After a couple of missteps, he finally decided to make his Sesame Apricot Rose Nougat. It would showcase the fresh rose petals beautifully, and he always got compliments on the delicate combination of flavors in that recipe. Apricot would fulfill the fruit requirement. Sesame was technically a seed, so he’d have to integrate a nut of some kind. Not hard.

He gathered the ingredients for the nougat. Thoughts reeled like a tilt-a-whirl in his mind. How can I make this kid-friendly?

He moved a heavy saucepan to the stove and began stirring the sugar mixture. He hooked a candy thermometer to the side of the pot and watched it while he beat his egg whites until they formed stiff peaks. As he mixed the ingredients, it finally came to him.

Rather than squares or drops, he’d make long pretzel-type rods. Kids loved things they could hold. Each of the six servings would contain two rods. One would have a rose decoration, rose petals at the top with pistachios as the stem. The other, he’d grind the rose petals and pistachios together and make puppy paw prints down the long rectangular rod.

This would work. The Italian recipe was a versatile one, and he could get this done in the time they had with no problem.

Happy with his decision, he laid a piece of parchment paper on an eighteen-by-thirteen baking sheet then quickly turned out the mixture on the pan. Once the nougat was firm, he’d cut them to create nine-inch rods one inch wide. Plenty to spare in case the decorating didn’t go as planned, or better yet, he came up with something even more kid-friendly to decorate them with before the clock ran out.

While the nougat cooled, he began preparing the rose petals and pistachios for the toppings. With extra time on his hands, he set rose petals aside to sugar for a garnish.

He sliced the rods and then went back to the pantry to find something to plate the challenge treats on for presentation to the judges. The two rods would look skimpy and probably way too fancy on a plate unless he did something playful on the plate with drizzle. He rummaged through the different plates. With the rods being nine inches, his choices were limited, but then he noticed a shelf of tall, thin-footed glasses across the room, only about two inches in diameter. He could put two in each one and they’d look fun, and also show off the rose design standing lengthwise like that.

Delighted with his choices, he went back to his station and finished decorating the Sesame Apricot Rose Nougat Rods and began plating them.

“Five minutes to go.”

He had plenty of time, but hearing that announcement set his competitive edge into overdrive.