There's a gorgeous parrot and loveable cockatoo in the kitchen, because this season is all about animals! For the kickoff challenge, hosts and judges Duff Goldman and Kardea Brown ask the 12 bakers to create an animal texture tart decorated with creature-inspired features like scales, feathers, fur or fins. Then, for a twist, the kitchen whiz kids must add an edible version of their animal's tail to their dessert.

Hosts and judges Duff Goldman and Kardea Brown have noticed that a particular dessert can be easily shaped into animals like a turtle, a panda or a frog ... but the dessert itself can be tricky. So, for the macaron animals challenge, Duff shows the kid bakers how to create a silky smooth macaron batter before baking time starts. Then, since the animal macarons need a place to rest, the bakers must give their animals an edible habitat to hang out in.