SPOILER WARNING: This story includes spoilers for the finale of Fox‘s “Crime Scene Kitchen” Season 3.
Canadian baking duo Jessica Harrison and Lenore Johnson emerged as the winners of Season 3 of Fox’s mystery-baking competition “Crime Scene Kitchen,” as revealed on the finale episode hosted by Joel McHale.
However, their journey to victory almost took a different turn due to their personal preference in chocolate types. For the first bake of the finale, they prepared Meyer lemon pistachio domed tartlets with lemon mousse, a dark chocolate and pistachio ganache, and a lemon curd insert. Little did they know, the actual dish they were supposed to bake was lemon pistachio domed tarts with a different set of ingredients.
Johnson explained their misstep, saying, “We got inside our heads so bad. We made a decision based on our own palettes, assuming that white chocolate ganache would not be a part of the tart. It turned out we were mistaken.”
Despite this setback, the duo redeemed themselves in the final mystery dessert challenge, where they presented a two-tier orange semolina olive oil cake covered in Italian buttercream with orange curd. This time, they stuck to the ingredients they were given, leading them to victory over their fellow finalists.
Reflecting on their experience, Johnson emphasized the importance of sticking to the task at hand and not letting personal preferences cloud their judgment. Their commitment to following the instructions paid off in the end.
With their consistent performance and ability to overcome challenges, Harrison and Johnson impressed judges McHale, Yolanda Gampp, and Curtis Stone, ultimately securing the title of Season 3 winners of “Crime Scene Kitchen.”
Looking back on their journey, Harrison shared, “It was really hard to resist the urge to do things our way, especially as business owners used to making decisions. In this competition, we had to trust the process and follow the guidelines set for us.”