GBBO #2 - These bakers are not to be trifled with...

[PolkadotsAndMoonbeams]

Following on from the first thread (we were getting a bit short on space!).

Pastry week next - it's time for the dreaded soggy bottoms!

I think oth Floras and Tamal's centrepieces looked superb from a distance but did look clumsy close up.

I loved Ian's bucket of white chocolate sauce :) it's a shame the handle sapped but I think that was inevitable. However, it was a little plain and didn't seem to show lots of chocolate work which is usually what they are after. Pouring chocolate into moulds can be done by anyone really although the mechanics and planning were brilliant.

I thought Ians well was amazng it worked (till paul broke it) a little bucket of chocolate paul was so meh about it. I thought Naydia was going to have a souffle breakdown she snapped at mel who slowly backed away from the crazy cake lady . Pleased with the final 3 Tamal or Naydia to win think tamal will win

I now see flora opening a little -macarooncake shop in the perthshire countryside on the back of this.

Called flora's fancies

Flora just didn't listen. They kept telling her to stick to the brief and she didn't and then when it didn't turn out so well she just kept saying sorry which was annoying.

Her fafferies were annoying though but she is a i know better kind of person

What was the peacock standing/sitting on? I thought it looked really amateur if I'm honest

But her macaroons were crap. In fact all of her "extra" embellishments were always crap. She could have a shop called "Flora's Fancy Fuckups"

Was a round stand she built it round she did make the tail bits individually they were all a bit squint and meh tbh 4 hours probably isnt long enough to make a centrepiece Ians was the best imo

Ian's was clever but it didn't look very nice IMO. I wouldn't really want it in the centre of my table.

Apart from the peacock's tail, I though it looked a bit odd... like a blue dodo and I didn't get what was 'spectacular' about the nest, to me it just looked like a bit of a mess. I love Nadiya but I think the judges have been kind to her.

I've no idea what it is stood on! A box?!

I'm rooting for Tamal, he is consistent and doesn't do funny flavours like bubblegum and sweets.

The body of the peacock looked a bit like play do creation

Latin - it was Richard. Do you remember, he was the youngish guy who was a bolder and always had a pencil behind his ear? He was very calm, really good with both presentation and flavouring and then just didn't quite pull it off in the final.

Oh yes, Richard, I remember him, he was consistently good wasn't he...

From a distance I much preferrred Tamal's and Flora's choc creations, it was more what I was expecting TBH. I found Ian's a bit weird and did it fit the brief for chocolate work? I think he was trying to be toooo clever. I just felt they almost got a hammer to Flora's, whereas they just picked a couple of bits off of Nadiya's and Ian's.

Oh yes, thanks, Rascar, I do now. Yes, he was good, I agree. I think there's always going to be some degree of bias. I liked Nancy very much, but I think Mary saw someone like herself? [armchair psychologist]

YY Roussette, embarrassing watching the aggressive tearing-apart of the merry-go-round.

Flora actually said "they tell me not do so many fripperies but I do because I want to" So she deserves to go!

I like the way she and Nadiya held hands for support at the judging.I LOVE Nadiya !!!!!

I've been thinking about her baking and I reckon she aims her bakes\showstoppers at children, that peacock was a sophisticated smartie cake!!! .

Ian's SS was a bit weird IMO it was filling moulds with chocolate not freehand chocolate work.

Yes I agree ppeatfruit, they are aimed at children. My dd (7) loves her baking and is supporting Nadiya. I'm all for anyone engaging children in creative things like this.

The showstopper last night reminded me of the final the other year when they made wedding cakes. All of them tried to do so much that they all ended up looking not quite good enough.

I might have to go and find some french bake off to watch. I can't speak french though, does anyone know how 'soggy bottom' translates?!

Nadiya FTW!

Yes BigRedBall I can see our Nadiya opening a Childrens Party Cake shop or website Whatever happens!

She's going to win IMO.

AllMyBestFriends le fond humide is soggy bottom

Oh yes the wedding cake final that was a car crash wasn't it? None of them were that great, Francis' was the best of a mediocre bunch. The one with the writing round it looked so unappetising and amateur, the smudged black writing was dire. I would have been distinctly underwhelmed if any of them had been presented to me as my wedding cake.

The Showstopper was an odd brief, I wish they'd stop with all this construction malarkey. Surely they could have specified baking a cake and using it a a base for chocolate work.

Well a proper wedding cake takes weeks!! The poor contestants have the odds stacked against them with the ridiculous 'timings'.

I agree ppeatfruit with the wedding cake challenge they could have staggered it so they did the cakes in the morning and then spent the afternoon icing/decorating them, to expect them to make, ice and decorate a cake in that time frame was ridiculous.

I'm referring to a traditional one a fruit cake, I used to start mine in Sept for Xmas. Not a rice crispy one of course.

YY to the timings.

'Style over substance' is one of the things I remember about Frances. I think that's what swung it for Ian last night. Flora's had more work in it but didn't taste as good whereas Ian's was 'simpler' but the taste element was still there. And the brief was for a centrepiece, and Ian's was definitely an interesting centrepiece.

I wonder what they'll have to do next week.