo-hoo.
-[both chuckle]
-Thank you.
-Thanks. [chuckles]
Today, you'll be cooking in two rounds,
and at the end of the day,
you'll both receive a score out of ten
for the Sweet Sensations Task,
and a score out of ten for the Zumbo Test.
The dessert maker
with the highest total score
will take home $100,000
and be crowned the winner
of Zumbo's Just Desserts.
[Simon chuckles] Wow.
$100,000 is a lot of money,
and I'm not gonna go easy
on Simon. [laughs]
I really, really want this.
We're kicking off the Grand Final
with the Zumbo Test first.
What?
[Simon laughs nervously]
Zumbo Test first?
[Simon] I hate to think
what's underneath that dome.
It's the Grand Finals
and Zumbo's not gonna hold back.
Then, you'll need to present
something mind-blowing
in the Sweet Sensations Task.
Now, this little creation
is a greatest hits of things you've seen
in my desserts before.
There's nothing in this
you haven't done before,
but we've just taken it up
a couple of levels.
-[laughs nervously]
-[Catherine] What?
What is that? [chuckles]
I have never seen
a dessert like this before.
Wow.
I call it The Sweet Smell of Success.
This is my idea of luxury.
It's a beautiful vintage table
with a bottle of my signature scent,
Zumbo N°6.
[Catherine and Simon laugh]
Love it.
Oh, my gosh. This dessert's gonna be
very difficult to recreate
[laughing] and build.
-[Simon chuckles]
-Oh, my gosh.
[gasps] Oh, wow.
[Zumbo] So, this table is completely
made out of chocolate.
Everything on there's edible.
[exclaims]
It looks kind of impossible.
-Wow.
-[Zumbo] And...
[Simon] Ah...
-[Catherine] Oh, no way.
-[Simon] Are you kidding me?
[Zumbo] Inside the drawer...
It's a functioning drawer.
-[Catherine and Simon laugh]
-...there's some chocolate bonbons.
[Simon and Zumbo laugh]
And there's a marble white chocolate disc
on the top, the tabletop.
Okay.
[sighs] Why? Why, Zumbo?
-You gonna cut it open?
-[Zumbo] Yeah, definitely.
Okay, we got our almond crunch base.
Fresh raspberries,
a peach cheesecake mousse,
a Turkish delight jelly.
On the top, we have
the peach cheesecake mousse again
with the little peach compote
liquid center.
So, in the bonbon, we have
a cherry reduction with caviar.
-Oh!
-Yeah.
And then we have an aged, pickled
vanilla-balsamic ganache.
The crystal perfume bottle is isomalt...
-[Simon] Mmm.
-'Kay.
-[Catherine] Ooh!
-[Simon] Whoa.
[Zumbo] ...with some
metallic glitter in it.
And like I said, the table's chocolate.
-[cracks]
-[Catherine and Simon chuckle]
-[Simon] Wow. That's cool.
-[Catherine] Mmm.
-Get a taste.
-Have a taste, yeah.
[Catherine] Wow.
[Simon] Mmm.
-Wow.
-[Catherine] Mmm.
It is beautiful.
-[Catherine] Yeah.
-It marries into everything.
So cool, eh? It just blends in.
That sharpness of the raspberry.
-Far out.
-[Catherine] Wow.
Ah, his dessert tastes amazing, as usual.
The flavors are balanced.
Really, really nice.
Okay, then. Head to your dessert stations,
where you'll find your recipes.
[Simon] Yeah.
Time to power-up your dessert stations.
I'm gonna give this Grand Final
everything that I've got.
It's a competition, at the end,
and one of us has to be the winner.
So, I'm gonna bring it.
Good luck, guys, and make some magic.
You have four hours on the Factory Clock.
Your time starts now!
[Simon] First thing I work on is my table,
'cause it's gonna take a while
for it to construct.
It's important that I spread out
the tempered chocolate and let that sit
so I can cut out the table pieces.
It's just like pouring a slab of concrete.
The boys will be proud.
Catherine's a tough competitor,
but I've gained some skills.
I think I have a chance
of winning this competition.
A hundred grand's on the line,
so... [inhales sharply]
bring it on. [chuckles]
So, that's good.
[Catherine] Simon, he doesn't have
any weaknesses, so I'm really scared.
If I wanna win, I have to plate up
the perfect dish. I can't show any flaws.
[Simon] Marble tabletop, here we come.
[Simon] I'm spreading tempered white
chocolate over my colored cocoa butter,
creating a marble effect.
[Catherine] This Zumbo Test,
I gotta make it perfect.
I wanna get this thin enough,
but not too thin.
Dessert makers.
[chuckles softly]
This competition started
-with ten of you...
-Yeah, it did.
...and now, your past competitors
are back to cheer you on.
-No way.
-Yay!
-[Zak] Hello!
-Hi!
[Zak] How are you?
-[Pearly] You guys are doing great.
-Hello!
-[Pearly] Keep going. You've got it.
-[Simon] Oh, my gosh.
[Simon] Can't believe
how much I missed them.
We're the Zumbo family.
-[Kimberley] Hey, beautiful girl.
-[Simon] Oh, you guys look so good.
[Catherine] Made me realize
how far we've both come
and we're actually in the Grand Final.
-Oh, look at the crown.
-[Rachel gasps]
I think they are both
such worthy competitors,
but Simon has grown so much.
I kind of think I'd like to see
Simon get the edge today.
[Kylie] Catherine is really incredible
with her technique,
but she also is very adventurous
with her flavors.
I feel like she is the one who can
really take this a long way.
I'd really like to see Catherine win it.
[Rachel Khoo] Catherine and Simon...
-[contestants exclaim]
-...your family!
[cheering]
[laughing]
Whoo!
[Simon] Having my girls with me right now
means the world to me.
I can't believe they're here.
I'm gonna do this for them. [chuckles]
[chuckles]
[contestants exclaiming and cheering]
Just seeing my family there, like... Wow.
[chuckles]
Hello.
It definitely adds
a little bit more pressure.
-Hello, Papa.
-Hey.
I go back to work.
If I'm able to win this in front of them
and prove to them that I can really do it,
they'll probably be more accepting
of what I really wanna do.
[girls giggling]
[Simon] They give me strength.
Yeah, it was beautiful. [chuckles]
-Hi.
-Hi.
Ah... You threw me off, hon.
[girl giggling]
Well, let's get this
almond crunch on the way.
[Simon] I move on
to my almond praline crunch.
This is what the perfume bottle
will sit on.
This almond praline crunch really
balances out the textures of the dessert
and it's really important.
[chuckles nervously] I'm feeling stressed.
The clock is ticking
and stress is building...
Gonna put that in the fridge.
...but I really just gotta keep moving.
[grunts]
[chuckling] My hand is too slippery.
-[laughs]
-[contestants exclaim]
Thank you.
I think Catherine will struggle with time,
whereas I think Simon
will really knock it out of the park.
I move on to my peach mousse.
It makes up the entire perfume bottle,
so that is really important
to get perfect.
Now, I'm going to
cook my egg yolks and the sugar.
I really want this mousse
to be fluffy and delicate,
but at the same time,
balance those flavors perfectly.
If the peach mousse doesn't work, I'm not
gonna have a perfume bottle on that table.
Done.
This has to get into
the blast chiller quickly so it can set.
I'm a bit of a hoarder. I like to keep...
[softly] What's this gelatin for?
Uh... Yeah.
Mmm...
I think that might be for the mousse.
I can't have a perfume bottle
without gelatin,
because it's just gonna melt
and it's gonna be a puddle on the plate.
I'm gonna redo it.
This definitely will set me back
in terms of time for presentation.
I'll do the mousse again.
[Zumbo] It's really dangerous
to lose time at this stage of the test.
You know, I think there's...
there's so many elements,
and so much finishing,
and you have to be so precise, right?
Even just redoing those couple of things,
it's gonna have an effect in some way.
Bonbons is, like, French for, what,
chocolates or something?
My isomalt crystal bottle,
my marble tabletop,
and my almond praline crunch are done.
-Go, Daddy.
-[Simon's wife chuckles]
[Simon] So, I'm gonna make
my ganache for my bonbon,
and at the same time,
make my cherry reduction.
So, these bonbons that I'm making
go into the drawer.
They're like a real fancy Cherry Ripe.
I really have to get this right.
They tasted beautiful.
Like, it had caviar in it! [chuckles]
Yes. Cherry reduction done.
I'm gonna let that cool down,
and then I can put it into my piping bag,
ready to be piped into my bonbons.
Spread onto the silicone...
Oh, silicone mat, okay.
[Catherine] My marble table is setting.
I'm rushing, and I run over to my
other bench to get a silicone mat...
My marble table just broke in half.
[contestant gasps]
[Catherine] Yeah.
I could really feel my dream
just so close,
I could nearly touch it, and...
doing this, I could feel it slipping away.
-Her marble table has broken in half now.
-Yeah.
-The mousse isn't working.
-Yeah.
[Catherine] I'm gonna be
so set back on time,
and that time, I could be really using
to perfect my presentation of my table.
I feel really nervous for her.
[Simon] So, I need clean layers
in my bonbons,
and if my cherry reduction doesn't set,
I won't have a nice finish
on the bottom of my bonbons.
Zumbo's were very neat,
and I need to make my layers
exactly the same.
I think I might have put too much in.
I'm making a mess now.
My bonbons are looking a bit messy,
but I just hope they taste great.
This is the Grand Final.
There's no place for mistakes.
-[Zak] Come on.
-[contestants] Go, guys!
You have one hour left.
[Catherine] I've remade
my marble tabletop.
I finished doing my bonbons,
and now, I can move on
to assembling my... my table.
That's ready.
Oh, the pressure.
[Simon] Now, I'm gonna
start building my table.
-Yeah.
-Come on, Si.
[Catherine] I've made
lots of tables before.
IKEA tables.
[Simon] I love this.
I've made my legs. Time for the drawer.
Was good to be back on the tools.
This is what I've been
waiting for. [laughs]
Go, Daddy. Come on.
These drawers really need to work, so I've
gotta try and get it nice and straight.
If my measurements are slightly off,
this drawer's not gonna work.
But this is the Grand Final.
They gotta be perfect.
Looks a little bit wonky.
-She's got one going that way.
-She's got one going the wrong way.
I'm rushing to get my table together.
I just want it to stick.
I want it to be level.
-[woman] Catherine!
-[Catherine] Yes?
You put your leg on back-to-front.
What? Which one?
I've already made so many mistakes
in this Zumbo Test
and I can't afford to make any more,
because it's gonna set me back on time
and it's gonna cost me the competition.
Done.
I've made the table legs,
and now I have to construct the drawer,
and it's just not sticking together.
Um, you know, I wanted to be doing this
about half an hour ago.
[grunts]
I'm trying everything I can
to get this drawer to stick,
and it's just not sticking.
Even used my head.
Just stick!
Ha! Done.
-[cheering]
-Good!
-Good girl. Good girl.
-[Catherine groans]
Time is of the essence.
I have to put the final touches
onto this dessert to get it done.
[Simon] Doorknob on.
I think I'm done.
-[contestants cheering]
-Good job, Si.
-[Megan] Yeah, go, Simon!
-[cheers]
My table's done.
Now it's time to add the bling.
Yeah, let's bling up this bottle.
This is the Grand Final,
so I gotta try and get everything perfect.
Real fiddly bling-bling, this one is.
Far out.
Perfume bottle number two.
[exclaims]
-[contestants cheer]
-[Simon's wife] Go, Si.
-These are the bottles.
-[Simon's daughter] Come on.
Yay!
Beautiful!
Ten minutes to go, dessert makers.
Come on!
[cheering]
I'm feeling so rushed...
trying to get everything together.
The complete opposite
of what I wanted to do.
[contestants cheering]
-You got this! Come on!
-Go, Si! Go!
[Simon's daughter] Come on!
It's looking really good.
I'm happy with how it's looking.
-That's it. Well done! Yay!
-[cheering]
[Simon] My skills in building
has really paid off.
No time to waste! Let's go, let's go!
Bringing the bling-bling, yo.
Just looks so drippy.
Looks like a mess.
I'm just really not happy
with that finish.
[groans]
Five minutes left. Just five minutes!
-[contestants cheering]
-[Megan] Come on, Simon!
[Simon's daughter] Go, Papa!
Go, Daddy!
Took my bonbons out.
I've got one.
They don't exactly look like Zumbo's.
They're quite messy.
I am hoping they taste amazing.
I've done something wrong.
I didn't make enough clearance
for my drawer to go under the table.
I can't believe I did a rookie mistake!
I don't have time to fix that.
I just have to run with it.
-Come on, guys!
-[cheering]
[Catherine] Oh...
[all cheering]
You can do it, Daddy! Go, Dad!
Go, Dad! You can do it!
[Simon's wife] Come on, Si.
[Zumbo] Just one minute left.
Just one minute.
It's the final seconds, and I just
gotta get everything on that table.
-[contestant] Come on!
-Push it, push it! You've got this.
-[Khoo and Zumbo] Ten, nine, eight...
-[contestants exclaiming]
...seven, six, five, four, three,
two, one.
-[steam whistle blows]
-[Khoo] Time's up, guys!
Whoo! [laughs] Yeah!
Far out!
[cheering]
Whoo! [laughs]
Happy. Happy, happy, happy.
Only two things I'm worried about
is my drawer and the bonbons,
but I know the flavor's gonna taste great.
[Catherine] I step back...
and the perfume bottle
is on the other way around.
Also, I realize
I've forgotten the almond crunch
underneath the perfume bottle.
Catherine, what is wrong?
-She must've not got the dish...
-[contestant] That's insane.
[Catherine] Just so disappointing.
I already stuffed up
my presentation enough.
Not having that almond crunch, it really
could be what costs me the competition.
I'll try harder next time.
Catherine and Simon, could you please
carefully bring us your desserts?
[Catherine] And I catch a glimpse
of Simon's, and...
his table isn't on back-to-front,
he's got his almond crunch.
It looks great.
[Simon] Catherine, on the other hand,
there was a few defects.
It might be a good thing.
It might be a good advantage
for me. [chuckles]
[Catherine] Definitely feel upset,
disappointed, and just, you know,
I'm gutted that I couldn't present
what I was really proud of to the judges.
Catherine and Simon, we'll now taste
and critique your Zumbo Test desserts,
but we won't reveal your scores
until the very end of both rounds.
Catherine, we'll start with your dessert.
You seem to be missing
something, Catherine.
-The... the crunch.
-[Zumbo] The crunch.
-It's a shame.
-I know. [sighs]
[Khoo] Simon, time to taste your dessert.
Okay.
[Simon] I can hold my head high
because I've presented them
a near-perfect dessert.
You can definitely see
you have some carpentry skills.
[laughs]
[Khoo] And then when you came
to the cheesecake, when you cut into it,
you had all the layers,
the textures were fantastic,
the flavors were spot-on.
Well done on that.
Simon, I think you did a good job today.
You know, I think your table's great,
except that drawer didn't close properly.
No.
And the bonbons,
the flavors in the fillings were great,
but the finishing was
a little bit just out of proportion.
Overall, I think you did an amazing job.
-Thank you. Mmm.
-[Zumbo] Yeah, well done.
[Simon] I think I've done a really
good job on the Zumbo Test.
I'm proud of it. [chuckles]
Catherine, look, I think
you did an amazing job.
Shame you forgot the almond crunch.
The rest of the perfume bottle
was amazing.
Flavor was good, texture was good.
Unfortunately, you've put the stuff
on top of the table backwards.
This was really difficult. You did well.
Thank you.
I think all in all,
you did a really good job.
One of the things
which let you down in this dessert
-is your presentation.
-Yeah.
[Khoo] It's unfortunate
you forgot your crunch,
but your flavors are all there.
[Catherine] I'm so happy that they
really think that my table was well done.
Hopefully, I'm not that far behind Simon.
Catherine and Simon,
that's the first round of the Grand Final.
The Zumbo Test is done and dusted.
-[all cheering and applauding]
-Yes.
It's gone. [chuckles]
Going into round two,
I think I'm slightly ahead of Catherine,
but, hey, she's a person
that you can't underestimate.
[Khoo] We've scored your desserts.
Those scores will be revealed
after the next task.
[Catherine] I think that Simon
has pulled ahead of me.
I gotta make up for the lost points
and catch up to Simon.
For your final Sweet Sensations Task,
you need to create a dessert
with a sense of luxury and bling.
[both laugh]
I definitely don't have a life
of luxury and bling. [chuckles]
I just come from a normal family,
and I've got to really
dig into my imagination
and bring out those luxurious flavors.
Give us a showstopping dessert
that demonstrates what you can do,
and make it look spectacular.
Bring on the bling. [laughs]
Catherine and Simon, this is it.
Take to your dessert stations.
-Oh, good luck. [chuckles]
-Good luck.
[cheering]
Good luck, guys, and make some magic.
You have four hours on the Factory Clock.
This is for the Grand Final.
Your time starts now!
[all cheering and applauding]
-Ooh!
-Ooh! Take that side.
[Catherine] It's the last cook that
I'm ever gonna do in the Dessert Factory.
I wanna make something that I'm proud of,
and, you know,
makes my family proud as well.
Round two is the Sweet Sensations Task,
and it's time to let loose.
[cheering]
-Come on, Simon!
-Come on, Daddy!
[Simon] Having my wife and the girls here,
it's given me
that extra boost of energy to win.
I'm gonna do this for them. [chuckles]
Sweet Sensation, here we go.
For my Grand Final Sweet Sensations Task,
I'm bringing the bling,
South Pacific-style, with a black pearl.
It's chocolate hazelnut and caramel mousse
on a banana and passion fruit crémeux.
Get this in the oven now.
I really want this dessert
to reflect who I am and my heritage.
I grew up in the Cook Islands,
where a black pearl is like
the diamond of the ocean.
So, that's where
my inspiration is coming from.
-Needs about maybe 20 minutes.
-Hey, Papa.
-Yeah?
-I love you.
I love you, too, honey,
but I really gotta work. [laughs]
I'm nervous, definitely.
My first cook today
wasn't, you know, the best.
You know, I knew I could do better.
We're nearly at the end
and that $100,000 is so close.
Being able to win this competition
in front of my family,
it will really prove to them that I have
what it takes to follow my dessert dream.
For this Sweet Sensations Task,
I'm creating three ruby rings.
It's three plum and pear biscuit rings
with rhubarb cream
and salted caramel ice cream.
The ice cream will be
in the shape of a gem,
and I'll have luxurious
white chocolate flowers.
So, I'm taking the bling aspect,
and when you think of bling, you know,
you think of rings and shiny...
First thing I need to do
is get all the layers in my ring set,
so that they can really
stack on top of each other.
So, I begin with my plum compote
and my pear compote.
This is the Grand Final,
so I've gotta go big. [chuckles]
I pour the compote into the rings.
These will be the layers in the biscuit,
and now these need to set
in the blast chiller.
Putting in the compote
into the blast chiller.
What are you making, Si?
I'm gonna start on making
-my soft caramel insert.
-Okay.
The soft caramel is gonna be
part of the black pearl.
I don't want to burn this caramel.
I don't wanna do anything twice today.
I wanna just finish one thing
and move forward.
This is not gonna be your average caramel.
I'm gonna bling it up
with a bit of bergamot flavor.
I'm trying to bling up my flavors.
[all laugh]
[Simon] So, bergamot is a citrus.
It's used in making tea,
and it's a... It's a very intense flavor.
You can taste the bergamot.
Yeah, it's... it's nice.
I'm happy with my salted caramel inserts.
I pour it into the mold
and then put it into the blast chiller.
[Zumbo] You have two hours, guys.
There's a lot riding on this.
It's really hard to tell at this moment
who's ahead,
whether it's Catherine or Simon.
-[Rachel] I think they're quite equal...
-[Jeff] It's too early, isn't it?
-...in their abilities.
-Yeah.
So, I think it'll be really close today.
[Catherine] I get the compote
out of the blast chiller,
and now I add the rhubarb cream.
So, from the bigger ring,
I can cut out two rings.
I plan to make three rings out of these
when they're frozen:
a big one, medium one and a small one.
I'm gonna stack them on top of each other.
Hopefully, it's gonna work.
All right.
Now, I've got to start
the chocolate mousse for my pearl.
I just need to melt the chocolate
till it's nice and liquid.
So, this dark chocolate mousse is gonna be
the outside layer of my pearl.
My flavors, it's gonna be
rich and decadent.
That's why I'm using sharp flavors like
dark chocolate and caramel for the pearl.
[Megan] Looks amazing.
Oh, yeah! [chuckles]
Catherine's good with flavors,
but so am I.
I really love Simon's idea
of a luxurious velvet pillow
with a pearl sitting on that.
It's all whether he can get
that presentation spot-on,
and those flavors work together.
[exclaims]
[Simon] All right. That's looking good.
Go, go, go, go, go, go.
So, the pillow's gonna have an insert
made up of banana compote, banana sponge
and a coconut jelly.
And that goes into here,
and then I pour
my passion fruit crémeux all over it.
I'm really trying to bring out
tropical flavors in this pillow,
hoping it will balance the rich
and decadent flavors of the pearl.
And then that goes
straight into the blast chiller.
And it's good, I've got
enough time for it to go hard
because I need it to go solid hard.
[Zumbo] One hour to go, dessert makers.
Use your time wisely.
My ice cream is coming together
really nicely in the churner.
Okay.
There's not much time left. I really
have to start constructing my ruby rings.
I'm gonna start cutting out my rings.
I knew this would be hard. [grunts]
The rings, they're so frozen. [chuckling]
I don't know if I'm gonna
be able to cut them out.
The clock is ticking and I have to do
whatever it takes to get these rings cut.
[Rachel] Oh, my gosh. Don't do that.
Oh, my God, I can't watch.
-Patience is a virtue.
-Oh, my gosh.
Finally, I've cut my rings out
and I can stack them.
There we go. Oh, look.
-[contestants cheering]
-[Kimberley] Yay.
[Catherine] Yay.
Thank you, thank you.
They don't look great.
Like, they're a bit unrefined,
but you can't see them,
so they're gonna be hidden
inside the tart anyway.
So, I'm just gonna
put this back into the blast chiller.
[Zumbo] I think they know
what's ahead of them.
They can feel the pressure
that's on today,
and, you know,
they've really gotta bring it.
Well, there's a lot at stake.
I mean, $100,000 plus being crowned
the winner of Zumbo's Just Desserts.
We want bling, we want luxurious,
we want spectacular.
Will we get it, though?
[Simon] So, this is the black pearl.
The insert for my pearl is soft caramel
and hazelnut praline.
I've just put my insert into my mousse.
I'm gonna pipe some more mousse around it.
Go, Papa. Come on, you've got this.
Come on!
I have to make sure I fill up
all the spaces in the mold
because if I don't, that's gonna leave
some cavities in my pearl.
All right, I'll put this
straight into the blast chiller.
These are my pearls done.
[all cheering and applauding]
-Go, Daddy!
-[Simon's wife] You've got this.
[cheering]
It's time for me to start assembling.
My frozen layer is going to sit inside
my sablé biscuit to form three ruby rings:
small, medium and large.
And they're gonna be stacked on top of
each other to form an elegant ring tower.
So, I'm gonna start assembling it now.
So, I've got this one.
Mmm.
Okay...
I've gone and cut out
the wrong-size biscuit
for the wrong-size rings,
and instead of small, medium and large,
I've got two medium and one small.
I think I've switched up my rings.
-[all groan]
-Oh, no.
-...that's a problem.
-Oh, no.
I can't fix this.
I don't have enough sablé biscuit
and there's no time to make any more.
She has the wrong rings?
Can she cut it down more?
Ugh, I'm feeling disappointed.
You know, I can't believe
that this has happened.
I wanted my big wow factor
to be those three rings, and...
you know, not having them,
I don't know if it's gonna be enough
for the Grand Final.
[Simon] I've made my black glaze
and my pearls have set.
Now it's time to make
the perfect black pearl.
So, these are my pearls.
I'm just going to demold them.
Black pearls are highly reflective.
I want to see my face in this glaze.
Yeah, they look good.
This really is the luxurious element
of my dessert.
Looks good. I want some.
I'm stoked with my pearls.
They look pretty perfect to me.
I'll keep them in the fridge
till I'm ready to plate up.
All right.
[Catherine] Thinking what I should do,
whether I should just leave it
and just use two rings.
I've really got to get a move on,
so I just decide to do two rings.
It's not gonna look exactly
the way I wanted it to look,
but the flavors are not
gonna be compromised.
It's still gonna be pear,
plum and rhubarb.
Let's start.
The stakes are so high right now.
Not having that extra ring
could, you know, cost me the competition.
So, I really gotta make sure everything...
Flavors, presentation...
Everything has to be perfect
if I wanna still have a shot at winning.
[grunts]
[Simon] So far, so good.
Let's hope it stays this way.
There's $100,000 on the line, and now
is not the time to make any mistakes.
Now, it's time
to shape this into a pillow.
So, I use a cake ring to cut some pieces
out of my pillow
to represent a shape of a pillow,
and I'm just gonna finish it off
with a peeler to give it a bit of finesse.
Dessert makers, you have ten minutes.
This is your last chance
to plate your best effort.
[all cheering]
-Come on, Si!
-Come on, Papa! Come on!
-Come on, babe. Get that on there.
-Come on...
-Are you happy with it?
-[Simon] Yeah.
Nice velvet color, eh?
Nice. Beautiful.
[exclaims] That looks good.
Now, I have to jazz it up with some
chocolate pearls going around the edge.
-What are you doing, Simon?
-[Simon] I'm decorating my pillow.
Last chocolate pearl. Hallelujah.
And then you're putting it in the fridge?
In the blast chiller.
I've got it all on the edge,
and I'm happy with it.
All I have to do now
is take my pearl out and plate up.
Pearls.
[groans]
What's wrong?
[Simon] Something's happened.
My pearls have sunk.
Are the other one's really squashed?
Yep.
-Can you not squish it into the mousse...
-No.
...to make it look like it's coming out?
I can't think.
I'm really feeling lost. I couldn't think.
[Simon's daughter] Come on, Papa,
you've got this.
My girls comforting me, supporting me,
saying, "You can do this."
You're supposed to stay pumped.
Their words were magic.
[exhales heavily] Far out.
Gotta calm down.
I've gotta get them into the blast chiller
so they don't sink anymore.
I can use one, I can use one.
Five minutes left, just five minutes.
-This is for the Grand Final win!
-[all exclaim]
[all cheering]
I'm freaking out. I'm rushing.
I'm just trying to get it done.
My chocolate flower's sprayed
and looks amazing.
[Simon] The dream is to open a pâtisserie
that I can one day
hand over to my daughters.
So, I really want to win.
[groans]
I can try and use that one.
I've reached the point of no return.
I've gotta go with what I have,
and that's my slightly melted-down pearl.
I've gotta make one of these work.
It's not gonna be a perfect pearl,
but, hey, it's something.
[Catherine] There's no time.
I want it to look as sparkly as I can.
Everything is at stake right now.
-Seven minutes. Still have time... [yelps]
-[gasps]
[contestants sigh in relief]
Cathy, stay calm.
Lucky. Phew.
[all] Ten, nine, eight, seven,
six, five, four, three, two, one!
-[Khoo] Time's up! Time's up, guys!
-[steam whistle blows]
-Well done!
-[all cheering and applauding]
[sighs]
Oh, my gosh.
[Simon laughs in relief]
That pearl was perfect.
It's all right, babe.
Don't worry about it.
[Simon] Although my pearl had melted
a bit, I know the flavors are good.
No matter what happens,
this is gonna be close.
I'm happy with most of it.
It's still sparkly. [chuckles]
-We're so proud of you.
-Well done.
My biggest concern now is just
whether everything that I have on my plate
is going to be enough for the judges.
Oh, my gosh.
It's finished.
Catherine, could you please
bring us your dessert?
Wow.
[Catherine] This is the big moment.
It's the last time
they're ever gonna taste my dessert,
and it's really what's gonna decide
whether I can win this competition or not.
Okay, Zumbo, let's get into
Catherine's Grand Final dessert.
I'm happy with my dessert,
but for me to win,
I have to do better and surpass Simon,
because I am behind him.
Simon, could you please
bring up your creation?
[Simon] So, this is it.
It's all in the judges' hands now.
I'm happy with my dessert and I'm hoping
that's enough to get the crown.
No matter what happens,
this is gonna be close.
It could go any way today. [chuckles]
[Khoo] Okay, Zumbo, let's taste
Simon's Grand Final dessert.
[Simon] My dessert
is in the judges' hands.
I really hope my flavors
will pull me through.
Thank you, Simon.
Thank you.
Catherine and Simon, as you know,
we'll tally your scores
from the Zumbo Test
and your Sweet Sensations Task
for a combined total score out of 40.
[Simon] Mmm.
We'll start with the Zumbo Test.
[both chuckle nervously]
Simon, you pulled out
all your carpentry skills today.
I think you made a good structure,
just except for that drawer.
Overall, I think you did an amazing job.
The flavor was great. Well done.
For your Zumbo Test creation,
I score you...
-an eight.
-Oh, that's good.
Good job, babe.
Simon, for your Zumbo Test creation,
I score you...
-an eight.
-Wow. [chuckles]
Simon, you're currently
sitting on 16 points.
[Simon] Wow.
I was confident with my Zumbo Test,
and I'm happy with my score.
Catherine, I think all in all,
you did a really good job.
It's a shame that you forgot
your almond crunch.
-A little rushed at the end, I think.
-Yeah, a little bit.
And it showed.
It's the Grand Final
and I really don't want
my presentation to be
what prevents me from winning.
Catherine, for your Zumbo Test creation,
I score you...
a seven.
Catherine, for your Zumbo Test creation,
I score you...
a seven.
Catherine, you're currently sitting
on a score of 14 points.
[Catherine] I am two points behind Simon,
but if I really nail
that Sweet Sensations Task,
I can hopefully make those points up.
[Khoo] Now to your task scores.
This will decide
our Zumbo's Just Desserts winner.
[Simon] I am ahead of Catherine.
I just hope I've done enough to win.
Please!
Simon, you made a chocolate hazelnut
and caramel mousse
on a banana and passion fruit crémeux.
I think you picked some great flavors.
That little hint of bergamot
just gave it a little bit of a twist.
Thing I struggled with was
a little bit on the presentation.
The reason why
the pearl collapsed a little bit was
'cause there was
too much caramel in there.
-Yeah.
-[Zumbo] For me,
I think you need a bit more work
on that presentation.
Yeah.
Simon, I loved your idea
and story behind your dessert.
The flavors, they really all worked
so well together.
I think, for your presentation,
you just needed to add
-a bit more finesse.
-Detail.
Simon, for your Sweet Sensations Task
dessert, I score you...
[exhales sharply]
-an eight.
-Wow.
Simon, for your Sweet Sensations Task
dessert, I score you...
-an eight.
-[chuckles]
[Simon] Wow, I'm really happy
with those scores.
I'm hoping it's enough to win.
That's gives you a grand total score
of 32 out of 40.
[softly] Wow.
[Catherine] For me
to win this competition,
I have to get a nine and a ten
in my Sweet Sensations Task.
No one in this competition
has gotten a ten out of ten,
and... I don't know if that's possible.
[Zumbo] Catherine, you made
plum and pear biscuit rings
with rhubarb cream
and salted caramel ice cream.
It was a great achievement
to get that up in the end.
I thought your flavors
were really elegant.
In that way, I really felt
the luxury from it,
'cause they were subtle
and your paired them really well,
and you could feel every different flavor
in all those textures,
which I thought was delicious.
And that ice cream,
-you gotta bring me some buckets of that.
-[Catherine laughs]
That was like a three-hat
restaurant-style flavors.
You know, I think hats off for that one.
Catherine, you delivered
some flavors which were...
elegant.
It's hard to imagine
you're only 19 years old
and our youngest dessert maker here.
You have so much talent.
It was such a beautiful dessert to enjoy.
Catherine, for your Sweet Sensations Task
dessert, I score you...
a nine.
[contestants gasp]
[Catherine chuckles]
I've never, ever been so nervous
in my entire life.
Catherine, for your Sweet Sensations Task
dessert, I score you...
a ten.
-[all cheer]
-[Catherine exclaims]
-Well done.
-[chuckles]
That gives you the grand total score
of 33 out of 40!
Too many emotions.
-Well done.
-Thank you.
You are the winner
of Zumbo's Just Desserts!
[contestants cheering]
Well done, Catherine.
-Oh, my gosh. [exclaims]
-[Simon laughs]
Oh!
[all cheering and clapping]
[Catherine's sister]
Cathy, that was amazing!
Winning this competition, it's really
made me realize my dessert dream.
It's not a dream anymore.
I can make it a reality.
I can go out and make
a career for myself in pastry.
My life is about to change.
-[chuckles]
-[Simon] Congratulations.
The dream's not over for me.
I can't wait to get back home
and start living my dream.
[laughs]
Catherine, congratulations.
You're the winner
of Zumbo's Just Desserts.
[all cheering]