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Back The Secret Ingredient Save as PDF
Chapters (38)
  1. Chapter One
  2. Chapter Two
  3. Chapter Three
  4. Chapter Four
  5. Chapter Five
  6. Chapter Six
  7. Chapter Seven
  8. Chapter Eight
  9. Chapter Nine
  10. Chapter Ten
  11. Chapter Eleven
  12. Chapter Twelve
  13. Chapter Thirteen
  14. Chapter Fourteen
  15. Chapter Fifteen
  16. Chapter Sixteen
  17. Chapter Seventeen
  18. Chapter Eighteen
  19. Chapter Nineteen
  20. Chapter Twenty
  21. Chapter Twenty-One
  22. Chapter Twenty-Two
  23. Chapter Twenty-Three
  24. Chapter Twenty-Four
  25. Chapter Twenty-Five
  26. Chapter Twenty-Six
  27. Chapter Twenty-Seven
  28. Chapter Twenty-Eight
  29. Chapter Twenty-Nine
  30. Chapter Thirty
  31. Chapter Thirty-One
  32. Chapter Thirty-Two
  33. Chapter Thirty-Three
  34. Chapter Thirty-Four
  35. Chapter Thirty-Five
  36. Chapter Thirty-Six
  37. Honey Almond Cake with Berries and Mascarpone Crème Fraiche
  38. About the Author

Taking great care to make sure each of the six desserts were exactly the same, he tucked and tilted the rods into a glass. Unhappy with the presentation, he pulled them out and tucked sugared rose petals in the bottom of the glass, then repositioned the rods. A much more fun and colorful display.

“One minute to go, chefs.”

Andrew placed the last two pieces into the glass, then double-checked his entry. Rose water was in the recipe. His fruit, apricot, also in the entry. Pistachios in the garnish on all pieces. Check. Check. Check.

“Time!”

He raised his hands and stepped back from the counter. He’d serve them in his restaurant any day. In fact, they were lovely enough for a wedding reception, or a nice alternative to a cake for the rehearsal dinner.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Martin’s voice came over the speaker with a boom, making Andrew jump. “This round, the judges will be coming to you, Chefs.”

His desserts were picture perfect. He was pretty sure they’d stand up to anyone’s.

The door to his kitchen opened, and cameras moved across the framework above Andrew’s head.

“Good afternoon, Andrew,” Martin said with a dip of his head. The judges filed into the kitchen and lined up across the quartz countertop, facing him. Georgie, the beautiful Latina chef who’d made dessert burritos a thing around the world. Then the dark-haired Collin, every housewife’s fantasy with his dark hair and smoldering eyes. And finally Abraham, whose head was as smooth as well-done fondant with that unforgettable raspy New York accent that got people’s attention. These judges represented the best in the baking world. All very different, but just as celebrated.

Martin Schlipshel took long strides around the counter and stepped next to Andrew. “What have you made for us this round?”

“Hi, Martin. Chefs.” He was at ease in front of them, considering himself their peer even if his expertise was on the cooking side. “I’ve made a unique pretzel-rod-shaped candy for the kids. Sesame Apricot Rose Nougat with a rose petal and pistachio decoration on each. Rather than plating them, I chose to present them in a fun glass with a couple of sugared rose petals in the bottom.”

Martin looked impressed. “Very interesting.” He shifted his attention to the judges. “See what you think.”

The judges each took a footed glass. They examined his entry from all sides and then took generous bites. Abraham nearly ate his whole serving. That had to be good.

Martin gave them a moment to taste the dish, then said, “Let’s start with Chef Abraham this time.”

“Thank you, Martin,” Abraham said. “Well, this is a beautiful dessert. I like the idea of a long-shaped dessert as being interesting to a child, but I’ll tell you there’s no way my kid would eat this.”

Andrew’s heart fell.