Home Baked

Ramos, voice-over: Tonight on "The Great American Recipe"... Ramos: We're inviting you all to the second annual "Great American Recipe" bake sale.

[Laughs] Mae, voice-over: I know just the recipe I want to use.

Hollingsworth: I grew up with my mom baking a lot.

Tim: I hope you like that I used your recipe, babe.

I hope you're not mad I added to it.

I'm curious what you've got in that jar over there.

Kim: That is sourdough starter from Alaska.

Legend has it it's over 120 years old.

Whoo!

Moment of truth here, friends.

I can eat 5 of 'em, you know.

Welcome back to "The Great American Recipe."

♪ ♪ Mae: Are we all excited?

New start, new day.

Marcella: Yeah.

Doug: Jon, are you ready for a new week?

Jon: I'm so ready.

Looking forward to this, sir.

Week 4 is the halfway mark, and I'm feeling amazing.

My confidence is very much boosted.

Our other favorite dish was...Jon.

Oh!

I just kept thinking, where has this Jon been?

Ha ha ha!

Definitely feel like I'm growing as part of this competition.

Ramos: Hi, everyone.

Welcome back.

Hello again.

Welcome to the halfway mark in your journey on "The Great American Recipe."

Marcella: Right.

Mae: All right.

As always, please join me in saying hello to our judges-- Tim Hollingsworth... Good morning, everybody.

Francis Lam...

Morning, everyone.

and Tiffany Derry.

Hey, y'all.

Kim: Hi.

Tim: How's it going?

Last week, we fell in love with the dishes you prepared for the special people in your lives.

This week's theme is all about baking.

Ooh.

Baking.

Ramos: For this first round, we want to start the day off right by having you prepare a delicious baked breakfast item.

Hollingsworth: You guys will have 60 minutes to bake us your breakfast dish.

Lam: And, as always, your recipes will be judged on taste, execution, presentation, and how well your dish delivers on the baked-good theme.

And this is a chance for us to see your growth and to evaluate those dishes in order to see who's going to make it to the finale, which is just a few short weeks away.

Derry: Only the top 3 will go on to compete for the chance to win "The Great American Recipe."

Ramos: OK, cooks, or should I say bakers, your 60 minutes starts now.

[Cheering and applause] Let's do this.

♪ Ramos: We asked the home cooks to make us a baked breakfast item for this round.

What makes a great baked breakfast dish?

Derry: This is one of those challenges where some people love it, some people are good with it, some people are like, "Please, no."

Hollingsworth: When you bake, things need to be precise, and if they're not... Lam: Yeah, it's a little bit trickier.

If it's a cake or something, you really want it tender and moist.

There's not a whole lot of, like, "Well, in my family, we like our cake a little dry."

Eh, not really.

[Laughter] ♪ I got a lot of stuff going on.

I got my bacon right here.

You can't have breakfast without bacon.

So, this round, I'm going to be making a grits casserole.

It's going to have country ham, spicy sausage, some spiced bacon, and some grits.

This is going to taste like all your favorite Southern breakfast items in one bite.

Today, I'm making my grits with chicken stock and a little butter in there to get it started and then we'll fill in with some Colby jack and some sharp cheddar cheese.

I am not a baker.

So, this is the closest I can get to something I truly bake for breakfast other than biscuits out of a can.

Now I'm just getting my eggs whisked up, mixed together.

Tim, voice-over: I make this dish because it's something easy in the morning, and if I'm in the kitchen and I'm baking, I'm baking with my daughter Brooklyn.

Brooklyn loves to bake, and my kids love this dish, so, I want to make them proud.

I have yet to win a challenge or end up as one of the chefs' favorites, but this is that really special recipe that means a lot to me, so, I hope that the judges will enjoy them.

It's going to be a wonderful breakfast today.

♪ Dum dum dum ♪ The theme is baking.

Super excited.

Come on, baby.

Jon, voice-over: For this round, I'm making soy chorizo and potato empanadas.

How does the cup come off?

Oh, there it is.

Jon, voice-over: Empanadas are dough wrapped around a sweet or savory filling.

The challenge for making empanadas is getting the dough made and rested before you roll it out.

So, I'm going to start with the dough.

[Whirring] Here we go, here we go.

It's basically a pie dough, but I'm adding a little bit of salt, smoked paprika, and chili powder.

Lam: With doughs, I would be very, very, very nervous getting the timing right.

Yeah.

This 60 minutes, that's a very short amount of time to roll it out, bake it, do all of that, and then still finish.

And need a rest, too.

Yes, absolutely.

Jon, voice-over: The filling is potatoes, onion, and bell peppers and then soy chorizo.

I started using soy chorizo when my daughters were vegetarians.

When they were younger, I loved to bake things for them, and I made these for my daughters a hundred times.

♪ Looking good ♪ ♪ All of that evenly distributed.

And here we go.

I'm a little nervous about this challenge because I don't consider myself to be a huge baker, but I definitely loved baking when my kids were little because it got them excited to be in the kitchen.

Hey, Marcella, what you got going on?

Good morning.

Today, I am making a traditional Sicilian cannoli bundt cake.

Spending my summers in Sicily, a traditional morning breakfast routine for me was coffee and a sweet.

So, everything that they do is either a biscotti or some sort of sweet baked goods is what breakfast is all about there.

So, I just thought cannolis are sort of synonymous with Sicily, as well.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

And I thought it'd be a great way to sort of marry the idea of breakfast and my culture.

So, I love cannoli.

You do?

I love that sweet ricotta filling piped into, like, the crisp shell.

Yeah.

You want to taste my batter?

Yeah, absolutely.

OK. Ha!

Marcella, voice-over: For my batter, I used fresh ricotta, orange bitters, chocolate chips, and pistachios.

So, you're folding those flavors into the cake batter.

Correct.

Actually, do you taste the orange bitters?

Yeah, that's a cool idea.

It's supposed to be subtle, right?

I don't want it to taste like a Manhattan or something.

Yeah, like a cocktail.

Right, right, right.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Thanks so much, Marcella.

Thank you.

Thanks so much.

Yeah.

Good luck.

Now I want more pistachio.

♪ Let's get you guys in the pool together.

Doug, voice-over: For this round, I'm going to make an apple German pancake, which also might be known to some folks as a Dutch Baby.

And it's kind of like a popover.

You make a pancake-like dough, you put it in a really hot skillet, and it puffs.

We want to do the batter early because you want all that flour to actually hydrate up and really make a nice, smooth, tender batter.

I'm coming off of a double win from last week, and this German pancake is just absolutely so delicious.

So, I'm feeling confident.

When you think about a Dutch Baby or a German pancake, a lot of times, they don't include apple.

That's a little bit of my spin.

It's very German over here.

Ha ha!

Doug, voice-over: Growing up on the farm, we actually had an orchard of what we called old greenies and we would pick them.

My mom would make pies out of them.

I think it's why my mom makes the best apple pie in the world.

And get, like, a nice caramelization on our apples.

It reminds me of my mom.

All these smells of cinnamon and all the butter right now.

Tim, voice-over: Once I get my apples sauteed in butter and spices, I'm going to pour batter around it.

And all of those apples create this custardy, pie-like layer that the judges can dig into while the rest of the pancake blooms around and kind of puffs up the side.

I really think it will wow the judges.

All right.

Here we go.

Ramos: 45 minutes!

Jon: We got it.

Kim: Heard!

Adjo: Hey, Jon, do you have the 4-inch cookie cutter?

I do.

Here you go.

I'll give it right back.

You got it.

No worries.

I just want to make sure.

Happy to share.

I'm not a baker, but I like breakfast food, so, I am making egg and cheese mini quiches with some ham and bacon bits.

And then I'm going to use peppers, onions, and spinach.

I love baking...

I have no idea how this is going to turn out.

not.

Adjo, voice-over: Well, I'm not a big baker because we're just not a baking culture.

And so, in the village in Togo, I never truly quite learned how to bake.

But I'm hoping everybody else doesn't make something so grand that mine's lands at the bottom.

Don't outdo it, people.

Just slow and steady.

OK. [Whirring] ♪ This is a very small container.

Hello, Kim.

Hello.

How are you feeling this morning?

I'm feeling pretty good, actually.

I really like baking.

Yeah?

I was probably baking before I was cooking.

Really?

Yeah.

I grew up with my mom baking a lot, so, like, hanging out and licking the beaters while my mom made something, you know?

Oh, yeah.

The best memories.

Kim, voice-over: Growing up in a small village like King Salmon, Alaska, we didn't really have a bakery we could visit, and so, it was up to us to make those things if we wanted them.

What are you making?

So, I'm making some mocha chip scones.

OK.

I have some coffee in the scones themselves, along with white chocolate chips and milk chocolate chips.

I think when you make scones, it's really all about that bake, right?

It's going to be denser than, like, a biscuit, but you still have a little bit of, like, flakiness...

Yes, yes, definitely a few little layers in there.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Well, we won't know until you guys break into them.

It's a risk.

Yeah.

So, I'm, like, crossing fingers, have to have faith in your baking.

But we're looking forward to it.

I can't wait.

Awesome.

Thank you.

Good luck.

Yeah, for sure.

♪ Everybody loves this cake.

For this round, I am making my cinnamon cocoa coffee cake.

This is such an important step that I cannot neglect it.

I'm folding in the egg whites, which makes the batter very smooth and the texture real fine.

Mae, voice-over: It takes a little technique because you are separating the egg yolks from the egg whites and you're beating the egg whites and then folding it into the batter.

And that is the challenge.

All those steps will take time, and time is of the essence.

So, I am nervous about these cakes.

I'm kind of behind, though, I got to tell you, I got to be frank with you.

It's my favorite cake.

My nephews and nieces, they wanted me to make it and they took their mom to the market, bought everything, and they brought it to me, so, I had to make it for them, so, I couldn't disappoint them.

And they love the cinnamon cocoa mixture you put on top and in the middle.

It's the best.

I think I'm going to just do it like that.

Can we have extra baking time?

30 minutes, folks.

OK. OK. All right.

Now it's time.

Jon, voice-over: I'm ready to form my empanadas.

Making it look pretty.

Jon, voice-over: Last week, I had one of the top dishes and it felt amazing to do so well.

I could get used to this feeling.

So, I'm ready to go for seconds.

Last one in.

Here we go.

Adjo: How's it going, Jon?

Jon: It's going good.

They're in the oven.

All I have to do now is make my salsa.

Adjo: Salsa.

Mm.

It's going to be a creamy avocado salsa verde with tomatillos, garlic, cilantro and onions, and vinegar.

I've been getting some criticism about my seasoning, but last week, they loved the flavors and the seasoning was perfect.

So, I'm going to do it again this week and the week after and the week after till I'm in the final.

Adjo.

My taste tester.

Do you have a second?

Oh, yeah.

Absolutely.

You ready?

Yeah.

It shouldn't be too, too spicy.

Not spicy.

Yeah, just a little bit.

The spice is good.

I like the spice.

OK. Just a little sprinkle of salt.

Thank you, ma'am.

All right.

Always salt.

I've learned my lesson.

♪ They're close, but I'm going to give them another couple minutes.

Kim, voice-over: I want these scones to look beautiful, so, I sprinkled half with sanding sugar.

The other half are going to get a glaze.

And it's just powdered sugar, a little bit of salt, and instant coffee.

♪ That's strong.

Hope they can taste it.

When I have scones at home, I have to have them with coffee that I can dip them in.

I am going to be so hyped up on coffee after this.

Ha!

I mean, breakfast should pretty much just be chocolate and coffee, so, I think, uh, the judges will feel the same way.

♪ I think they look really cute.

15 minutes left.

Ooh.

Let's go, guys.

We got this.

I need a miracle.

♪ So, super, super heavy cream.

I want about a cup.

Doug, voice-over: While my Dutch Babies are baking away, I'm going to make some spiced whipped cream.

[Whirring] Add a little sugar and spice.

Everything nice.

It's not something my mom would use, but I think it adds a little extra something and I think the judges will like it.

There.

I'm going to finish it by hand just so I can really control the...amount of peaks.

Tim, voice-over: First look.

This is the part I hate because you're just at the mercy of the oven and the timer.

I know I say it to my kids all the time, "Be patient," but maybe I need to take some of that advice myself in the kitchen.

Don't keep opening that oven.

It will never cook.

Ha ha ha!

As we've seen in previous challenges, it's very difficult for me to stand still and just let the oven do its thing.

[Sniffing] Lam: The problem when you open your oven is you lose 5, 10 degrees every time you open that door.

Tim, voice-over: But I'm listening to all the feedback they're giving me, so, I'm just going to stand there like a kid at a candy shop and look through the glass and make sure it's baking properly.

Oh, don't dare open that thing.

I don't dare.

All right... Hi, Doug.

Tiffany, how are you?

I am well.

You're wearing my hometown colors today.

So, can we go to any sporting event in Pittsburgh?

I'm ready.

So, for your Dutch Babies, you don't--I don't want you to open nothing.

Nope.

All right.

Oven's at 450.

Perfect.

Really hot.

Exactly.

That's the whole point, right?

I am running this higher than I do at home, for sure, by 50 degrees, because I just feel like every time I open it, it loses all the heat.

It does.

So... You cannot open.

I'm at 50 degrees higher than normal.

Yes!

I love it.

This is not your first time doing this.

Not making this dish.

Yeah.

Got it.

I have to say, Doug, you've been kicking butt.

The difference from your first week to your second to your third.

I can't believe it.

I felt pretty good coming into today, but I also feel like the pressure's on.

I mean, because sometimes when you've done well, there's nowhere to go but down.

Ha ha!

So, I'm just trying to do the best I can do.

Lots of luck.

Can't wait to try it.

Yes.

Thank you.

Kim: This is going to be tight.

♪ I'm a little nervous, but I'm going to focus on my plantains for now, because at least I know that's going to be good.

Adjo, voice-over: For my mini quiche, I'm going to serve it on a bed of fried plantains, because last week, the judges loved my plantains.

Derry: One of my favorite things on a plate right now is these plantains.

Oh, thank you, Chef.

I'm hitting them with everything else that they like.

You know what I'm saying?

♪ Just please, please cook.

Marcella, voice-over: For my mini bundt cakes, I'm going to do a traditional cannoli filling with ricotta and powdered sugar.

I'm just going.

Ha!

They have risen.

Just want a nice, even dollop.

How are you feeling, guys?

You only have 7 minutes left.

Mae, you're going to make it?

I need more time.

Oh, no, no!

Lam: It still needs time, huh?

Medium rare cake is not really a thing you want.

I need 8 extra minutes.

You got this.

You got it.

Tell that to my cakes.

Still not brown.

And I can't be opening it.

♪ Just do a little more.

Mae, voice-over: I have to turn that heat up.

But the danger of that is if the temperature is higher, you will get a more dry cake.

And I know it's not done.

Patience, right?

Yeah... Well, they're rising really nicely.

Yeah, but the top has to be brown and it's not.

And I put the heat on higher but I don't want it to burn.

I know.

Mae, voice-over: I have to take a chance on it to be a little dry and get it finished.

♪ So far, Timmay is a happy boy.

Ooh, these guys are looking good.

They're just so grand.

I just love them.

Look at that.

It's looking nice, doesn't it?

Hollingsworth: Ooh!

I like it.

Moment of truth here, friends.

[Exhales] What's happening?

What's happening?

Ohh!

Yes!

Yay!

One minute left.

This is it.

Can't help it.

It needs baking time.

We're just going to try to do this without it getting too messy.

Ramos: Oof!

I love that piping hot mug of coffee, Kim.

Jon, how are they looking?

They're looking pretty damn good, y'all.

You know what I'm doing next?

A little bit of salt.

[Laughter] ♪ It's pretty much done.

Yes, Mae.

Plantains for every dish, Adjo.

And then save some for us.

Plantains are happening over here.

Ramos: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

Time's up, everyone.

Time's up, time's up.

Tim: Whoo!

Mae: Whoo!

♪ We gave you 60 minutes to bake us your favorite breakfast dish.

I'm not sure a barn has ever smelled this good before.

Doug, come and join us.

Doug: I've prepared for you an apple Dutch Baby or German pancake, with whipped cream that has cardamom.

Lam: The flavor is really wonderful here, and the spice cream is a beautiful touch.

I really love the cardamom in it.

That does add a very complex floral note to it.

Derry: I agree, and I like that the apples still have a little bit of a crunch, but the only thing about adding things to the Dutch Baby, it can also hold it down.

And so, you want to be careful about the sizes that you put in, because I have apple pieces and then the Dutch Baby somewhere around it.

The apples are holding it down and I want to see it grow and do its thing, but flavor-wise, it's really delicious.

Doug: Thank you, Chefs.

Ramos: Kim.

Kim: Today, I made for you mocha chip scones, one with just plain sanding sugar and the other is topped with an espresso glaze.

Kim, first of all, the scones are delicious.

A lot of times when I'm having pastries in the morning, you know, like, it's usually several different types of pastries.

So, I love the fact that we have a couple different choices.

I think my favorite bite is when I take the sugar one and I dip it in the coffee.

That's a really good bite.

That is my favorite way to have it, too.

[Laughter] Lam: Tim, I like your lifestyle when you're like, "Usually when I have pastry in the morning, there's several different kinds."

[Laughter] Lam: Kim, scones are so often dry, kind of fall apart.

This is anything but, has a nice crunch factor, a nice crackle factor.

Really, really excellent job.

Thank you.

All right, Tim, come join us.

Tim: I have made a grits casserole that I make at home with country ham, spicy sausage, and bacon in there.

Whoo!

Oh, OK. Wow, a trifecta.

Lam: Tim, I know you're calling this a grits casserole, but really, this is a good pig casserole.

OK. [Laughs] These are quite spicy sausage, which I like.

I love the flavor of the country ham.

It adds that sort of dry, aged tang to it.

Derry: I have to say, Tim, I am thoroughly enjoying this.

It's the first time I've ever had this and I'm like, "What is happening?"

I didn't grow up with this.

I wish I would have.

I really, really love the crispy edges all around.

Like, it still feels like grits.

It's delicious.

Yeah, those little crispy edges, man.

All right.

That's where it's at.

Adjo, come join us.

Adjo: I made egg and cheese mini quiche on a bed of fried plantains.

Derry: Ooh.

Hollingsworth: Mm.

Hollingsworth: You know we love your fried plantains, so, thank you again for making those for us.

You did a great job on the bake on the eggs.

But the dough itself, it's a little undercooked, right?

It's a little under.

It needed just a little bit higher heat and more time.

Adjo: OK.

So, in order to achieve that, we would pre-bake it a little bit and then add that egg custard in there.

But your egg is gorgeous.

It is custardy.

It's beautiful.

Thank you, Chefs.

All right, Jon, come join us.

Jon: I made soy chorizo and potato empanadas with a fresh avocado green salsa.

Derry: The hardest part of this challenge was making the dough, and that's my favorite part.

Oh, nice.

Thank you so much.

I mean, it's flaky and crisp.

But when you think about how much filling is in the inside and how much dough you have, there's not a whole lot of filling by itself.

So, I think if you made them just a little bit larger, you would've had a little more filling and then you'll have a more flavorful bite.

Hollingsworth: I agree with Tiffany.

I think your seasoning on the filling is great, but with the salsa, it needs to be, like, kicked up just a little bit, a little bit more lime, and definitely a little bit more salt.

Don't hold back for us.

I appreciate those comments.

Thank y'all.

Thank you.

Great job.

Marcella, you're up.

Marcella: I have made a Sicilian cannoli bundt cake.

Lam: The cake is really nicely made.

Because you have the ricotta in there, it's a little bit denser, but I think it keeps its moisture really well.

And I think it's just really nicely sweetened.

Hollingsworth: And I agree.

I think that the ricotta really helps balance that dense but still moist cake.

But it's a little bit too decadent for me.

Although I know for a fact that my kids would disagree with me and they for sure would want that on top.

Thank you.

Mae, come join us.

Hello, judges.

I made cinnamon cocoa coffee cake and I've been making this cake since I was 12 years old.

Derry: I think to execute in an hour is ambitious, and I think that you did that.

I mean, the texture of this is just beautiful.

It almost feels pound cake-like.

Lam: You definitely feel the lightness in the cake.

But, to me, it tasted maybe a touch overbaked.

It was starting to get a little bit dry.

And I think maybe if you added a touch of salt in the cocoa and the cinnamon just to, like, make that flavor of the cocoa pop.

But you've been making this cake for 60 years?

Yeah, I'm not going to tell you anything about this cake... No, I think that's actually a good idea.

Thank you.

Lam: Thank you, Mae.

Mae, voice-over: I know it sounds silly, but I get emotional about all these recipes.

They're like my babies.

But I always appreciate the judges' critiques because they know their stuff.

♪ In the last round, you had 60 minutes to prepare a baked breakfast dish.

Judges, whose dishes were on top this round?

Our first favorite dish of the round was... for the very first time, Tim.

[Laughter and applause] Thank you.

Thank you.

Hollingsworth: Your grits casserole was amazing.

The fact that you put 3 different types of pork in there, the cheese, that crust on the outside.

It was the perfect breakfast item that I can't wait to make when I get home for my kids.

Thank you, Chef.

Tim, voice-over: I just can't believe it.

Maybe I'm finally coming into my own.

They're seeing what Tim can do.

It feels good.

I keep saying baking's not my thing, but I'm starting to think maybe it is.

Our other top home cook of the round is... Marcella.

[Laughter and applause] Your Sicilian cannoli mini bundt cakes really evoked what I love about cannoli.

That ricotta filling.

The sweetness.

But I also thought it was so cool that the edges of the cake actually had, like, a crunchiness that really reminded me of cannoli.

Thank you.

To win on a baking round-- which is, for me, probably one of the hardest challenges-- is really giving me the confidence to face any challenge that comes my way.

Ramos: Excellent job, cooks.

We can't wait to see what you do in the next round.

♪ In the last round, we asked you to make us a baked good for breakfast.

For your second round, we're inviting you all to the second annual "Great American Recipe" bake sale.

[Laughter and applause] Last season, we tasted some bake sale items that would sell out at any table.

Now it's your turn.

You'll have 75 minutes to make a dozen treats for our judges to enjoy today.

Bakers, are you ready?

Cooks: Ready.

Ready.

All right, good, because your time starts now.

[Cheering and applause] ♪ Butter.

[Oven beeping] All right, judges, this is the second annual "Great American Recipe" bake sale.

What do we want to see coming out of these ovens?

Lam: When you think about a bake sale, you got a lot of competition on the table.

If everyone's bringing something, what's going to make your thing stand out?

Hollingsworth: I think we want to see something where they're putting, like, a personal touch on it.

Derry: Yes.

I want to see people just bake with their heart.

I also want to see some clear technique.

If it's supposed to be crunchy, make it crunchy.

If it's supposed to pull apart, let it pull apart.

Like, all of those just basic techniques of baking.

♪ A little bit more ♪ I have lots of history with bake sale because I have 3 amazing daughters that were in so many different clubs.

[Whirring] For this bake sale, I want to make something special from my culture.

So, I'm going to make polvorones, also known as Mexican wedding cookies.

"Polvo" means powder, and the whole idea is that while they have this beautiful texture, when you put them in your mouth, they sort of explode with flavor.

It's this buttery, ball-shaped cookie with walnuts and pecans, very much like a shortbread.

Jon is making polvorones.

Across Latin America is something that we all grew up eating.

I grew up eating an almond version, but there are pecan, walnuts.

Some people add cinnamon.

I put a little rum in mine.

Surprise, surprise.

I grew up with them, too, but not in Chinese form, in a Filipino form.

Ramos: Oh, yeah.

Lam: You bite into them, they almost, like, want to fall apart in, like, a great way.

Ramos: Yeah.

♪ Polvorones ♪ [Laughs] ♪ Powdaired sugare.

Tim: voice-over: I'm a little apprehensive about this round because like I keep saying, baking isn't my thing.

It's like mad science, but I'm hopefully going to do something special.

[Mixer whirring] I am making raspberry tartlets.

This is my wife's recipe, actually.

My wife Ashley, she's my partner in crime.

She started making these after we had kids.

So, this is to honor my wife.

I'm hoping that I make her proud here.

It's just a little shortbread cup with the raspberry preserve filling with some shortbread crumbles on top.

In this dough, we've got a ton of butter, and my secret ingredients of almond and vanilla extract.

So, now we're going to put some of our raspberry preserves.

And I make sure that there's just some crumbles over everything.

Hello, Tim.

Hello.

How are you doing, ma'am?

I'm good.

How are you?

Doing good.

I saved some of the dough to crumble it on top and everything and put it in there.

I would say be careful with all those crumbs that's around the sides, because that can burn, and you don't want any of that to get into your tarts.

I'll definitely get that cleaned off.

So, you had a really good day today.

I know.

I'm really stoked about it.

I was hoping that grits would just pack the punch.

Be nominated for one, for one top today.

So, I'm hoping I can maybe get an honorable mention for this one, as well.

Wow, what a day that would be, right?

It would be a great day for me.

It's given me a little bit of boost of confidence back.

Yes, yes, yes.

Good luck.

All right.

Thank you.

Be careful with that color on the outside.

OK. Yeah.

Tim, voice-over: I want to show the judges that I'm paying attention to all the things they're saying to finesse these plates.

I really want to be in the finale.

I just want to show my kids that you can do anything.

♪ OK.

This is my Sicilian version of a bake sale.

I am making a traditional Sicilian pastry called zeppole with a sweetened ricotta filling.

OK. A zeppole is essentially a form of a cream puff.

Just want to get all those chunks of flour.

Marcella, voice-over: It's going to be light and airy and golden.

It's just the perfect Italian pastry and it makes me think of my daughter.

She loves making these for her dad.

And this zeppole has special meaning for me because it symbolizes a patron saint of the island of Sicily, which is St. Joseph.

And they're made on Father's Day in Italy.

But I've never made these before without my daughter Ada by my side.

I need a little Ada with me.

Little Adie-bug.

Marcella, voice-over: Having Ada in my corner for this cook is everything to me, because she is such an inspiration for me as a mom.

So, to be able to glance over my shoulder and see her smiling face, it's going to be the secret ingredient for this dish.

This is my daughter's favorite part.

Marcella, voice-over: I really want to get a nice peak.

I want them to draw the eyes of any person who would see these on a table at a bake sale.

And into the oven we are going to go.

♪ This is something that I think would do really well at bake sales.

Adjo, voice-over: For the bake sale, I am making my plantain cookies with roasted coconut and chocolate drizzle.

They're not, like, your traditional sweet bake when you think about cookies, because it's not overloaded with sugar.

The sugar is natural from the plantain and the apples.

It's just roasted plantains, really.

Adjo, voice-over: Growing up, I ate roasted plantains all the time.

I am cutting them into small chunks.

I'm using two different type of plantains, one that's completely soft and one that's harder, to add texture.

And I'm using arrowroot starch as a binding agent.

In West African cooking, we don't cook with flour.

No wheat, no added sweeteners, no added sugars.

They're healthy cookies that actually taste good.

OK.

I'll just stick this in here.

Like, hello!

Ha ha!

[Clang] Ooh!

Wow.

[Whirring] Heavens!

Mae, voice-over: Round two, I am ready.

I love bake sales.

I was in charge of the bake sale for more than 18 years at my church, so, I know just the recipe I want to use.

I'm making the Chinese almond cookies.

They're easy and they're delicious.

Mae, voice-over: For my dough, I'm using half shortening and half butter, and I put a little cream of tartar because I want to ensure that this is a crisp cookie.

And, of course, the most important thing is the almond essence.

This is a very auspicious cookie because we always serve at New Year's because it reminds one of the olden coin.

So, that's a sign of prosperity.

Mae, voice-over: Chinese New Year is a wonderful time for food full of symbolism.

And also during New Year's, they would put a little red circle around the almond because red is always a lucky color.

I love talking about Chinese food and sort of educate people what the symbolism in the different food is, because that's all part of me.

Red is my lucky color.

I love red.

♪ Ahh.

Butter makes it better.

Doug, voice-over: For the bake sale, I'm making my Grandma Wanda's chocolate chip bar, which some people might also know as a blondie.

The batter includes a ton of butter.

I am browning my butter so it gives it a nice caramelly note, along with some eggs and flour and some leaveners and brown sugar.

Mm.

My God, that smells like toffee.

Oh!

Doug, voice-over: It also includes some coffee.

I wonder, sometimes, was my grandma trying to mess with her kids, giving them a little jolt of caffeine.

Doug, voice-over: My grandma was really just one of my culinary idols.

Just from hearing, like, relatives talk about her tenacity.

Like, you know, she had nights that she had to feed her family and had maybe a can of green beans, and she figured it out and made it happen.

And so, I think it's important to cook something that she would have been cooking.

Now it's time to decorate the top.

I have done a few things with this bar to make it my own and update it slightly.

Start with some chips.

Doug, voice-over: And I top it with the same chocolate chips that she always used, along with some dried cherries that I rehydrate and shelled, roasted salted pistachios makes a nice crunch across the top.

I think we need a few more pistachios.

Grandma might have thought that this was maybe a little bit extravagant, but we're doing it.

OK. We're going in the oven.

We're at 30 minutes, everyone.

30 minutes left.

♪ ♪ Making a mess ♪ Kim, voice-over: When I hear bake sale challenge, I'm really excited.

This is definitely my jam.

I have participated in many bake sales before.

Kim, voice-over: My girls, the whole time they were going through elementary school, middle school, high school, Girl Scouts, you name it, I baked for it.

I'm going to make a sourdough rhubarb cupcake with a strawberry rhubarb buttercream frosting.

We grow a lot of rhubarb in Alaska, and we try to think of a lot of different ways to use it, just because it is so, like, plentiful.

I'm always looking for excuses to get rid of the rhubarb.

Kim, voice-over: Rhubarb's pretty sour, so, whenever you pair rhubarb with anything, you definitely need to add a little sweetness to it.

In my rhubarb batter is a melted chocolate bar, rhubarb, and...I'm using a sourdough starter.

Ramos: Kim!

I'm curious what you've got in that jar over there.

Kim: That is sourdough starter from Alaska.

Legend has it it's over 120 years old.

Ramos: Whoo!

Lam: What, legend has it?

It's been written about in the scrolls?

No.

[Laughter] According to my mom, when my great-great-grandpa emigrated from Scotland to Alaska, he was either gifted the sourdough or he might have actually brought it with him.

Have you been feeding it the whole time you're here?

Yeah.

Yeah, I have, yeah.

[Laughs] OK. Kim, voice-over: A sourdough starter is a yeasty, sour kind of batter that you keep in the fridge when you're not using, and you feed it flour and water every couple weeks to keep it alive.

It also adds, like, a tangy, sour flavor.

Lam: Sourdough starter.

I mean, it feels sort of magical.

[Laughter] It's not actually magic.

It's just biology.

It's alive, right?

A starter is alive.

Derry and Ramos: It's alive!

So, it really depends on how it's reacting.

The fact that it has to be, like, thriving in order for it to produce, I think is like rolling the dice a little bit, but, hey, 120 years old.

Sounds like she's worked with it.

Ramos: Yeah.

15 minutes left.

♪ I think they're money.

Tim, voice-over: These little raspberry tartlets.

They're my wife's recipe.

So, I'm making something that is near and dear to me but I also do want to dress it up a little bit, because I think that'll let the judges know that I'm paying attention to all the things they're saying.

Now comes the fun part of melting chocolate.

Tim, voice-over: I think that the bittersweet dark chocolate will go great with the sweet tartness of the raspberry.

I'm using a double boiler.

I'm going to melt down some dark chocolate and drizzle some over the finished product.

I think I'm going to salt it, as well.

Going for more of a mature bake sale here profile.

So, I hope you like that I used your recipe, babe.

Hope you're not mad I added to it.

♪ Ohh.

Now it's the waiting game.

Doug, voice-over: The main thing I'm worried about is overbaking Grandma Wanda's chocolate chip bar.

I don't want a hard cookie bar.

It should still be chewy and delicious.

The good thing is that the dough is puffing up all around all of the toppings, and that looks good.

That looks good.

I'm going to chill for about another 9 minutes.

Jon seems so calm, like he's in his rhythm.

I may seem calm.

I am not.

I realize I need to keep my A game going on because there are a lot of fierce competitors in this competition.

Hey, Jon.

How are you doing?

I've never been on this side of the barn yet, ever.

No kidding, man.

Is your stuff in the oven all right?

I'm waiting.

Oh.

So, this is a traditional, uh, Mexican cookie.

It's called a polvoron.

Oh, I love that.

And then usually, the traditional topping is cinnamon sugar, but I'm also doing ground walnuts and pecans in addition to powdered sugar.

There's 3 sort of separate toppings.

Oh, you've got an advantage because mine look all the same.

No, no... You're doing, like, 3 different cookies.

No, I'm making the same.

It's the same cookie base.

It's just what you put on the top of it.

Sounds good.

Ramos: 10 minutes.

This is kind of freaking me out.

There we go.

Adjo: Shake it, shake it, shake it.

Roasting, roasting, roasting.

Hey, Adjo.

Hi, Chef Francis.

How are you?

I'm getting ready to melt my chocolate.

So, once the cookies are out and they've cooled down, I'm going to add some of the roasted coconut shreds for texture.

It's going to naturally be a very chewy cookie.

And so, when you're toasting the coconut, usually on the stove top, but I do see, like, a lot of variation in color.

Yes.

If it's a bake sale, it's going to be on a table with other things.

So, whatever you can to make it look appealing and exciting.

But what I'm doing here was picking out the good ones, and I make sure I give you guys a nice, consistent, golden... Beautiful.

That's good thinking.

Thank you.

I'm learning.

Each week is a new learn, so, I got you.

All right.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Here we go.

♪ No.

Keep it closed!

Marcella, voice-over: While these zeppoles are baking in the oven, I'm going back to my ricotta filling.

I'm draining my ricotta so it doesn't make the cream puff all mushy.

You could see all the water dripping out.

Marcella, voice-over: There's nothing worse than biting into a soggy zeppole.

And then I'm adding mascarpone cheese, sugar, and lemon zest.

Hey, Kimmie.

What do I get to try?

This is my zeppole ricotta filling.

Should I just shove it all in my mouth?

Just shove it in your mouth like my daughter does.

Mmm!

Can you taste the lemon?

Maybe a titch more lemon.

Titch more lemon?

Yeah, but it's perfect sweet.

Perfect.

Perfect sweet?

It's so good.

OK, good.

Ramos: 7 minutes left.

Got you, I got you.

Yikes.

♪ I'm concentrating!

While my sourdough rhubarb cupcakes are cooling, I start on my frosting.

I'm doing a cream cheese buttercream because I want it to be that little bit of sweet, and then the rhubarb is for the tangy taste, and the strawberry is actually for the color.

Kim, voice-over: You want a really good texture in your buttercream.

I want it to be soft and fluffy and creamy.

Moment of truth.

Oh, my frosting broke a little bit.

When I added the rhubarb, something with the chemical balance happened.

I think putting the rhubarb in added too much water to my frosting.

It's looking a little too shiny, almost oily.

I know it's going to taste good.

I just wish it didn't have that kind of, like, clumpy look to it.

One minute left!

This is it!

Kim, voice-over: I don't have time to make another frosting.

I just have to go with it.

Clumpy.

I don't know what else to call it.

Ooh, nice.

Adjo: Oh!

Jon: Don't lose the cherry.

♪ I'm going to make plenty of money.

♪ Ramos: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

Time's up!

[Cheering and applause] It's bake sale time.

♪ For this second round, we asked you to make us your tastiest treat for the second annual "Great American Recipe" bake sale.

And I must say, this is a gorgeous bake sale spread.

Am I right, judges?

Yeah.

Delicious.

Beautiful.

Tim, come join us.

Tim: Today, I baked my wife's raspberry tartlet recipe, but I elevated it with a little bit of bittersweet dark chocolate and a little bit of salt.

Lam: Tim, I don't want to tell you how to live your life, man, but unsolicited marital advice?

Uh-huh.

Don't say you elevated your wife's recipe.

[Laughter] "I changed it.

I put my spin on it."

That said, it is sophisticated.

I love how crisp but delicate the crust is.

I love the amount of raspberry filling you have because it's bright and tart.

It's excellently made.

Derry: I agree wholeheartedly.

I love the fact that the shortbread cookie is golden brown around the outside, and I think that on a bake sale would definitely sell.

Thank you all.

Next up--Kim.

Kim, what did you make for us?

I made sourdough rhubarb cupcakes with a strawberry rhubarb buttercream and a little chocolate tree topper.

Lam: You could definitely taste the sourdough starter in a way that I think is really wonderful.

The cake has a little bit of a sour taste on its own.

Then you get to the rhubarb, which obviously has a lot of acidity, so, it adds a complexity, and there's a really nice bridge between the two.

Hollingsworth: I agree.

Rhubarb in chunks, it almost eats like banana bread.

I really like it.

The only thing that I would say is that the frosting is a little bit broken.

Yeah.

I added the rhubarb and then something happened and it-- yeah, the extra liquid.

Yeah.

So, curdled a little bit.

Yeah.

But it's a great flavor.

Thank you.

Mae, come and join us.

Hello, judges.

I made the Chinese almond cookies.

We always start the new year with these cookies.

Derry: The almond flavor is beautiful, and then having that crunch of that solid almond in the center, it really helps in the whole flavor of the cookie.

Well, Mae, these cookies are very nostalgic for me, and what I really like here is the texture is so incredibly delicate.

It holds together, it's not falling apart, but when you bite it, it just gives way right away.

However, you could also taste a tiny bit of the baking powder.

But that almond bite is that money bite.

Derry: Yeah.

Delish.

Ramos: Thank you, Mae.

Mae: Thank you.

Adjo, come join us.

Adjo: Today, I made some plantain cookies with sour apples, roasted coconut topping, and chocolate.

Ooh.

And the sweetness is purely from the plantain.

Derry: There's no refined sugar in here?

What?

I can eat 5 of 'em, you know.

You can, actually.

It's really delicious.

It holds together very nicely.

It's so chewy.

Almost like a mochi.

Such a balanced sweetness.

I have to say, I love the bits of apple in there.

That little bit of tartness.

I've just never had anything like this, and it's very exciting.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

I agree, and I don't even like toasted coconut.

Like, it's like one of the only things that I don't like.

But you might have changed my mind.

[Laughter] Jon.

You're up.

Judges, I made polvorones, also known as Mexican wedding cookies, with 3 different coatings-- the cinnamon and sugar, rolled ground nuts, and then powdered sugar.

Derry: Jon, I like the texture and the flavor of having the walnut and pecan together.

Pecan is a little more in your face, and that walnut creates a really nice aroma and crumb.

Hollingsworth: Yeah.

My mom always made it with pecan, as well, and sometimes I've had them where they're dry.

Not my mom's.

Of course not my mom's.

Never your mom's.

But these are very moist.

Oh, thank you.

The only thing that I could really say is there's just a little lack of uniformity with some of the balls, so, I'd just try to keep them a little bit more consistent when you're making them.

Thank you, judges.

Appreciate it.

Doug, come join us.

Hello, judges.

I baked for you my Grandma Wanda's chocolate chip bar, or what most folks would probably call blondies.

When I looked at the bottom of this...

I mean, it's pure perfection.

Like, that is what we're going for.

It is not too brown.

It's perfect all the way up to those edges.

The only thing that I would suggest is chop the cherries just a little bit, because there are times when you get a really large chunk of cherry.

Lam: Yeah, I agree, there's a lot going on in this thing.

I do think there's some element of, like, too much, but I think if I was just a customer at a table, I'd be like, "Ooh woo woo!"

[Ramos laughs] You are definitely going to get your money's worth.

Thank you so much.

Marcella.

I made for you today zeppole.

I used a traditional ricotta filling.

My daughter is the one that I've historically made this with.

In fact, today was the first time I've ever made this dish without her.

Oh.

I think I did her proud.

Lam: Marcella, with these type pastries, when they get very brown, they're very eggy tasting.

But this is light and a more subtle, more sophisticated flavor.

Derry: I agree with Francis on the cook, and when I taste the ricotta.

it is rich and hearty and delicious.

And I love the lemon zest pop.

It's really nice.

And I think your daughter would absolutely be so proud.

Thank you, Chef.

Marcella, voice-over: It's really been an extraordinary gift to give my daughter the same experiences in the kitchen that my mom gave to me and probably her mom gave to her, and hopefully, she'll give to her kids, too.

♪ I am so impressed with everyone's bake sale items.

This would be the best bakery in your town.

I don't care what town you live in.

Of course.

That line would be around the block.

All right, judges, which baked goods really delivered today?

One of my favorites was Adjo's plantain cookie.

She was thinking through it enough to go, "OK, I need that tart apple.

And then I need some crispies from the coconut."

And it just felt good to eat.

And then I found out she didn't add any sugar.

Oh!

Lam: It was fantastic.

Derry: It was.

I really want to talk about Marcella's zeppole.

Ramos: Yeah.

Lam: The pastry itself was sweet and subtle, and it was so smart for her to squeeze out the ricotta so it didn't sog out the pastry.

Hollingsworth: Yeah, I agree.

I think overall it looked like a heavy bite.

It was light.

Lam: Yeah.

She totally nailed it.

Ramos and Derry: Yeah.

Hollingsworth: I gotta say, Tim had a great round one and he really impressed us again with his raspberry tartlet in round two.

Lam: The very dark chocolate I thought was so smart because it was really something that was complex and it was excellently made.

At the end of the day, I couldn't stop eating it.

It was just so good.

So good.

There were so many exquisite desserts this round, but there were a couple that didn't quite hit the mark today.

Yeah.

Kim's sourdough rhubarb cupcakes were so beautiful and delicious, but she threw that rhubarb in there and it just split that buttercream.

Lam: Yeah, I agree.

The frosting looked a little grainy.

Derry: It was delicious.

It's just at this moment in the competition, you can't have one part of your plate lacking.

Ramos: Yeah.

Lam: I want to bring up Mae's cookie.

Derry: Ooh.

Lam: It was probably the most nicely made Chinese almond cookie I've ever had.

Derry: Wow.

Lam: Her control of flavor is so precise and so delicate.

But in that clarity, you could also taste a tiny bit of the baking powder and-- Just the tiniest bit.

Just the tiniest bit.

Derry: Yeah.

Ramos: For sure.

Derry: And we have to talk about Doug's blondie.

It was gorgeous, but there was a lot of everything.

I think Doug could have shown a little bit of restraint on some of those toppings, and it would have been top dish, because the cookie itself was incredible, but it was so much going on.

Ramos: All right, judges, are you all in agreement about who gets the blue ribbon for this bake sale?

Yeah, I think so, yeah.

All right, then, let's bring the cooks back in.

♪ Ramos: Cooks, we asked you to bake your tastiest treat for our "Great American Recipe" bake sale.

Before we get to the favorites this week, the judges want to give a little bit of feedback to a couple of the dishes.

The first dish was... Kim's, with your sourdough rhubarb cupcakes.

We actually really loved the idea and the story behind it, that 120-year-old sourdough starter.

But, as we all saw, the frosting broke a little bit, and so, it had a little bit of the grainy texture.

Yep.

And the other dish that was a little bit lacking today was Doug's.

Your Grandma Wanda's blondies were super delicious, but I think that your dish could have used a little bit of editing.

It didn't need all of the toppings that you put on there.

Thank you.

Now, which bake sale items do you think would sell out in a snap?

The first treat that came out on top was... Tim's.

What?

[Cheering and applause] Your raspberry tartlet reminded me of the little raspberry cookies my mom used to make when I was a kid.

It had the beautiful, crumbly cookie texture.

Overall, delicious, delicious bite that I would definitely buy at the bake sale.

Thank you, Chef.

Thank you.

Derry: Our next favorite treat was... Adjo with your plantain and apple cookies.

Honestly, Adjo, we had never had a cookie quite like this.

The texture that you were able to get by simply using the plantain itself, the apple, the tartness, the crunchy coconut, the chocolate on top, and not one ounce of refined sugar, like, that continues to blow my mind.

It was a really solid bite of a cookie like we've never had before.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Great job, you two, but there can only be one bake sale winner.

Lam: So, our favorite bake sale item was... Tim's.

[Cheering and applause] Tim, you better talk to your wife, man.

Tim: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Laughter] You better thank her.

I will.

Say, "I'm so sorry.

It was a slip of the tongue."

[Laughter] But really, your raspberry tartlets were phenomenal.

From a technical perspective, so crisp, so delicate.

The flavors were all so well-balanced.

I would struggle to think of a bakery that would make a raspberry tartlet that I'd want more than that.

Thank you so much.

Wow.

Give it up here.

I'm going to have to rethink this baking thing, right?

Tim, voice-over: Super elated.

Super happy.

Not only was I in the top twice, but I won the challenge.

Baking is not my forte, but then again, it was my wife's recipe that I used, so, Ashley, thank you.

Thanks for everything.

Ramos: We'll see you next week for more of "The Great American Recipe."

[Cheering and applause] Cooks: Bye.

Marcella: Come on, bestie.

Adjo: OK, bestie.

Ramos, voice-over: Next time on "The Great American Recipe"... We can't wait to taste your special occasion dishes.

Doug, voice-over: It's going to be a celebration.

Derry: I want to feel like I'm special when I eat this because, obviously, this dish is so special to them.

Marcella: Food is the epicenter of all celebrations.

Mae, voice-over: I have a chance to make it to the finale, but I have to up the game.

I want redemption.

Sounds like you guys have come to an agreement.

Yeah.

♪