The next two episodes I am going to write about are my two favorite ones! In both of these I felt both fortunate to get the challenge that I picked and creative making something special out of the ingredients given.
In episode three, I had a roller coaster of emotions. In the first challenge I picked a can of pumpkin and was thrilled to make my Mother's chiffon pie. Working from memory to make the tart, I believe I put too much pumpkin to gelatin and even using the blast chiller it never set up. I was just mortified to have to present this mess to the judges. You have no choice in the matter when they call your name you have to walk up and face the music! With each recipe they want a story and sometimes the story is just your taste buds and you have to kind of make stuff up to make it interesting but for this one I had a heart warming story and I failed. It really sucked...So for the next challenge I was determined to make something spectacular.
The challenge was to put together two classic desserts to make one tasty treat.
I pulled Tiramisu and Bread pudding...bingo! I know exactly what to do... but wait! Amy has the advantage and can switch with anyone she wants. I hold my breath and wait for her decision and she passes me up, YAY! I know exactly how to put these two together.
I run to the shelves and grab the Italian lady fingers, a loaf of brioche, rum, espresso powder, and mascarpone. I am going to make a bread pudding that tastes both of Tiramisu and custardy bread pudding. My heart is pounding as I place the rum and coffee soaked cookies in the ramekins because I am thinking this is going to be good! I could win this one! Then I cut the bread up and begin making my custard to pour over... but wait! Jesse had the twist. It's canned or fresh sweet potatoes. I hesitate thinking about how I can incorporate this twist. Canned sweet potatoes are already cooked and very soft with a sweet light flavor. I can puree them and put it in the custard! This can work!
I decide to use the oven under the stove instead of the convection oven both because I don't have to run to the oven and because this needs to cook slowly in a water bath. I carefully place the pan with water and ramekins into the hot oven. Then I begin to cook the bourbon caramel sauce I'm making to go with my dessert. It comes out perfectly and as I turn off the stove I get a bit confused by the knobs since they are all exactly the same on this range. I find the right one and take my sauce off the stove.
After getting my plates and deciding on how to decorate this dessert, I open the oven to check the status of the pudding. I don't feel any heat when I open the door! I look at the thermometer in the oven and it says 175 degrees! Shit! I must have turned the oven off in my confusion. I pull it out and run it to the convection oven praying it will finish in time. Since it is a hotter oven I am hoping it would finish cooking in the time left.
With 5 minutes on the clock I pull them out and take off the foil covering and they are perfect!
Unfortunately, they didn't post any photos of this dessert so I can not share. But it was a simple plating, with silver and gold sprinkles and chocolate medalion on top.
Facing the judges, I am really scared they won't like it or that it is raw in the middle... after the last failed challenge I need this for my confidence more than anything.
They give me luke warm critique on the presentation. I'm holding my breath. The first bite shows three happy faces and I begin to breathe. They all agree it tastes just like both the Tiramisu and Bread pudding! And they taste the sweet potato too. They love it. Although Lorraine mentions that the brandied cherries I added to the bread pudding layer wasn't adding anything to the dessert. Overall they really loved it and Lorraine said, "I think Breadamisu is going to be a thing!"
I spout out, "Redemption is sweet!!"
We head back out to the judges and my breadamisu wins the round! Unfortunately, this means someone now has to go home. Andra and Aristo are on the bottom. Both talented chefs and great people! Aristo was the one this time and this proved to be controversial on social media. Some thought Andra should go because she had been on the bottom two times before. PEOPLE! this is not how this competition works! They judge from challenge to challenge. What you did in the past has no bearing on the present decision. I am afraid that the torch mark on the cake might have done him in. Aristo is an amazing Chef! He is talented, very witty, and creative. I am so proud to call him my friend!
