MasterChef Junior (2013) s07e09 Episode Script
Junior Edition Pasta Race
- Announcer: Last time - Christina! - Look at her hair.
- Oh, Gordon.
It still fits.
- when the top 12 - Canned tuna.
faced an ingredient from Gordon's childhood How do you make us believe that this dish didn't come from a can? - Malia rose to the top.
- Wow! It's like it's just come out of Japanese restaurant.
Brilliant job.
But it was the end of the road Promise me you're gonna continue cooking.
for Kyle and Brielle.
Kids: Bye! Tonight We need more flour! - the top ten - Go, go, go! - Keep pulling it! - are stretched to the limit in a high stakes team challenge.
We get to pour marinara sauce on Gordon Ramsay's head.
( kids scream and laugh ) - And then - Ãclairs.
- Oh, my God.
- an elimination test with a shocking result.
We are gonna do something that we've never done before on "MasterChef Junior.
" No! Whoa! What is this? What's going on? Sadie: I run into the MasterChef kitchen and the setup has completely changed.
- Kids: What? - Whoa! There's like a giant checkered banner behind the judges and they're all in these fancy, white suits.
- Oh, my gosh! Oh, my gosh! - Oh, my! And there are these long tables with measurements on them, and I'm really confused, but really excited.
How cool is this? Kids: So cool! Do you think Aarón looks like the Mexican James Bond? - No.
- ( laughs ) Now, every time we enter this kitchen, it's an event.
So, tonight, we came dressed for dinner.
'cause tonight we are gonna do something that we've never done before on "MasterChef.
" We are going to have a race.
Christina: But it's not a running race or a go-kart race.
- Oh! - Oh, no.
It will be a pasta race.
What? Sadie: I've never heard of a pasta race but I eat a lot of pasta.
I am kind of a "carbaterian.
" So, whatever it is, I think I can do it.
Tonight, you're gonna be working in three teams of three.
Now, I have a jar of dried pasta.
There's red, yellow, or green, and one black piece of pasta.
The color of pasta you randomly choose will determine what team you're on.
But if you pick the one black piece of pasta, you'll be safe from elimination.
( kids gasp ) Home cooks, come on forward.
Che: I really wanna get the black pasta.
- Jaala.
- That's a big deal.
Especially at this stage of the competition.
- Che.
- If I'm safe, that means I go straight to top eight and I would love for that to happen! - Last one.
- Awesome.
- Good job, Ivy.
- All right.
All right, home cooks, it's time to put yourselves in teams.
Green, yellow, red, and if you're the VIP home cook, over to the side, please.
( overlapping chatter ) Okay, Ivy, you got the one black piece of pasta.
That means that you are safe from elimination tonight.
Head up to that balcony for a front row seat.
Come on, off you go.
Ivy: Oh, my gosh! This feels amazing! I am safe from elimination and now I'm in the top eight.
I am so excited.
I'm so happy.
So, white aprons off.
Team aprons on, please, let's go.
Right, now we have our teams.
Green team Malia, Jaala, Reid.
On the yellow team Matthew, Rhashad, Che.
On red team Aaron, Ben, and Sadie.
All right, it's time to explain the rules of a pasta race.
In fact, why don't I show you how it's done.
( gasps ) What's going on? All right, home cooks.
Now, rolling out pasta.
Pretty simple, right? Kids: Yes, Chef.
Now, your teams are each going to have to try and be the first team to go 24 feet of a single pasta sheet.
Now, I'm an old hand at rolling out pasta.
So, just gonna give it a try, see how far I can get.
- Aarón, can you help? - Of course.
All right, let's just get a little flour going here.
All right, here we go.
Nice.
Great job, Chef.
I have never made pasta before.
So it's amazing that I get to see one of the top chefs show us how to roll pasta.
- Ooh-wee! - Here we go.
Plenty of flour.
You're doing great, Chef.
Keep it going.
- Wow! - Whoa! Oh, oh, oh, oh! - Aarón, don't let it tear.
- Ben, come over here and help me out, buddy.
So stand right Kind of behind me.
I did not know pasta could go this far.
All right, let's go, Aarón.
Stop slowing me down! Christina's just rolling and rolling and rolling and rolling.
- This is incredible.
- Look at this.
Christina, you are unreal, Chef! I'm on a roll.
Let's go! You're a machine! This just keeps going and going and going and going.
Aarón, you're gonna rip it! Don't rip it! You're ripping it! It's strong, it's strong.
Don't worry.
( laughs ) I had never seen a pasta this long, I have never heard of a pasta this long, and I think it's the longest piece of pasta I'll ever see.
Oh, my Lord! He's on the balcony! This is some good organic eggs.
Christina Tosi, you have broken the world record of rolling pasta dough.
- Matthew.
- Yes.
- Where's Aarón? - I have no clue! Has anyone seen Aarón? Kids: No, Chef.
- ( grunts ) - Gordon: Oh, my goodness! Oh, my gosh! ( laughs ) How crazy is that? What? Christina: Well, let me tell you.
It's about to get three times crazier because in a moment it's your turn.
( gasps ) Oh! Home cooks, head to your starting line.
- Whoo! - Whoo-hoo! Ben: I've made a lot of pasta back in Morristown, New Jersey.
I've made ravioli, linguini, fettuccini, and spaghetti.
So I'm really confident right now.
Listen closely.
You will all be rolling out giant sheets of pasta.
You need to get one solid sheet all the way to the finish line.
Gordon: Now, even though rolling pasta may seem simple, there's a ton of skill involved.
Too wet, it's gonna clog up.
Too dry, it's gonna break.
Aarón: If your pasta breaks, you have to start over.
- Kids: Oh! - So, please be careful as you work with that sheet of pasta.
At your stations you've got plenty of pasta dough and you also have a very sturdy pasta roller.
The first team that past-a that finish line - ( groans ) - will not have to cook in the next challenge.
Whoa! Aarón: What that means is three young home cooks will be safely through to the next stage of the competition.
Green team, if you reach the finish line first, you can pour garlicky pesto sauce all over Aarón.
- ( kids cheer ) - We're gonna get you.
- No.
- I'm sorry.
Yellow team, you'll be racing to get cheese sauce all over Christina's hair.
- Oh, yeah! - Oh! Red team, you'll be working as fast as you can to pour tomato sauce all over me.
( kids cheer ) Aaron: Oh, my God, if we win, we get to pour marinara sauce on Gordon Ramsay's head.
Gordon, you better have your fancy hairstylist on speed dial because she's gonna have a lot of work to do.
Right, teams, are we ready? Kids: Yes, Chef! Start rolling your pasta - now! - Go, go, go! Let's go! Come on, guys, come on.
Roll, roll, roll, roll.
- Roll it, roll it.
- Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Roll, roll, roll! Come on, come on.
- Come on, come on.
- I think that's good.
No, no, no.
A little bit thinner.
Just go like this.
Come on, guys.
Start, start, start, start rolling.
- Okay, it's ready.
- Okay, I got you, Ben.
Other way, other way, try the other way.
Yep, there it goes.
Green team's strategy is to go as fast as a cheetah.
We're gonna go super fast.
More flour, more flour.
Jaala: No matter what happens we're gonna win this challenge so Aarón can get pesto all over his pretty white suit.
Come on, green team! Yellow, you can do it! Flour! We need more flour! We need more flour! - We need - I already I floured it, Matthew.
You have to be really careful in this challenge that the pasta dough is not too wet and not too dry.
You put too much flour on it, it's gonna be too dry.
It's gonna crack easily.
Don't make cracks.
It's getting cracky.
Not enough flour in it, it's gonna be moist and wet and then it's just gonna get clogged.
Do not wet this.
I really wanna win this challenge because I think it'd be hilarious to have Christina covered in cheese sauce.
Gordon: Yellow team, come on! Come on, come on, come on! - Come on, Malia.
- Keep on going, keep on going.
Gently.
Don't let it break.
Keep pulling it.
Aarón, the green team are hitting eight feet.
Keep it going, green team.
They're already that far.
Nice.
It is absolute chaos in the MasterChef kitchen.
We are close behind the green team.
Hey, yeah, Ben.
Nice.
Crank it, crank it, crank it! Go, go, go, go! Aaron: We are pasta warriors and we are in the battlefield ready to take on anyone who thinks their pasta will be longer than ours.
Aarón: Red team is at 15 feet, Gordon.
Christina: Gordon, I'd get a little nervous, if I were you.
Come on, get some elbow grease into it! Reid, pull it! Pull! - Pull it! - Oh, we're almost there! Guys, come on, we're almost there.
We gotta go, we gotta go, we gotta go.
Go, go, go, Jaala.
Jaala, fast, fast, fast! Keep going, green team.
Aarón, green team, 20 feet.
- Fast, fast.
- Oh, no! Look out, Aarón.
Green team's coming for you! - Go, go, go! - ( Aarón screams ) ( kids scream ) We did it! I told you! Jaala: This is awesome.
The green team wins.
We were all really working together and being a team.
And too bad for Aarón 'cause his suit's about to turn green.
Gordon: Green team, first of all, you're safe from the upcoming elimination challenge.
( kids cheer ) Now you get to finish Aarón Sánchez bowl of pasta with an amazing gooey pesto sauce.
( kids cheer ) - You guys ready? - Kids: Yes, Chef.
Hands in.
One, two - three! - ( kids scream ) ( laughter ) Aarón! Gordon: Oh, my Lord! Green team, first of all, you're safe from the upcoming elimination challenge.
Now you get to finish Aarón Sánchez bowl of pasta with an amazing pesto sauce.
( kids cheer ) - You guys ready? - Kids: Yes, Chef.
Hands in.
One, two - three! - ( kids scream ) - ( kids laugh ) - Aarón.
Aarón! Gordon: Oh, my Lord! Aarón, I hope you like the color green, buddy.
Aarón, how's your pasta? ( laughing ) Fantastic.
Now, red team, because you came second you may not be safe from the next elimination challenge but you do still get a prize.
- both: Yes! - This is possibly one of the greatest moments of your young lives.
Home cooks, Gordon Ramsay has ordered a plate of pasta with marinara sauce and he likes a lot of extra marinara.
- ( kids laugh ) - On the count of three, give him what he wants.
Here we go.
Three, two one! ( kids scream and laugh ) Oh, my God! It hit my shoe! Extra marinara sauce for table two.
- ( kids laugh ) - Aaron: Oh, my God.
This is awesome.
Gordon, you look good in a white suit, but red is your color.
Hey, hey, how is it? I think I just swallowed some garlic.
- Oh! - ( laughter ) All right, now, yellow team, I may be a tough judge, but I'm also a good sport.
I will take my cheese sauce.
Kids: Yay! Right, on the count of three.
- Can you reach? - Got it! - One - Wait, wait, wait, wait.
- Okay, I'm ready.
Ready, ready, ready.
- One - Christina, any last words.
- Oh.
Yeah? No.
Yeah.
This was my favorite pasta as a kid.
I can't wait! - ( laughs ) - Okay, one, two - Oh, my God.
- three.
Go.
( screams ) ( kids scream and laugh ) Christina Tosi looks pretty darn good, but she also looks like she could use a shower.
Oh, man! - No! - Right, green team, congratulations.
You are safe from this next big tough elimination challenge.
Head up to the balcony and join Ivy, please.
Malia: I feel so proud of my team.
We just rolled 24 feet of pasta without breaking it.
That's a big accomplishment.
Reid is only eight, Jaala's only ten, and I'm eleven.
We're showing that kids can do everything.
Now, Aarón, Christina, and myself cannot judge an important elimination challenge dressed like this.
So, please, give us a moment.
- Oh! - ( kids laugh ) Do you guys need help? Kids: Oh, my God.
- What? - What? - Wow! - Oh, my God.
We have just got showered and changed and you guys are still putting your aprons on.
- Really? Speed up.
- ( laughs ) Now there are just six of you that remain down here.
All of which are about to cook for what is, hopefully, not your last time in the MasterChef kitchen.
Remember, there can only be one MasterChef Junior.
So, we do have to say goodbye to two of you at the end of the night.
You're all in the top ten, which means we expect so much more from you now.
So, we decided that tonight you'll all be making a culinary classic.
A version this dish can be found on some of the most exquisite menus all over the world.
For your challenge, you will be tackling a dessert.
( gasps ) Yes! It's an elevated treat that requires an insane amount of finesse.
Ooh.
What is it? It takes some of the best pastry chefs years to master.
We couldn't agree on just one.
So tonight you'll be making us three different éclairs.
Wow! Milk chocolate topped with a silver leaf.
A perfect white vanilla glaze, and a decadent dark chocolate laced with gold leaf.
( gasps ) Picture perfect! That looks delicious.
Look at that.
- ( sighs ) - Oh, my God.
- Who'd like a bite? - Kids: Me! Tough luck.
'cause it's all mine.
Kids: No! Now, of course, an éclair wouldn't be a stunning éclair without that light vanilla pastry cream.
- Ooh.
- These beauties are by no means simple.
You know how precise baking has to be.
- It's a science, right? - Kids: Yes, Chef.
Sadie: I am a complete Francophile.
I love everything French.
So éclairs are right up my alley.
I know each one has to be perfect and they all have to be consistent.
So I think I'll do pretty well.
Now, home cooks, that pastry cream should be silky smooth and fill the entirety of each éclair.
When we cut down the center, no part of that éclair should be missing pastry cream.
All of you will have one hour to make us a plate of three éclairs that are identical to these right here.
Now, please, all of you, head to your stations.
- Come on, guys.
- Whoo! - You guys got this.
- You guys got this.
I know how to make éclairs, but I am very scared because a lot of things can go wrong, like the flour isn't gonna be baked all the way through or it's gonna be raw, it's gonna be burned.
So I'm really nervous.
This is going to be the hardest challenge yet.
All of you will have one hour to make us a plate of three éclairs that are identical to these right here.
Christina: At your stations you each have all the ingredients you need to make these three éclairs.
You have milk, butter, sugar, flour, eggs, gold leaf, silver leaf, heavy cream, chocolate, and fondant.
And everyone who makes it through tonight's challenge will win a very special prize.
So, trust me, you'll really wanna nail this one.
All right, home cooks, are you ready to make us three exceptional éclairs? Kids: Yes, Chef! Your one hour starts now! - Go, guys! - Come on, guys! Go! Come on! I'm gonna need help.
Come on, Matthew.
( grunts ) Gentlemen, this is by far, the most difficult challenge we have ever tasked the top ten young home cooks with tonight.
- This is a challenge that we save for the adults.
- Gordon: Yeah.
You guys wanna start your pâte à choux early.
It's deceivingly simple in appearance, but there's so much technicality that needs to be executed perfectly.
Let's be honest, the luckiest four people are up on that balcony because I think this challenge tonight - could take more than two down.
- Wow.
I'm okay.
Christina, the true definition of an éclair is what? First and foremost, these young home cooks need to start making their pâte à choux pastry.
You heat up whole milk with sugar, a little bit of salt, in a saucepan, you bring it to a boil.
From there you stir in flour and salt.
Come on, Aaron! Go, Aaron, go! And then taking that entire mixture putting it into a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cooling down that sort of dry, doughy mixture.
Let that mix, mix, mix.
And then very carefully adding one egg at a time until just the right consistency.
- It looks really good, Che.
- Thank you.
So, guys, just over 50 minutes remaining.
Aaron, there you go.
- Aaron.
- Hello.
How many bakeries do you have that serve éclairs in Georgia? - I don't know if we have any, Chef.
- Okay, wait a second.
Have you been eating that gold leaf? How much did you eat? Like half of it.
- ( laughs ) - You wanna know what? I like that, expensive taste.
Now what are the elements that make an éclair so special? It's how you pipe this pâte à choux.
Batter is what matters because you don't want tiny little baby éclairs.
What you want is great éclairs that are the right size.
Consistency.
- You want them to be equal.
- Consistency.
I love that.
I'm incredibly impressed with what I have seen at your station so far.
- Thank you, Chef.
- Good luck.
Come on, Matthew.
You got it.
Right, Matthew, how are you handling the pressure? I'm not really handling the pressure.
- I'm having a lot of fun right now.
- Hold on a minute.
Pâte à choux is not fun.
It's stressful.
- Do you get stressed? - No, it's fun.
'cause I love baking.
What excites you most about food? - You.
- Me Me? - Yeah.
- Why me? Because you're so good on your videos, and I watch all of them, and I really like them.
Is that what you wanna be when you grow up? Wanna be like me? - Yes, Chef.
- I love that idea.
I think you have the makings of becoming a great chef one day.
- Thank you.
- Now, this is a tough challenge.
Three éclairs, okay.
So, work hard at it.
Come on.
You got this.
Thank you, Gordon.
Rhashad: Everybody doing good? - Yeah.
How about you, Rhashad? - Good.
- All right, Rhashad.
- Hey, Chef.
So give me your experience with éclairs.
So I actually have never ate one or made one before.
You've never eaten an éclair before? - No, Chef.
- How do you even know what you're doing right now? I'm just gonna go with my instincts.
I know how to make pastry cream, I know how to make the glaze, I know how to bake.
So I feel pretty good about this challenge.
Okay.
You're feeling confident - and that makes me confident.
- Yes.
- Good luck, keep it up.
- Thank you.
Gordon: 43 minutes remaining.
Ivy: Get your éclairs in the oven.
You don't wanna lose time.
So, the éclairs are in the oven and you know they take another 25 minutes to cook.
After these éclairs go into the oven, start working on your glazes.
Aarón: Now glazes, they have to be void of any lumps.
They can't be grainy and they have to have that unbelievable sheen on the outside.
- Right, Christina? - That's right.
How do you achieve that in this brief time period? Every glaze is different because we've gone all rogue and told these home cooks they have to make three different glazes.
So, chocolate, heavy cream, glucose.
( grunts ) Get Make sure the flame is on.
Christina: On a double boiler.
Not direct heat 'cause direct heat will burn.
A very gentle low heat.
And you just have to whisk to combine but the second that gloss, that sheen, that bond is broken, the glaze is no good to use and you have to start all over again.
What a mess right now.
Let's go, guys.
Just over 35 minutes remaining.
Make sure you're watching on your éclairs.
( whispers ) Okay.
- Miss Sadie.
- Yes, Chef.
How are you, young lady? I am feeling pretty good about éclairs.
- Have you had an éclair before? - I have.
Definitely.
There are a lot of local little bakeries around Seattle.
But have you ever made one before? I have never made one before.
But I am feeling confident 'cause classic French cooking is my cooking style.
All right, let me just tell you right now.
You've already nailed your pastry cream.
You have it in your piping bag.
You have all your glazes rocking and rolling at the same time.
- Yes, Chef.
- Girl, you are on top of things.
- Best of luck.
- Thank you.
Come on, Ben, you got this.
- Right, Ben.
- Hello.
Are you a big lover of éclairs? Yes.
I've had them in France.
Stop it.
You went to France to eat an éclair? Not just, for vacation.
What's the one thing you're worried about? I'm worried that about the cooking time because I know éclairs are a difficult dessert, - so they have to be really perfect.
- When are those éclairs - coming out? - The éclairs have two more minutes and then I, um, turn it down to 350 till they're gold in about five minutes.
Good luck.
Good job, Ben.
All right, Che.
What do you know about French cuisine, buddy? I don't know a lot about French cuisine.
I like to make some French desserts like crème brûlée - Yep.
- but that's pretty much it.
I'm not a big baker because I have celiac disease, which means I can't eat gluten.
I can't eat most of the things I bake.
Ãclairs, I don't know what it's meant to taste like, so to me this is a very hard elimination challenge.
Let me take a little gander and meander to your éclairs.
At this moment right here, you gotta make sure that you put the good juju up in this oven, all right, 'cause the fact of the matter is that two people are going home.
- Yeah.
- So let's get down to the pasty gods right now.
Okay.
( foreign accent ) Pastry gods, I'm gonna make a nice éclair.
( foreign accent ) I'm going to make a nice éclair.
You are going to be fluffy and golden brown and void of any moisture.
You are going to be fluffy and golden brown and void of any moisture.
I want to stay and be MasterChef Junior.
I want to stay and be MasterChef Junior.
Okay, ¡eso! - They look fantastic.
- Thank you, Chef.
Open oven.
Gordon: Guys, we're two-thirds of the way through.
We have 20 minutes remaining.
They're not there yet.
Gordon: Ben, stop rushing.
Don't lose the heat when you open that oven door.
- Gotta go in and out.
- Yes, Chef.
Guys, be careful 'cause you don't want anything to mess up at this point.
I'm worried about Ben.
You can't keep on opening and closing the oven door.
You'll start deflating it.
Aarón: And it starts aerating.
Exactly.
Oh, gosh, they're almost deflating.
What? - Oh, no.
- Ben, so look at me.
They're starting to deflate.
They're going flat.
I don't know why you took them out.
- Do you have any more in there? - No.
I just took them out because I thought they were starting to deflate because they were overbaking.
Yeah, but look, they're not cooked.
( gasps ) So look at me.
They're starting to deflate.
They're going flat.
I don't know why you took them out.
- Do you have any more in there? - No.
I just took them out because I thought they were starting to deflate because they were overbaking.
Yeah, but look, they're not cooked.
- ( gasps ) - Okay, I'll put them back in.
Quick.
Come on, Ben.
You got this! Wow.
This is intense.
Ben, his éclairs are flat like a crêpe.
But you can come back from that.
Crank up the oven and give it an extra push at the end.
Christina: Home cooks, six minutes to go.
If you have not started filling your éclairs, now is the time to do so and start thinking about that glaze.
So, the secret right now is they start piping.
It's just manipulate that nozzle into the left hand side, right hand side, so the cream meets in the middle.
You do it just until you see the pastry cream start to peak out of all the little crevices.
Ooh, there it is.
That's when you know you've had it filled just enough because we don't want a single éclair with any empty whole or crevice.
It needs to be jam-packed full of that pastry cream.
- Che: I think it needs a little more.
- Wow, this is intense.
Gordon: Look at the focus on their eyes.
I mean, incredible.
Sadie: I think this one's filled.
Sadie, look at her.
I mean, so meticulous.
Almost like she's sort of fronting her little Pâtisserie shop on the Champs-Ãlysées in the middle of Paris.
- Amazing.
- So true.
Let's go, Sadie.
Let's go.
- Thank you.
- Mix your glazes! Looks good.
To me, surprise of the night, Aaron.
I've not known him to have this level of precision.
Yeah, he looks laser-focused stirring right now.
- Yep.
- Che, yours looks amazing! Che, he looks a little bit nervous 'cause you know this is science.
It's gotta be precision from start to finish.
That's good.
Smells delicious, guys.
Christina: What's incredibly impressive to me is that these eight to twelve-year-olds are operating like professional pastry chefs.
It's insane! Gordon: The standard of these youngsters confirm why they are in the top ten.
Start icing.
Gordon: 90 seconds to go, guys.
These home cooks are starting to glaze those éclairs.
Aarón: I mean they look fantastic.
All of them, they're dipping with such grace right now.
Gordon: Look at the focus on their eyes.
I mean incredible.
Come on, guys.
You guys got this! - Yeah! - Let's go! Gordon: Last minute, guys, let's go.
Plate, plate, plate! Gordon: It's down to the finishing touches.
White goes in the middle.
You're right, white does go in the middle.
Make sure those fingers are clean if you go to touch those éclairs.
Remember they are pieces of art.
Last 15 seconds, guys, let's go.
Tidy up.
- Come on, guys! You guys got this! - Gordon: Come on, let's go! - Gordon: Come on! - Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.
- And stop.
Hands in the air.
- Hands in the air.
- ( cheers and applause ) - Gordon: Unbelievable.
Right, very carefully, bring your éclairs down to the front, please.
Thank you.
I feel very good about my éclairs but all the other contestants in this challenge are also looking pretty good.
We're the top ten home cooks in America.
So I think it's gonna be so hard for the judges to send two people home.
For tonight's challenge, we asked you all to make three different éclairs.
Aarón, why don't you do the honors and dig in to the dark chocolate éclairs.
Aaron, did any aspect of the éclair give you any issues? Uh, Chef, I think that the glazes were one of the hardest parts because that's what had to go on your éclair.
So it had to be perfect.
They couldn't be overcooked or burned.
Well, visually, it's a uniform pâte à choux.
And that beautiful glaze is halfway through the éclair, which is what you want.
- Yes, Chef.
- What should I see when I open this up? You should see a perfect circle all the way through.
It looks great, Aaron.
- Let's see how it tastes, shall we, young man? - Yes, Chef.
Sadie, how did that go for you? I thought it went pretty well.
If Miss Julia Child were still alive, what would she say about these éclairs? She'd be very impressed.
For my first time making éclairs I feel pretty accomplished.
All right, let's see.
Oh, perfect.
Good job.
Matthew, how was that challenge for you making three different éclairs? I feel like that challenge was very fun.
Okay, well, visually, they're big.
Did you put enough of that cream filling? I think I did.
- Are you confident? - Yes.
See how you did.
Matthew, did you put enough of that cream filling? I think I did.
- Are you confident? - Yes.
See how you did.
You got a good amount on the inside here.
Yeah.
Malia: I do not want to be down there right now because the judging is so intense.
Are you happy with the amount of filling in there? - Yes, Chef.
- It's coming down to all the details.
I mean we are the top ten.
How do you feel that challenge went? I think it went pretty smooth.
I put the leaves on the wrong one.
Malia: Everything has to be perfect.
One little mistake I think we went too heavy-handed with the gold.
and you could be sent home.
Each one of them had their own little shortcomings.
Some of them didn't have enough filling and some were a little too short with glaze.
But overall the standard was definitely there, MasterChef worthy.
Right, it's time for Christina to taste your fondant éclairs.
Aaron, what did you do to make sure that the éclair was filled all the way through with pastry cream? I poked holes inside the pastry with a nozzle.
And then that's why I got all the way through.
I have never made an éclair before in my life.
See how you did.
But I think that my éclair looks overall amazing.
But now I'm not sure what to think because everyone's éclairs are really good.
How long did you cook that éclair for? 23 minutes.
So all of my éclairs need to be perfect, if not, I might be going home.
- Confident in your filling? - Yes, Chef.
But anything can happen in the MasterChef kitchen and I'm going to wish for the best.
- Rhashad.
How did it go? - Hi, Chef.
I think I did pretty well overall.
I put a lot of finesse into it.
I did not rush.
Visually, your vanilla glazed éclair looks just a little flat like there's a divot there.
What happened? Um, probably piping it.
Probably there was an air bubble.
How confident are you about that pastry cream filling? I'm pretty confident about the pastry cream filling.
Let's take a look.
Oh, yes! Gorgeous job.
- Ben.
- Hello.
So, visually, your éclairs look a little wider and flatter than others.
What happened there? I'm not really sure.
How many times did you open that oven? Uh, four times maybe.
- Che.
- Hi, Chef.
How confident are you this is filled properly? I'm confident.
I'm very happy with my éclairs.
Let's take a look.
Che: My one concern is all three judges are looking for a perfect bake, a perfect filling of pastry cream, a perfect glaze, and great flavor.
- Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! - Nice.
But I don't know how they taste because I have celiac disease, which means I can't eat gluten.
So I really hope that I covered all of those for all three éclairs, especially because everyone else's éclairs look pretty good.
Every single éclair out there is piped beautifully, it's baked beautifully.
It's top ten now and it's definitely gonna be a hard decision for the judges.
Right, time for the final éclair, the milk chocolate.
( whispers ) Oh, my gosh.
Aaron, when you look down the line, who has the best one? - Chef, it's right here.
- Love that confidence.
Let's get in there.
Shall we? Sadie, the finale's around the corner.
Have you done enough to stay in this competition? Yes, Chef.
I've tried my hardest and no matter what happens, there's nothing better that I could do.
We'll find out.
I feel pretty good about my éclairs.
The only thing I'm kind of concerned about is if I got the bake on my éclairs right.
If it is not perfect, then I could definitely be going home.
Ben: I wanna stay in this competition so bad.
Matthew, what was the most difficult part? Getting the filling in.
I'm getting so close to the finale.
Are you staying or you going? I am staying in this competition.
I can smell the trophy.
Winning this would not only bring me a lot of joy, but it would also make my food dreams of opening an ocean cafe come true.
- Ben.
What happened? - Hello.
They were undercooked and they were flattening so I put them back in.
Right, Che, percentage of the cream, what's in there? 90? Let's get in there.
Shall we? - Oh, my Lord.
- ( gasps ) Um Che, percentage of the cream, what's in there? - 90? - 90.
Let's get in there.
Shall we? Oh, my Lord.
Really beautiful.
- Yes! - Good job, Che.
Flavor wise, incredible.
The percentage of cream across all of them, beautifully done.
The biggest problem I've got is, how do we separate them? Tonight each and every one of you home cooks tackled an iconic dessert like the éclair, and no matter what happens this evening, you impressed all of us immensely.
But this is still a competition.
All six of you, come stand in front of your name.
Ben: I'm really nervous and scared because we are the top ten.
And everybody in this competition is so good, so now it comes down to the tiniest details.
All right, you six, we have a very difficult decision to make.
We need a moment to discuss and decide who will remain in the MasterChef competition.
- Please, excuse us.
- ( exhales ) Gordon: Wow, this is tough.
Let's discuss some of the highlights.
Che's were uniformly spot-on.
- And they were beautifully filled with pastry cream.
- Yeah.
Aaron had one of the steadiest hands in piping - those éclairs tonight.
- Gordon: Yeah.
Aarón: What was most impressive about Sadie's was the glaze.
- It was just spot-on, silky smooth.
- Oh, my God.
- But none of them were 100% perfect.
Let's get that right.
- Yeah.
Matthew's had some surface cracks but they were crisp on the outside, crisp on the bottom.
They said the pastry was delicious.
Now Rhashad had some really beautiful éclairs.
There were slight divots, but they way he applied the glaze, they were impressive.
- I don't know what's going on.
- We all did so good.
Ben's éclairs, they weren't as raised as some of the other éclairs.
But for me, he had such a tasty pastry cream.
I'm not sure what's gonna happen because they're all really talented.
We're getting down to super super fine details.
Details that we'd only discuss in our kitchens at work - Absolutely.
- not inside this competition.
This is the most difficult decision we've had to make - Yeah.
- so far in this kitchen, guys.
( whispers ) I don't know who's going home.
- Are we all agreed? - Yeah.
Let's go.
Guys, exceptional job.
And no matter what happens this evening, you should all be very proud of yourselves.
Now, listen, if I call your name, please step forward.
Che.
Aaron.
And Sadie.
( whispers ) I'm so scared.
This challenge was a very, very tough one.
But the good news is that you really blew us away, you three.
- ( whispers ) Yes.
- ( whispers) Yes, yes! You're all safe.
Please head to the balcony.
- Oh, my God! - Good job.
Sadie: I am so happy because once again proven my point that women can do anything that men can.
I literally thought I was going home.
I think Julia Child and my family would definitely be proud of me.
Matthew, Rhashad, and Ben.
Listen up, you three.
You've made our jobs very difficult.
We're splitting hairs.
It's a very tough decision.
That's why Aarón, Christina, and I all agree that all three of you are not going home.
- Yay! So much.
Thank you.
- Thank you! We asked you to do something very, very difficult, and you all rose to the occasion beautifully.
All three of you head up to the balcony.
Well done.
Ben: I'm still in the competition.
Whoop whoop! - Oh, my gosh.
- Good job.
Top ten still going strong.
Look at that.
Our top ten.
I said that everyone who makes it through tonight's challenge would win a special prize.
- Yes! - What is it? All of you will receive a very special invitation to appear at the next Camp MasterChef this summer.
( kids cheer ) - Yes! - O-M-G! I can't wait to go have an exciting summer cooking with a bunch of my friends and get to meet a bunch of new people at camp.
- I cannot wait.
- And guess what? - We get to come with you.
- ( kids cheer ) - I'll drive the bus.
- I'll cook.
All-you-can-eat salad bar from me.
( kids laugh ) An amazing summer of fun.
- ( kids cheering ) - I get to go fishing! We definitely have the best top ten ever in the history of this competition.
Get some sleep.
Can't wait to see you next time.
- Good night.
- Good night.
- Kids: Good night, Chef.
- Bye! Ben: Bye.
Announcer: Next time Tonight our guests are all inspirational women.
- Yes! Yes! - Women represent! the MasterChef Junior restaurant opens its doors Let's go! Let's go! to its most important guests yet.
Previous season winners, celebrities, A girl's gotta represent.
- And then - Watch very carefully.
- the junior home cooks face - Both: Wow! a Gordon Ramsay masterpiece.
Aaron: Three Michelin star dish.
I'm only ten years old.
- Oh, Gordon.
It still fits.
- when the top 12 - Canned tuna.
faced an ingredient from Gordon's childhood How do you make us believe that this dish didn't come from a can? - Malia rose to the top.
- Wow! It's like it's just come out of Japanese restaurant.
Brilliant job.
But it was the end of the road Promise me you're gonna continue cooking.
for Kyle and Brielle.
Kids: Bye! Tonight We need more flour! - the top ten - Go, go, go! - Keep pulling it! - are stretched to the limit in a high stakes team challenge.
We get to pour marinara sauce on Gordon Ramsay's head.
( kids scream and laugh ) - And then - Ãclairs.
- Oh, my God.
- an elimination test with a shocking result.
We are gonna do something that we've never done before on "MasterChef Junior.
" No! Whoa! What is this? What's going on? Sadie: I run into the MasterChef kitchen and the setup has completely changed.
- Kids: What? - Whoa! There's like a giant checkered banner behind the judges and they're all in these fancy, white suits.
- Oh, my gosh! Oh, my gosh! - Oh, my! And there are these long tables with measurements on them, and I'm really confused, but really excited.
How cool is this? Kids: So cool! Do you think Aarón looks like the Mexican James Bond? - No.
- ( laughs ) Now, every time we enter this kitchen, it's an event.
So, tonight, we came dressed for dinner.
'cause tonight we are gonna do something that we've never done before on "MasterChef.
" We are going to have a race.
Christina: But it's not a running race or a go-kart race.
- Oh! - Oh, no.
It will be a pasta race.
What? Sadie: I've never heard of a pasta race but I eat a lot of pasta.
I am kind of a "carbaterian.
" So, whatever it is, I think I can do it.
Tonight, you're gonna be working in three teams of three.
Now, I have a jar of dried pasta.
There's red, yellow, or green, and one black piece of pasta.
The color of pasta you randomly choose will determine what team you're on.
But if you pick the one black piece of pasta, you'll be safe from elimination.
( kids gasp ) Home cooks, come on forward.
Che: I really wanna get the black pasta.
- Jaala.
- That's a big deal.
Especially at this stage of the competition.
- Che.
- If I'm safe, that means I go straight to top eight and I would love for that to happen! - Last one.
- Awesome.
- Good job, Ivy.
- All right.
All right, home cooks, it's time to put yourselves in teams.
Green, yellow, red, and if you're the VIP home cook, over to the side, please.
( overlapping chatter ) Okay, Ivy, you got the one black piece of pasta.
That means that you are safe from elimination tonight.
Head up to that balcony for a front row seat.
Come on, off you go.
Ivy: Oh, my gosh! This feels amazing! I am safe from elimination and now I'm in the top eight.
I am so excited.
I'm so happy.
So, white aprons off.
Team aprons on, please, let's go.
Right, now we have our teams.
Green team Malia, Jaala, Reid.
On the yellow team Matthew, Rhashad, Che.
On red team Aaron, Ben, and Sadie.
All right, it's time to explain the rules of a pasta race.
In fact, why don't I show you how it's done.
( gasps ) What's going on? All right, home cooks.
Now, rolling out pasta.
Pretty simple, right? Kids: Yes, Chef.
Now, your teams are each going to have to try and be the first team to go 24 feet of a single pasta sheet.
Now, I'm an old hand at rolling out pasta.
So, just gonna give it a try, see how far I can get.
- Aarón, can you help? - Of course.
All right, let's just get a little flour going here.
All right, here we go.
Nice.
Great job, Chef.
I have never made pasta before.
So it's amazing that I get to see one of the top chefs show us how to roll pasta.
- Ooh-wee! - Here we go.
Plenty of flour.
You're doing great, Chef.
Keep it going.
- Wow! - Whoa! Oh, oh, oh, oh! - Aarón, don't let it tear.
- Ben, come over here and help me out, buddy.
So stand right Kind of behind me.
I did not know pasta could go this far.
All right, let's go, Aarón.
Stop slowing me down! Christina's just rolling and rolling and rolling and rolling.
- This is incredible.
- Look at this.
Christina, you are unreal, Chef! I'm on a roll.
Let's go! You're a machine! This just keeps going and going and going and going.
Aarón, you're gonna rip it! Don't rip it! You're ripping it! It's strong, it's strong.
Don't worry.
( laughs ) I had never seen a pasta this long, I have never heard of a pasta this long, and I think it's the longest piece of pasta I'll ever see.
Oh, my Lord! He's on the balcony! This is some good organic eggs.
Christina Tosi, you have broken the world record of rolling pasta dough.
- Matthew.
- Yes.
- Where's Aarón? - I have no clue! Has anyone seen Aarón? Kids: No, Chef.
- ( grunts ) - Gordon: Oh, my goodness! Oh, my gosh! ( laughs ) How crazy is that? What? Christina: Well, let me tell you.
It's about to get three times crazier because in a moment it's your turn.
( gasps ) Oh! Home cooks, head to your starting line.
- Whoo! - Whoo-hoo! Ben: I've made a lot of pasta back in Morristown, New Jersey.
I've made ravioli, linguini, fettuccini, and spaghetti.
So I'm really confident right now.
Listen closely.
You will all be rolling out giant sheets of pasta.
You need to get one solid sheet all the way to the finish line.
Gordon: Now, even though rolling pasta may seem simple, there's a ton of skill involved.
Too wet, it's gonna clog up.
Too dry, it's gonna break.
Aarón: If your pasta breaks, you have to start over.
- Kids: Oh! - So, please be careful as you work with that sheet of pasta.
At your stations you've got plenty of pasta dough and you also have a very sturdy pasta roller.
The first team that past-a that finish line - ( groans ) - will not have to cook in the next challenge.
Whoa! Aarón: What that means is three young home cooks will be safely through to the next stage of the competition.
Green team, if you reach the finish line first, you can pour garlicky pesto sauce all over Aarón.
- ( kids cheer ) - We're gonna get you.
- No.
- I'm sorry.
Yellow team, you'll be racing to get cheese sauce all over Christina's hair.
- Oh, yeah! - Oh! Red team, you'll be working as fast as you can to pour tomato sauce all over me.
( kids cheer ) Aaron: Oh, my God, if we win, we get to pour marinara sauce on Gordon Ramsay's head.
Gordon, you better have your fancy hairstylist on speed dial because she's gonna have a lot of work to do.
Right, teams, are we ready? Kids: Yes, Chef! Start rolling your pasta - now! - Go, go, go! Let's go! Come on, guys, come on.
Roll, roll, roll, roll.
- Roll it, roll it.
- Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Roll, roll, roll! Come on, come on.
- Come on, come on.
- I think that's good.
No, no, no.
A little bit thinner.
Just go like this.
Come on, guys.
Start, start, start, start rolling.
- Okay, it's ready.
- Okay, I got you, Ben.
Other way, other way, try the other way.
Yep, there it goes.
Green team's strategy is to go as fast as a cheetah.
We're gonna go super fast.
More flour, more flour.
Jaala: No matter what happens we're gonna win this challenge so Aarón can get pesto all over his pretty white suit.
Come on, green team! Yellow, you can do it! Flour! We need more flour! We need more flour! - We need - I already I floured it, Matthew.
You have to be really careful in this challenge that the pasta dough is not too wet and not too dry.
You put too much flour on it, it's gonna be too dry.
It's gonna crack easily.
Don't make cracks.
It's getting cracky.
Not enough flour in it, it's gonna be moist and wet and then it's just gonna get clogged.
Do not wet this.
I really wanna win this challenge because I think it'd be hilarious to have Christina covered in cheese sauce.
Gordon: Yellow team, come on! Come on, come on, come on! - Come on, Malia.
- Keep on going, keep on going.
Gently.
Don't let it break.
Keep pulling it.
Aarón, the green team are hitting eight feet.
Keep it going, green team.
They're already that far.
Nice.
It is absolute chaos in the MasterChef kitchen.
We are close behind the green team.
Hey, yeah, Ben.
Nice.
Crank it, crank it, crank it! Go, go, go, go! Aaron: We are pasta warriors and we are in the battlefield ready to take on anyone who thinks their pasta will be longer than ours.
Aarón: Red team is at 15 feet, Gordon.
Christina: Gordon, I'd get a little nervous, if I were you.
Come on, get some elbow grease into it! Reid, pull it! Pull! - Pull it! - Oh, we're almost there! Guys, come on, we're almost there.
We gotta go, we gotta go, we gotta go.
Go, go, go, Jaala.
Jaala, fast, fast, fast! Keep going, green team.
Aarón, green team, 20 feet.
- Fast, fast.
- Oh, no! Look out, Aarón.
Green team's coming for you! - Go, go, go! - ( Aarón screams ) ( kids scream ) We did it! I told you! Jaala: This is awesome.
The green team wins.
We were all really working together and being a team.
And too bad for Aarón 'cause his suit's about to turn green.
Gordon: Green team, first of all, you're safe from the upcoming elimination challenge.
( kids cheer ) Now you get to finish Aarón Sánchez bowl of pasta with an amazing gooey pesto sauce.
( kids cheer ) - You guys ready? - Kids: Yes, Chef.
Hands in.
One, two - three! - ( kids scream ) ( laughter ) Aarón! Gordon: Oh, my Lord! Green team, first of all, you're safe from the upcoming elimination challenge.
Now you get to finish Aarón Sánchez bowl of pasta with an amazing pesto sauce.
( kids cheer ) - You guys ready? - Kids: Yes, Chef.
Hands in.
One, two - three! - ( kids scream ) - ( kids laugh ) - Aarón.
Aarón! Gordon: Oh, my Lord! Aarón, I hope you like the color green, buddy.
Aarón, how's your pasta? ( laughing ) Fantastic.
Now, red team, because you came second you may not be safe from the next elimination challenge but you do still get a prize.
- both: Yes! - This is possibly one of the greatest moments of your young lives.
Home cooks, Gordon Ramsay has ordered a plate of pasta with marinara sauce and he likes a lot of extra marinara.
- ( kids laugh ) - On the count of three, give him what he wants.
Here we go.
Three, two one! ( kids scream and laugh ) Oh, my God! It hit my shoe! Extra marinara sauce for table two.
- ( kids laugh ) - Aaron: Oh, my God.
This is awesome.
Gordon, you look good in a white suit, but red is your color.
Hey, hey, how is it? I think I just swallowed some garlic.
- Oh! - ( laughter ) All right, now, yellow team, I may be a tough judge, but I'm also a good sport.
I will take my cheese sauce.
Kids: Yay! Right, on the count of three.
- Can you reach? - Got it! - One - Wait, wait, wait, wait.
- Okay, I'm ready.
Ready, ready, ready.
- One - Christina, any last words.
- Oh.
Yeah? No.
Yeah.
This was my favorite pasta as a kid.
I can't wait! - ( laughs ) - Okay, one, two - Oh, my God.
- three.
Go.
( screams ) ( kids scream and laugh ) Christina Tosi looks pretty darn good, but she also looks like she could use a shower.
Oh, man! - No! - Right, green team, congratulations.
You are safe from this next big tough elimination challenge.
Head up to the balcony and join Ivy, please.
Malia: I feel so proud of my team.
We just rolled 24 feet of pasta without breaking it.
That's a big accomplishment.
Reid is only eight, Jaala's only ten, and I'm eleven.
We're showing that kids can do everything.
Now, Aarón, Christina, and myself cannot judge an important elimination challenge dressed like this.
So, please, give us a moment.
- Oh! - ( kids laugh ) Do you guys need help? Kids: Oh, my God.
- What? - What? - Wow! - Oh, my God.
We have just got showered and changed and you guys are still putting your aprons on.
- Really? Speed up.
- ( laughs ) Now there are just six of you that remain down here.
All of which are about to cook for what is, hopefully, not your last time in the MasterChef kitchen.
Remember, there can only be one MasterChef Junior.
So, we do have to say goodbye to two of you at the end of the night.
You're all in the top ten, which means we expect so much more from you now.
So, we decided that tonight you'll all be making a culinary classic.
A version this dish can be found on some of the most exquisite menus all over the world.
For your challenge, you will be tackling a dessert.
( gasps ) Yes! It's an elevated treat that requires an insane amount of finesse.
Ooh.
What is it? It takes some of the best pastry chefs years to master.
We couldn't agree on just one.
So tonight you'll be making us three different éclairs.
Wow! Milk chocolate topped with a silver leaf.
A perfect white vanilla glaze, and a decadent dark chocolate laced with gold leaf.
( gasps ) Picture perfect! That looks delicious.
Look at that.
- ( sighs ) - Oh, my God.
- Who'd like a bite? - Kids: Me! Tough luck.
'cause it's all mine.
Kids: No! Now, of course, an éclair wouldn't be a stunning éclair without that light vanilla pastry cream.
- Ooh.
- These beauties are by no means simple.
You know how precise baking has to be.
- It's a science, right? - Kids: Yes, Chef.
Sadie: I am a complete Francophile.
I love everything French.
So éclairs are right up my alley.
I know each one has to be perfect and they all have to be consistent.
So I think I'll do pretty well.
Now, home cooks, that pastry cream should be silky smooth and fill the entirety of each éclair.
When we cut down the center, no part of that éclair should be missing pastry cream.
All of you will have one hour to make us a plate of three éclairs that are identical to these right here.
Now, please, all of you, head to your stations.
- Come on, guys.
- Whoo! - You guys got this.
- You guys got this.
I know how to make éclairs, but I am very scared because a lot of things can go wrong, like the flour isn't gonna be baked all the way through or it's gonna be raw, it's gonna be burned.
So I'm really nervous.
This is going to be the hardest challenge yet.
All of you will have one hour to make us a plate of three éclairs that are identical to these right here.
Christina: At your stations you each have all the ingredients you need to make these three éclairs.
You have milk, butter, sugar, flour, eggs, gold leaf, silver leaf, heavy cream, chocolate, and fondant.
And everyone who makes it through tonight's challenge will win a very special prize.
So, trust me, you'll really wanna nail this one.
All right, home cooks, are you ready to make us three exceptional éclairs? Kids: Yes, Chef! Your one hour starts now! - Go, guys! - Come on, guys! Go! Come on! I'm gonna need help.
Come on, Matthew.
( grunts ) Gentlemen, this is by far, the most difficult challenge we have ever tasked the top ten young home cooks with tonight.
- This is a challenge that we save for the adults.
- Gordon: Yeah.
You guys wanna start your pâte à choux early.
It's deceivingly simple in appearance, but there's so much technicality that needs to be executed perfectly.
Let's be honest, the luckiest four people are up on that balcony because I think this challenge tonight - could take more than two down.
- Wow.
I'm okay.
Christina, the true definition of an éclair is what? First and foremost, these young home cooks need to start making their pâte à choux pastry.
You heat up whole milk with sugar, a little bit of salt, in a saucepan, you bring it to a boil.
From there you stir in flour and salt.
Come on, Aaron! Go, Aaron, go! And then taking that entire mixture putting it into a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cooling down that sort of dry, doughy mixture.
Let that mix, mix, mix.
And then very carefully adding one egg at a time until just the right consistency.
- It looks really good, Che.
- Thank you.
So, guys, just over 50 minutes remaining.
Aaron, there you go.
- Aaron.
- Hello.
How many bakeries do you have that serve éclairs in Georgia? - I don't know if we have any, Chef.
- Okay, wait a second.
Have you been eating that gold leaf? How much did you eat? Like half of it.
- ( laughs ) - You wanna know what? I like that, expensive taste.
Now what are the elements that make an éclair so special? It's how you pipe this pâte à choux.
Batter is what matters because you don't want tiny little baby éclairs.
What you want is great éclairs that are the right size.
Consistency.
- You want them to be equal.
- Consistency.
I love that.
I'm incredibly impressed with what I have seen at your station so far.
- Thank you, Chef.
- Good luck.
Come on, Matthew.
You got it.
Right, Matthew, how are you handling the pressure? I'm not really handling the pressure.
- I'm having a lot of fun right now.
- Hold on a minute.
Pâte à choux is not fun.
It's stressful.
- Do you get stressed? - No, it's fun.
'cause I love baking.
What excites you most about food? - You.
- Me Me? - Yeah.
- Why me? Because you're so good on your videos, and I watch all of them, and I really like them.
Is that what you wanna be when you grow up? Wanna be like me? - Yes, Chef.
- I love that idea.
I think you have the makings of becoming a great chef one day.
- Thank you.
- Now, this is a tough challenge.
Three éclairs, okay.
So, work hard at it.
Come on.
You got this.
Thank you, Gordon.
Rhashad: Everybody doing good? - Yeah.
How about you, Rhashad? - Good.
- All right, Rhashad.
- Hey, Chef.
So give me your experience with éclairs.
So I actually have never ate one or made one before.
You've never eaten an éclair before? - No, Chef.
- How do you even know what you're doing right now? I'm just gonna go with my instincts.
I know how to make pastry cream, I know how to make the glaze, I know how to bake.
So I feel pretty good about this challenge.
Okay.
You're feeling confident - and that makes me confident.
- Yes.
- Good luck, keep it up.
- Thank you.
Gordon: 43 minutes remaining.
Ivy: Get your éclairs in the oven.
You don't wanna lose time.
So, the éclairs are in the oven and you know they take another 25 minutes to cook.
After these éclairs go into the oven, start working on your glazes.
Aarón: Now glazes, they have to be void of any lumps.
They can't be grainy and they have to have that unbelievable sheen on the outside.
- Right, Christina? - That's right.
How do you achieve that in this brief time period? Every glaze is different because we've gone all rogue and told these home cooks they have to make three different glazes.
So, chocolate, heavy cream, glucose.
( grunts ) Get Make sure the flame is on.
Christina: On a double boiler.
Not direct heat 'cause direct heat will burn.
A very gentle low heat.
And you just have to whisk to combine but the second that gloss, that sheen, that bond is broken, the glaze is no good to use and you have to start all over again.
What a mess right now.
Let's go, guys.
Just over 35 minutes remaining.
Make sure you're watching on your éclairs.
( whispers ) Okay.
- Miss Sadie.
- Yes, Chef.
How are you, young lady? I am feeling pretty good about éclairs.
- Have you had an éclair before? - I have.
Definitely.
There are a lot of local little bakeries around Seattle.
But have you ever made one before? I have never made one before.
But I am feeling confident 'cause classic French cooking is my cooking style.
All right, let me just tell you right now.
You've already nailed your pastry cream.
You have it in your piping bag.
You have all your glazes rocking and rolling at the same time.
- Yes, Chef.
- Girl, you are on top of things.
- Best of luck.
- Thank you.
Come on, Ben, you got this.
- Right, Ben.
- Hello.
Are you a big lover of éclairs? Yes.
I've had them in France.
Stop it.
You went to France to eat an éclair? Not just, for vacation.
What's the one thing you're worried about? I'm worried that about the cooking time because I know éclairs are a difficult dessert, - so they have to be really perfect.
- When are those éclairs - coming out? - The éclairs have two more minutes and then I, um, turn it down to 350 till they're gold in about five minutes.
Good luck.
Good job, Ben.
All right, Che.
What do you know about French cuisine, buddy? I don't know a lot about French cuisine.
I like to make some French desserts like crème brûlée - Yep.
- but that's pretty much it.
I'm not a big baker because I have celiac disease, which means I can't eat gluten.
I can't eat most of the things I bake.
Ãclairs, I don't know what it's meant to taste like, so to me this is a very hard elimination challenge.
Let me take a little gander and meander to your éclairs.
At this moment right here, you gotta make sure that you put the good juju up in this oven, all right, 'cause the fact of the matter is that two people are going home.
- Yeah.
- So let's get down to the pasty gods right now.
Okay.
( foreign accent ) Pastry gods, I'm gonna make a nice éclair.
( foreign accent ) I'm going to make a nice éclair.
You are going to be fluffy and golden brown and void of any moisture.
You are going to be fluffy and golden brown and void of any moisture.
I want to stay and be MasterChef Junior.
I want to stay and be MasterChef Junior.
Okay, ¡eso! - They look fantastic.
- Thank you, Chef.
Open oven.
Gordon: Guys, we're two-thirds of the way through.
We have 20 minutes remaining.
They're not there yet.
Gordon: Ben, stop rushing.
Don't lose the heat when you open that oven door.
- Gotta go in and out.
- Yes, Chef.
Guys, be careful 'cause you don't want anything to mess up at this point.
I'm worried about Ben.
You can't keep on opening and closing the oven door.
You'll start deflating it.
Aarón: And it starts aerating.
Exactly.
Oh, gosh, they're almost deflating.
What? - Oh, no.
- Ben, so look at me.
They're starting to deflate.
They're going flat.
I don't know why you took them out.
- Do you have any more in there? - No.
I just took them out because I thought they were starting to deflate because they were overbaking.
Yeah, but look, they're not cooked.
( gasps ) So look at me.
They're starting to deflate.
They're going flat.
I don't know why you took them out.
- Do you have any more in there? - No.
I just took them out because I thought they were starting to deflate because they were overbaking.
Yeah, but look, they're not cooked.
- ( gasps ) - Okay, I'll put them back in.
Quick.
Come on, Ben.
You got this! Wow.
This is intense.
Ben, his éclairs are flat like a crêpe.
But you can come back from that.
Crank up the oven and give it an extra push at the end.
Christina: Home cooks, six minutes to go.
If you have not started filling your éclairs, now is the time to do so and start thinking about that glaze.
So, the secret right now is they start piping.
It's just manipulate that nozzle into the left hand side, right hand side, so the cream meets in the middle.
You do it just until you see the pastry cream start to peak out of all the little crevices.
Ooh, there it is.
That's when you know you've had it filled just enough because we don't want a single éclair with any empty whole or crevice.
It needs to be jam-packed full of that pastry cream.
- Che: I think it needs a little more.
- Wow, this is intense.
Gordon: Look at the focus on their eyes.
I mean, incredible.
Sadie: I think this one's filled.
Sadie, look at her.
I mean, so meticulous.
Almost like she's sort of fronting her little Pâtisserie shop on the Champs-Ãlysées in the middle of Paris.
- Amazing.
- So true.
Let's go, Sadie.
Let's go.
- Thank you.
- Mix your glazes! Looks good.
To me, surprise of the night, Aaron.
I've not known him to have this level of precision.
Yeah, he looks laser-focused stirring right now.
- Yep.
- Che, yours looks amazing! Che, he looks a little bit nervous 'cause you know this is science.
It's gotta be precision from start to finish.
That's good.
Smells delicious, guys.
Christina: What's incredibly impressive to me is that these eight to twelve-year-olds are operating like professional pastry chefs.
It's insane! Gordon: The standard of these youngsters confirm why they are in the top ten.
Start icing.
Gordon: 90 seconds to go, guys.
These home cooks are starting to glaze those éclairs.
Aarón: I mean they look fantastic.
All of them, they're dipping with such grace right now.
Gordon: Look at the focus on their eyes.
I mean incredible.
Come on, guys.
You guys got this! - Yeah! - Let's go! Gordon: Last minute, guys, let's go.
Plate, plate, plate! Gordon: It's down to the finishing touches.
White goes in the middle.
You're right, white does go in the middle.
Make sure those fingers are clean if you go to touch those éclairs.
Remember they are pieces of art.
Last 15 seconds, guys, let's go.
Tidy up.
- Come on, guys! You guys got this! - Gordon: Come on, let's go! - Gordon: Come on! - Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.
- And stop.
Hands in the air.
- Hands in the air.
- ( cheers and applause ) - Gordon: Unbelievable.
Right, very carefully, bring your éclairs down to the front, please.
Thank you.
I feel very good about my éclairs but all the other contestants in this challenge are also looking pretty good.
We're the top ten home cooks in America.
So I think it's gonna be so hard for the judges to send two people home.
For tonight's challenge, we asked you all to make three different éclairs.
Aarón, why don't you do the honors and dig in to the dark chocolate éclairs.
Aaron, did any aspect of the éclair give you any issues? Uh, Chef, I think that the glazes were one of the hardest parts because that's what had to go on your éclair.
So it had to be perfect.
They couldn't be overcooked or burned.
Well, visually, it's a uniform pâte à choux.
And that beautiful glaze is halfway through the éclair, which is what you want.
- Yes, Chef.
- What should I see when I open this up? You should see a perfect circle all the way through.
It looks great, Aaron.
- Let's see how it tastes, shall we, young man? - Yes, Chef.
Sadie, how did that go for you? I thought it went pretty well.
If Miss Julia Child were still alive, what would she say about these éclairs? She'd be very impressed.
For my first time making éclairs I feel pretty accomplished.
All right, let's see.
Oh, perfect.
Good job.
Matthew, how was that challenge for you making three different éclairs? I feel like that challenge was very fun.
Okay, well, visually, they're big.
Did you put enough of that cream filling? I think I did.
- Are you confident? - Yes.
See how you did.
Matthew, did you put enough of that cream filling? I think I did.
- Are you confident? - Yes.
See how you did.
You got a good amount on the inside here.
Yeah.
Malia: I do not want to be down there right now because the judging is so intense.
Are you happy with the amount of filling in there? - Yes, Chef.
- It's coming down to all the details.
I mean we are the top ten.
How do you feel that challenge went? I think it went pretty smooth.
I put the leaves on the wrong one.
Malia: Everything has to be perfect.
One little mistake I think we went too heavy-handed with the gold.
and you could be sent home.
Each one of them had their own little shortcomings.
Some of them didn't have enough filling and some were a little too short with glaze.
But overall the standard was definitely there, MasterChef worthy.
Right, it's time for Christina to taste your fondant éclairs.
Aaron, what did you do to make sure that the éclair was filled all the way through with pastry cream? I poked holes inside the pastry with a nozzle.
And then that's why I got all the way through.
I have never made an éclair before in my life.
See how you did.
But I think that my éclair looks overall amazing.
But now I'm not sure what to think because everyone's éclairs are really good.
How long did you cook that éclair for? 23 minutes.
So all of my éclairs need to be perfect, if not, I might be going home.
- Confident in your filling? - Yes, Chef.
But anything can happen in the MasterChef kitchen and I'm going to wish for the best.
- Rhashad.
How did it go? - Hi, Chef.
I think I did pretty well overall.
I put a lot of finesse into it.
I did not rush.
Visually, your vanilla glazed éclair looks just a little flat like there's a divot there.
What happened? Um, probably piping it.
Probably there was an air bubble.
How confident are you about that pastry cream filling? I'm pretty confident about the pastry cream filling.
Let's take a look.
Oh, yes! Gorgeous job.
- Ben.
- Hello.
So, visually, your éclairs look a little wider and flatter than others.
What happened there? I'm not really sure.
How many times did you open that oven? Uh, four times maybe.
- Che.
- Hi, Chef.
How confident are you this is filled properly? I'm confident.
I'm very happy with my éclairs.
Let's take a look.
Che: My one concern is all three judges are looking for a perfect bake, a perfect filling of pastry cream, a perfect glaze, and great flavor.
- Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! - Nice.
But I don't know how they taste because I have celiac disease, which means I can't eat gluten.
So I really hope that I covered all of those for all three éclairs, especially because everyone else's éclairs look pretty good.
Every single éclair out there is piped beautifully, it's baked beautifully.
It's top ten now and it's definitely gonna be a hard decision for the judges.
Right, time for the final éclair, the milk chocolate.
( whispers ) Oh, my gosh.
Aaron, when you look down the line, who has the best one? - Chef, it's right here.
- Love that confidence.
Let's get in there.
Shall we? Sadie, the finale's around the corner.
Have you done enough to stay in this competition? Yes, Chef.
I've tried my hardest and no matter what happens, there's nothing better that I could do.
We'll find out.
I feel pretty good about my éclairs.
The only thing I'm kind of concerned about is if I got the bake on my éclairs right.
If it is not perfect, then I could definitely be going home.
Ben: I wanna stay in this competition so bad.
Matthew, what was the most difficult part? Getting the filling in.
I'm getting so close to the finale.
Are you staying or you going? I am staying in this competition.
I can smell the trophy.
Winning this would not only bring me a lot of joy, but it would also make my food dreams of opening an ocean cafe come true.
- Ben.
What happened? - Hello.
They were undercooked and they were flattening so I put them back in.
Right, Che, percentage of the cream, what's in there? 90? Let's get in there.
Shall we? - Oh, my Lord.
- ( gasps ) Um Che, percentage of the cream, what's in there? - 90? - 90.
Let's get in there.
Shall we? Oh, my Lord.
Really beautiful.
- Yes! - Good job, Che.
Flavor wise, incredible.
The percentage of cream across all of them, beautifully done.
The biggest problem I've got is, how do we separate them? Tonight each and every one of you home cooks tackled an iconic dessert like the éclair, and no matter what happens this evening, you impressed all of us immensely.
But this is still a competition.
All six of you, come stand in front of your name.
Ben: I'm really nervous and scared because we are the top ten.
And everybody in this competition is so good, so now it comes down to the tiniest details.
All right, you six, we have a very difficult decision to make.
We need a moment to discuss and decide who will remain in the MasterChef competition.
- Please, excuse us.
- ( exhales ) Gordon: Wow, this is tough.
Let's discuss some of the highlights.
Che's were uniformly spot-on.
- And they were beautifully filled with pastry cream.
- Yeah.
Aaron had one of the steadiest hands in piping - those éclairs tonight.
- Gordon: Yeah.
Aarón: What was most impressive about Sadie's was the glaze.
- It was just spot-on, silky smooth.
- Oh, my God.
- But none of them were 100% perfect.
Let's get that right.
- Yeah.
Matthew's had some surface cracks but they were crisp on the outside, crisp on the bottom.
They said the pastry was delicious.
Now Rhashad had some really beautiful éclairs.
There were slight divots, but they way he applied the glaze, they were impressive.
- I don't know what's going on.
- We all did so good.
Ben's éclairs, they weren't as raised as some of the other éclairs.
But for me, he had such a tasty pastry cream.
I'm not sure what's gonna happen because they're all really talented.
We're getting down to super super fine details.
Details that we'd only discuss in our kitchens at work - Absolutely.
- not inside this competition.
This is the most difficult decision we've had to make - Yeah.
- so far in this kitchen, guys.
( whispers ) I don't know who's going home.
- Are we all agreed? - Yeah.
Let's go.
Guys, exceptional job.
And no matter what happens this evening, you should all be very proud of yourselves.
Now, listen, if I call your name, please step forward.
Che.
Aaron.
And Sadie.
( whispers ) I'm so scared.
This challenge was a very, very tough one.
But the good news is that you really blew us away, you three.
- ( whispers ) Yes.
- ( whispers) Yes, yes! You're all safe.
Please head to the balcony.
- Oh, my God! - Good job.
Sadie: I am so happy because once again proven my point that women can do anything that men can.
I literally thought I was going home.
I think Julia Child and my family would definitely be proud of me.
Matthew, Rhashad, and Ben.
Listen up, you three.
You've made our jobs very difficult.
We're splitting hairs.
It's a very tough decision.
That's why Aarón, Christina, and I all agree that all three of you are not going home.
- Yay! So much.
Thank you.
- Thank you! We asked you to do something very, very difficult, and you all rose to the occasion beautifully.
All three of you head up to the balcony.
Well done.
Ben: I'm still in the competition.
Whoop whoop! - Oh, my gosh.
- Good job.
Top ten still going strong.
Look at that.
Our top ten.
I said that everyone who makes it through tonight's challenge would win a special prize.
- Yes! - What is it? All of you will receive a very special invitation to appear at the next Camp MasterChef this summer.
( kids cheer ) - Yes! - O-M-G! I can't wait to go have an exciting summer cooking with a bunch of my friends and get to meet a bunch of new people at camp.
- I cannot wait.
- And guess what? - We get to come with you.
- ( kids cheer ) - I'll drive the bus.
- I'll cook.
All-you-can-eat salad bar from me.
( kids laugh ) An amazing summer of fun.
- ( kids cheering ) - I get to go fishing! We definitely have the best top ten ever in the history of this competition.
Get some sleep.
Can't wait to see you next time.
- Good night.
- Good night.
- Kids: Good night, Chef.
- Bye! Ben: Bye.
Announcer: Next time Tonight our guests are all inspirational women.
- Yes! Yes! - Women represent! the MasterChef Junior restaurant opens its doors Let's go! Let's go! to its most important guests yet.
Previous season winners, celebrities, A girl's gotta represent.
- And then - Watch very carefully.
- the junior home cooks face - Both: Wow! a Gordon Ramsay masterpiece.
Aaron: Three Michelin star dish.
I'm only ten years old.