Sweet Genius

A SWEET GENIUS MASTERS THE EXACT SCIENCE OF DESSERTS

WITH LIMITLESS IMAGINATION.

THE RESULT-

MAGICAL, EDIBLE ART.

I'M ON A MISSION TO FIND CHEFS

WHO SHARE MY OBSESSION WITH PERFECTION.

FOUR CHEFS WILL STRIVE TO SEE WHO CAN MAKE

THE MOST AMAZING DESSERTS POSSIBLE.

HOT, HOT, HOT! HOT!

TO ASSESS THEIR DESSERT I. Q. s,

I HAVE DESIGNED THREE DIABOLICAL TESTS

TO SEE WHO TRULY BELONGS

IN MY WORLD OF DESSERTS.

BE INSPIRED BY THE BEWILDERING OBJECTS

I HAVE SELECTED... OH, MY GOD.

BE ASTONISHINGLY CREATIVE WITH THE MANDATORY INGREDIENTS

I HAVE CHOSEN. OSTRICH EGGS? UH.

ONLY ONE CHEF WILL SURPASS THEM ALL,

AND EARN $10,000.

I AM A SWEET GENIUS. ARE YOU?

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I'M MICHAEL MIGNANO,

AND WHEN I WANT SOMETHING, I GO GET IT.

I'M THE CHEF-OWNER OF MAIN STREET BAKERY AND CAFE

IN PORT WASHINGTON, NEW YORK.

IT'S AN OLD-FASHIONED SCRATCH BAKERY,

WHERE I MAKE EVERYTHING FROM CLASSIC CAKES

TO MY OWN CANDY BAR.

CHOCOLATE REALLY IS MY STRENGTH. EXECUTION IS EVERYTHING.

A SWEET GENIUS KNOWS HOW TO EXECUTE FROM "A" TO "B."

MY NAME'S ALINA EISENHAUER.

PASTRY, TO ME, IS AN ALL-CONSUMING PASSION.

I AM THE EXECUTIVE PASTRY CHEF AND OWNER

OF SWEET, A DESSERT BAR IN WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

BEFORE PASTRIES, I WAS IN A WHOLE OTHER WORLD-

FITNESS.

THE FITNESS WORLD AND PASTRY ARE SIMILAR.

THEY'RE BOTH VERY DISCIPLINED FIELDS.

IF I DO ANYTHING, I WANT TO BE THE BEST AT IT.

I FEEL THAT I'M A SWEET GENIUS

BECAUSE IT'S WHAT I WAS BORN TO DO.

MY NAME IS SALVATORE SETTEPANI,

AND PASTRY RUNS THROUGH MY BLOOD.

I COME FROM A SICILIAN FAMILY.

MY FATHER IS A RENOWNED PASTRY CHEF.

I LEARNED EVERYTHING FROM MY FATHER,

AND I WANT TO CARRY ON HIS TRADITIONS.

I AM THE OWNER AND THE EXECUTIVE PASTRY CHEF

OF PASTICCERIA BRUNO IN STATEN ISLAND, NEW YORK.

WE SPECIALIZE IN ITALIAN DESSERTS-GELATO, CONFECTIONS.

I HAVE CRAZY AMOUNTS OF SKILL LEVEL.

THAT "SWEET GENIUS" TITLE WILL BE MINE.

I'M MICHAEL BOWEN,

AND I'M HERE TO PUT PIES ON THE MAP.

PIES HAVE AN IMPORTANT PLACE IN DESSERTS,

BECAUSE IT'S FULL OF MEMORY AND NOSTALGIA.

IT'S THE ALL-AMERICAN DESSERT.

I AM THE OWNER OF BAKING WITH BERTHA,

WHO TEACHES BAKING CLASSES TO PEOPLE.

I AM A SWEET GENIUS,

BECAUSE I AM GOING TO SHOW THAT

PIE CAN STAND ON ITS OWN TWO FEET.

I AM SO INTIMIDATED,

BECAUSE I HAVE NO CLUE WHAT'S GOING ON.

THE SEARCH FOR THE SWEET GENIUS BEGINS.

CHEF RON BEN-ISRAEL.

CHEF RON IS THE ABSOLUTE BEST IN THE BUSINESS.

HE HAS AN IMMENSE AMOUNT OF KNOWLEDGE IN PASTRY.

CHEFS, THERE WILL BE THREE TESTS...

EACH WILL HAVE MANDATORY INGREDIENTS AND AN INSPIRATION.

YOUR DESSERT MUST INCORPORATE THESE ELEMENTS.

YOU ARE HERE WITH SOMETHING TO PROVE TO ME.

A REAL SWEET GENIUS CAN ADAPT

TO ANY SITUATION.

WITH THAT IN MIND, YOUR FIRST TEST-

FROZEN DESSERTS.

FROZEN DESSERTS-AWESOME. I KNOW GELATO.

I KNOW SEMIFREDDO. WHAT'S NEXT?

I GIVE YOU THIS MANDATORY INGREDIENT.

CINNAMON HOT CANDIES.

THESE TINY CANDIES ARE MADE OF LAYERS OF SUGAR

AND CINNAMON OIL, WHICH GIVE IT ITS BURNING SENSATION.

IF FROZEN WHOLE,

THEY BECOME HARD AND DIFFICULT TO MANIPULATE.

AND SOMETHING ELSE TO CONSIDER?

I AM PLUNGED INTO DARKNESS,

AND I'M CONFUSED.

MY WORLD OF DESSERTS HAS GONE BLACK

TO INFORM YOU THAT YOUR INSPIRATION FOR THE FIRST TEST

IS DARKNESS.

I HAVEN'T GOT A CLUE

HOW I AM GOING TO TAKE DARKNESS

AND CINNAMON HOT CANDIES AND MAKE A FROZEN DESSERT.

AND, CHEFS, YOU NEVER KNOW UNTIL YOU KNOW

WHAT ELSE I MIGHT SEND YOUR WAY.

YOU HAVE 40 MINUTES FOR THIS TEST.

START THE CLOCK!

AS SOON AS CHEF SAID DARKNESS, I THOUGHT ABOUT HELL-

THREE LAYERS OF HELL.

ON THE BOTTOM, YOU START WITH THE DARKNESS,

SO LET'S DO A CHOCOLATE GELATO.

FIRST I'M GOING TO BOIL THE CREAM AND MAKE MY EGGS.

AND THEN-LET ME GO A LITTLE LIGHT ON THE CHOCOLATE.

YOU DON'T WANT TO OVERPOWER THE WHOLE CUP.

AS I'M WORKING, I'M THINKING

I CAN MAKE SOMETHING RED TO REPRESENT HELL.

THE CINNAMON CANDIES- OKAY, THERE'S MY RED.

TODAY THE COMPETITION IS FOR ME, BUT MAINLY MY FATHER,

AND TODAY IS MY 26th BIRTHDAY, SO, UH,

IT'LL BE EXTRA SPECIAL FOR ME TO WIN.

SO FOR ME DARKNESS IS ALL ABOUT TRICKERY AND DECEIVING,

SO I'M THINKING PASSION FRUIT ICE CREAM

WITH A CINNAMON HOT CANDY SAUCE.

IT'S TWO EXTREMES-YOU HAVE ONE THAT'S COOL AND REFRESHING,

THE OTHER ONE IS HOTTER THAN HELL.

WITH THE CINNAMON HOT CANDIES,

I'M GONNA JUST MELT THEM IN MILK,

AND THEN TEMPER MY EGG YOLKS, ADD THE PASSION PURéE,

AND PUT IT IN THE ICE CREAM MACHINE.

I'M VERY COMFORTABLE WITH FROZEN DESSERT IN 40 MINUTES.

WHERE ARE THE BOWLS?

MY MIND IS RACING.

I- I DON'T KNOW. I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M GOING TO DO.

CHEFS, WHAT DOES DARKNESS

MEAN TO YOU?

DARKNESS FOR ME

IS MYSTERY AND SURPRISE,

AND ALSO COMFORT.

I START ENVISIONING

THIS SMALL BEAUTIFUL ICE CREAM PIE,

WITH A CHOCOLATE COOKIE CRUST

AND A SEMIFREDDO.

I WANT SOMETHING THAT'S MYSTERIOUS AND SWEET.

FOR MY SEMIFREDDO, I ADD PINK PEPPERCORNS,

SO I HAVE THIS TEXTURE THAT IS SPICY,

AND I MAKE A SIMPLE SYRUP OUT OF THE RED HOT CANDIES.

BRILLIANT, BRILLIANT, BRILLIANT, BRILLIANT,

BRILLIANT, BRILLIANT, BRILLIANT, BRILLIANT.

I'M TAKING DARKNESS, IN A CERTAIN RESPECT,

VERY LITERALLY, IN THAT THE DESSERT NEEDS TO BE DARK.

I KNOW I WANT TO DO A CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM.

I'M GOING FOR DEEP AND RICH AND EARTHY.

I LEFT THE FITNESS WORLD

TO GO INTO PASTRY FULL-TIME,

BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT I LOVE TO DO.

ALL RIGHT, GET COLD, BABY.

CHEFS, TRANSFORM THESE INGREDIENTS

INTO MAGICAL, EDIBLE ART.

CHEF RON IS VERY INFLUENTIAL IN MY WORK.

I DIDN'T GO TO PASTRY SCHOOL,

AND SO I'VE SEEN HIS BOOKS,

I'VE BEEN TO HIS WEB SITE.

I VALUE HIS OPINION,

SO I WANT THIS MORE THAN ANYTHING.

ONCE THE GELATO BASE COOLED DOWN,

I THROW SOME CANDIES IN THERE

SO MAYBE HE GETS A SENSATION OF IT,

AND THEN I DECIDED TO MAKE A SEMIFREDDO

BECAUSE IT'S NOT ONLY COLD, IT'S A LITTLE MOUSSE-Y.

IN OUR BAKERY, I TAKE A LOT OF PRIDE IN OUR GELATO,

AND A LOT OF PRIDE IN OUR SEMIFREDDOS.

CAN I GET THE TIME?

20 MINUTES LEFT FOR YOUR FROZEN DESSERT TEST.

OH, COME ON.

ALL THE CHEFS ARE RUNNING AROUND LIKE CRAZY.

COME ON, COME ON, COME ON, COME ON, COME ON.

I SORT OF WANT TO STAY UNDER THE RADAR.

I'M MAKING THIS HONEY SHOOTER

WITH LITTLE BLACKBERRY WORMS.

I MIXED BLACKBERRY PURéE WITH SODIUM CHLORIDE

WITH ALGINATE,

WHICH FORMS THIS SKIN AROUND THE PURéE.

HEY, IT'S DARKNESS, RIGHT,

SO WORMS SHOULD WORK.

CINNAMON HOT CANDIES WORK WITH THE CHOCOLATE...

SO I DECIDE TO DO A CHOCOLATE TUILE WITH CRUSHED RED HOTS.

THAT'S GOOD.

TUILE COOKIES ARE VERY, VERY THIN.

AND THEN I CHECK THE ICE CREAM.

OH, CRAP.

I DIDN'T TURN THE MACHINE ON.

I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG THIS MACHINE TAKES.

THAT ICE CREAM BETTER FREEZE.

DO WE HAVE GRAHAM CRACKERS?

I DISCOVER THERE ARE NO GRAHAM CRACKERS,

AND I AM STARTING TO PANIC.

I NEED A BASE FOR A CRUST.

I GRAB THE LADY FINGERS, I ADD COCOA POWDER TO THEM.

DARKNESS IS INSANITY. THAT'S WHAT IT IS.

AND SUDDENLY...

IT IS ANOTHER MANDATORY INGREDIENT.

I'M LOOKING, AND I'M LOOKING, AND I'M THINKING, WHAT IS THAT?

THEY'RE SPIKY AND PINK.

I AM IN A STATE OF SHOCK.

YOU WERE WARNED.

RAMBUTAN, CHEFS.

RAMBUTAN IS A FRUIT NATIVE TO SOUTHEAST ASIA.

ITS FLESHY TEXTURE AND HIGH JUICE CONTENT

MAKE IT VERY DELICATE.