S11.E02: Biscuit Week

[leighdear]

1 hour ago, Concerned said:

Love learning new words that might be used in England, but not where I live. Prue said one of the contestants had gone “Off-piste.” I had to look that one up and add it to my list that includes chuffed and hob.

I find myself using the word "gutted" a lot these days.....  *LOL*

[ElectricBoogaloo]

23 hours ago, leighdear said:

And as usual, I hate having to wait almost a week after the UK airing for Netflix to have it, and to comment. 

 

22 hours ago, illdoc said:

A week? It aired UK on ... Wed I believe and Netflix (US) will have it Friday---that's 2 days.

 

17 hours ago, Brookside said:

Yeah, I'm utterly confused - where I am, PBS has it this week on Sunday whereas last week it was Friday.  No idea when it will turn up on Netflix.  It's not there when I check now.  (I'm passing the time by watching the Baked Alaska-Gate series.)

 

12 hours ago, dleighg said:

I have Netflix and both times it's been there first thing Friday morning. Make sure you go to the "more episodes" option-- at first Netflix wanted me to rewatch last season. Maybe because that's where it had me "bookmarked."

 

10 hours ago, dleighg said:

it absolutely is on Netflix here in the US. Right on time, Friday bright and early.

The show airs in the UK on Tuesday night. It's then available in the United States on Netflix Friday morning at the stroke of midnight (meaning it's still Thursday night if you're still awake).

Sometimes if you've gone back to watch a previous season on Netflix, it will automatically start playing the older season if you just click "play." When that happens, I click on the "season" dropdown menu and select the newest season.

[SuprSuprElevated]

9 hours ago, Lois Sandborne said:

Hey now, I didn't mean to open the door to any chocolate snob showdown; Hershey just came to mind as an example of it being mass produced.

No chocolate snob here, just a huge fan.  I actually enjoy Hershey chocolate, but admittedly, I haven't researched much.  I only know that I really don't care for Nestle's much.  Not having grown up with varying chocolate makers, I guess you just like what is familiar.

[Quilt Fairy]

24 minutes ago, SuprSuprElevated said:

I guess you just like what is familiar.

True.  Whoever doesn't like Hershey's , come and put your share by me.  (Although I agree it doesn't taste like it did when I was a kid.)

I don't understand the restriction about the crew not eating the bakes.  Presumably they're in the same bubble as everyone else.  It would be a terrible waste of food otherwise. 

[justmehere]

I found it odd that the judges told one baker that the dried mango needed to soak so it wouldn't be chewy and another that it was a problem that it was soaked because it gave too much moisture. Fine line, perhaps, of enough vs. too much.

I thought Rowan would go. He doesn't really seem to care about improving or listening. I was sorry to see Mak go because he did seem to care. Does the technical not matter anymore? It seems a very important factor to me, testing general skills in new ways. However, never good to say that you're disregarding the brief in some way.

I liked the creativity of the different showstopper ideas this week, but the sculpting challenges never seem to go very well. (Also, I'm tired of ginger-biscuits being the main option due to stability.) 

I did like the signature challenge. 

[Athena]

Noel admitted that he has a sweet tooth and he said that he had to lose weight for a role playing Alice Cooper. After that experience, he's been very careful about not eating on this show. Sandi also joked about how the show had affected her waist line when she announced she was leaving.

 

6 hours ago, Gwendolyn said:

Rowan should have gone, he did worse than Mak in the technical and has yet to actually complete any of his grand ideas. As Prue said, he doesn't listen to the judges. But I bet he was kept at producer urging because his wild ideas and failure to listen brings drama.

 

23 minutes ago, justmehere said:

I thought Rowan would go. He doesn't really seem to care about improving or listening. I was sorry to see Mak go because he did seem to care. Does the technical not matter anymore? It seems a very important factor to me, testing general skills in new ways. However, never good to say that you're disregarding the brief in some way.

I would have preferred Rowan to go but Mak made the bigger mistake of not actually following the brief of the showstopper. They wanted some molded aspect which added difficulty to the challenge, and everyone did that but him. So unless he had an amazingly out of this world flavour bake, he was already in big trouble for that.

 

[cherrypj]

Question about Prue's macaroons: what do you do with the rice paper? Do you eat it? Or peel it away? Why not just use parchment?

[dleighg]

8 hours ago, cherrypj said:

Question about Prue's macaroons: what do you do with the rice paper? Do you eat it? Or peel it away? Why not just use parchment?

yes! I had the same question. All that cutting out of little circles seemed unnecessary. I make macaroons on parchment paper and they never stick!

[Rickster]

8 hours ago, cherrypj said:

Question about Prue's macaroons: what do you do with the rice paper? Do you eat it? Or peel it away? Why not just use parchment?

I assumed you ate it. I've had soft German Christmas spice cookies that came with similar paper on the bottom and you ate it. I also make Torrone that uses edible wafer paper that you eat too. It looked like their circles were pre cut so maybe this is a product available in Europe.

Not sure why they would use it for macaroons, except that when they made the mango ones, I thought I saw that they did not pipe a base and a wall around around the base. I thought they just piped a circle and filled it, so the rice paper kept the mango from oozing out the bottom, which you couldn't do if they were on parchment. Maybe it helped with the chocolate too.

 

[dleighg]

3 minutes ago, Rickster said:

It looked like their circles were pre cut so maybe this is a product available in Europe.

no, they were meticulously cutting them out. Maybe just something to use up more of their precious time!

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Recipes

Signature challenge: florentines
Lottie’s quarantine florentines
Marc’s ginger, cherry and pistachio florentines
Laura's milk chocolate, salted caramel, and pecan florentines

Technical challenge:
Prues coconut macaroons

Showstopper challenge:
Dave's waiting for tacos
Linda's high tea in Amsterdam
 

Mak's exit interview

Edited October 4, 2020 by ElectricBoogaloo

[Bad Example]

The macaroons brought up a question for me about the technicals.  As several people were lamenting that they weren't getting golden brown, is there any reason they couldn't turn their ovens up?  (That works for me... just keep watching it carefully so it just browns more, not burns.  More sophisticated bakers may point out where I am wrong.)  I was wondering that if a technical says something specific... like oven to 130, which doesn't seem to be something they often specify... do they have to go with that?  And can only use their judgement where it is less specific?  I have no idea of oven temp was part of their directions here.  I'm just thinking aloud and wondering if anyone had any insight.  

[dleighg]

2 minutes ago, Bad Example said:

is there any reason they couldn't turn their ovens up?  (That works for me... just keep watching it carefully so it just browns more, not burns.

I had the same thought, when so many of them were looking at their timers and bemoaning the lack of "golden-ness."

[Clanstarling]

 

22 hours ago, Pepper Mostly said:

I agree. You can be an awesome baker and not be able to sculpt. That was bogus. Even the board game challenge was better.

I agree. I'd expect some decent knowledge of cake decorating - but sculpting is a very different skill set.
 

23 minutes ago, Bad Example said:

The macaroons brought up a question for me about the technicals.  As several people were lamenting that they weren't getting golden brown, is there any reason they couldn't turn their ovens up?  (That works for me... just keep watching it carefully so it just browns more, not burns.  More sophisticated bakers may point out where I am wrong.)  I was wondering that if a technical says something specific... like oven to 130, which doesn't seem to be something they often specify... do they have to go with that?  And can only use their judgement where it is less specific?  I have no idea of oven temp was part of their directions here.  I'm just thinking aloud and wondering if anyone had any insight.  

When Dave said that given the time, he expected they needed a long bake, and since he was the one that won, I think they were just seriously underestimating how long it would take to get to the golden point.

[jpgr]

 

On 10/3/2020 at 6:26 AM, Lois Sandborne said:

Hey now, I didn't mean to open the door to any chocolate snob showdown; Hershey just came to mind as an example of it being mass produced. I haven't actually had what they call a "gold" bar. I have had and made caramelized white chocolate though. It's good stuff. And extremely  easy to make. If anyone is interested, I used a method from David Liebovitz's blog: https://www.davidlebovitz.com/caramelized-white-chocolate/

So that's what that Hershey's Gold bar is? I tried one and it was gross. I might try caramelizing my own white chocolate.

3 hours ago, Clanstarling said:

 

I agree. I'd expect some decent knowledge of cake decorating - but sculpting is a very different skill set.
 

When Dave said that given the time, he expected they needed a long bake, and since he was the one that won, I think they were just seriously underestimating how long it would take to get to the golden point.

On Extra Slice, Mak said that he did turn his oven up to help make the macaroons more golden (and it worked).

I don't mind the sculpting challenges to a point. It shows who takes the easy route (gingerbread) vs who tries something more original but understands the characteristics of their chosen biscuit well enough to make it work. I was impressed by Linda using shortbread successfully and Sura making speculoos biscuits.

[Clanstarling]

3 minutes ago, jpgr said:

 

So that's what that Hershey's Gold bar is? I tried one and it was gross. I might try caramelizing my own white chocolate.

On Extra Slice, Mak said that he did turn his oven up to help make the macaroons more golden (and it worked).

I don't mind the sculpting challenges to a point. It shows who takes the easy route (gingerbread) vs who tries something more original but understands the characteristics of their chosen biscuit well enough to make it work. I was impressed by Linda using shortbread successfully and Sura making speculoos biscuits.

Though I didn't like the cake challenge - as it's more a matter of sculpting skill than baking skill (imo).  I do enjoy the biscuit and bread challenges. Pretty much for the same reason you mentioned - a baker understanding the characteristic of their chosen biscuit/dough well enough to make it work, plus the decorating aspect is more in line with "normal" decorating. I hate gingerbread, so I'm always happy to see a contestant using something else. I thought most of them turned out rather well.

[AZChristian]

5 minutes ago, Clanstarling said:

Though I didn't like the cake challenge - as it's more a matter of sculpting skill than baking skill (imo). 

Probably the only "person" I could have sculpted would have been Sponge Bob Squarepants.  I have no artistic skill at all, but can make beautiful afghans . . . because I'm technically gifted and can follow a pattern.  I can't design them, but I can follow them.

[MerBearHou]

6 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Recipes

Signature challenge: florentines
Lottie’s quarantine florentines
Marc’s ginger, cherry and pistachio florentines
Laura's milk chocolate, salted caramel, and pecan florentines

Technical challenge:
Prues coconut macaroons

Showstopper challenge:
Dave's waiting for tacos
Linda's high tea in Amsterdam
 

Mak's exit interview

What would we do without you, ElectricBoogaloo?  You always have the best intel — plus a tremendous screen name 🙂

[Mabinogia]

32 minutes ago, AZChristian said:

Probably the only "person" I could have sculpted would have been Sponge Bob Squarepants.  I have no artistic skill at all, but can make beautiful afghans . . . because I'm technically gifted and can follow a pattern.  I can't design them, but I can follow them.

I probably would have done Charlie Brown. Big round head, stick some ears on it and BAM, done. If asked, he is my hero because of his unending optimism. No matter how many times Lucy pulled the football away from him, he kept on trying so no matter how many times Paul says my bakes are terrible (cause they would be. If it doesn't come out of a box it's too complex for me) I will keep on trying. 🙂

[chaifan]

Has anyone noticed that news articles discussing GBBO have been overwhelmingly negative this season?  Like GBBO is horribly ruined or whatever.  Personally, I'm enjoying this season.  I haven't been thrilled with the bizzarro showstoppers, but I love the bakers and I am really liking Noel and Matt together. 

I agree, that Mak had a better week than Rowan, but honestly, I'm glad Rowan is sticking around.  (Nothing against Mak.)  I like his overly ambitious bakes.  I loved the bit between Noel and Sura on her holding back on going up to the table. 

I'm so confused about florentines.  I've never seen them with the dried fruit.

I love love love macaroons.  Not macarons, strangely enough, but macaroons.  Especially with a little dark chocolate.  I do like the idea of a macarooon, as Matt suggested, just adding another "o" and making up another sweet.  I think that should be a challenge - create a macarooon.    In honor of Matt, I'd make it a cake-like cookie with translucent white icing....  round, soft, white with a smooth, shiny top! 🙂 

 

[Quilt Fairy]

1 hour ago, chaifan said:

Personally, I'm enjoying this season. 

Me, too.  It seems as normal a season of GBBO as we could expect.  Everyone was worried about the cast makeup because of the bubble requirements but in spite of everything they've managed to tick all the boxes in terms of age and ethnic diversity.   Good job, GBBO!

[kittykat]

A lot of articles I've read have criticized the complexity of the challenges, not exactly far off from what we have been saying here.  I feel biscuits has always been a hard one to plan a showstopper around.  There's only so many variations of biscuit building you can do.

[GaT]

1 hour ago, kittykat said:

There's only so many variations of biscuit building you can do.

Exactly, so why do they have to do biscuit building anyway? Just have them make a bunch of different types of biscuits, I don't see the point of them having to build something.

[Lois Sandborne]

I was randomly thinking of what might make a showstopping display but would be more realistic, or at least related to baking. I don't know what licensing and trademarks are like in the UK, but it could be fun to have them all do their best copycat recipe of classic brands.  Everyone tries to make Jammie Dodgers, or they all choose a favorite cookie/biscuit. And they probably don't like repeating, but I agree there's nothing wrong with back to the well of making several varieties of things that require a lot of precision, like linzer cookies, sugar wafers, madeleines, tuiles, meringues, lebkuchen, ladyfingers. That's still impressive.

I watched Extra Slice this weekend. Prue was the guest, and when peer pressured by the hosts and audience she kind of agreed that the judges might've made a mistake, or at least been a little unfair in cutting Mak over Rowan. Mak was extremely gracious though; it was nice to see more of him. It definitely seems like he has no regrets.

[Rickster]

10 hours ago, GaT said:

Exactly, so why do they have to do biscuit building anyway? Just have them make a bunch of different types of biscuits, I don't see the point of them having to build something.

Even though I hated the cake sculpting challenge, I think that one and showstoppers like the biscuit building one (which both seem to be more prevalent in recent seasons), are an attempt by the producers to bring across some of the personality of the contestants. What you choose to sculpt or the type of structure you build tells the audience more about yourself than baking four different varieties of eclairs. I think they believe this is especially true for their viewers who are not fanatic bakers.

[Rammchick]

Did anyone else notice that Mak looks like a grown up version of Eddie Munster?  Killer widow's peak!

[Danny Franks]

On 10/4/2020 at 2:08 AM, cherrypj said:

Question about Prue's macaroons: what do you do with the rice paper? Do you eat it? Or peel it away? Why not just use parchment?

The coconut macaroons my grandma used to buy for me had a layer of edible rice paper on the bottom. Maybe that's just the traditional way of presenting them.

[WildPlum]

Count me in the "ruined" category, REALLY dislike Matt and Noel's constant badgering of Sura in this episode, as though he can't think of anything else to talk to her about. It is as though they are an obstacle for the bakers to overcome, they aren't supportive or helpful in the slightest. Pass on this season.

 

[SuprSuprElevated]

3 hours ago, Rammchick said:

Did anyone else notice that Mak looks like a grown up version of Eddie Munster?  Killer widow's peak!

Every time I saw him, I thought of William Devane.

Mak's goodbye letter - 

"There aren’t that many shows on TV that brings a nation together. In recent times only one sticks out and it’s the Bake Off. A show of legendary stature and iconic value. The stars aligned for me for series 11 (2020). The world was in turmoil but for me, 2020 was all about the Bake Off. The privilege to have been selected and go in front of the nation with my quirky features was unbelievable. It was an honour to be a part of a show that was a beacon of light – there is always hope in baking. Let’s end oppression and inequality through our kindness and love. Go Bake Off!"

Edited October 5, 2020 by SuprSuprElevated

[GaT]

4 hours ago, Rammchick said:

Did anyone else notice that Mak looks like a grown up version of Eddie Munster?  Killer widow's peak!

The first thing I thought when I saw him was "werewolf"

[GaT]

5 hours ago, Rickster said:

Even though I hated the cake sculpting challenge, I think that one and showstoppers like the biscuit building one (which both seem to be more prevalent in recent seasons), are an attempt by the producers to bring across some of the personality of the contestants. What you choose to sculpt or the type of structure you build tells the audience more about yourself than baking four different varieties of eclairs. I think they believe this is especially true for their viewers who are not fanatic bakers.

But this is supposed to be a competition for home bakers, not professional bakers. Building or sculpting is not a usual home baker skill. 

[emmawoodhouse]

Booting Mak over Rowan smacked of producer interference. Rowan makes good TV. That said, at the rate he's going, he's bound to fail even more spectacularly than this past week. Hopefully when that happens he'll be chopped as he deserves. 

We'll see, I guess.

[SG429]

20 minutes ago, GaT said:

But this is supposed to be a competition for home bakers, not professional bakers. Building or sculpting is not a usual home baker skill. 

Weren't Biscuit Week Showstoppers often of the "5 varieties of biscuit, 12 identical of each, prepared for some posh event" type? Where baking was front and centre but you still had to wow on the presentation? Instead of asking them to be architects, repeatedly?

[SuprSuprElevated]

13 minutes ago, emmawoodhouse said:

Booting Mak over Rowan smacked of producer interference. Rowan makes good TV. That said, at the rate he's going, he's bound to fail even more spectacularly than this past week. Hopefully when that happens he'll be chopped as he deserves. 

We'll see, I guess.

Same thing I told the hubs.

[GaT]

4 minutes ago, SG429 said:

Weren't Biscuit Week Showstoppers often of the "5 varieties of biscuit, 12 identical of each, prepared for some posh event" type? Where baking was front and centre but you still had to wow on the presentation? Instead of asking them to be architects, repeatedly?

Yes, that's exactly what I mean. Maybe they had to make a biscuit basket to hold them, but that was as involved as it got. Now the showstoppers have gotten ridiculous.

[Adeejay]

Clearly, even Rowan was surprised that he wasn't eliminated.  Mak seemed to have a defeatist attitude.  I believe he was ready to go.  Probably wasn't as fun as he'd anticipated.  

[janie jones]

6 hours ago, Rammchick said:

Did anyone else notice that Mak looks like a grown up version of Eddie Munster?  Killer widow's peak!

It always takes me several episodes (of anything) to learn people's names, so my husband and I were calling him "Werewolf" and "Wolf Man."

[ElectricBoogaloo]

8 hours ago, Rickster said:

Even though I hated the cake sculpting challenge, I think that one and showstoppers like the biscuit building one (which both seem to be more prevalent in recent seasons), are an attempt by the producers to bring across some of the personality of the contestants. What you choose to sculpt or the type of structure you build tells the audience more about yourself than baking four different varieties of eclairs. I think they believe this is especially true for their viewers who are not fanatic bakers.

I wish I could give the producers the benefit of the doubt, but the cake sculpting and biscuit building challenges seem more like the producers are crossing their fingers that something will go horribly wrong and someone's sculpture/building will fall apart.

1 hour ago, janie jones said:

It always takes me several episodes (of anything) to learn people's names, so my husband and I were calling him "Werewolf" and "Wolf Man."

This is why I love the international versions of GBBO where the bakers' names are embroidered on the fronts of their aprons! Otherwise I end up referring to them as things like "guy with the hair."

Edited October 5, 2020 by ElectricBoogaloo

[GaT]

1 hour ago, janie jones said:

It always takes me several episodes (of anything) to learn people's names, so my husband and I were calling him "Werewolf" and "Wolf Man."

I'm so glad I'm not the only one. I saw this Katy Perry video, and around the 2:50 mark there's a cartoon werewolf. Every time I see it, I think of Mak.

 

[Quilt Fairy]

Creating a table setting may not have been the best biscuit challenge, but the biscuit showstoppers in the past have been some of my favorite bakes.  

[Mabinogia]

22 hours ago, kittykat said:

I feel biscuits has always been a hard one to plan a showstopper around.  There's only so many variations of biscuit building you can do.

Build a jenga tower with biscuits, then the judges will slowly remove biscuit blocks. Whichever tower lasts the longest with the most blocks removed wins. Now BAKE!

I don't mind the complexity of the challenges so much as them not being given more time to execute. I would have loved to see the lighthouse come out better with more time. I think most of them, had they had more time, would have had better finished products. But since the network move this show has been a bit more about "challenge" and a bit less about "let us give you the time you need to make something outstanding". 

As much as I love Sandy in pretty much everything else I've seen her in, that woman is a treasure, for some reason she just didn't work on GBBO. Matt is a much better fit for Noel and they are giving me more of a Mel and Sue vibe, which I missed terribly. 

[Mabinogia]

3 hours ago, janie jones said:

It always takes me several episodes (of anything) to learn people's names, so my husband and I were calling him "Werewolf" and "Wolf Man."

Yeah, in the beginning it's like guy with the leg, girl with the hair in her face, the werewolf, the guy in the vest, the young guy, the creeper, etc. 

Then I can usually get the ones with the unusual (for me) names, so I know Lottie (seems like an old fashioned name to me. I like it), Mak (because of the spelling) and Rowan (I love that name). Young guy and creeper's names are still a mystery to me. 

[Iseut]

Lottie and her grandparents were so sweet.  I choked up at that part too, having talked on the phone with my elderly aunt this morning and just wishing I could spend some time with her face to face. 

Glad she got the handshake...but,  should there really be a handshake anymore? Can we get a Hollywood elbow bump? Not as alliterative but a nod to the new normal. 

Really thought Rowan would be the one to go. I have to think that the producers played a part there, since Rowan is endlessly entertaining, even though his bakes haven't been good and he doesn't take direction.  Mak seemed nice, just more reserved, so the producers probably wanted to milk at least one more week of Rowan's quirks. 

[Clanstarling]

12 hours ago, Mabinogia said:

Yeah, in the beginning it's like guy with the leg, girl with the hair in her face, the werewolf, the guy in the vest, the young guy, the creeper, etc.

Guy with the leg?

[AZChristian]

7 hours ago, Iseut said:

Glad she got the handshake...but,  should there really be a handshake anymore? Can we get a Hollywood elbow bump? Not as alliterative but a nod to the new normal. 

Or Matt/Noel could carry around a bottle of hand sanitizer and anyone who gets a handshake also gets a squirt of that.

1 hour ago, Clanstarling said:

Guy with the leg?

Marc has an artificial leg.  Lost his leg in 2016 in a motorcycle accident.  We've seen it but they haven't mentioned it.  He's fourth from the left in this picture.

[meep.meep]

On 10/3/2020 at 11:46 AM, Concerned said:

Love learning new words that might be used in England, but not where I live. Prue said one of the contestants had gone “Off-piste.” I had to look that one up and add it to my list that includes chuffed and hob.

It's from skiing.....  Again, one of those things posh people talk about.

Another show stopper that wasn't.  Why?  They are talented bakers.  Let them bake, not sculpt or mold!

[Mabinogia]

7 hours ago, AZChristian said:

Marc has an artificial leg.  Lost his leg in 2016 in a motorcycle accident.  We've seen it but they haven't mentioned it.  He's fourth from the left in this picture.

Thank you. I can't remember his name yet but I really like him. One of the things I love about GBBO is that they don't make a big deal out of stuff like that. I remember one season one of the women had something with her hand (I forget what because they thankfully avoid doing the sob story edit I see in pretty much every American reality completion, no matter if it's baking, cooking, building something, or doing some survival challenges) and I don't even remember them mentioning it, it just was, and she carried on like all the others, just like Marc does. 

I really like him, he's one of my favs personality wise. It's too early for me to have baking favorites this early. Nothing has wowed me yet. 

[dleighg]

7 minutes ago, Mabinogia said:

Thank you. I can't remember his name yet but I really like him. One of the things I love about GBBO is that they don't make a big deal out of stuff like that. I remember one season one of the women had something with her hand (I forget what because they thankfully avoid doing the sob story edit I see in pretty much every American reality completion, no matter if it's baking, cooking, building something, or doing some survival challenges) and I don't even remember them mentioning it, it just was, and she carried on like all the others, just like Marc does. 

I agree-- yes I recall the woman you mentioned. She had (as I recall) only one or two fingers on one of her hands. They never mentioned it. On "Chopped" they always try to get the contestant to tell whatever sob story they have -- recovered from cancer, dad just died, etc. I hate it.

[festivus]

I'm not a fan of coconut at all but I do like a good macaroon. The mango one looked delish. I'd tear up that chocolate one too.

The older lady's tea set was the only one I thought was pretty. It looked really professional. I'm not a huge fan of the sculpting cookie scenes but I'm not sure what else you can do for showstoppers. I'm more into interesting flavors.

I'm surprised Rowan didn't go.

[Athena]

1 hour ago, Mabinogia said:

Thank you. I can't remember his name yet but I really like him. One of the things I love about GBBO is that they don't make a big deal out of stuff like that. I remember one season one of the women had something with her hand (I forget what because they thankfully avoid doing the sob story edit I see in pretty much every American reality completion, no matter if it's baking, cooking, building something, or doing some survival challenges) and I don't even remember them mentioning it, it just was, and she carried on like all the others, just like Marc does. 

I really like him, he's one of my favs personality wise. It's too early for me to have baking favorites this early. Nothing has wowed me yet. 

 

1 hour ago, dleighg said:

I agree-- yes I recall the woman you mentioned. She had (as I recall) only one or two fingers on one of her hands. They never mentioned it. On "Chopped" they always try to get the contestant to tell whatever sob story they have -- recovered from cancer, dad just died, etc. I hate it.

Briony from Season 9 who was one of my favourites as well. Briony mentioned on her social media that it was a birth defect.

I like Marc too. He's very calm. I also agree that there is something off with Dave or that I can't seem to warm up to him. He deserved Star Baker but there really is something about his eyes. He seems like he's always tense.