Ep 5. Baked To Perfection

Beat Bobby Flay season 18 episode 5, entitled "Baked To Perfection," sees two pastry chefs compete to take on Bobby Flay in the kitchen. The episode begins with the two pastry chefs introducing themselves and their signature baked goods. First up is Kysha Harris, the executive pastry chef at Great Jones Distilling Company in New York City. Kysha specializes in unique flavors and modern interpretations of classic desserts.

Next, we meet Mackenzie Smith, the owner and head baker at Gingerspice Bakery in Colorado. Mackenzie's claim to fame is her use of seasonal and local ingredients in her pastries. Both chefs are confident in their abilities, but only one will move on to the ultimate challenge of facing off against Bobby Flay.

In round one, Kysha and Mackenzie are given 20 minutes to create their version of a classic pastry: the éclair. They are given access to a pantry stocked with a variety of ingredients, but they must incorporate a secret ingredient chosen by Bobby Flay. The secret ingredient is revealed to be bacon. The chefs get to work, creating their éclairs from scratch.

Kysha's éclair features a bacon pastry cream with a maple glaze and candied bacon on top. Mackenzie's éclair has a bacon and bourbon-infused pastry cream with a caramelized sugar crust and bacon brittle on top.

The judges taste both éclairs and comment on the unique addition of bacon in both pastries. They ultimately decide that Mackenzie's éclair is the winner of round one, and she moves on to the final challenge.

In round two, Mackenzie must face off against Bobby Flay in a battle of the cakes. The secret ingredient chosen by Bobby Flay is lavender. Bobby and Mackenzie have 45 minutes to create a lavender-flavored cake.

Mackenzie's cake features layers of lavender-infused sponge cake with a lavender cream cheese frosting and candied lavender on top. Bobby's cake is a lavender and almond sponge cake with a lavender glaze and almond brittle on top.

The judges taste both cakes and are impressed with the creative use of lavender in both desserts. However, there can only be one winner. The judges deliberate and ultimately decide that Mackenzie's lavender cake is the winner.

Mackenzie is declared the winner of "Baked To Perfection" and receives bragging rights as the pastry chef who beat Bobby Flay. Both chefs showcase their talent and creativity on the show, leaving the judges and viewers in awe of their baking skills.

Overall, "Baked To Perfection" is an exciting and delicious episode of Beat Bobby Flay that showcases the talent of two talented pastry chefs. The incorporation of unique secret ingredients adds an extra layer of challenge to the competition and keeps viewers on the edge of their seats.