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GBBO 2016
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I had called star baker and leaver by the time showstoppers had started. I think it's at a point where one mistake could really be enough to send you home, and at that point Tom had already had two ropey challenges, so I didn't think that even an amazing showstopper would pull him up enough, given how everyone else had done. I was a bit worried about Selasi at one point, but glad he survived all the same.
I thought Tom's entremets (mousse cake thingy) looked quite legitimately like little sandwiches, which was cute. The weird piping almost worked with the carrot cake one, because to my mind, it almost looked like a little prawn cocktail sandwich...although I'm not sure I'd like to eat cake that I'd expect to taste like prawns...
Another new week next week too, Tudor week. Baking along is bloody hard this year with all these new ideas thrown in! This week I decided to go all out, and made mini layered mousse cakes myself - hazelnut chocolate orange entremets.
From bottom to top, there's a layer of chocolate sponge, a layer of hazelnut dacquoise, a layer of chocolate mousse, a layer of orange jelly, and a layer of chocolate orange mousse.
Wish I had a team of bake off production folk cleaning up my kitchen after I was done with this lot...0 -
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Happy with the result. My mam is very upset to see Tom go, anyone agree with her that he's 'a bit of eye candy'?
No way, Selasi is the male eye candy this series, to me anyway.I thought Tom's entremets (mousse cake thingy) looked quite legitimately like little sandwiches, which was cute. The weird piping almost worked with the carrot cake one, because to my mind, it almost looked like a little prawn cocktail sandwich...although I'm not sure I'd like to eat cake that I'd expect to taste like prawns...
Thank you! Exactly my thoughts, the carrot cake mousse was just like a little prawn sandwich. The carrot in the mix mimicked the pinkish colour of cooked prawns somehow.Lady Haywire wrote: »I have been following when I get a chance, I think Andrew is adorable, his little worried face every time he has to put something in front of the judges! Jane is the dark horse working away well every week, just needs a bit of oomph to push herself a bit more.
And Candice, oh pouty Candice. I can't help but think of Margaery Tyrell every time I look at her, must be the wonky face or cheekbones perhaps. :pac:
Definitely something of the Margaery about Candice. She seems to have slightly wonky top teeth and my experience of people who do is that they often contort their mouths a bit to cover it up. It seems to purely become a habit after a while.0 -
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Based on last week's preview, I google "Tudor knot biscuits", and after sifting through a load of "ye olde yolkes of eggs" type recipes, found one that worked
Turns out that the little pattern I picked for my knot was pretty close to what they ended up doing!
I actually don't understand why they seemed to have such difficulty, to be honest. They were really, really simple. Make up biscuit dough (simple). Roll into strips (simple). Make basic triquetra pattern (over under over under over under etc. Simple). Whack a circle on top (ok, I didn't do this bit, but it's even simpler than the other bit!)
I do feel like, in previous years, they wouldn't have given them diagrams of the knots, but just told them something like "2 designs, one knot, one triquetra" and let them figure that **** out.
I thought Andrew's pie holder was ingenious, and the fact that his pies were cogs that turned was also pretty cool, but as my workmate pointed out, they were pretty simple otherwise. Just decent pies in a good mold, and not half as many as some of the other bakers!
I don't like marzipan, so the thought of them biting and tasting all that last night made me a bit nauseous. I was surprised and disappointed that Candice didn't cover the peacock neck/head with marzipan because I thought it would have looked much more finished if she had. I was also really surprised that almost no one seemed to brush their cake with jam (or something) before sticking the marzipan on - it's sticky stuff to work with, sure, but it doesn't just stick to cake by itself, which is why it was falling off half the cakes while they were cut. I thought Jane's was lovely - the repeating design on top came out well and looked properly Tudor. It was well finished.0 -
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Jentle Grenade wrote: »The best thing about GBBO2016 for me has been Zenbuffy's posts TBH!
Aww, thanks! < My approximate face right now.
I actually started posting my pics a bit late, so here's a Friday Brucey Bonus for you - my cake, biscuit, and bread week bakes from way back at the start.
Week 1 - Cakes. I made a mocha coffee & walnut cake (aka coffee & walnut classic with a bit of chocolate buttercream thrown in for good measure, because sure why not)
Week 2 - Biscuits. I have already made a big gingerbread house in the past, and since it's only my family and me eating these every week, I decided not to go mad with the baking, and opt for tiny houses. Because everything is cuter when tiny.
Week 3 - Bread. Brings me out in a cold sweat, tbh. Still, I managed something passable, and the family devoured it! Estonian Kringle (knotted cinnamon bread thing). I love cinnamon!
I'm currently brainstorming my patisserie week bake as I speak (type?)!0 -
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So, Zenbuffy, we'll be seeing you on the bake off next year?
Ha! No chance, I couldn't deal with the pressure! I'm not eligible for the British one (and I'd crack like a bad meringue in front of Mary) and the Irish one has been cancelled. So I'll stick to my facebook page, and my lovely little kitchen
Once bake off is done, I'll probably be getting stuck into thinking about christmas baking, so I can make something nice for my family. And my work mates will probably benefit from a few more surprise baked treats.Your cakes/bakes are amazing Zenbuffy.
Thank you I've worked hard on improving my decoration skills and overall visual presentation in the last year and a half, and this year, I've also kinda forced myself to bake harder, more fiddly things to bake along. It's actually been a lot of fun - gives me motivation and reason to try things I otherwise wouldn't. I love surprising my mum with something every week. 0 -
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Christ, that was an ordeal. If I never see a fondant fancy again in my life, it'll be too soon. Pouring fondant is a bloody nightmare, and I forever apologise to the universe for slagging the bakers off last week for not figuring out a simple biscuit. I'll never do it again, if I never have to make these fiddly little bastards again.
Raspberry and chocolate fondant fancies. With some very messy sides
If I'm honest, they were really, really bloody sweet. I should have balanced the inside with a sharper flavour, but I didn't think of it. I probably should have realised this while making the pouring fondant (cook sugar, stir in more sugar, all the sugar, is there any sugar left in the house? bung it in). My sponge was really tasty, so I'm pleased about that at least! I had the same problem that Mary mentioned - hard to get sharp edges when you bake, cut, and coat all in a few hours. I made these all between leaving work this evening and watching bakeoff at 8. Making the poured fondant was surprisingly easy, using it was a nightmare! I actually thought Jane's masher thing was bloody genius, and if anyone can ever give me a good enough reason to tackle that sticky sugar mountain again, I'll do it that way. My hybrid dipper-pourer approach was not ideal, and I had a lot of iced fingers.
I said last week (to my mum, I now realise, but not on here) that I thought Selasi's lack of finesse would scupper him, and I think that held true. He didn't really have a good weekend in the tent, and it was time for him to go. When things get fiddly, finesse matters, and especially so with patisserie, which is like expert level fiddly. I'm looking forward to the final, though I'm also sad, because it is the last one not just of the series, but really ever (in its current format, anyway). I know they don't want to spoil things, but I wish they'd given away just a little more in the preview so I could plan something to bake for next week! All I could see was a layered pavlova / spanische wind torte kind of affair, which could be fun (though I won't be serving it on a bloody mannequin!). Not much to go on!0 -
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Moderators, Category Moderators, Politics Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 12,110 CMod ✭✭✭✭
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I had Candice down for star baker too and I was disappointed when Andrew got it - maybe that's partially because I dislike him. I find him a bit smug and simpering.
I would have given anything for a fondant fancy last night 0 -
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Dizzyblonde wrote: »...I dislike him. I find him a bit smug and simpering.
You are welcome to join us at Chéz Billy anytime to watch GBBO. You'll fit right in.
I near wet myself when Selasi was asked if he was going to cry over one of his bakes & he said, "I'll leave that to Andrew." 0 -
They got to practise the fondant fancies at home didn't they? Jane's looked awful.
They did. Normally I'd be right there with you, though I do have to say that (having made them) fondant fancies are a giant PITA to make! Her sides seemed especially poor though - even mine were better and that was my first ever try at making them.
I'd love to say that I'll never unthinkingly eat a box of french fancies at home again, that I'll pause and consider the effort, and savour them, but we all know that's not true 0 -
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