Andrew watched the clock start ticking down hours: minutes: seconds.
Kid stuff? All he could remember about Valentine’s Day from when he was a kid was heart-shaped suckers and cupcakes with red frosting in homeroom, and he wasn’t going to flaunt his mad kitchen skills with either of those.
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.
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
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.
“Don’t get me wrong. It’s delicious, and gorgeous. I could eat both
