× Expand Courtesy: Food Network Hawaii Keiki Competes in Food Network Baking Show Taylor Inouye of Kailua.

My daughter and I have been watching Food Network’s Kids Baking Championship since it began. We laugh watching the reactions of hosts Duff Goldman and Valerie Bertinelli, cheer for all the girls (my daughter is very girl-power centric), tear up when contestants break down over toppling towers of macarons and are always amazed by what these pint-size bakers can whip up under pressure.

So, you can imagine our glee when we found out a local kid is going to be in this season’s show.

Taylor Inouye starts her eighth grade year at Hongwanji Mission School with an amazing “What I did this summer” story. She joined eight other keiki bakers for the fifth season of the show, which debuts tonight on Food Network.

She can’t spill about the results, of course (you’ll have to watch tonight at 6 or 9 p.m. to see what happens), but she did tell us about her inspiration, how she got her start and her favorite part about mixing it up in front of the television cameras.

× Expand Photo: Courtesy of the Food Network Hawaii Keiki Competes in Food Network Baking Show Taylor Inouye (in the purple apron, second from the left) finished in the top three in the fifth season of Kids Baking Championship.

HF: When did you start baking?

Taylor: I began with my grandmother when I was 5. I would help her put the sprinkles on her sugar cookies and then got interested in helping make the cookie dough. I learned my basic skills from my grandma and then watched YouTube to learn some of the cake decorating skills. You can learn so much on YouTube.

HF: What is your favorite thing about baking?

Taylor: It requires precision yet allows for creativity. I love thinking of unique flavors for macarons, like yuzu and strawberry cheesecake.

HF: What is the most challenging? What was your biggest baking fail?

Taylor: The humidity in Hawai‘i. Sometimes it makes drying macarons or decorating a cake difficult. My biggest fail was the time my Oreo macarons exploded.

HF: What about your experience on the Food Network were you most surprised by?

Taylor: My initial surprise was making it on the show! There are so many talented bakers out there and it was an honor to be selected. The Food Network experience was great, everyone was so friendly. Shooting in New Orleans was interesting!

HF: What are your other hobbies?

Taylor: Besides baking and performing arts, I also sew, play taiko drums, basketball and volleyball. I love going to UH football games with my dad.

The fifth season of the Kids Baking Championship begins on Monday, Aug. 6 at 6 p.m. and reairs at 9 p.m. on Food Network.