MasterChef Junior (2013) s04e01 Episode Script
New Kids on the Chopping Block
(male narrator) After a nationwide search, three of the biggest names in the culinary world welcome the next generation of culinary giants into the MasterChef kitchen.
Is everybody ready? (all) Yes, Chef! [kids screaming.]
(narrator) The greatest young home cooks in America.
Gigantic mixer coming through! (narrator) Will face the biggest - Oh, my god! - It's his head! Oh, my gosh! (narrator) Most explosive challenges What the heck happened to you, Gordon? (narrator) Of their lives.
[kids screaming.]
Oh, my gosh! Seriously? You guys are cuckoo crazy.
Are you old enough to be doing this? (narrator) And for those who rocket to the top Dang.
We are soul mates on what a great dessert is.
You're 8 years of age.
Where do these ideas come from? From my memories.
(narrator) Victory will be sweet.
This is probably one of the best moments of my life.
(narrator) But in the end Perfect burger.
(narrator) Only one will win $100,000 Yes! (narrator) And claim the title of MasterChef Junior.
- Whoo! - Oh, my gosh.
[kids cheering.]
I can't believe that I'm in the top 24 best home cooks in America.
I mean, out of a trillion babillion kids? It's just amazing for me to be even one of them.
[cheering.]
[cheering.]
Oh, my God.
This is the biggest kitchen I've ever seen in my life.
It's bigger than a football field, a whole length of a football field.
[kids shouting.]
I was 3 years old when I started cooking.
Even though I'm only 8 years old, I have a really sophisticated palate.
When I grow up, I want to own a three Michelin-Star restaurant and be the head chef.
This is nuts.
Welcome, guys.
Come on down.
I love the judges.
Graham is just, like, so awesome.
And Gordon Ramsay is obviously really cool.
They're so tiny.
Look at them.
But I am so excited to meet Christina Tosi, because she's, like, the best adult baker in the whole entire world, and I'm, like, the best kid baker in the whole entire world.
Welcome to MasterChef Junior.
Thanks.
[laughter.]
Are you excited to be here? (all) Yes, Chef! You are the best young home cooks between the ages of 8 to 13 in all of America.
One of you will win the most incredible culinary trophy in the entire world.
[kids gasping.]
The MasterChef Junior trophy! And the title of MasterChef Junior.
I think it's time for a girl to win MasterChef Junior.
And I'm ready to bring home the trophy back to Louisiana and celebrate with a big crawfish boil.
So, boys, watch out.
Hurricane Avery is coming through.
I think there's something else as well.
What? [laughter.]
There is.
$100,000.
[cheering.]
I can buy so many toys! [laughter.]
Before you can compete in this kitchen [suspenseful music.]
You guys need one more thing: one of these.
[cheering.]
A MasterChef white apron.
[shouting excitedly.]
Now, you've all earned an apron, but this is MasterChef Junior.
We are not gonna make it that easy.
[groaning.]
- Oh, whatever.
- Of course you aren't.
You'll find those aprons in one of the scariest places inside this kitchen.
- [gasps.]
- Where? I'm scared.
- Whoa, wait.
- What? What's going on? A place you'll all have to get inside.
Oh, no.
You'll find them Say it.
[suspenseful music.]
- Oh, my God! - What the heck? It's his head! Oh, my gosh! It's his head! It's his head! [kids shouting.]
What the heck happened to you, Gordon? It's a piñata! It's a piñata! - It's a piñata! - Get me a stick! That's right.
All of your aprons are inside Gordon's giant piñata head.
Grab some kitchen utensils behind you and get them out.
Gordon Ramsay already had a big head.
Now look at this thing.
It's 50 times bigger, and we get to whack at it and bust out the aprons.
Are you all ready to hit my face as hard as you can? (all) Yes, Chef! - Go! - Attack it! [kids shouting.]
Killing it.
[kids shouting.]
My nose! Watch my hair! It's like Lord of the Flies.
Apron! [screeching.]
My baby! Mia, Mia! Take it! Yay! Well done.
- Head to your stations.
- Yay.
Getting a MasterChef apron is like getting a black belt in karate.
It means I'm officially a chef.
(all) Bye, Gordon.
My head hurts.
Now you're all about to face your very first mystery box challenge here in the MasterChef kitchen.
You'll have to use whatever you find under those boxes to make us one amazing dish.
Whoever has the best dish will get a huge advantage for the upcoming challenge.
Now, on the count of three, I want you to lift your boxes.
One, two, three.
Lift! What? Bread? [grunting.]
Oh, my What is this thing? Under there, you have one beautiful but empty bun.
Thank you.
What goes inside buns? Burgers! - Burgers! - Burgers! America's undisputed king of food.
The average American eats three hamburgers a week.
What? So we want to see your signature burger.
Wow.
But even burgers don't like hanging out alone, so we want you to serve your signature burgers with an incredible side.
(Gordon) You will all have access to a limited pantry of ingredients to help make those burgers shine.
You'll find things like ground beef, ground pork, ground bison, different kinds of buns, cheeses, incredible vegetables.
Is everybody ready to make a knockout burger? (all) Yes, Chef! Your one hour starts now! [clock ticking.]
- Oh, my god.
- Oh! This is mayhem.
Thank you.
You rock.
Gigantic mixer coming through! Here we have young cooks age 8 to 13 representing the country - Good luck, man.
- Thanks, you too.
And tonight we have - Where's some jalapenos? - Right there.
This thing is huge.
This is my first season of MasterChef Junior, and just watching them cook is incredible to me.
We can do this.
And every year, they're just getting stronger and better and better and better.
It's just incredible.
Perfect burger.
Ha-ha, cha! Thank you.
I'm from Arizona, so I'm making a Southwestern burger with jalapenos and a garlic French fry.
I'm an A-plus student, so I'm really hoping that I can get an A-plus on this burger.
I'm from Brooklyn.
I'm making just a regular bacon burger with some avocado mayonnaise, and on the side, we have a nice pickled Asian slaw, which is a really big thing in Brooklyn, so I made some of this so that I could be, like, hometown proud.
Ugh, why am I so short? I am going to make an avocado relish to go on my California chipotle burger, with chipotle lime chips on the side.
This is the first mystery box, so I am nervous, but extremely excited.
I'm gonna knock these judges out of the park with my flavor.
(Gordon) Let's go.
Zac, where you from? I'm from Orlando, Florida.
What kind of burger are you cooking? A chuck and sirloin burger with some onion rings.
Do you think you've got what it takes to become America's next MasterChef? Even though I've only been cooking for a year and a half, I am really, really good.
- Wow, good luck.
- Thank you.
- Avery, how we doing? - Good.
Tell me what the dish is.
What are you making? I'm making a pork and ground venison burger, a jazzy cole slaw, Creole sauce, and Southern sweet potato chips.
- Good luck, Avery.
- Good luck, okay, Avery? - Ian, how you doing? - Pretty good.
Now, remind me your age and where you're from.
and I'm from Beverly Shores, Indiana.
Tell me about this burger.
It's gonna be a bison burger with melted American cheese on it, with French fries.
Who teaches you at home to cook? It was probably both of my parents, because my dad owns a restaurant.
How much would it cost to go eat in mom and dad's restaurant? Because it's my mom and dad's restaurant, I get to eat free.
Yeah, not you.
I'm talking about me, if I had to go pay.
Because you have a lot of money, let's say Because I what? Who told you that? Everybody knows that you have money.
[laughs.]
Come on, young man.
What? - Good luck.
- Thank you.
Last 13 minutes, guys.
Oh, God, it's got to go back in.
Kya, how we doing? Good.
- How old are you? - I'm 8 years old.
Wow, so you are the youngest one here.
How does that make you feel? I think it gives me an advantage, 'cause age doesn't matter.
It's more your knowledge of food.
Now, what is that burger? This is my wagyu burger with apple fries.
So who taught you how to cook, Kya? My mom taught me at first, and then my dad taught me.
All right, good luck, Kya.
Thank you.
That's not good.
(Gordon) [trilling nervously.]
Wow, look at the energy in here.
(Graham) It's wild.
(Gordon) We have gone up to a completely different level already.
(Graham) Absolutely.
You have Chinese backgrounds (Gordon) Yep, Latin-inspired, French-inspired.
I think that Avery is a frontrunner right now.
That burger, I mean, it smells incredible.
Kya seems like she knows what she's doing.
Totally.
Make it count.
Jeez Louise, gotta get my cheese.
- Ten - No! Nine, eight I'm freaking out.
(all) Seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.
And stop! Hands in the air! - Start plating! - No! A knockout burger.
(all) Five, four, three, two, one, and stop! Hands in the air! [cheers and applause.]
- Good job, high five.
Great job, well done.
Now, every time you cook in this kitchen, we miss nothing.
We taste everything you cook.
Now we want to look at the three best dishes of the night.
The first burger we want to bring forward has gone in a very non-traditional direction.
The dish really celebrates where this young home cook comes from.
Please step forward Avery! [cheers and applause.]
I can't believe it.
Gordon Ramsay just called my name up first.
I mean, I'm just a girl from the Bayou, and it's a really big honor.
Avery, describe that delicious-looking burger.
Louisiana is a sportsman's paradise, and my family loves to hunt, so I call this a Sportsman's Paradise burger with a jazzy cole slaw and a Creole spread, and as a side, some sweet Southern potato chips.
Excellent.
What protein did you use? Pork and venison.
Where'd you get the idea of venison? - Venison is a lean meat - Yes.
But pork also has fat in it, so they really work well together.
What temperature were you aiming for? A little red in the middle.
Let me see there Nailed it, big-time.
Mm, paté delicious.
You've got the salt right, the pepper right.
Love that slaw.
Those chips, delicious, seasoning's nice.
But the bun is just a touch too soggy.
Toast it a big longer next time.
- Thank you, Chef.
- Thank you.
Well, is it good or not? This is what eating's all about.
The flavors, the seasoning, the cole slaw is explosive, and it helps moisten the venison and pork that's in there.
If I was gonna change anything, as far as the meat, I would love maybe a little more pork.
It's the only thing that I would change, because that is delicious.
- Good job, Avery.
- Thank you.
[applause.]
Next up, this burger has a lot of sophisticated flavors, and it's made by someone who's cooking way beyond their years.
This dish belongs to Zac.
I'm an athlete, and I'm very competitive.
So it's an amazing feeling to be picked for the first mystery box of the competition.
And now everyone will know that I'm gonna bring my A-game every time.
All right, Zac, how old are you? I'm 12 years old.
And what do you do when you're not spending time in the kitchen cooking? Back home in Orlando, I like to play a lot of tennis.
I'm ranked inside the top juniors in the country.
And I'm really confident on the tennis court, and I try to bring that into the kitchen.
So, I'm so curious about what's in this burger.
The patty meat itself is chuck and sirloin, and then I did shitake mushrooms, butter lettuce, cheddar cheese, and tomato, and then for the side, some panko-crusted onion rings.
I mean, look at that cook.
This, for me, is like a picture-perfect burger.
I really love all of the really juicy, shiny condiments.
Thank you.
I loved your decision to make those onion rings thin and to coat them thinly in panko.
Yeah.
But I'd love just a little bit more seasoning, a little bit more of that zing.
Yeah.
But you did a really nice job.
Thank you.
I love the fact that you kept it classic.
Delicious, season's nice.
Cook on it is beautiful.
Brioche, nice choice of bun.
Onion rings could be a little bit more crispy, so you just have to be very careful there, because when you stack them like that, they start sort of getting a little bit soggy.
Okay.
By and large, great effort.
I love the way you cook with confidence.
Yes.
Great burger, and a great start in this competition.
Good job, thank you.
Thank you.
[applause.]
- Good job, Zac.
- Nice job, Avery.
Last up, this home cook plated their burger beautifully.
They gave us a classic take on the all-American burger, but elevated it to what appears to be restaurant-quality.
They also served a delicious side.
Please bring up your burger [suspenseful music.]
Kya.
[applause.]
Aw, man, I really wanted to win this so bad.
But Kya's 8, so I think that she's a great influence for young home cooks.
I feel so happy for her.
- Okay, how we doing? - Good.
Now, tell me exactly what we have in this burger.
This is my wagyu burger All right.
With apple fries.
I used wagyu beef for my burger, and a balsamic ketchup with medium cheddar and provolone.
You're using some expensive ingredients, that wagyu beef.
Yeah, I'm more into fine dining, but sometimes I like to do rustic.
Mm, that flavor's delicious.
I mean, the acidity that goes into that ketchup makes it balanced.
Thank you.
If anything, the burger patty itself could be a little smaller.
The apple fries, really, really smart.
I thought that they were potato wedges when I first saw them.
So this is showing me you're thinking outside the box.
- Great job.
- Thank you.
Kya, where do these ideas come from? You're 8 years of age.
- I'm actually from Hong Kong.
- Mm-hmm? And when I was young, my dad would cook wagyu beef burgers.
Wow, so that was, what, five years ago? - Yeah.
- Wow.
That is delicious, young lady.
Burger seasoned beautifully.
The flavor combination of two cheeses, delicious.
What would I change? The apple needs a bit more cooking.
However, great job.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
Wow.
Great job, Kya.
- Good job.
- Good job.
Avery, Zac, Kya, three burgers that I would put on my menu.
Great job.
But there can only be one winner.
I'm feeling pretty good about my burger, but Zac's had the perfect temperature on his.
He had a lot of good flavors.
And then, Kya's had the two cheeses, those fried apples.
So I think it's 50-50 at this point.
The young home cook that will be joining us in the pantry and receive a huge advantage Kya.
Well done.
[laughing.]
Oh, my god.
You ready to go over to the pantry and receive your huge advantage? Yes.
Let's go.
Bye, guys.
I'm the only 8-year-old that has ever won mystery box challenge.
This is amazing.
- Smart.
- That was great.
- That was so smart.
- Unbelievable.
Really good, indeed.
- So close.
- High five.
Kya, welcome to the amazing MasterChef pantry.
Thank you.
Your first advantage is that you do not have to cook in the upcoming elimination challenge.
Yes.
Now, we are about to show you what everyone else is gonna have to cook with tonight.
No one in the kitchen is gonna find out what it is until you blow them away with this amazing ingredient.
Wait till you see what's in that box.
[laughs.]
What? What is that? Ooh, no.
Is that a toaster? Because Kya won the mystery box challenge, she is safe from elimination tonight.
[cheers and applause.]
She is going to be up on the balcony and will be enjoying a special treat that I made in my own kitchen.
[gasping.]
Cool.
That lucky kid.
Butthat's not all.
Kya is going to get to share that treat with a friend, and along with Kya, will be through to the next round.
All right, Kya, it's time for you to tell us who you'd like to share that delicious cake with.
The person I chose is [suspenseful music.]
Vivian.
She's a really good cook, and she deserves to be saved.
Thank you so much.
You're welcome.
Vivian, go on up.
Yes! I'm safe from elimination, and I have these amazing treats.
Whoa.
And now Kya, she's one of my best friends.
Whoo-hoo! Now, guess who's the only person, apart from us, who knows what all of you are going to have to use as your star ingredient.
- Kya.
- Kya.
Kya.
I really hope it's candy in that box, because if I could eat candy every day, I would.
I would make a candy castle, candy cake.
It doesn't matter.
Candy saves your life.
Okay, don't move.
What's Gordon doing? - Oh, no.
- Ah! - Ah! - What is it? - That's dynamite.
- Be careful with that thing.
TNT? I've never used one of these things before, but it can't be that hard.
No.
No, no, no.
- Uh-oh.
- Not the boom thingy.
Yellow, red Take cover.
Gordon Ramsay, what are you doing? You don't choose the red wire.
Just hold my hand.
[giggles.]
Haven't you seen the movies? Okay.
Okay.
Ah Kya, very carefully, I want you to put both hands on top of the handle.
You're gonna show everyone what they're gonna have to cook with tonight.
Three, two Guys, no.
Onepush.
[blast.]
[screaming.]
Marshmallows! Kya, very carefully, I want you to put both hands on top of the handle.
You're gonna show everyone what they're gonna have to cook with tonight.
Three, two Guys, no.
Onepush.
[blast.]
[screaming.]
Marshmallows! [laughing.]
Oh, my God! What the heck? [laughing.]
Wow! Ooh, yay, marshmallows! This thing is the size of my hand.
Marshmallows.
Marshmallow fight! [laughter.]
Yeah, yeah! Ah! [laughter.]
That was incredible.
A marshmallow explosion.
Yeah! All right, guys.
You're all gonna have to make us a marvelous, magnificent marshmallow dish to keep yourselves in the competition.
Obviously it's almost certainly going to be a dessert.
Yes.
And it better be the best you've ever made.
Now, you guys are all gonna have five minutes to go into the pantry to get all those ingredients that you need to make your marshmallow dish.
In the pantry, you're gonna find every fruit imaginable, as well as butter, eggs, milk chocolate, flour, vanilla extract, milk, and powdered sugar.
Now, remember, some of you will be going home after this challenge, so make sure that you choose your ingredient wisely.
You'll have 60 minutes to make us those stunning marshmallow dishes.
Your 60 minutes starts now.
[kids shouting.]
- Awesome! - Go, go, go, go, go! Come on, guys, you can do it! Whoo! I can't move! Stepping on marshmallows! So many fat marshmallows! Mini marshmallows! Mini! Where's the marshmallows? Marshmallows make me think of little pillows or clouds of yumminess.
- Can I have one raspberry? - There you go.
But I have never cooked anything with marshmallows, so I'm a little nervous about this challenge.
[laughter.]
This is gonna be hard.
[grunting.]
I'm gonna get truly strong.
Now, marshmallows, they are delicious, they're light, they're fluffy.
Avery, I can carry a bowl if you'd like.
(Gordon) But I don't want to see a basic s'more.
I want to see something a little bit more creative.
Absolutely.
I really want to see the thoughtful nature of incorporating marshmallows.
Right, not just dropped on top cold.
No, it's not marshmallow as a snack.
It's marshmallow as a star.
Kyndall, this is not your station.
- Oh, it's not? - Nope.
Oh, my God.
I wonder what they're making.
So I am making a fluffy biscuit and some marshmallow butter.
And back in Austin, Texas, yeah, I've cooked with marshmallows before.
I like to make a marshmallow fluff for my brothers and sisters.
I am currently making a peach and banana cake with a topping of marshmallow whipped cream.
Marshmallows can get sticky, so they're a bit difficult to work with.
But I am currently bringing my A-game.
I am making a marshmallow churro with marshmallow whipped cream.
My food dream is to open up a rock-and-roll restaurant back in New York.
So I'm gonna definitely put it on the menu if the judges like my dish.
Do you have any extra flour that I can use? Jesse, do you have some of that extra flour - that I borrowed you? - Yeah.
Yeah, he needs a little bit of it.
Thank you.
Kade, how's it going? Good.
How old are you, and where are you from? I'm 9 years old, and I'm from Louisiana.
I'm making something pretty popular from the South, a banana split with some sweet potato biscuits.
both: Sweet potato biscuits? I just wanted to get, like, a savory and a sweet in there.
Very, very smart decision.
So, what's your favorite thing about marshmallows? I like marshmallows, but I think they're a little too sweet and could give you cavities.
[laughter.]
Ah! Halfway, guys.
Right, Addison, age and where you're from.
I'm 9 years old, and I'm from Chicago, Illinois.
What are you making? I'm making a chocolate cupcake with a cocoa flake and marshmallow filling.
You know, we have the Cupcake Princess here.
She is the best.
Are you the Cupcake Queen of Chicago? - I am.
- You are.
Who taught you how to cook? Mostly my dad and my mom.
And do you cook for them now? I do.
What about brother or sisters? I have a sister and a brother, but my brother is a puppy.
Oh, I see.
What kind of puppy? He's a labradoodle.
Oh, man, they're crazy, those dogs, right? They're crazy cute.
[laughs.]
- Good luck.
- Thank you.
Ugh.
Um See what Kade just did? He totally burned his marshmallows.
A toasted marshmallow is great.
But a burnt marshmallow is bitter.
It's not sweet at all.
Ay-ay-ay.
Umshould I blow on it? [blowing.]
Ugh.
[sighing.]
The key to cooking marshmallows is not too much heat when you're blow-torching it.
Otherwise, they'll burn, and nobody likes a burnt marshmallow.
Um Should I blow on it? But those things look black.
Oh, man.
Come on, guys! You don't have a long time! I'm making apple crostata with a marshmallow whipped cream, because I like to make apple pies at my parents' restaurant.
I love marshmallows, but I don't like cooking with them.
Even though they're delicate and sweet, they're still hard to cook.
In South Carolina, we don't see a lot of snow.
So seeing it, like, snow marshmallows in the MasterChef kitchen was pretty awesome.
I'm making a raspberry marshmallow whoopie pie, because my grandpa taught me how to make it.
[laughing.]
This is really challenging.
Alexander, how you doing? I just have one problem.
I accidentally added too much water in my raspberry sauce.
Yes, my man, you have got too much water.
Do you want some of that out? - Yes.
- Wow.
What are you making for us? What are you doing, like, a raspberry purée? I'm making a marshmallow pie with graham cracker banana chip crust.
- Can I ask a question? - Yeah.
Can I try that bandana on? That looks very cool, that.
Yeah.
Where'd you get that from? - Japan.
- Have you been to Japan? Yes.
Does that suit me? Do I look like some karate kid now? Kind of.
What's the perfect karate pose? Kah-jah! [stifled laughter.]
- Ooh.
- Ah-ah.
Do you study karate? When I was little.
Do you have a black belt? My highest was an orange belt.
- Right, good luck.
- Thanks.
Looking good, Alexander.
Last five minutes, guys! Who are we expecting to shine here? Got some pretty great bakers in the crowd.
I'm hoping Addison whips up something great.
This is the cupcake of my life.
Jesse is looking incredible as well.
He's confident.
I'm expecting fireworks from him tonight.
I think Sam, right? I mean, you're looking at that mohawk, and I just think some crazy punk rock marshmallow thing is coming out of that station.
He looks like a technician.
Start plating.
Oh, my gosh.
Ah, how do I do it? Oh, no.
Alexander, it's got to be on the plate.
Oh! Hurry, grab a plate from the kitchen.
Run as fast as you can! Go! Come on, guys! I'm so worried about Alexander.
[suspenseful music.]
He's got to take that out of the ring mold.
Nine, eight, seven, six five, four, three, two, one.
And stop, hands in the air! [cheers and applause.]
Well done.
Good job, guys! Whoo, yeah! Right, let's start with Addison.
Let's go, please.
I'm really hoping the judges like my cupcake, 'cause I want to open up a bakery called Batter Up Bakery.
It would combine my love for baking and softball.
If the judges like my cupcake, it's definitely going in my bakery.
Look at that beauty.
Describe your cupcake, please.
I made a chocolate cupcake with a chocolate cereal and marshmallow filling.
On top, a chocolate ganache with roasted marshmallows and an edible flower.
Wow.
You're how old? - Nine.
- Amazing.
Now, how long did you cook the cupcake? I cooked the cupcake for about 25 minutes.
Why edible flowers? Because I love color, and they taste good.
Wow, look at that.
It's gooey.
It's rich, moist.
Is that what you're looking for in the center? Mm-hmm.
Incredible.
Mm.
Have you tasted this yet? No.
Thank you.
That is too good to waste.
That's really good.
[laughter.]
It's very chocolatey in the center.
Love the marshmallow wrapped up in the ganache.
And it doesn't need this.
Okay, that was just for decoration.
This should go, yeah, in your hair.
Oh, no! Come on, that's where you put the flowers.
I thought, up until tonight, That Christina was the best baker in this country.
Well, Christina, somebody is chasing your job.
Great start.
Great finesse.
Well done, thank you.
Thank you.
Next up, Sam.
Back home in South Carolina, I mostly cook; I don't bake.
But I think I did a really good job, and I'm really confident in myself with what I've done.
Dang, look at that.
Oh, yeah, seriously.
Those are beautiful.
Wow.
Now, is this a whoopie pie? Yes, it is whoopie pie.
I stuffed them with a raspberry marshmallow cream and a chocolate cookie batter.
What's the best way to eat this? Just pick it up like a gigantic marshmallow chocolate burger? Yeah.
Whoopie.
It's, like, out-of-control good.
It has got an amazing contrast going on between this nice, fluffy marshmallow flavored with that raspberry, and then the actual chocolate.
So, well-plated, well-designed.
This is a home run.
- Good job, Sam.
- Thanks.
[applause.]
High five.
Next up, I'm excited to try the marshmallow dish of Alexander.
[whimpers.]
[applause.]
I feel horrible right now, because I have the worst presentation in all the 24 cooks.
I hope the judges can see past my mistake, 'cause I really don't want to go home to Phoenix.
Hi, Alexander.
Ugh.
What happened? My plating looks horrible.
Ugh.
What happened? My plating looks horrible.
I think you should love your dessert as much as I think I'm gonna love your dessert.
So let's do this again.
All right, here we go.
What do we have? A marshmallow pie with a banana and graham cracker crust with marshmallow and cherry filling, and on top, torch-flamed marshmallows.
Well, let's taste it.
Look at those marshmallows.
The filling really does have the flavor and the texture of a marshmallow, so it is aptly named marshmallow pie.
The marshmallow is really nice to balance the acidity of the chocolate.
Presentation isn't as great as I know you would have liked, but overall, you definitely celebrated marshmallows in this dish, which was the whole purpose of the challenge.
Well done.
- Thanks.
- Thank you.
Alexander looks really upset.
It's hard to stay positive when something like that happens.
But it's not all about the looks.
It's also about the taste.
Next up, Kade, please.
Let's go.
I'm scared right now, 'cause my marshmallows look a little crispy, and my presentation isn't the best.
So I really hope that creativity and taste will help me a lot right now.
Right, Kade.
Describe the dish, please, bud.
A banana split with a sweet potato biscuit and a marshmallow gravy with toasted marshmallows.
'Cause who doesn't love toasted marshmallows? Did you toast them a little bit too long? Because they look cremated.
Um, I started blow-torching them, and they caught fire, and I didn't know what to do.
You had plenty of time.
So why didn't you start it again? Um Right.
Mm, what's this bit here? That was semi-sweet chocolate.
It almost caught fire, - with the blowtorch.
- Oh, wow.
Your sweet potato biscuit actually tastes nice, not too bad.
But, unfortunately, the chocolate is burnt, the marshmallows are burnt.
However, strong effort.
- Thank you.
- Thanks.
[applause.]
Next up, Jesse.
I'm a little nervous, because I'm not the greatest baker.
We don't really bake in my house.
So if Christina likes my dish, this will be so big for me.
So where are you from? New York.
I live in Brooklyn.
- Oh.
- We're practically neighbors.
So, what'd you make with those marshmallows? I made toasted marshmallow churros and a toasted marshmallow whipped cream.
- Jesse.
- Yeah? These are amazing.
Thanks.
It's perfectly golden-brown on the outside and doughy in the center.
We are definitely soul mates on what a great dessert is.
Corey, please, let's go.
Describe this marshmallow dessert.
It's a peach and banana cake topped off with candied raspberries and a side of roasted marshmallows with a raspberry-strawberry sauce.
Wow, so why peach? My dad's from the Caribbean, so he used a lot of fruits, like peaches.
It tastes nice, but you want more of the marshmallow inside that layers of cake.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
Next up, please.
- Mia.
- Oh, god.
I wasn't expecting that.
Mia, what did you make for "me-uh"? I made a marshmallow biscuit with a marshmallow butter and a raspberry gastrique sauce.
What's in the center here? Marshmallow fluff whipped with butter, and then powdered sugar.
I like the colors.
Thank you.
Wow.
Yay, that's good.
That's really good.
Cool! Yeah, to put marshmallow through it, and then make this sweet butter.
I mean, this is simple, but done in a great way.
Aw, so nice.
- Good job.
- Thank you.
Yay.
I'm happy.
Last up, Ian, please.
Let's go.
I had some mess-ups in the kitchen.
But I have a very sophisticated palate.
So I'm pretty sure I'm gonna pull this off.
I swear to God, I'm gonna pull this off.
Okay.
Describe the dish, please.
So it's an apple crostata served with-- well, with burnt marshmallows.
Oh, I see.
My whipped cream turned out bad.
It turned into, like, vomit, so Your whipped cream turned into vomit.
Yeah, it-- That's a great way of selling the dish, Chef Ian.
It looked like it.
I'm glad you didn't serve it.
- Smart move, trust me.
- Thank you.
Any of the marshmallows, rather than just those ones that you've toasted 'round the outside of the plate? No, those are the only marshmallows.
Right.
First of all, actually tastes quite nice altogether.
The apples taste delicious.
Thank you.
- But it needs more time in the oven.
- Okay.
The pastry's too thick.
If you're running out of time, the thinner it is, the quicker it cooks.
Okay.
So I think the time tonight got the better of you.
Thank you.
I am really terrified.
Someone's going home tonight, and I don't think I'm gonna be going to the next round in this competition.
I think I'm going home.
(Gordon) Well done.
What an amazing challenge.
And this is the toughest cooking competition you'll find anywhere in the world.
And now that means we do have to say good-bye to some of you tonight.
Right now, Christina, Graham, and I need a very serious chat.
Please excuse us.
Wow, difficult, you know, 'cause there's so many good ones.
I mean, that's a lot of great technical ability.
You're not gonna get eliminated.
I really hope not.
They liked it.
There were some downsides.
Alexander's marshmallow pie just didn't work.
He knew it didn't work.
You made a little mistake with the presentation, but that's okay.
Ian, I mean, I know he's the youngest boy, but that crostata was undercooked.
Oh, my God.
Kade Marshmallows burned.
He obviously, clearly burned them, and they could have started that again, but banana bizarrely put on the plate.
It didn't make any sense at all.
I'm so nervous right now, dude.
Me too.
- Happy? - I think so.
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
They're coming.
[gasps.]
You all made us so proud tonight, but we do have to say good-bye to some of you this evening.
If I call your name, I'd like for you to come down and stand in the front.
Will the following six home cooks please come and line up? Jesse Alexander Addison Ian Kade Last up, Sam.
Now, please step forward.
Addison Sam Jesse.
Tonight you three home cooks, age 11, 9, and 10, you made the best three dishes of the night.
Congratulations, well done.
Oh, great job.
Head back to your station, please.
Well done, thank you.
Alexander, Ian, and Kade, you three just fell short of everyone else.
Ian, would you please step forward? [whispering.]
Oh, my God.
Ian, we know you were frustrated tonight, but you did just enough to squeak through.
Oh, my God.
Please head back to your station.
Oh, my God, oh, my God.
That's amazing, great job.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Oh, my God.
[somber music.]
Sadly, that means, Alexander and Kade, unfortunately you both are heading home tonight.
But keep your head up high, and you must remember what you've achieved so far in this competition.
Promise me you're gonna continue cooking.
- I will.
- Yes, Chef.
You've been incredible.
Thank you.
Even though I didn't win the MasterChef Junior trophy, I feel pretty good, because I'm going home, back to Louisiana.
- Group hug, everybody.
- Group hug.
Come on, you guys did awesome.
You guys did great.
And I think I'll have these friends for a very long time, until I'm about 50.
You did really well, Alexander.
Even though I'm going home to Phoenix, I'm proud of myself, because I'm one of the top 24 best home cooks in America.
(all) Bye! And almost a million people have never even got this apron, so I'll have bragging rights in the schoolyard.
Bye, guys, we love ya! Bye! Never stop cooking! (narrator) Next week You can do it! (all) Top that cupcake! (narrator) The remaining young home cooks are in for a sweet treat.
Come on, come on, come on.
(narrator) And the judges find themselves in a sticky situation.
Take off the shoes first.
(narrator) Then, Gordon Ramsay breaks open a tough scallop challenge It's scientifically impossible.
Why can't I get this open? (narrator) Which brings some talented home cooks out of their shell.
I've got a funny feeling you're gonna be around a long time.
Is everybody ready? (all) Yes, Chef! [kids screaming.]
(narrator) The greatest young home cooks in America.
Gigantic mixer coming through! (narrator) Will face the biggest - Oh, my god! - It's his head! Oh, my gosh! (narrator) Most explosive challenges What the heck happened to you, Gordon? (narrator) Of their lives.
[kids screaming.]
Oh, my gosh! Seriously? You guys are cuckoo crazy.
Are you old enough to be doing this? (narrator) And for those who rocket to the top Dang.
We are soul mates on what a great dessert is.
You're 8 years of age.
Where do these ideas come from? From my memories.
(narrator) Victory will be sweet.
This is probably one of the best moments of my life.
(narrator) But in the end Perfect burger.
(narrator) Only one will win $100,000 Yes! (narrator) And claim the title of MasterChef Junior.
- Whoo! - Oh, my gosh.
[kids cheering.]
I can't believe that I'm in the top 24 best home cooks in America.
I mean, out of a trillion babillion kids? It's just amazing for me to be even one of them.
[cheering.]
[cheering.]
Oh, my God.
This is the biggest kitchen I've ever seen in my life.
It's bigger than a football field, a whole length of a football field.
[kids shouting.]
I was 3 years old when I started cooking.
Even though I'm only 8 years old, I have a really sophisticated palate.
When I grow up, I want to own a three Michelin-Star restaurant and be the head chef.
This is nuts.
Welcome, guys.
Come on down.
I love the judges.
Graham is just, like, so awesome.
And Gordon Ramsay is obviously really cool.
They're so tiny.
Look at them.
But I am so excited to meet Christina Tosi, because she's, like, the best adult baker in the whole entire world, and I'm, like, the best kid baker in the whole entire world.
Welcome to MasterChef Junior.
Thanks.
[laughter.]
Are you excited to be here? (all) Yes, Chef! You are the best young home cooks between the ages of 8 to 13 in all of America.
One of you will win the most incredible culinary trophy in the entire world.
[kids gasping.]
The MasterChef Junior trophy! And the title of MasterChef Junior.
I think it's time for a girl to win MasterChef Junior.
And I'm ready to bring home the trophy back to Louisiana and celebrate with a big crawfish boil.
So, boys, watch out.
Hurricane Avery is coming through.
I think there's something else as well.
What? [laughter.]
There is.
$100,000.
[cheering.]
I can buy so many toys! [laughter.]
Before you can compete in this kitchen [suspenseful music.]
You guys need one more thing: one of these.
[cheering.]
A MasterChef white apron.
[shouting excitedly.]
Now, you've all earned an apron, but this is MasterChef Junior.
We are not gonna make it that easy.
[groaning.]
- Oh, whatever.
- Of course you aren't.
You'll find those aprons in one of the scariest places inside this kitchen.
- [gasps.]
- Where? I'm scared.
- Whoa, wait.
- What? What's going on? A place you'll all have to get inside.
Oh, no.
You'll find them Say it.
[suspenseful music.]
- Oh, my God! - What the heck? It's his head! Oh, my gosh! It's his head! It's his head! [kids shouting.]
What the heck happened to you, Gordon? It's a piñata! It's a piñata! - It's a piñata! - Get me a stick! That's right.
All of your aprons are inside Gordon's giant piñata head.
Grab some kitchen utensils behind you and get them out.
Gordon Ramsay already had a big head.
Now look at this thing.
It's 50 times bigger, and we get to whack at it and bust out the aprons.
Are you all ready to hit my face as hard as you can? (all) Yes, Chef! - Go! - Attack it! [kids shouting.]
Killing it.
[kids shouting.]
My nose! Watch my hair! It's like Lord of the Flies.
Apron! [screeching.]
My baby! Mia, Mia! Take it! Yay! Well done.
- Head to your stations.
- Yay.
Getting a MasterChef apron is like getting a black belt in karate.
It means I'm officially a chef.
(all) Bye, Gordon.
My head hurts.
Now you're all about to face your very first mystery box challenge here in the MasterChef kitchen.
You'll have to use whatever you find under those boxes to make us one amazing dish.
Whoever has the best dish will get a huge advantage for the upcoming challenge.
Now, on the count of three, I want you to lift your boxes.
One, two, three.
Lift! What? Bread? [grunting.]
Oh, my What is this thing? Under there, you have one beautiful but empty bun.
Thank you.
What goes inside buns? Burgers! - Burgers! - Burgers! America's undisputed king of food.
The average American eats three hamburgers a week.
What? So we want to see your signature burger.
Wow.
But even burgers don't like hanging out alone, so we want you to serve your signature burgers with an incredible side.
(Gordon) You will all have access to a limited pantry of ingredients to help make those burgers shine.
You'll find things like ground beef, ground pork, ground bison, different kinds of buns, cheeses, incredible vegetables.
Is everybody ready to make a knockout burger? (all) Yes, Chef! Your one hour starts now! [clock ticking.]
- Oh, my god.
- Oh! This is mayhem.
Thank you.
You rock.
Gigantic mixer coming through! Here we have young cooks age 8 to 13 representing the country - Good luck, man.
- Thanks, you too.
And tonight we have - Where's some jalapenos? - Right there.
This thing is huge.
This is my first season of MasterChef Junior, and just watching them cook is incredible to me.
We can do this.
And every year, they're just getting stronger and better and better and better.
It's just incredible.
Perfect burger.
Ha-ha, cha! Thank you.
I'm from Arizona, so I'm making a Southwestern burger with jalapenos and a garlic French fry.
I'm an A-plus student, so I'm really hoping that I can get an A-plus on this burger.
I'm from Brooklyn.
I'm making just a regular bacon burger with some avocado mayonnaise, and on the side, we have a nice pickled Asian slaw, which is a really big thing in Brooklyn, so I made some of this so that I could be, like, hometown proud.
Ugh, why am I so short? I am going to make an avocado relish to go on my California chipotle burger, with chipotle lime chips on the side.
This is the first mystery box, so I am nervous, but extremely excited.
I'm gonna knock these judges out of the park with my flavor.
(Gordon) Let's go.
Zac, where you from? I'm from Orlando, Florida.
What kind of burger are you cooking? A chuck and sirloin burger with some onion rings.
Do you think you've got what it takes to become America's next MasterChef? Even though I've only been cooking for a year and a half, I am really, really good.
- Wow, good luck.
- Thank you.
- Avery, how we doing? - Good.
Tell me what the dish is.
What are you making? I'm making a pork and ground venison burger, a jazzy cole slaw, Creole sauce, and Southern sweet potato chips.
- Good luck, Avery.
- Good luck, okay, Avery? - Ian, how you doing? - Pretty good.
Now, remind me your age and where you're from.
and I'm from Beverly Shores, Indiana.
Tell me about this burger.
It's gonna be a bison burger with melted American cheese on it, with French fries.
Who teaches you at home to cook? It was probably both of my parents, because my dad owns a restaurant.
How much would it cost to go eat in mom and dad's restaurant? Because it's my mom and dad's restaurant, I get to eat free.
Yeah, not you.
I'm talking about me, if I had to go pay.
Because you have a lot of money, let's say Because I what? Who told you that? Everybody knows that you have money.
[laughs.]
Come on, young man.
What? - Good luck.
- Thank you.
Last 13 minutes, guys.
Oh, God, it's got to go back in.
Kya, how we doing? Good.
- How old are you? - I'm 8 years old.
Wow, so you are the youngest one here.
How does that make you feel? I think it gives me an advantage, 'cause age doesn't matter.
It's more your knowledge of food.
Now, what is that burger? This is my wagyu burger with apple fries.
So who taught you how to cook, Kya? My mom taught me at first, and then my dad taught me.
All right, good luck, Kya.
Thank you.
That's not good.
(Gordon) [trilling nervously.]
Wow, look at the energy in here.
(Graham) It's wild.
(Gordon) We have gone up to a completely different level already.
(Graham) Absolutely.
You have Chinese backgrounds (Gordon) Yep, Latin-inspired, French-inspired.
I think that Avery is a frontrunner right now.
That burger, I mean, it smells incredible.
Kya seems like she knows what she's doing.
Totally.
Make it count.
Jeez Louise, gotta get my cheese.
- Ten - No! Nine, eight I'm freaking out.
(all) Seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.
And stop! Hands in the air! - Start plating! - No! A knockout burger.
(all) Five, four, three, two, one, and stop! Hands in the air! [cheers and applause.]
- Good job, high five.
Great job, well done.
Now, every time you cook in this kitchen, we miss nothing.
We taste everything you cook.
Now we want to look at the three best dishes of the night.
The first burger we want to bring forward has gone in a very non-traditional direction.
The dish really celebrates where this young home cook comes from.
Please step forward Avery! [cheers and applause.]
I can't believe it.
Gordon Ramsay just called my name up first.
I mean, I'm just a girl from the Bayou, and it's a really big honor.
Avery, describe that delicious-looking burger.
Louisiana is a sportsman's paradise, and my family loves to hunt, so I call this a Sportsman's Paradise burger with a jazzy cole slaw and a Creole spread, and as a side, some sweet Southern potato chips.
Excellent.
What protein did you use? Pork and venison.
Where'd you get the idea of venison? - Venison is a lean meat - Yes.
But pork also has fat in it, so they really work well together.
What temperature were you aiming for? A little red in the middle.
Let me see there Nailed it, big-time.
Mm, paté delicious.
You've got the salt right, the pepper right.
Love that slaw.
Those chips, delicious, seasoning's nice.
But the bun is just a touch too soggy.
Toast it a big longer next time.
- Thank you, Chef.
- Thank you.
Well, is it good or not? This is what eating's all about.
The flavors, the seasoning, the cole slaw is explosive, and it helps moisten the venison and pork that's in there.
If I was gonna change anything, as far as the meat, I would love maybe a little more pork.
It's the only thing that I would change, because that is delicious.
- Good job, Avery.
- Thank you.
[applause.]
Next up, this burger has a lot of sophisticated flavors, and it's made by someone who's cooking way beyond their years.
This dish belongs to Zac.
I'm an athlete, and I'm very competitive.
So it's an amazing feeling to be picked for the first mystery box of the competition.
And now everyone will know that I'm gonna bring my A-game every time.
All right, Zac, how old are you? I'm 12 years old.
And what do you do when you're not spending time in the kitchen cooking? Back home in Orlando, I like to play a lot of tennis.
I'm ranked inside the top juniors in the country.
And I'm really confident on the tennis court, and I try to bring that into the kitchen.
So, I'm so curious about what's in this burger.
The patty meat itself is chuck and sirloin, and then I did shitake mushrooms, butter lettuce, cheddar cheese, and tomato, and then for the side, some panko-crusted onion rings.
I mean, look at that cook.
This, for me, is like a picture-perfect burger.
I really love all of the really juicy, shiny condiments.
Thank you.
I loved your decision to make those onion rings thin and to coat them thinly in panko.
Yeah.
But I'd love just a little bit more seasoning, a little bit more of that zing.
Yeah.
But you did a really nice job.
Thank you.
I love the fact that you kept it classic.
Delicious, season's nice.
Cook on it is beautiful.
Brioche, nice choice of bun.
Onion rings could be a little bit more crispy, so you just have to be very careful there, because when you stack them like that, they start sort of getting a little bit soggy.
Okay.
By and large, great effort.
I love the way you cook with confidence.
Yes.
Great burger, and a great start in this competition.
Good job, thank you.
Thank you.
[applause.]
- Good job, Zac.
- Nice job, Avery.
Last up, this home cook plated their burger beautifully.
They gave us a classic take on the all-American burger, but elevated it to what appears to be restaurant-quality.
They also served a delicious side.
Please bring up your burger [suspenseful music.]
Kya.
[applause.]
Aw, man, I really wanted to win this so bad.
But Kya's 8, so I think that she's a great influence for young home cooks.
I feel so happy for her.
- Okay, how we doing? - Good.
Now, tell me exactly what we have in this burger.
This is my wagyu burger All right.
With apple fries.
I used wagyu beef for my burger, and a balsamic ketchup with medium cheddar and provolone.
You're using some expensive ingredients, that wagyu beef.
Yeah, I'm more into fine dining, but sometimes I like to do rustic.
Mm, that flavor's delicious.
I mean, the acidity that goes into that ketchup makes it balanced.
Thank you.
If anything, the burger patty itself could be a little smaller.
The apple fries, really, really smart.
I thought that they were potato wedges when I first saw them.
So this is showing me you're thinking outside the box.
- Great job.
- Thank you.
Kya, where do these ideas come from? You're 8 years of age.
- I'm actually from Hong Kong.
- Mm-hmm? And when I was young, my dad would cook wagyu beef burgers.
Wow, so that was, what, five years ago? - Yeah.
- Wow.
That is delicious, young lady.
Burger seasoned beautifully.
The flavor combination of two cheeses, delicious.
What would I change? The apple needs a bit more cooking.
However, great job.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
Wow.
Great job, Kya.
- Good job.
- Good job.
Avery, Zac, Kya, three burgers that I would put on my menu.
Great job.
But there can only be one winner.
I'm feeling pretty good about my burger, but Zac's had the perfect temperature on his.
He had a lot of good flavors.
And then, Kya's had the two cheeses, those fried apples.
So I think it's 50-50 at this point.
The young home cook that will be joining us in the pantry and receive a huge advantage Kya.
Well done.
[laughing.]
Oh, my god.
You ready to go over to the pantry and receive your huge advantage? Yes.
Let's go.
Bye, guys.
I'm the only 8-year-old that has ever won mystery box challenge.
This is amazing.
- Smart.
- That was great.
- That was so smart.
- Unbelievable.
Really good, indeed.
- So close.
- High five.
Kya, welcome to the amazing MasterChef pantry.
Thank you.
Your first advantage is that you do not have to cook in the upcoming elimination challenge.
Yes.
Now, we are about to show you what everyone else is gonna have to cook with tonight.
No one in the kitchen is gonna find out what it is until you blow them away with this amazing ingredient.
Wait till you see what's in that box.
[laughs.]
What? What is that? Ooh, no.
Is that a toaster? Because Kya won the mystery box challenge, she is safe from elimination tonight.
[cheers and applause.]
She is going to be up on the balcony and will be enjoying a special treat that I made in my own kitchen.
[gasping.]
Cool.
That lucky kid.
Butthat's not all.
Kya is going to get to share that treat with a friend, and along with Kya, will be through to the next round.
All right, Kya, it's time for you to tell us who you'd like to share that delicious cake with.
The person I chose is [suspenseful music.]
Vivian.
She's a really good cook, and she deserves to be saved.
Thank you so much.
You're welcome.
Vivian, go on up.
Yes! I'm safe from elimination, and I have these amazing treats.
Whoa.
And now Kya, she's one of my best friends.
Whoo-hoo! Now, guess who's the only person, apart from us, who knows what all of you are going to have to use as your star ingredient.
- Kya.
- Kya.
Kya.
I really hope it's candy in that box, because if I could eat candy every day, I would.
I would make a candy castle, candy cake.
It doesn't matter.
Candy saves your life.
Okay, don't move.
What's Gordon doing? - Oh, no.
- Ah! - Ah! - What is it? - That's dynamite.
- Be careful with that thing.
TNT? I've never used one of these things before, but it can't be that hard.
No.
No, no, no.
- Uh-oh.
- Not the boom thingy.
Yellow, red Take cover.
Gordon Ramsay, what are you doing? You don't choose the red wire.
Just hold my hand.
[giggles.]
Haven't you seen the movies? Okay.
Okay.
Ah Kya, very carefully, I want you to put both hands on top of the handle.
You're gonna show everyone what they're gonna have to cook with tonight.
Three, two Guys, no.
Onepush.
[blast.]
[screaming.]
Marshmallows! Kya, very carefully, I want you to put both hands on top of the handle.
You're gonna show everyone what they're gonna have to cook with tonight.
Three, two Guys, no.
Onepush.
[blast.]
[screaming.]
Marshmallows! [laughing.]
Oh, my God! What the heck? [laughing.]
Wow! Ooh, yay, marshmallows! This thing is the size of my hand.
Marshmallows.
Marshmallow fight! [laughter.]
Yeah, yeah! Ah! [laughter.]
That was incredible.
A marshmallow explosion.
Yeah! All right, guys.
You're all gonna have to make us a marvelous, magnificent marshmallow dish to keep yourselves in the competition.
Obviously it's almost certainly going to be a dessert.
Yes.
And it better be the best you've ever made.
Now, you guys are all gonna have five minutes to go into the pantry to get all those ingredients that you need to make your marshmallow dish.
In the pantry, you're gonna find every fruit imaginable, as well as butter, eggs, milk chocolate, flour, vanilla extract, milk, and powdered sugar.
Now, remember, some of you will be going home after this challenge, so make sure that you choose your ingredient wisely.
You'll have 60 minutes to make us those stunning marshmallow dishes.
Your 60 minutes starts now.
[kids shouting.]
- Awesome! - Go, go, go, go, go! Come on, guys, you can do it! Whoo! I can't move! Stepping on marshmallows! So many fat marshmallows! Mini marshmallows! Mini! Where's the marshmallows? Marshmallows make me think of little pillows or clouds of yumminess.
- Can I have one raspberry? - There you go.
But I have never cooked anything with marshmallows, so I'm a little nervous about this challenge.
[laughter.]
This is gonna be hard.
[grunting.]
I'm gonna get truly strong.
Now, marshmallows, they are delicious, they're light, they're fluffy.
Avery, I can carry a bowl if you'd like.
(Gordon) But I don't want to see a basic s'more.
I want to see something a little bit more creative.
Absolutely.
I really want to see the thoughtful nature of incorporating marshmallows.
Right, not just dropped on top cold.
No, it's not marshmallow as a snack.
It's marshmallow as a star.
Kyndall, this is not your station.
- Oh, it's not? - Nope.
Oh, my God.
I wonder what they're making.
So I am making a fluffy biscuit and some marshmallow butter.
And back in Austin, Texas, yeah, I've cooked with marshmallows before.
I like to make a marshmallow fluff for my brothers and sisters.
I am currently making a peach and banana cake with a topping of marshmallow whipped cream.
Marshmallows can get sticky, so they're a bit difficult to work with.
But I am currently bringing my A-game.
I am making a marshmallow churro with marshmallow whipped cream.
My food dream is to open up a rock-and-roll restaurant back in New York.
So I'm gonna definitely put it on the menu if the judges like my dish.
Do you have any extra flour that I can use? Jesse, do you have some of that extra flour - that I borrowed you? - Yeah.
Yeah, he needs a little bit of it.
Thank you.
Kade, how's it going? Good.
How old are you, and where are you from? I'm 9 years old, and I'm from Louisiana.
I'm making something pretty popular from the South, a banana split with some sweet potato biscuits.
both: Sweet potato biscuits? I just wanted to get, like, a savory and a sweet in there.
Very, very smart decision.
So, what's your favorite thing about marshmallows? I like marshmallows, but I think they're a little too sweet and could give you cavities.
[laughter.]
Ah! Halfway, guys.
Right, Addison, age and where you're from.
I'm 9 years old, and I'm from Chicago, Illinois.
What are you making? I'm making a chocolate cupcake with a cocoa flake and marshmallow filling.
You know, we have the Cupcake Princess here.
She is the best.
Are you the Cupcake Queen of Chicago? - I am.
- You are.
Who taught you how to cook? Mostly my dad and my mom.
And do you cook for them now? I do.
What about brother or sisters? I have a sister and a brother, but my brother is a puppy.
Oh, I see.
What kind of puppy? He's a labradoodle.
Oh, man, they're crazy, those dogs, right? They're crazy cute.
[laughs.]
- Good luck.
- Thank you.
Ugh.
Um See what Kade just did? He totally burned his marshmallows.
A toasted marshmallow is great.
But a burnt marshmallow is bitter.
It's not sweet at all.
Ay-ay-ay.
Umshould I blow on it? [blowing.]
Ugh.
[sighing.]
The key to cooking marshmallows is not too much heat when you're blow-torching it.
Otherwise, they'll burn, and nobody likes a burnt marshmallow.
Um Should I blow on it? But those things look black.
Oh, man.
Come on, guys! You don't have a long time! I'm making apple crostata with a marshmallow whipped cream, because I like to make apple pies at my parents' restaurant.
I love marshmallows, but I don't like cooking with them.
Even though they're delicate and sweet, they're still hard to cook.
In South Carolina, we don't see a lot of snow.
So seeing it, like, snow marshmallows in the MasterChef kitchen was pretty awesome.
I'm making a raspberry marshmallow whoopie pie, because my grandpa taught me how to make it.
[laughing.]
This is really challenging.
Alexander, how you doing? I just have one problem.
I accidentally added too much water in my raspberry sauce.
Yes, my man, you have got too much water.
Do you want some of that out? - Yes.
- Wow.
What are you making for us? What are you doing, like, a raspberry purée? I'm making a marshmallow pie with graham cracker banana chip crust.
- Can I ask a question? - Yeah.
Can I try that bandana on? That looks very cool, that.
Yeah.
Where'd you get that from? - Japan.
- Have you been to Japan? Yes.
Does that suit me? Do I look like some karate kid now? Kind of.
What's the perfect karate pose? Kah-jah! [stifled laughter.]
- Ooh.
- Ah-ah.
Do you study karate? When I was little.
Do you have a black belt? My highest was an orange belt.
- Right, good luck.
- Thanks.
Looking good, Alexander.
Last five minutes, guys! Who are we expecting to shine here? Got some pretty great bakers in the crowd.
I'm hoping Addison whips up something great.
This is the cupcake of my life.
Jesse is looking incredible as well.
He's confident.
I'm expecting fireworks from him tonight.
I think Sam, right? I mean, you're looking at that mohawk, and I just think some crazy punk rock marshmallow thing is coming out of that station.
He looks like a technician.
Start plating.
Oh, my gosh.
Ah, how do I do it? Oh, no.
Alexander, it's got to be on the plate.
Oh! Hurry, grab a plate from the kitchen.
Run as fast as you can! Go! Come on, guys! I'm so worried about Alexander.
[suspenseful music.]
He's got to take that out of the ring mold.
Nine, eight, seven, six five, four, three, two, one.
And stop, hands in the air! [cheers and applause.]
Well done.
Good job, guys! Whoo, yeah! Right, let's start with Addison.
Let's go, please.
I'm really hoping the judges like my cupcake, 'cause I want to open up a bakery called Batter Up Bakery.
It would combine my love for baking and softball.
If the judges like my cupcake, it's definitely going in my bakery.
Look at that beauty.
Describe your cupcake, please.
I made a chocolate cupcake with a chocolate cereal and marshmallow filling.
On top, a chocolate ganache with roasted marshmallows and an edible flower.
Wow.
You're how old? - Nine.
- Amazing.
Now, how long did you cook the cupcake? I cooked the cupcake for about 25 minutes.
Why edible flowers? Because I love color, and they taste good.
Wow, look at that.
It's gooey.
It's rich, moist.
Is that what you're looking for in the center? Mm-hmm.
Incredible.
Mm.
Have you tasted this yet? No.
Thank you.
That is too good to waste.
That's really good.
[laughter.]
It's very chocolatey in the center.
Love the marshmallow wrapped up in the ganache.
And it doesn't need this.
Okay, that was just for decoration.
This should go, yeah, in your hair.
Oh, no! Come on, that's where you put the flowers.
I thought, up until tonight, That Christina was the best baker in this country.
Well, Christina, somebody is chasing your job.
Great start.
Great finesse.
Well done, thank you.
Thank you.
Next up, Sam.
Back home in South Carolina, I mostly cook; I don't bake.
But I think I did a really good job, and I'm really confident in myself with what I've done.
Dang, look at that.
Oh, yeah, seriously.
Those are beautiful.
Wow.
Now, is this a whoopie pie? Yes, it is whoopie pie.
I stuffed them with a raspberry marshmallow cream and a chocolate cookie batter.
What's the best way to eat this? Just pick it up like a gigantic marshmallow chocolate burger? Yeah.
Whoopie.
It's, like, out-of-control good.
It has got an amazing contrast going on between this nice, fluffy marshmallow flavored with that raspberry, and then the actual chocolate.
So, well-plated, well-designed.
This is a home run.
- Good job, Sam.
- Thanks.
[applause.]
High five.
Next up, I'm excited to try the marshmallow dish of Alexander.
[whimpers.]
[applause.]
I feel horrible right now, because I have the worst presentation in all the 24 cooks.
I hope the judges can see past my mistake, 'cause I really don't want to go home to Phoenix.
Hi, Alexander.
Ugh.
What happened? My plating looks horrible.
Ugh.
What happened? My plating looks horrible.
I think you should love your dessert as much as I think I'm gonna love your dessert.
So let's do this again.
All right, here we go.
What do we have? A marshmallow pie with a banana and graham cracker crust with marshmallow and cherry filling, and on top, torch-flamed marshmallows.
Well, let's taste it.
Look at those marshmallows.
The filling really does have the flavor and the texture of a marshmallow, so it is aptly named marshmallow pie.
The marshmallow is really nice to balance the acidity of the chocolate.
Presentation isn't as great as I know you would have liked, but overall, you definitely celebrated marshmallows in this dish, which was the whole purpose of the challenge.
Well done.
- Thanks.
- Thank you.
Alexander looks really upset.
It's hard to stay positive when something like that happens.
But it's not all about the looks.
It's also about the taste.
Next up, Kade, please.
Let's go.
I'm scared right now, 'cause my marshmallows look a little crispy, and my presentation isn't the best.
So I really hope that creativity and taste will help me a lot right now.
Right, Kade.
Describe the dish, please, bud.
A banana split with a sweet potato biscuit and a marshmallow gravy with toasted marshmallows.
'Cause who doesn't love toasted marshmallows? Did you toast them a little bit too long? Because they look cremated.
Um, I started blow-torching them, and they caught fire, and I didn't know what to do.
You had plenty of time.
So why didn't you start it again? Um Right.
Mm, what's this bit here? That was semi-sweet chocolate.
It almost caught fire, - with the blowtorch.
- Oh, wow.
Your sweet potato biscuit actually tastes nice, not too bad.
But, unfortunately, the chocolate is burnt, the marshmallows are burnt.
However, strong effort.
- Thank you.
- Thanks.
[applause.]
Next up, Jesse.
I'm a little nervous, because I'm not the greatest baker.
We don't really bake in my house.
So if Christina likes my dish, this will be so big for me.
So where are you from? New York.
I live in Brooklyn.
- Oh.
- We're practically neighbors.
So, what'd you make with those marshmallows? I made toasted marshmallow churros and a toasted marshmallow whipped cream.
- Jesse.
- Yeah? These are amazing.
Thanks.
It's perfectly golden-brown on the outside and doughy in the center.
We are definitely soul mates on what a great dessert is.
Corey, please, let's go.
Describe this marshmallow dessert.
It's a peach and banana cake topped off with candied raspberries and a side of roasted marshmallows with a raspberry-strawberry sauce.
Wow, so why peach? My dad's from the Caribbean, so he used a lot of fruits, like peaches.
It tastes nice, but you want more of the marshmallow inside that layers of cake.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
Next up, please.
- Mia.
- Oh, god.
I wasn't expecting that.
Mia, what did you make for "me-uh"? I made a marshmallow biscuit with a marshmallow butter and a raspberry gastrique sauce.
What's in the center here? Marshmallow fluff whipped with butter, and then powdered sugar.
I like the colors.
Thank you.
Wow.
Yay, that's good.
That's really good.
Cool! Yeah, to put marshmallow through it, and then make this sweet butter.
I mean, this is simple, but done in a great way.
Aw, so nice.
- Good job.
- Thank you.
Yay.
I'm happy.
Last up, Ian, please.
Let's go.
I had some mess-ups in the kitchen.
But I have a very sophisticated palate.
So I'm pretty sure I'm gonna pull this off.
I swear to God, I'm gonna pull this off.
Okay.
Describe the dish, please.
So it's an apple crostata served with-- well, with burnt marshmallows.
Oh, I see.
My whipped cream turned out bad.
It turned into, like, vomit, so Your whipped cream turned into vomit.
Yeah, it-- That's a great way of selling the dish, Chef Ian.
It looked like it.
I'm glad you didn't serve it.
- Smart move, trust me.
- Thank you.
Any of the marshmallows, rather than just those ones that you've toasted 'round the outside of the plate? No, those are the only marshmallows.
Right.
First of all, actually tastes quite nice altogether.
The apples taste delicious.
Thank you.
- But it needs more time in the oven.
- Okay.
The pastry's too thick.
If you're running out of time, the thinner it is, the quicker it cooks.
Okay.
So I think the time tonight got the better of you.
Thank you.
I am really terrified.
Someone's going home tonight, and I don't think I'm gonna be going to the next round in this competition.
I think I'm going home.
(Gordon) Well done.
What an amazing challenge.
And this is the toughest cooking competition you'll find anywhere in the world.
And now that means we do have to say good-bye to some of you tonight.
Right now, Christina, Graham, and I need a very serious chat.
Please excuse us.
Wow, difficult, you know, 'cause there's so many good ones.
I mean, that's a lot of great technical ability.
You're not gonna get eliminated.
I really hope not.
They liked it.
There were some downsides.
Alexander's marshmallow pie just didn't work.
He knew it didn't work.
You made a little mistake with the presentation, but that's okay.
Ian, I mean, I know he's the youngest boy, but that crostata was undercooked.
Oh, my God.
Kade Marshmallows burned.
He obviously, clearly burned them, and they could have started that again, but banana bizarrely put on the plate.
It didn't make any sense at all.
I'm so nervous right now, dude.
Me too.
- Happy? - I think so.
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
They're coming.
[gasps.]
You all made us so proud tonight, but we do have to say good-bye to some of you this evening.
If I call your name, I'd like for you to come down and stand in the front.
Will the following six home cooks please come and line up? Jesse Alexander Addison Ian Kade Last up, Sam.
Now, please step forward.
Addison Sam Jesse.
Tonight you three home cooks, age 11, 9, and 10, you made the best three dishes of the night.
Congratulations, well done.
Oh, great job.
Head back to your station, please.
Well done, thank you.
Alexander, Ian, and Kade, you three just fell short of everyone else.
Ian, would you please step forward? [whispering.]
Oh, my God.
Ian, we know you were frustrated tonight, but you did just enough to squeak through.
Oh, my God.
Please head back to your station.
Oh, my God, oh, my God.
That's amazing, great job.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Oh, my God.
[somber music.]
Sadly, that means, Alexander and Kade, unfortunately you both are heading home tonight.
But keep your head up high, and you must remember what you've achieved so far in this competition.
Promise me you're gonna continue cooking.
- I will.
- Yes, Chef.
You've been incredible.
Thank you.
Even though I didn't win the MasterChef Junior trophy, I feel pretty good, because I'm going home, back to Louisiana.
- Group hug, everybody.
- Group hug.
Come on, you guys did awesome.
You guys did great.
And I think I'll have these friends for a very long time, until I'm about 50.
You did really well, Alexander.
Even though I'm going home to Phoenix, I'm proud of myself, because I'm one of the top 24 best home cooks in America.
(all) Bye! And almost a million people have never even got this apron, so I'll have bragging rights in the schoolyard.
Bye, guys, we love ya! Bye! Never stop cooking! (narrator) Next week You can do it! (all) Top that cupcake! (narrator) The remaining young home cooks are in for a sweet treat.
Come on, come on, come on.
(narrator) And the judges find themselves in a sticky situation.
Take off the shoes first.
(narrator) Then, Gordon Ramsay breaks open a tough scallop challenge It's scientifically impossible.
Why can't I get this open? (narrator) Which brings some talented home cooks out of their shell.
I've got a funny feeling you're gonna be around a long time.