- Two, three, four...
- Hello Bakers,
I'm your old pal, Maya Rudolph.
- And I'm Andy Sandberg.
And yes, we are going
to introduce ourselves
by name every single day.
- Here at "Baking It," we love
watching you work together.
So, today we're going to have
you work even more together.
- Together-er.
- Together-est.
In our Short & Sweet
challenge,
we're combining your teams
into two super teams
of six bakers each.
- Cool.
- That's awesome.
- A baker's half dozen.
One super team will be naughty.
The other, get this...
nice.
- Ooh.
- You're nice.
- We've hung stockings
for all six teams
above our fireplace.
- Each stocking contains either
a candy cane or a lump of coal.
Coal means
you're on Team Naughty.
- A candy cane means
you're on Team Nice.
- The two teams
will use items
from our table of naughty
and nice ingredients
to create
their group bakes.
- You look naughty.
- Also, before you ask,
we got you team uniforms.
- Oh, my God.
- You're welcome.
Team Nice, you get halos.
And Team Naughty,
you're straight-up horny.
We don't make the rules.
- We actually do.
Bakers, you will have
one hour to create
your naughty and nice treats.
So...
Let's get baking!
- Whoo!
- Oh, wow.
- Move it or lose it, suckers.
- I think this is us.
- What did we get?
- Oh, candy cane.
- Oh, we're nice!
- We absolutely belong
on Team Nice.
We're nice girls.
- What do we got?
What do we got?
Ahh!
-
I've always wanted
to be naughty.
- I know, me too.
- I've always wanted
to be naughty.
- Who else has got coal?
- It's a lump of coal.
- Yes.
- We named the challenge
Naughty or Nice,
but there's a million things
that have been
called Naughty or Nice,
right?
- Yeah.
There's like
three movies from the '80s
that are called
"Naughty or Nice."
- Prince's backup dancers,
I'm pretty sure
were called that.
- Yeah.
- There was that website
that I caught you
looking at called that.
- I'm thinking lamb.
That's easy to do.
That's quick.
- I can't wait to be
with all the team
because we have
some amazing teammates.
- You know,
Gerard and Shawn,
they bring a lot of spice
to the table.
Biscuits.
- We have a bit of cream--
We could do
cream cheese biscuits.
- Sharon and Mike,
they'll obviously bring
their level
of sophistication.
- I'm thinking something spicy.
Plus we have the horns now.
- Of course, you are.
- And we are all
about flavors too,
so I think
it'll be a great mix.
- I gotta be honest.
It's hard to take you seriously
with your horns.
- I think we should do
something savory with like
a sweeter element though.
- Okay.
We are so excited
to be baking
with Steve and Tom,
and Jonah--
- Jonah and Patrick.
- What's the bake element?
- How about a biscuit?
- Biscuits are good.
I like a biscuit.
- Their baking styles
are so different from ours.
So I think we're going
to learn a lot
from this challenge as well.
- So, let's--so, let's
do a thinly-sliced
piece of fried chicken.
- Like chicken and waffles,
chicken and biscuits.
Yeah.
- That right now?
- We got it?
- Yeah.
- Okay, good.
Ready?
Team Nice!
- It's going down here.
- Let's dump 'em
and roll 'em.
- Do you want to put
a little bit
of parmesan
in that right now?
- Sure,
- Should we do that?
- Absolutely.
How much do you want?
- Hit it till you see it.
Give it like a little mix
and then--
who knows?
Do whatever feels
right in your heart.
- How are you?
Hi.
- Good, how are you?
- Is this Team Nice?
- We're so nice.
Can't you tell?
- I had a feeling.
- Yeah.
- Jessica, what are
you guys making?
- We have a list of ingredients
that we can choose from
that are all nice foods.
So we decide to use
the chicken breast
and we're going to do
a fried chicken and biscuit
with some herb butter
and a little bit of honey.
- Have you ever gotten coal
on Christmas?
- I'm a good girl.
- I had a feeling.
- Yeah.
- Have you ever?
- You know, two days
after Christmas, one time,
my brother was, like,
"Steve, there's one more
Christmas present under
the tree that you forgot."
And I went and opened it up
and it was coal and he did it.
- He really did it?
- Yeah, he did it.
- Um, How do you think
this team is going so far?
- Um, it's great.
- Really great.
- We--I was so excited
when we found out
we were working
with these guys.
We just love them so much.
And they bake a totally
different style than we do.
They're much more, like, fly
by the seat of your pants.
Figure it out as you go.
We're like down to the gram,
so--
- That's interesting.
So you're--
you're baking out
of your comfort zone.
- Yeah, for sure.
- Let's go check on those dudes
breading that raw meat.
- Well, hello.
Welcome to Team Chicken.
- Oh.
What are you guys doing?
- We are dredging chicken
'cause we're going to
fry it later.
- Ooh.
- Yes.
- It's called dredging?
Yes.
- I dredge that term.
- I d--
Oh, dang it, you beat me.
The chicken is dredged
in buttermilk, flour,
and a little bit
of powdered sugar, actually.
- It was a great trick
that Tom taught us.
It will give it
some caramelization on the end.
- Is there a team leader here?
- Yes, Steven.
- Yes.
- Really? Did he--did he--
- He just took it.
- He took it.
- His generation, am I right?
- Yeah, that's how it goes.
- His generation
is very comfortable.
- They just take
and they take--am I right?
- ...we're doing right now.
Look at him.
- Oh, boy.
- I'm just kidding.
I heard my name.
- How do you feel about
taking orders from your son?
- I love it.
- Do you?
- Oh yeah. I've been
giving them all my life.
It's so nice
to be out of that role.
- I see.
You're ready to receive.
- Now, the grandkids,
whatever they want.
- That's the grandparent role
is you ply them with sugar
and then they melt down,
and you take off.
- And then you go home.
- I say, "See you.
Papa loves you!"
- Whenever anybody's
melting down,
I just go, "Papa loves you!"
- So, the butter
that we're gonna do
on top of the biscuits,
we're gonna do black pepper,
a teeny, tiny bit of
cayenne,
and we're thinking about
throwing
one of those peppers in
just for flavor.
- Oh, I love that.
I love that.
- Mike!
- Hey.
- G-Money.
- Hey, what's going on?
- Ooh!
- G-Money!
- What's happening
over here?
- Mmm, someone looks very good
in their horns.
How do you guys feel about, uh,
being on Team Naughty?
- I've always wanted
to be naughty.
- Oh.
- Always.
- Got it.
- Dream of mine.
- Talk to me about
what you guys are making.
- When I saw
those ingredients--
- Ooh.
- I was like, "Let's go."
Team Naughty is about
to blow your mind.
We're making
lamb lollipops
with a spicy sauce
and a cream cheese
pepper biscuit.
- What are you dripping
onto those chops?
- Butter. Butter.
Butter makes it better.
- He said butter.
- Yeah.
- These are
cream cheese biscuits
with black pepper and--
- A little bit of Árbol...
- Whoo-hoo.
- Peppers.
- So they have
a little kick at the end.
- The grannies
can take the heat.
That's why I was asking that.
- I know.
- Well, they're gonna get it,
I think.
- Yeah, we're going to test
their threshold,
I think.
- Hopefully, they like it.
- It actually feels like
the holidays in here right now.
- It does.
- Feels like everyone's
getting together--
- You can hear
the jingle bells.
- That's Andy.
- We are inside a snow globe.
You gonna try
that grain alcohol today?
A little hit of
the grain alco-hool.
- Yeah!
- What is he doing,
tasting things?
- He's tasting
the grain alcohol.
- Oh, my gosh.
It's a little early for that,
isn't it, Andy?
- Is that where the grain
alcohol went?
- Don't worry about it,
Patrick.
- What are you guys making?
- So, we're making the sauces
for our main dish.
We're just gonna tie
everything together
with this--with this...
- Southern-style--
- Southern-style honey glaze.
- Honey glaze.
- In Indian culture
or Trinidadian culture,
we love some curry.
- Do you think it would pair
well with grain alcohol?
'Cause I just had some of that.
- This guy just did--
this guys just did a shot.
- I mean it's 5:00 p.m.
somewhere.
- Right.
- Exactly.
- So both teams
are making biscuits,
uh, because everyone knows
that biscuits transcend
naughtiness or niceness.
- Mm-hmm.
- Also, both are considered
a compliment, like,
"Naughty biscuits"
or "Nice biscuits.'
-
Or like, "Oh, biscuits."
- That's not naughty or nice.
- No, it's just
disappointed and forlorn.
-
Ohh, biscuits.
- I know we've had
a couple of little twists
and surprises so far.
- Mm.
- But today, we're doing
a really big twist.
- Really big twist.
- Massive.
- Huge.
- It's two teams.
Not so much like a twist--
- It's like a gentle curve.
- Being naughty or nice does
not affect the flow of time.
You have five minutes left.
- You're scaring me.
- G, watch your back.
- You got it.
- Right here.
- That is gorgeous.
Just like that.
- Can I have the butter back?
Thanks.
- I've got more peppers
right here for you,
so you don't have
to turn around.
- Thank you.
- Yeah, that's--
that one's too pale.
Want to try these?
- Oh, beautiful.
- This is very naughty.
- This is so naughty.
- We can just go
down the middle
of the herb like that.
- Can you grab that?
Five, four,
three, two, one.
- Time's up.
Whoo.
- Team Naughty on three.
One, two, three,
Team Naughty!
- Wow.
- Oh my, oh my.
- Team Naughty, Team Nice,
please bring down your bakes.
- All right, here we go.
- Oh, wow.
- Oh, yeah.
- Hello, dear.
- Hi.
- Oh, I was talking to
the chicken.
- Oh, my goodness.
- This is gorgeous.
- Smells wonderful.
- Team Nice,
tell us what you made.
- So we made
a buttermilk biscuit
with fried chicken.
- Chicken and biscuits, Ann.
God!
- I know, I know, I know.
- I could grow old
on fried chicken.
- You could grow old?
- They can put it
on my tombstone.
"She loved fried chicken."
You know?
- Let's take a taste.
- Okay.
- I love a good biscuit.
Don't you?
- That fried chicken is tasty.
Nicely spiced,
that hint of sweetness.
It really gives it
a great flavor.
Doesn't it?
- What is your batter?
- Flour, white pepper,
salt, buttermilk,
and then powdered sugar.
And then frozen for about
five minutes in the freezer.
- Frozen?
- Put it in the freezer
for five minutes.
- So the freezer sets it.
- Yeah.
- I didn't even know that.
- I would've just liked
a little more
of that sweetness.
- Yeah.
- But what'd you use
for the, um, biscuit?
Lard? Butter?
- Both.
- Both?
It's really good,
and it's very flaky.
- I'm surprised
they're not floating.
- Flavorful but light.
And your sauce
on the fried chicken,
excellent.
- Stephanie.
- You scored a hit.
The flavors come through
loud and clear.
- Thank you.
- Well done job.
- Thank you.
- Good job, y'all.
- Good job.
- Okay.
Well, now that we've had nice,
maybe a little naughty
might be fun.
- Yes.
- So what we have
for you here
are some cream cheese
black pepper biscuits,
and the lamb chops.
- Lamb chops?
Come on now.
- Time to get dirty.
- Um, make sure you get
everything.
- I'm gonna
give you some onions.
There you go.
- You can put a little bit
more onions 'cause they--
- Don't take them from mine.
- No, they got
some all over the plate.
- Now, children,
you must share.
- This is Grannies Gone Wild.
- Uh-huh.
- Oh, my.
Mmm-mm-mm.
Those biscuits are so peppery--
- And so light.
- They're so good.
- The pepper comes through
so beau--
I mean, it opened up
my sinuses,
just taking a bite.
- Nice.
- They're abs--
It's delicious.
- Oh, thank you.
- And light, fluffy, airy.
- I can see you know--you know
your lamb chops.
- Yes, I do.
- Because I'm
a lamb chop connoisseur.
- Okay.
- Probably would have
took it out at 1...maybe 42.
- 142 and let it keep--
- Yeah.
'Cause I just like mine
just a little bit more rare.
Other than that,
I'd eat them every day.
- Thank you.
Thank you.
- I'd like a little more sauce
because I'm a sauce girl.
- There's sauce on the plate,
actually.
- There we go.
- Oh, my God.
- Look at that.
Look at that.
- Uh-oh.
- There we go.
- Oh, yeah, oh, yeah.
- Called it.
- Uh-huh.
- Oh, God, oh, God.
- Naughty.
- I love it.
- You know, we try to stay
pretty non-denominational
on the show, but, uh,
on this one in particular,
we're just going straight
biblical angels and demons.
- Yeah, devils from hell.
- Just like angelic angels
and then just demons.
Just straight-up devils,
you know, from down below.
- You did a good job
of contrasting
that tempting lamb chop
with that sweet
and tender fried chicken
on his biscuit.
So it's really
a nice contrast.
You guys did a really good job.
- It's a very good contrast.
- They were both
beautifully-ex*cuted biscuits.
- But it's amazing
that they're so different.
- They're so different.
- I mean, the biscuit--
a good biscuit i--
I could live in a good biscuit.
I could go to sleep
in a good biscuit.
- Truly naughty with
the pepper in it, you know.
And of course, y'all angels...
good?
What--what is it?
- Nice.
- Nice. Nice.
Nice, Harriet, nice, nice!
They're just floating away
just like a cloud.
So you both hit your ball,
but now we have to make
a decision.
- This is gonna
be really hard.
- Could have used
a little more fondant,
but we'll talk
about that later.
We're staring down the barrel
of biscuit versus biscuit.
- And it's anyone's game.
- I'm not a betting man,
but if I were,
I'd put my money on biscuits.
- You both did an amazing job,
and this was not easy.
The winner
of this competition...
You devils are something else.
- Yeah!
- It was a hair to hair,
or biscuit to biscuit
all the way.
- There you go.
- And I think
it was the black pepper
that, for me, in the biscuit,
that really pushed it over.
Okay. Let's go.
Wait, where's my--
what did I do with my--
- I don't know, you left it--
- This?
- Oh!
Oh, this is my life story.
Look, I promise
I was just trying
to take it back to my room.
- Is that chicken?
- That's chicken.
- Straight up chicken
in the purse.
- Doesn't everybody keep
chicken in their purse?
- Come on up and get
your naughty and nice brooches.
- Bravo, guys.
- It was beautiful.
- Thank you so much.
- Y'all did an awesome job.
- Lovely.
- I think what was cool
is that we really broke
our teams up completely.
And so we were able
to work with people
we hadn't worked with before,
and that was cool.
- That was fun.
- Team Naughty!
- Bakers for your
Pie in the Sky challenge,
you are going to descend
into a world
of mysterious merriment
and hidden holiday cheer.
- We're playing...
Secret Santa!
And since you didn't get
a last-minute gift
at the pharmacy
around the corner,
you're going to
have to improvise.
- You have two hours
to bake a gift
for one
of your fellow baking teams
named in a card
we put on your table.
- Who's baking a gift for you?
You won't know.
- Who are you baking for?
No one knows!
- Whoa.
- Other than you
and everyone watching,
but who is watching?
- Santa, but secretly.
-
- Which means
it's Secret Santa time, yo.
- Once again...
let's get baking!
- Who do we have?
- Do we know what they like?
- Yes.
- Okay, here we go.
- What if we make like a Santa
to go with the elf
that they made
on their cake last?
- I love Secret Santa because
it gives me an opportunity
to learn a little bit more
about whoever my person is.
And to be able
to find a gift for them
that captures
their personality
or things that they love.
And I think that it makes
the receiver feel special.
Why do I keep spilling milk
over here?
- I'm pretty good
at keeping secrets.
What about you?
- Um, pretty bad.
Here, let's test it out.
Tell me a secret.
- Um, I have, uh, six toes
on my, right--
I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
- No, it's cool.
- You know,
the holidays are always
about, uh, family
and tradition.
But you know
what else they're about?
- What?
- Games and fun.
So today we're gonna
mix it up
and have some fun
with the bakers.
- Jinx.
- Oh my God!
- What were the odds
of that whole sentence
lining up perfectly?
- Amazing.
- Making gifts
for the holidays
is one
of our favorite traditions.
And so it'll be so fun
to, like,
bring that here to a challenge.
- I want to use
fresh strawberries.
That's what what's about.
- Oh, okay. Yeah.
- What are you guys
making today?
- We are making, uh,
candles, actually.
- We got Jonah and Patrick
for our Secret Santa.
- We are making a candle
out of lemon cake.
The insides are gonna be
strawberry and pecan,
and the icing outside
is going to be
lightly flavored
with peppermint.
When we think gifts, um,
you know,
Shawn and I think of candles.
- We like making candles.
- Yeah.
We're losing all kinds
of credibility here, but--
- Nobody's supposed
to know this.
- Yeah, nobody's supposed to--
it sounds like
a crazy hobby, but it's cool,
and it's very relaxing.
We're stacking
four 4-inch cakes
and we'll paint them
with, uh, the rainbow colors
to represent their pride.
So--
- That's beautiful.
- Yeah, it is.
- Excuse me, guys.
- Uh-oh.
- Unbelievable!
- I don't know where--
It hits me hard.
- There you go.
Are you good gift-givers?
Are you good gift receivers?
- I truly just appreciate
anything that people give me.
- If I made a terrible cake
and I mean, like,
wet and undercooked,
you'd be psyched?
- I would not eat it,
but I would be psyched
that you took the time
to do it for me.
That's just how I am.
You know what I'm saying?
- That's a great attitude.
- I can't crap
on people's efforts.
- A thank you is enough, right?
- Maya, what's the best gift
you've ever gotten?
- I remember very clearly
when my parents gave me
Mork's suspenders
for Christmas.
- That is a good gift.
- Very.
- Is that real?
- Yes, it was so exciting.
And I ran upstairs 'cause
my parents were still in bed.
I was like, "Thank you so much.
Thank you so much.
Thank you so much."
- Yeah.
- It was really exciting.
I'm gonna try to guess
who you got.
Let's check
and see if I'm right.
- Okay.
- Tell me who you think is.
- I was wrong.
- Were you wrong?
- Yep.
- Yeah, she was wrong.
- Our Secret Santa team
is Tom and Steve.
I know that they like
French pastries.
So we're preparing
two different flavors
of cream puffs,
one that's
an eclair-inspired flavor,
and then
a pistachio-inspired flavor,
both with
whipped cream
and a glittered cherry
on the top.
- Did you pipe these?
That's--
- So they bake up beautifully
when they're piped like this.
- That's an egg wash, right?
- You got it.
That's right.
- Our Secret Santa
is Niyati and Abhi.
They are the sweetest couple.
There's some people
that you meet in life
and just love radiates
off of them.
And they are those people.
So I think the
two flavors
that will really speak
to Niyati and Abhi
are the lemon, because
lemons originate from India,
and we are adding
some floral elements
like rose and
wild blueberry sugar.
I want to make sure
we get it right
'cause I would be so upset
to give them something
that wasn't good.
This thing's really rising.
- Oh, is that normal?
- Nope.
But we'll see what happens.
I'm encroaching upon
a little bit of panic
looking at this meringue.
It is fluffing up way too much.
I think I might have put in
too much cream of tartar.
It's starting to look
like a cloud is coming
out of the bowl.
Um, but we don't have time
to do it over again.
I need to use what I have
and just hope for the best.
We're nervous because
we're having a little bit
of imposter syndrome.
- Why?
- Because the technical skill
of some of the people here
is so incredible.
And I feel a little foolish.
- Let me tell you something.
I'm going to speak
for myself and say,
I've personally had
imposter syndrome
in places where I worked.
I don't think
that's a bad thing.
I think we all go
through that at one point.
- I think it just makes
you work harder.
And the thing
that you don't know
is that you are amazing
in your own way,
and that they can't do
what you do.
Everyone here is so good.
The food has been really good.
- Thank you.
- What he's trying to tell you
is we love you guys.
- Aww.
- It was nice to talk
to Jonah today
about the imposter syndrome.
It was kind of like
a nice opportunity
to let him know
that's something that I think
a lot of people experience.
And we are seeing
how great he is
and hearing somebody
doubt themselves,
it's a nice opportunity
to say, you know,
"I've been in your shoes."
Like, I think a lot of people
have imposter syndrome.
Have you ever had it?
- For sure.
I'm having it right now.
- What are you guys making?
- Strawberry rhubarb hand pies.
- Yum. I hope you got us.
- Tom used to live
right by a rhubarb field.
And when he was a kid, he would
run out and eat rhubarb raw.
- Oh, my gosh.
- I'm just kidding,
that's a lie.
But that's a good story, right?
- Yeah.
- Zapato!
- Hi, you guys.
- Baby Zapatos!
- Baby.
- What are you guys making?
- Strawberry hand pies.
- Strawberry rhubarb
hand pies.
- So our Secret Santa is--
- Is Stephica.
- Is Stephica.
The goal of this bake is
to give Stephanie and Jessica
a little bite of our home.
Around the holidays
is when people expect sweets
from the O'Learys.
We always have pies.
So we're gonna do
a strawberry rhubarb hand pie.
We're going to have
a little side sauce
of orange curd.
- We have not perfected
hand pies.
- We always have issues
sealing hand pies
when we make them.
- So we're going on
a limb on this.
But we think this'll just
give them a little comfort
that this is a home-cooked
little baked good for them.
- And really, we just want them
to feel loved.
And we'll just put these in
and pray for the best,
and pray they work.
- It rose like crazy.
I'm not exactly sure
what's going on with this pie.
And so I undo the spring form,
and the thing splits,
and it looks like
it's been struck by lightning.
I put it back together,
I put it back in the freezer,
I try to reset.
It's not gonna work.
- Do you want to wrap it
or cover it?
- Vanilla extract.
Do you want to put it in this?
- No, that's it.
- I am gonna guess
that you're making donuts.
- Yes.
- Yes, that's correct.
We are making
Christmas spiced donuts.
For our Secret Santa,
you've picked Gerard and Shawn.
Since this is
a baking competition,
we are making baked
Christmas donuts for them.
Normally donuts
are fried.
- But we have a lot of spices
infused inside it
and we would like
to give a personalized touch
to our gifts
for Gerard and Shawn.
- I know Gerard is into music.
- For Shawn,
he loves basketball.
- We'll add a basketball
on one of the donuts.
- You know, you could give them
one of your brooches
'cause you're the only team
with an extra.
- I know.
- Ah, it feels amazing.
- You guys are kind of
k*lling it right now.
- It feels amazing.
I can't express.
Like, I never thought,
you know, we'll have--
forget two, I never thought
we'd have one, but--
- I'm just gonna start up
a new term and say like,
"You look pretty broochy."
- Okay.
- Yeah.
You're very abrooch-able.
- You really are a dad.
- I am literally.
The second my daughter
was born,
my jokes got, like, 50% worse.
- They got incredibly corny.
- And it was a good trade.
Do it any day of the week.
- Christmas red should be
the right color.
- Are those pepperoni?
- You wish.
- Yeah, you wish.
- It's strawberry chocolate.
- What?
- So, if we have enough time,
we're gonna try to make
these little hats
out of strawberry couverture.
So it's strawberry powder,
cocoa butter, and sugar.
What are you guys making?
- Um, so, we are making
Santa Claus religieuse,
which are
double-decker cream puffs.
- Religieuse.
- It's pretty fun, isn't it?
So we have Sharon and Mike,
and we want to make something
very decorative and cute
for her
to go with her elf,
and it was so cute.
- Yeah, on the last bake.
- So we decided to do
a Santa cream puff.
- We're going to fill it
with an orange chocolate
crème diplomate
because we used to always get
chocolate oranges
in our stockings,
so that just feels like
a Christmas flavor to us.
And, um, just make them
into a little Santa Claus
to keep her little elf company.
- How are you making this
for them?
- Um, so, these are
the little heads,
the Santa heads,
and then we have
little Santa bodies under--
that will go underneath them.
- Uh, when I got my vaccine,
I got the Santa bodies.
- Boom. That was--
- Take a lap.
- That was good.
Keep going.
- That was actually
really impressive,
I'm not gonna lie.
- That was a good one!
Like, sometimes puns
are just really great.
- I'm so tired now.
- Wow, those really
popped over.
So these were, like,
getting way too done.
I want to run them back
in the oven to see
if I can dry them out a bit.
This is a nightmare right here.
- There's some
bad-looking donuts.
- You want to
make another batch?
I can make it real fast.
- Oh, yeah.
These are gorgeous.
Look at all these.
- You want strawberries,
grandmas?
Y'all get strawberries.
- Build that fortress.
- You gonna get it.
- Hey.
Hey.
- Secret Santa.
We used to do it in school
when I taught school.
- I love Secret Santas.
That's my favorite thing to do.
I love seeing people's face
when you surprise them
with the present.
- I always personalize it
to that person
so when they look at it,
I took the time to say,
"Hey, she really
is thinking about me."
- One of them
plays keyboard a lot.
So if we can make a keyboard,
that will be amazing.
- How personal they actually
are gonna be?
Are they gonna be
generic gifts?
Or are they gonna be
personalized gifts?
- You know
how detail-oriented I am.
- No, you don't think--
- Yeah, right.
So the presentation
is gonna be really important.
And it's gotta taste good.
- The execution of something
is really important too.
'Cause you can have
the greatest idea
and the greatest recipe,
but if you can't
execute it properly--
- You can't bring it to life.
- You can't--that's right.
Exactly.
If you can't bring it to life,
it's a loss.
It's a failure.
So it's gonna be
really interesting to see
how their Secret Santa
gifts translate
to what they found--
in what they found out
about each other.
- If you were going
to bake something
that was to represent me,
what would it be?
- Um...
- Pineapple pizza.
- Sorry, what?
- Pineapple pizza.
Pineapple pizza.
- I guess I would, like--
I think I'd make, like,
a pineapple pizza.
- Yes!
- If you had to make
something for me,
what do you think it would be?
Pineapple pizza.
Pineapple pizza.
Pineapple pizza.
- Maybe like...
pineapple pizza?
- Yes!
Can I tell you a secret?
You have 30 minutes left!
- Okay.
- Something smells good.
- Aw, those are so cute.
- We're going to have plenty
to fill all the way
if you want.
- Start filling
all the way then.
- Guys,
how are you coming along?
- Almost there.
- We're in there.
- Awesome, awesome, awesome.
- We're in the game.
- How's the piping going?
- I just want to make sure
they're full enough.
- Doing good, doing good,
doing good.
- Hey, so what's
going on with the--
- It's just not setting--
it's--I need it
in the freezer until, like,
the last possible second.
We feel very, very insecure.
If we cannot figure out
a hack for this pie,
we are not gonna have a gift
for Abhi and Niyati,
and we are going
to feel horrible.
- Could you put it in
individual ramekins right now?
And flame the top.
- I feel like Tom and Steve
are embodying
the holiday spirit right now.
- Maybe.
- There's ramekins up there.
I know there are
ramekins up there.
You can just say in do--
instead of doing one big pie...
- You're doing
eight little ones.
- There are
such time constraints
on this challenge
that they should really be
using every second
on themselves, but they aren't,
they're helping us.
I am just incredibly grateful
and in awe of the kindness
that just emanates from them.
- Basically,
we're deconstructing it
and trying to reconstruct it
into eight smaller desserts.
- This could save it.
- It's almost time.
- Three here.
- We've got a grater?
You know what?
No, we don't have time.
Forget it.
- How many is that?
- Uh, it's seven.
- This will work.
Five, four,
three, two, one.
- Time's up.
Oven mitts off!
- Hands up.
Everybody, clap your hands.
You did it.
- Whoo!
- Oh, my goodness.
- So festive.
- Oh, look at this.
-
- Whoo.
- Okay, Steve and Tom,
will you please
bring up your bake?
- Hello again.
- Hello.
- Wow.
- Oh, my.
- Lovely.
- These are strawberry rhubarb
hand pies with orange curd.
So our Secret Santa recipients
are Stephanie and Jessica.
Yes!
- And we decided that they're
so used to eating chocolate,
we thought
we'll give them fruit.
- Great thought.
Well, that's
what you say to kids.
You're like,
"I know you love chocolate,
so I'm gonna give you fruit."
- Goes over
like gangbusters.
- It does.
- And don't forget the curd.
- The orange curd
is meant to be kind of
poured over the top,
like drizzled,
like you would a scone.
- Oh, I can handle that.
I mean, the crust is terrific,
and the flavor--
I mean, really, really good.
Delicious.
Do you have orange zest
in here?
- Orange zest, yeah.
- It's great.
Really good.
- Yeah.
- It is delicious.
I love the taste I can--
you know, the strawberries
and rhubarb,
it comes through,
but give me some more.
- It's so delicious.
You do want more of it.
- Have you done
this before?
- We've been working
on the hand pies.
But it's--we have not
perfected it yet.
- Well, I would say you did.
- I mean, we'd--we'd like
to put more fruit in it
if we could,
but it's a difficult task,
because it starts to spill
as you're crimping.
- I'm making a face here.
This is
my "I can't speak" face.
That pastry is just perfect.
You guys nailed it.
You just nailed it.
I mean, the flavors
are so balanced.
I mean, anyone who got this
would have to be
really flattered to have
something this wonderful
given to them.
- Thank you.
- Jessica and Stephanie,
how's does it taste?
- It's really good. The pastry
is, like, super flaky.
You can hear the crunch
when you bite into it.
It's my favorite
Christmas present this year.
- Mm-hmm.
- Aww, how sweet.
- I like pie so much
that, um, I'm gonna--
I'm gonna eat this whole thing.
- Okay, Niyati and Abhi.
- Oh, wow.
- Look at this.
- Wow.
- Wow, that is so pretty.
- Our Secret Santa
is Gerard and Shawn.
And since they are
from New York,
we baked some donuts for them,
which are Christmas donuts.
They are all about the spice,
so we added ginger, nutmeg,
and cinnamon.
- Thank you.
- We also added
a little touch
to their likes, their hobbies.
- Look at Rudolph.
- Aww.
- I'm right here.
- Cute.
- That's fondant on
the top, correct?
- Yeah.
- You gotta cut it
Just a little thinner.
- Yeah.
- Mmm.
- Mmm. It's so nice.
- It's wonderful.
- I don't want to sound
too negative,
but it's
a little on the dry side,
but maybe that's just me.
- Okay.
- Cinnamon, nutmeg
can be kind of hot,
you know, if it's not
balanced out correctly,
but it's perfect.
- Thank you.
- Gerard and Shawn,
how's it tasting?
- I'm tasting the spices.
- Mm-hmm.
- Good texture.
I like it.
- Yeah.
- I love that you made it
so personal.
It makes us feel good
that you have all bonded, so...
- Yeah, I mean the bond
which we've shared with them
over the past few days,
it's been amazing.
- You know, it just showed.
- They're like family for life.
- But thank you.
This was beautiful.
- Thank you.
Thank you so much.
- Thank you.
- Look at that.
-
- We made a very special treat
for our two new friends,
Tom and Steve.
- Yeah.
- We know that Steve's
specialty is French pastries.
And so we decided
to do a choux pastry
with a vanilla bean
cream patisserie.
And then we also did pistachio
because we think of pistachio
as kind of a treat.
These are just
kind of our fun little homage
to our new friends.
- This is
a little hard here.
- Didn't knock my socks off,
but it tastes good.
Don't get me wrong.
- Thank you.
- The puddings? Tch.
Terrific, terrific.
So I'm enjoying it very much.
- Thank you very much.
- Thank you. Thank you.
- The filling
is just wonderful.
The only thing I'm going to
ask you about
is your choux--
for me, it's a bit tough.
The coloring is
a little bit too dark
and it's just a bit bready
on the outside.
- How's it tasting there,
Tom and Steve?
- It's delicious.
The pastry cream
on the inside's unbelievable.
- Thank you so much.
It was such a treat
to see it taste this.
- Thank you.
-
- Hello, grandmas.
Hello.
- So, around Christmas time,
Shawn and I enjoy candle-making
among all the other
crazy things that we do.
So that's what we wanted
to give
our Secret Santa,
Jonah and Patrick.
- Jonah and Patrick.
- Yeah.
- We just wanted them
to know
that we really, really
appreciate them
being who they are
and being outward
and brave about who they are.
- So those are colors of pride,
and that's what we wanted
to share with them.
- Exactly.
The cake is in fact,
a lemon-flavored cake.
Inside are fresh strawberries
and walnuts.
On the outside, you're gonna
have a buttercream
that has a little bit
of a peppermint flavor.
Just to remind us
of the holidays a little bit.
- The icing could have been
just a little bit cleaner.
You know I'm nitpicky.
The details
are really important.
- Yeah, no, no, no.
- We appreciate it.
- It's not too moist.
It's not too dry.
And you get just a hint
of peppermint,
which is perfect.
- Jonah and Patrick,
how does it taste?
- Made with love.
-
It's perfect.
- Good job, gentlemen.
- You know, I'm actually
a very good gift receiver.
- Really?
- Mm-hmm.
- Well, here.
There you go.
- Maya!
Ah!
- It's nothing.
- It is nothing!
- Mm-hmm.
- I love it.
- Thank you.
- Where did you get this?
- Nowhere.
- Is there a receipt?
- There is a gift receipt.
- Okay, cool.
- What's the best gift
you've ever given?
- Ooh, gosh.
Um, life?
- That's real.
Think about it.
- What about you?
- I don't know.
Probably just cash.
- Mm.
Jessica and Stephanie,
please bring us your bake.
Aww.
- Give me a break.
That is so cute.
- Look at that.
- Isn't that adorable?
- So we made these
Secret Santas
for our Secret Santa,
Sharon and Mike,
because when they made
their cake,
they had that cute little elf
out of fondant
and we thought
he might be missing Santa.
- Aww.
- Aww.
- Thank you.
- So religieuse is
a double-decker cream puff.
It has
an orange creme diplomat
that's made with chocolate.
And then the hat is made
out of freeze-dried
strawberry powder, sugar,
and cocoa butter.
- So this is
strawberry chocolate?
- Yeah.
- Look.
- I think perfect.
- It looks good on you.
- I was surprised how soft
it is, how light it is.
- Well, y'all know
I'm all about the details.
- Yes.
- The piping
on the Santa Claus.
Maybe if you have used
a smaller tip,
you could see the detail more.
- Yeah.
- But overall, very good.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
- Well, girls, you will not see
this very often,
but you get two snaps up
and a clap for more
on this one.
And I save that
for very special recipes.
This is so yummy.
- Oh, thank you.
- Wow. Thank you.
- Mike and Sharon,
how does it taste?
- It's very good.
- It's very good.
- Do you think
it should win?
- Jonah and Patrick?
- Wow.
- So what we are putting
in front of you
is Spanish lemon meringue
bites.
- Oh, wow.
- Our Secret Santa
is Abhi and Niyati.
- And we wanted to hopefully
give them something
that pays respect
for their taste.
Food historians think that
lemons originated from India.
Also the candied peels
on the top,
we cooked them
in wild blueberry sugar...
- Wild blueberry sugar?
- Because we wanted to give you
something somewhat familiar,
but something
a little different.
- Looking at it.
It's not the prettiest.
- Yeah.
- Just some little details,
but I'm telling you,
it's really tasty.
- Thank you.
- I have to say
it's very hard to do
lemon meringue pie
because getting that balance
is really a difficult thing.
To make it sweet and yet get
that little bit
of tartness as well.
And I think you guys did
a brilliant job of doing that.
This is delicious.
- It's great,
and I think it was
a perfect thing that you made.
- Thank you so much.
- Thank you.
- Niyati and Abhi,
how does it taste?
- Amazing.
- Amazing, very delish.
- Very good.
- I agree.
Now it's time for our grannies
to reveal who was
the superior Secret Santa.
Grannies, who gifted
the best gift?
- Well, as usual,
this was a tough one.
When you think about the idea
of Secret Santa,
they read their team
that they were giving
the present to dead on.
The winners are...
- Andy and Maya. Andy and Maya.
Andy and Maya.
- Andy and Maya.
Andy and Maya. Andy and Maya.
- Jessica and Stephanie.
Y'all, you blew us away.
This cap, I mean,
just starting at the top
and going all the way through.
I mean, it was just
absolutely adorable.
You can't cry too much
'cause I don't have my Kleenex
with me right now.
Come get your brooch.
Come on. Come get it.
Here you go.
- That's so cute.
- Oh, my gosh, it's Santa!
Thank you so much.
- Today has been
the most amazing day.
It was so fun to do
the team competition.
- Great job.
- Congratulations.
- And then to get this
in the end, like,
I'm gonna be flying high
for a really long time.
- Yeah, the best day.
- Yeah, for sure.
- He's so cute.
- You all did such
amazing work.
This gets harder and harder
as the show goes on.
For the grannies.
For us, it's just the same
amount of sad, which is a lot.
- So, Harriet, who has to leave
our holiday chalet?
- Bakers have bad days.
It doesn't take away
what they've done,
but unfortunately,
someone will be going home
and that team will be...
Sharon and Mike.
It was not an easy decision.
And I think at the bottom,
the choux wasn't up
to our standards.
But you have nothing to be sad
about, only to be proud.
You have a tremendous ability
to create,
and you're going to go on
to do many great things.
But you're not going to get out
of here without a hug from me.
- Honestly,
I just feel crushed.
I think it's just bittersweet
in that we've had so much fun
and we've had
lots of memories made.
- Oh, please, please,
don't do that.
- No, no, it's fine.
And just laughing so hard
with our fellow bakers.
And everything else
is going to fade away,
but that is the lasting
impression for me.
- This has been
an experience like no other.
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