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'm trying to think why anyone would want a 'well' as a centrepiece of their party. Maybe a celebration for the 'opening of a well ?

Ian's all came down to dipping a shortbread biscuit into melted white chocolate. Well... even I can do that!

Yep, ppeatfruit a traditional fruit cake for a wedding cake takes an age to make, an age to cook, an age to cool down enough to ice properly

My favourite final challenge was the Afternoon Tea one, to me it was much better than the latest ones - just make a really out there cake - as it tested their skills on bread, pastry, cakes and presentation/decoration. I think they should do that in the final, just a well decorated cake is a bit of a let down imo.

Perhaps they could do something like a childrens birthday party, adult coffee morning, etc., and insist that it includes cake and pastry items and sweet and savoury. Also give them enough time realistically to complete it, I think the Afternoon Tea one was from early morning until about 4.00 pm, and if it is something like that they should allow some preparation time the night before.

Possible the Annual Gathering of Well Possessors ppeatfruit.

Ian is could well be a member.

I'm glad Flora the thirtysomething teenager has gone. Nice girl but why did she insist on sticking macarons on everything?

Nadiya is my fave but I really wasn't wowed by her peacock cake. She needs to stop dyeing food blue! Humans don't like to eat blue food as it reminds us of decomposition.

I'm glad Ian is still there. He's a terrible old swot but is quite sweet at the same time. Representin' da geeks!

Erm people love Smarties though don't they MyName?

Good idea about the tea emotion

Moin Yes The Annual Gathering of Well possessors and chocoholics I like that

Smarties aside we generally don't respond well to blue food unless it's blue cheese. Blue is associated with mould.

But her blue is was just too dayglo.

Yes because the blue cheese IS mouldy of course but beneficial mould. I suppose. I don't eat it. But I quite like blue smarties.

Oh and blueberries, I LOVE them.

Uh yeah, I know it's mouldy. The expectation is that blue food that we eat is mouldy food.

And damsons. Sorry I'll stop.

Great.

Agree that her blue was nearly flourescent! Not what I associate with cake or chocolate!
(and yes I know who you are Ronnie )

I think the bright colours are due to her making cakes for children (as I mentioned upthread).

Blueberries and damsons are purple, not blue.

Blue Smarties are blue though :o

Just caught up with last night episode.

I know they do the rice crispy thing on choccywoccydoodah, but it seemed like cheating a bit to me. Surely you should be making a cake or something to cover rather than just mixing a load of marshmallows with rice crispies? Still like nadiya of course, but was a bit surprised by that bit.

Have to say I agree with emotions above. I think they only did the afternoon tea thing the first year, but to me that would be the best way of finding a winner. They should have to make bread for sandwiches, a centrepiece cake, some savoury pastries, sweet tarts, petit fours or something like that and a special technical challenge. I kind of feel like the final is a bit of a let down being just another round.

Perhaps we could send an MN GBBO Thread Edict to the BBC stating our Final Preferences just so they don't let us down next year

It was difficult to see where those rice krispies went on her peacock, but the body of the bird was eaten with enjoyment by the judges and it was definitely cake ! .

Yes emotionsecho Are you going to enter?

I always think they should deter the youngest ones from entering for a few years though Paul wouldn't like it. I suspect both Flora and Martha would be entirely capable of getting to the final and even winning if they came back with another few years' experience under their belts.

Nooo ppeatfruit I'd never make it past the first audition

Did I imagine Ruby? She has a good cookery article in the Grauniad.

I think they should dispense with Star Baker at this stage, there's too few of them. I thought Nadiya's peacock was pretty hideous and I don't see how someone can win Star Baker after coming last in the only round that can't be practised beforehand. Everyone knows that blue Smarties are evil!

But her chocolate tart was best. And to be fair we couldn't taste her showstopper.

Thinking about it a chocolate souffle is unusual (I've never had one actually) because the egg whites and melted chocolate need very careful mixing. I'm not excusing Nadiya but no one did it perfectly did they?

Nadiya's chocolate tart sounded scrumptious. She just needs to put luminous food dye and synthetic flavourings out of her mind.