Crime Scene Kitchen Season 3 winners, Jessica and Lenore followed these rules, interview

When Crime Scene Kitchen Season 3 premiered, the premise had many FOX food television fans picking a side. Would friends or family have an advantage to solving those sweet clues and earning the winner title. For Jessica Harrison and Lenore Johnson, Crime Scene Kitchen Season 3 winners, they have three rules going into the competition and only broke one on their way to victory.

As fans appreciate, Crime Scene Kitchen is quite different from other baking competitions. To have a chance to earn the title, the bakers need to focus on solving the clues. Making a delicious dessert is always a good idea, but it does not matter if the food is does not relate to the particular solution.

Jessica and Lenore did not win a safety bake throughout the competition, but they received the highest praise with their cartoon inspired cake. Yolanda Gampp quickly proclaimed that single offering as the best cake ever on the show.

While that high praise earned put them on a roll into the finale, it did break one of the three rules that they had going into the competition. For Jessica and Lenore, these ideas were key to keeping them strong as a team.

During a conversation prior to the finale airing, the pair mentioned that their success came down to devising a plan, staying friends, and not crying in the kitchen. Although Jessica’s success with her cartoon cake had her breaking the crying rule, the pair worked well together. Blending their strengths was key to their longevity in the competition.

When asked if they thought the friends or families had an advantage, Lenore shared, “I always though that the friend group would have an advantage over the family group. I know what it is life to bake with my mom. It is hectic at the very least. Those little moments of friction can make a difference in the competition.”

As seen throughout the season, Jessica and Lenore’s friendship remained strong. More importantly, it is equally as strong today. The pair understood that the success on the show would impact their businesses, but it was nothing if their friendship suffered. Their priority focus was vital to their success.

Even though the pair never won a safety bake, they progressed throughout the season. They might have missed a floor clue and had some baking mishaps, but they were able to laugh along the way. Sometimes those moments are vital to keep the pressure in check.

One of their disappointments in the competition was when Dominique Ansel was a guest judge. The fallen paris-brest had the team quickly remaking that pate a choux. While they were able to pivot, it was a moment that they would like to forget.

Although that moment pushed them to the brink, they flipped the script to find a positive. As they mentioned, they said there was no wallowing in the mistake. It was time to brush themselves off, start again, and move forward.

The highlight of their season was clearly the cartoon cake. It was almost a picture perfect duplicate of the signature dessert. When asked about this challenge, Jessica shared, “I wanted to bring something really strong. I idolized Yolanda since day one of my baking journey. I used to watch her on YouTube when she first started doing her videos. I really wanted to impress her. It was just such an amazing boost for my ego, for my energy, and for showing the judges, and the world, that I’m good and I can do it.”

That momentum continued into the final challenges. Even though they were not perfect, they found a way to set themselves apart. Communication, playing to their strengths, and persevering was key to winning the Crime Scene Kitchen title.

While they had confidence in their abilities, the Crime Scene Kitchen is not their own bakeries. As Joel McHale would pepper them with questions and interruptions, Jessica and Lenore took it in stride. They said that they actually liked the banter. It reminded them of working in their businesses. Day to day, they handle interruptions and know how to juggle it all.

The witty banter with Joel might have been lighthearted, but impressing Curtis Stone’s palate was no joking matter. Both Jessica and Lenore agreed that he was very clear on his flavor preferences. “Curis was very forward with what he liked and disliked.”

“All three of them (the judges) were different, but we always left with something positive. They were not out to get you or grind you into the dirt. There was always something nice.”

Now that that the world knows Jessica and Lenore are the Crime Scene Kitchen Season 3 winners, the future looks bright for the pair and their business. As two bakery owners, they appreciate that people will be hungry to taste their delicious desserts. After a few years of trying to navigate the struggles of owning a food business, they feel that the future is bright for them.

Will fans see a few of the Crime Scene Kitchen desserts in their bakeries? It is possible. The pair have been hosting watching parties and featured some of the challenges. Like the candles on that epic cartoon cake, the future is burning bright for Jessica and Lenore.

Want to catch up on all the Crime Scene Kitchen Scene 3 episodes? All episodes can be streamed on Hulu.