Despite their history, both and Shanika delivered standout dishes—Emily with crab tortellini and Shanika with a "curveball" strawberry arancini—to advance together.
overcame a mid-cook pasta crisis to secure his spot. [S12E1] Back to Win: Audition Battles
successfully redeemed her past baking failure with a stunning Za'atar olive oil cake, securing the final apron of the night. Episode Highlights Despite their history, both and Shanika delivered standout
: The season notably included former MasterChef Junior contestants now competing as adults, such as Dara Yu , who ultimately went on to win the season . Despite their history
wowed the judges with a "rockin'" bourbon-glazed salmon.
: Gordon emphasized that the contestants were now returning as professionals , not just home cooks, and the judging would be more rigorous accordingly.