Abigail and Kenneth Wolf of rural Geneseo made it through round six in the Food Network’s Baking Championship: Next Gen, which aired on Monday, Feb. 9.
The talented duo has pleased the Food Network judges and culinary experts, Duff Goldman and Kardea Brown, since the series began airing in early January. Originally, 10 pairs of siblings were featured, and depending on the judges’ decisions, one pair was sent home at the end of the episode. The winners will take home a prize of $25,000 and the title of Baking Champions 2025.
Fifteen-year-old Abigail and 10-year-old Kenneth easily made it through the first six rounds. Working together on the set, the two showed their different skills with ease and humor. They also checked in with the other contestants, frequently offering a good word or a compliment to the other siblings.
Each week, the sibling pairs are given a specific challenge: a puzzle cake depicting each young baker’s favorite hobbies or a breakfast “imposter” that looks like breakfast but tastes like dessert, with each one requiring a special ingredient chosen by the judges.
This week, the group was instructed to create friendship bracelets made from pâte à choux, complete with special cream filling, colorful frosting, and their team’s logo placed on some of the pastry beads. Once the judges announced the special ingredients, Kenneth raced to the display and grabbed a jar of dates, passing up other items such as tahini, yuzu, ricotta, ube and fresh corn.
Kenneth’s talents really showed this time. His favorite things to bake are cream puffs and eclairs, and his light, airy pastries are family favorites. Thinking he might have disappointed his sister by not grabbing the corn (“she always finds a way to use corn,” he said), he soon learned she was happy with the dates. The fruit was quickly pureed with coconut and cream and blended to a perfect thickness for filling. Once the golden puffs emerged from the oven and cooled, Abigail quickly piped in the cream.
The two went to work applying a white frosting glaze, adding blue accents to each puff, arranging them so they connected just like bracelets. Topping one ring with “Wolf” and the other with “Pack,” their entry was ready for the judges.
Judge Duff said the puffs were the best ever, and Judge Kardea loved the flavor of the filling, suggesting only that she would add just a bit of vanilla to enhance the creamy date and coconut blend.
The Wolf Pack sailed through another round of testing, and their baking abilities will see them do their best again next week when they compete in episode seven. The challenge then will be to bake on their own and each of them will be responsible for their own dessert.
You can watch the pair compete by tuning into the Food Network channel next Monday, Feb. 16, at 7 p.m.
Can the brother and sister team claim the baking title? They have the skills and the spirit to go far. For them, it should be as easy as pie – or pâte à choux!
***This copy has been edited to correct information about the upcoming episode. In the next episode the baking duo will not be allowed to work on each other’s desserts. While the earlier version said the two couldn’t talk to each other, they will be allowed to communicate throughout the episode.
