S11.E05: Pastry Week

[kay1864]

On 10/23/2020 at 11:17 AM, Rammchick said:

I didn't watch carefully, but did Laura use actual key limes to make her tart?  If not, then it's technically not key lime pie.

 The America’s Test Kitchen people (and their tasters) would disagree with you.  Apparently the key (no pun intended) is using fresh limes versus bottled lime juice, not Key versus  Persian (regular) limes.

Edited October 25, 2020 by kay1864

[MisterGlass]

I haven't seen pasties in the U.S.  In my area a meat pie was a bierock.

Edited October 25, 2020 by MisterGlass
Phrasing.

[Quilt Fairy]

"Hand pie" just sounds pornographic to me. 

[Spunkygal]

Natchitoches Louisiana meat pies. yum! Disclaimer: I’ve never used this exact recipe.

https://gardenandgun.com/recipe/natchitoches-meat-pies/

When I read Rosamunde Pilcher novels and she mentions pasties, these meat pies are exactly what I imagine and crave.

Edited October 25, 2020 by Spunkygal

[meep.meep]

On 10/21/2020 at 3:27 AM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

 

The judges were picking and choosing who to criticize in the signature challenge. If crimping is a necessary part of a pasty, then why did only Linda get penalized for not having crimps? Lottie's shapeless blobs didn't have crimps either but they kind of barely mentioned it and then glossed it over.

Television is so educational!  I learned from watching a Rick Steves travel show that the crimps are essential to the pasty.  The miners would have them for lunch and there was no way to wash their hands in the mine.   They held onto the pasty by the crimped edge, ate the pie, and then threw away the remaining dirty dough.

I think Hermine should have got star baker, but at least it was one of the women.

If you're playing the drinking game, what do we do when Peter doesn't make something for his brother?

[sharifa70]

1 hour ago, meep.meep said:

If you're playing the drinking game, what do we do when Peter doesn't make something for his brother?

Eat a ham and cheese sandwich on wheat bread? I’m trying to think of something that’s loaded with gluten and suddenly all my brain will contribute is...wheat bread.

Edited October 25, 2020 by sharifa70

[phalange]

I can't say pasties look particularly appetizing, but at least this signature went much better for everyone than the brownies did.

The raspberry eclairs looked weird to me. I actually don't mind fondant (if that's what it was on there) but fondant is for cakes, not eclairs. Poor Linda, that must have been frustrating for all three attempts to not rise.

I was holding my breath while everyone was trying to remove their cages from the bowls they baked them on. I think those who did a square or pyramid shape and glued them together had the right idea. A lot of the cages did look pretty, but if the judges didn't even taste them, there was no real reason for them other than decoration and an extra challenge. Laura's key lime pie was giving me flashbacks to that American pie showstopper when every single person butchered them. But Laura's actually looked good. I was still kinda hoping Hermine would get star baker though.

[dleighg]

6 hours ago, meep.meep said:

the crimps are essential to the pasty.  The miners would have them for lunch and there was no way to wash their hands in the mine.   They held onto the pasty by the crimped edge, ate the pie, and then threw away the remaining dirty dough.

That makes so much sense! When I heard upthread that these were eaten by miners, my first thought was "dirty hands"!!

1 hour ago, phalange said:

Laura's key lime pie was giving me flashbacks to that American pie showstopper when every single person butchered them

except for one guy who made a lime pie! It was fabulous (I've made it, including making my own "stem ginger" (candied ginger) which is not a thing around me.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/key_lime_pie_53484

[leighdear]

11 hours ago, kay1864 said:

 The America’s Test Kitchen people (and their tasters) would disagree with you.  Apparently the key (no pun intended) is using fresh limes versus bottled lime juice, not Key versus  Persian (regular) limes.

Having lived in Key West for several years, and with all due respect to America's Test Kitchen pros, they're full of crap.  A fresh Key lime has a different taste from a fresh Persian lime.  I had a tree in my yard.  And without a doubt, fresh is always preferred to bottled juice, but Key Lime is Key Lime, it's not Persian Lime masquerading as Key Lime.  Just saying your Persian lime pie is Key Lime doesn't make it so.  

And just for curiosity's sake, and from an actual Key West cookbook written in the 1920's my mother has, the original recipe pie had a pastry crust and meringue on top, not the graham cracker crust & whipped cream top most people associate with the pie now.  (Though I'll admit my own version has a pecan cookie crust and the whipped cream top. It's damn sublime)  

Edited October 25, 2020 by leighdear

[Kohola3]

12 hours ago, kay1864 said:

The America’s Test Kitchen people (and their tasters) would disagree with you.  Apparently the key (no pun intended) is using fresh limes versus bottled lime juice, not Key versus  Persian (regular) limes.

 

17 minutes ago, leighdear said:

Having lived in Key West for several years, and with all due respect to America's Test Kitchen pros, they're full of crap.

The full comparison is here.  ATK (under the guise of Cooks Illustrated, same thing) has never said that they are the same.  They are saying don't use juice, use freshly squeezed juice.

From experience, pasties can be a bit dry so gravy is always a nice addition.  Not for the miners of course!

[cynicat]

15 hours ago, janie jones said:

I can't imagine he squeezed the cage that hard (unless he reflexively grasped harder when he realized it was coming apart). I think the pieces were poorly adhered.

I'd agree, except that Hermine managed to take it off the baking pan, stick the pieces together, pick it up,  put it over the tart , and then carry it to the judging table all without it breaking.  

[ABay]

On 10/20/2020 at 4:22 PM, Aulty said:

Congratulations Laura (although I was routing for Hermine). No surprise on Linda leaving - the editing of this episode was very predictable.

One of the many things I enjoy about this show is that they don't try to shock you with who's leaving; the editing makes it clear why that person is eliminated.

16 hours ago, janie jones said:

Yeah, whenever I see them, they're called "hand pies," but I feel like pasties, empanadas, and hand pies are basically the same thing with your choice of filling.

Yes, I agree. I recall hearing (but don't recall where) that every culture has their version of a hand pie.

Dave has grown on me. I think my initial reaction was due to his overhanging brow. Or very deep set eyes, depending on how you want to phrase it.

[Deskisamess]

Didn't Linda say her cage worked correctly at home? I'm not sure I believe that. From an physics engineering angle, it just wasn't going to hold up or stand without support. The round cages that worked had actual support created by the design of the dough.

Plain strips joining at one one top point had no chance of standing.

This season is flat, I'm sure the Covid situation has something to do with it.

[meep.meep]

7 hours ago, dleighg said:

That makes so much sense! When I heard upthread that these were eaten by miners, my first thought was "dirty hands"!!

except for one guy who made a lime pie! It was fabulous (I've made it, including making my own "stem ginger" (candied ginger) which is not a thing around me.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/key_lime_pie_53484

Coal miners at that!  Definitely dirty hands.  And the pastyies would be cold when they ate them.

I thought stem ginger was just fresh ginger like you buy in the store that needs to be peeled.  I've seen Ryan's recipe before, but don't know how much "three lumps" are.  And the picture there makes it clear that he was using Persian limes, not Key limes.

[iMonrey]

Quote

This season is flat, I'm sure the Covid situation has something to do with it.

Oh, I don't know - I think they've got a pretty decent crop of bakers this year. No real BS challenges so far either, although the cage thing was a bit much.

With the eclairs, I wondered why they weren't baking them with a straw or something inside of them to leave a hole for the filling.

[illdoc]

3 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

With the eclairs, I wondered why they weren't baking them with a straw or something inside of them to leave a hole for the filling.

I believe with properly made eclairs, they puff up enough that it wouldn't be necessary (a "natural gap" would exist). Did you see how high Prue's were, compared to the bakers?

[dgpolo]

2 minutes ago, illdoc said:

Did you see how high Prue's were, compared to the bakers?

Actually, no. I thought Prue's were way to small and skinny to be eclairs and I didn't think they looked like the ones the bakers made in Nadia's season.

[dleighg]

22 minutes ago, meep.meep said:

I thought stem ginger was just fresh ginger like you buy in the store that needs to be peeled. 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/stem_ginger

[chaifan]

I think Pru and Paul did taste the cages, but it was likely edited out for time.  We saw them take a few nibbles without comment.  I think the cages were a fun touch, and definitely elevated the bake to "showstopper" level.  But since they weren't the main function of the bake it made sense to not spend air time on commenting on the taste.  It's like any other decoration - the judges will comment on the look, but we may not see them tasting and/or commenting on every decorative element. 

[dgpolo]

1 minute ago, chaifan said:

It's like any other decoration - the judges will comment on the look, but we may not see them tasting and/or commenting on every decorative element. 

I believe this is the first time I have seen someone (Hermine?) use macarons as a decorative element and the judges did not taste one to see if it was good or not. I was very surprised!

[chaifan]

9 minutes ago, dgpolo said:

I believe this is the first time I have seen someone (Hermine?) use macarons as a decorative element and the judges did not taste one to see if it was good or not. I was very surprised!

I'd be shocked if Pru didn't taste one - she loves macaraons.  But again, we don't know what gets edited out for time. 

If there were ever a season for a bunch of behind the scene "extra" clips, this would be it!

[Kohola3]

44 minutes ago, chaifan said:

If there were ever a season for a bunch of behind the scene "extra" clips, this would be it!

I would love to see how they are all doing with the Covid restrictions, how they are able to practice, how they are dealing with family separation, etc.

[Ana170]

Laura's win seemed out of left field because it was. She knocked it out of the park with her showstopper. It's not unlike the time Ryan came from behind to win with another possibly not really key lime pie.  Apparently Paul likes lime pie just that much.

[Rickster]

6 hours ago, illdoc said:

I believe with properly made eclairs, they puff up enough that it wouldn't be necessary (a "natural gap" would exist). Did you see how high Prue's were, compared to the bakers?

This is correct, it’s the same with cream puffs, which are made from the same type of choux  dough. The interior should be almost hollow.

Like most things these days, stem ginger can be purchased on the internet. I’ve never seen it on a US store shelf.

Edited October 25, 2020 by Rickster

[awaken]

On 10/20/2020 at 4:22 PM, Aulty said:

Everybody seemed in a much better mood this week, including the judges. I hope I'm gonna be as spritely as Prue in my 80s.

Wow, is she really in her 80’s?  I’m surprised!

 

On 10/24/2020 at 10:47 PM, meep.meep said:

 

If you're playing the drinking game, what do we do when Peter doesn't make something for his brother?

His “gluten intolerant brother” as the show calls him!  
 

peter’s going to win this thing, isn’t he?

[jpgr]

15 hours ago, cynicat said:

I'd agree, except that Hermine managed to take it off the baking pan, stick the pieces together, pick it up,  put it over the tart , and then carry it to the judging table all without it breaking.  

I think part of the problem, and likely why Hermine didn't win Star Baker, is that her cage looked so thick and heavy compared to everyone else's. I would have grabbed it with extra force, too, expecting it to be heavier.

[akr]

30 minutes ago, jpgr said:

I think part of the problem, and likely why Hermine didn't win Star Baker, is that her cage looked so thick and heavy compared to everyone else's. I would have grabbed it with extra force, too, expecting it to be heavier.

Agreed. I thought for sure she'd won but when I went back & looked, not only was the cage heavy (but attractive, & probably tastier than many of them), but the pastry base was too thick as well, which may have been the bigger problem (a number of others were also too thick). I think this put her somewhere in the middle for the showstopper, but they glossed over it pretty quickly. 

[kay1864]

16 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

ATK (under the guise of Cooks Illustrated, same thing) has never said that they are the same.

And I never claimed that they did. Your own link showed that the testers were split on which was better. And that the key is fresh, not bottled juice (as I said). Finally the same link says that it’s just not the worth the effort to squeeze 20 Key limes.

[kay1864]

16 hours ago, leighdear said:

A fresh Key lime has a different taste from a fresh Persian lime.

 Neither I nor America’s Test Kitchen ever claimed otherwise.  See Kohola3’s  helpful link for details. It’s not whether the juice tastes different—it’s whether it makes a difference in the end product.

[SuprSuprElevated]

On 10/24/2020 at 10:45 AM, leighdear said:

With all the competition seasons they've 94 shows with 3 challenges each week.  A total of 282 different challenges.  They can have another Madeline challenge, or another scones challenge.  Repeats of a theme are not a fail!

The producers seem to have a need to create some never-before-seen type of baked good from some obscure place nobody has ever heard of to embarrass the contestants into making something that's never going to be what the "experts" say it should be.   I LITERALLY believe at this point, they're just making some of this sh!t up. 

I still love the show, but it's gone the way of many competitions by trying to be TOO everything.  Unique, clever, inspiring, etc.  It's always been good enough in the original form. 

And are the "Hollywood Handshakes" now just grudging "Hollywood Head Nods" to the really good ones?  Have I missed some, or is their baking just not good enough?

I've posted the link to an article written about some of the things you mention, in the Media thread.

[SuprSuprElevated]

On 10/24/2020 at 1:00 PM, iMonrey said:

Criminy, is she really in her 80s??

Are pasties strictly a British thing? I've never heard of them before. Over here we call them Hot Pockets 😉

I agree with Laura: I want to put a mini Peter in a cage and feed him cheese. 

We have a friend who hails from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (Canada lite), and they were a staple of his upbringing.  He made them for us a couple of years ago.  They were dreadful.  Dry, bordering on hopelessly dry.  I've noticed that (if this show is a true representation) British bakes are often stuffed, or laden with fruits, nuts, etc.  My tastes go the other direction as a rule; more simple I guess.  All of that said, I looove watching!

On 10/24/2020 at 1:19 PM, Irlandesa said:

They're quite big in the Upper Peninsula in MI--probably for the same reason.  When I visited, they were advertised everywhere there.  I think I've seen some in MN too but I don't know if it's because of Cornish roots or if they're starting to spread as a food trend.  I mean, we have empanadas, calzones...etc. Food pies are pretty popular.

Posted before reading all of the UP comments.  So, it is a thing with Yoopers~ 

On 10/24/2020 at 1:22 PM, dgpolo said:

Yes, he gave one to someone last week I think? If you are talking about this week, he had a problem, if even only a small one, with everyone's bakes this week, no matter how much he liked them there was something that prevented the handshake.

Also, I tried to count but I didn't pause anything so I could be wrong. There appeared to be 6 fridges for the 8 bakers left. (had nothing to do with this episode but someone in a previous thread thought there was one for each baker)

Laura got a handshake, can't recall which challenge.

Edited October 26, 2020 by SuprSuprElevated

[SuprSuprElevated]

Maybe because Americans seem to do everything bigger, but these eclairs looked puny to me, and about as unappetizing as they could be (which may not be fair as I dislike just about any and all filled pastries).

I'm with whomever posted ^upthread about architectural bakes.  For the most part, I find them unnecessary and usually, unsuccessful.  I can however, appreciate the difficulty in finding unique challenges for a show in it's 11th season.

I too was surprised at Laura's Star Baker award.  I was sort of thinking it would be the dark haired fellow, whose name I can't recall.

I don't understand the desire to decorate with macarons.  When they've been used on this show, it seems like they have overwhelmed the design.  

 

 

[skipnjump]

I watched this episode last night and thought the caged tart challenge was kind of dumb.  Not the making of the tart, but the cage part.  All I could think of was "style over substance".  What did the cage part contribute?  Other than filling time and causing stress.  I do like this group of bakers much more than last seasons.  I'm still not a fan of Prue and how she gives feedback.  Try to find something positive to say, Prue.

[Ellaria]

On 10/25/2020 at 12:54 PM, iMonrey said:

Oh, I don't know - I think they've got a pretty decent crop of bakers this year. No real BS challenges so far either, although the cage thing was a bit much.

Agree. I like this group of bakers. They appear to have similar skill levels and are pleasant to watch. I give all of them credit for filming during the COVID and living in the bubble.

While I admire the cages that were created, I don't care for those type of add-ons to the challenges. Look and taste of the final "bake" should be paramount. Regardless, I am a novice baker so I appreciate everything that I see on this show.

Edited October 26, 2020 by Ellaria Sand

[Kohola3]

1 hour ago, skipnjump said:

I watched this episode last night and thought the caged tart challenge was kind of dumb.  Not the making of the tart, but the cage part.  All I could think of was "style over substance".  What did the cage part contribute?  Other than filling time and causing stress.

My thoughts exactly.  Plus there was this great big cage covering a little flat tart, it just looked kind of out of  proportion.  And it's not like you'd serve the cage on a plate so once you take it off, what the heck do you do with it?  They were so big you's have to cart it back to the kitchen to get it out of the way.  

I see no problem with revisiting showstoppers from other seasons.  Who cares?

[larapu2000]

I think they did do a pasty type of challenge before-someone mentioned they were called clangers?  They were savory on one end, sweet on the other?  I also visited the UP this summer and we had the pasties.  They were.....okay.  We went to the place in Munising that we were told was the "standard bearer" for pasties in the area, and my fiance just kept talking about how we could make a significantly better version at home.  Maybe we'll try Laura's,  hers sounded wonderful.

I'm loving this debate about Key Lime Pie.  I agree-the limes MUST be KEY LIMES in order to call it Key Lime Pie.  Otherwise, it's just lime pie.  And it can still be delicious!  I have used both fresh key limes and the bottled juice, and I honestly can't tell the difference.  I do dislike meringue on pies, so I am one of the traitorous ones that prefers whipped cream on top.  Key Lime is one of my top 2 favorite desserts.  It's so exquisitely perfect.  It would be hard for me to judge anything equally to even a mediocre key lime pie.

 

[janie jones]

My feeling about (key) lime pie is that there's no such thing as "lime pie." "Key lime pie" is just the word for pies made with lime. Just like all bandages are "band-aids" no matter the brand. That's not to say one version is or isn't better -- they just all have the same name to me.

5 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

I see no problem with revisiting showstoppers from other seasons.  Who cares?

I completely agree. There's more than one way to interpret the briefs, and and more than one way to fuck them up, so it wouldn't be repetitive to repeat them once in a while.

[HurricaneVal]

With the exception of the technical challenge (those were some sad looking eclairs...), I think I would happily enjoy any of the signature or showstopper challenge offerings.  Even the fish pie!  I can't always say that every week.

With Paul's reaction to the key lime and a reaction to another tart, uh, tart, I think the key to winning with Paul is to make sure your dessert has a bit of a piquant zing.  He apparently really likes that flavor profile.  Prue seems to be the opposite, she likes things to be sweet-sweet-sweet.  Interesting to try and find a balance of tastes between the judges.  Paul looks to construction and technique, but if you hit a flavor he really likes?  It looks like he really goes to the mat for that baker.  And we know that Mary Berry liked a little boozy dessert.... 

Sadly, Linda really needed to go.  How can she say that she really shines in pastry when she was completely incapable of making choux dough not once, not twice, but three times?  That's an elementary pastry dough, the foundation of many dishes!  She did have a bad week, but that failure with the choux alone made it a deserved elimination.  She's a nice lady, but man....

And while I'm happy about Laura winning, I also believe that Hermine should have won star baker this week.  She's consistently near the top, and her stuff looked really good this week.  Thick tart crust aside, she had a successful eclair (though "too fat" according to Prue) and a very good signature.  Maybe Laura's sturdy cage and tart tart really were astoundingly amazingly perfect.  Hermine is one of my favorites, she takes risks but still manages to come out with consistently good stuff, and I think Paul really respects that.  Her time will come.  I hope...

I am absolutely amazed, though, that Lottie's extremely delicate, almost fairy-like, soaring pyramid cage was as sturdy as it was.  Her piped choux was straw thin, but there was enough of it in a grid that it proved to be a very supportive and sturdy design.  Much like those lacy lattice bridges that look impossibly delicate but take on an amazing amount of load from pavement and traffic.

Chocolate week was a bit of a disaster, but pastry week was really good!  I am also on board with GBBO recycling assignments, I don't think they should fear repetition.  If someone were as daring to try and reproduce a winning recipe, I think that would fall flat--either literally, in the baking, or figuratively with Paul's steel blue glare at the sheer audacity.

[TomGirl]

On 10/21/2020 at 1:13 PM, Danny Franks said:

I wouldn't touch Peter's haddock and egg ones with a ten-foot pole, though. Urgh.

I LOVE kedgeree!  One of my favorite things.  I thought that filling sounded delicious.

[SandyToes]

Hard to believe contestants would show up to the show and NOT have a choux pastry perfected.  I'd never heard of a hot-water pastry, and didn't know the difference between "pie crust" and anything else, but if I was competing, I'd have short crusts, puff and rough puff pastries, and all the others ready to throw down in a heartbeat. Props for Linda for putting something on the plate.  I don't think Lottie's going anywhere.  Paul seems to have an extra spring in his step at her station. I like her, and find her hilarious, but I think she could put a plate of pinecones out and Paul would compliment her on them.

Nice to see Matt getting the hang of things.  Noel is really growing on me.

[cynicat]

14 hours ago, HurricaneVal said:

am absolutely amazed, though, that Lottie's extremely delicate, almost fairy-like, soaring pyramid cage was as sturdy as it was.  Her piped choux was straw thin, but there was enough of it in a grid that it proved to be a very supportive and sturdy design.  Much like those lacy lattice bridges that look impossibly delicate but take on an amazing amount of load from pavement and traffic.

The pyramid shape was smart. It's a solid engineering structure and one of the most stable shapes.

[AZChristian]

This show is constantly sending me off in search of new things.  Last week, it was finding chocolate babka.  This week, I had to have a pasty.  Given that we are NOT eating out (even take-out) these days, my only choice was to make them at home.  And I am NOT a great cook.

So I bought a couple of those pie crusts in a roll in the refrigerated section at the grocery store.  The day before, I had made a roast, with the plan that it would provide most of the ingredients for the pasty the next day.

Yesterday was "pasty day."  We pulled out enough of the leftover roast for two servings, along with potatoes and carrots.  We always plan that a roast is going to turn into beef stew, so we store it all in one bowl with the leftover gravy.  We didn't clean off the gravy from what we were chopping, but we didn't add any additional to the mix either.  The only things we added were a bit of red onion for a "kick" and some diced mushrooms, because I like them.  And we put in extra salt and pepper because there we didn't want them to be bland.

After mixing it all up, we put half of the mixture on each of the two pie crust circles and then folded it to a semi-circle.  We made a point of not getting too close to the edge, to allow for crimping.  After they were crimped, I brushed them with an egg wash and they were popped into the oven.

They weren't bad.  Very much in the "comfort food" category.  The crimping made the edges too thick for me to want to eat (they were large and I was already getting full from eating the meaty part).  Taste-wise, I call them a step above a pot pie, but without the baking dish.  I've heard that some people find them to be dry, but we must have included just enough gravy.  The pasties were not dry, nor did the filling leak out beyond the crust.  

[marinite]

1 hour ago, AZChristian said:

This show is constantly sending me off in search of new things.  Last week, it was finding chocolate babka.  This week, I had to have a pasty.  Given that we are NOT eating out (even take-out) these days, my only choice was to make them at home.  And I am NOT a great cook.

So I bought a couple of those pie crusts in a roll in the refrigerated section at the grocery store.  The day before, I had made a roast, with the plan that it would provide most of the ingredients for the pasty the next day.

Yesterday was "pasty day."  We pulled out enough of the leftover roast for two servings, along with potatoes and carrots.  

When we can safely travel again, I’m coming over! That all sounds so delish delosh.

Costco used to sell hand-held pasties and they were amazing. 
 

I really enjoyed this episode. Sorry for Linda but that was a mess.
 

 

[NYCFree]

21 hours ago, HurricaneVal said:

 

With Paul's reaction to the key lime and a reaction to another tart, uh, tart, I think the key to winning with Paul is to make sure your dessert has a bit of a piquant zing.  He apparently really likes that flavor profile.  Prue seems to be the opposite, she likes things to be sweet-sweet-sweet.  Interesting to try and find a balance of tastes between the judges.  Paul looks to construction and technique, but if you hit a flavor he really likes?  It looks like he really goes to the mat for that baker.  And we know that Mary Berry liked a little boozy dessert.... 

 

At several times during the past couple of seasons, Prue has actually stated the opposite: she specifically dislikes things she deems too sweet.

I’m on a Finnish culture and cuisine Facebook page and someone posted about pasties. Some Michigan Finnish Americans were shocked to find out that it isn’t a traditional Finnish dish. I believe that area of Michigan had many Cornish and Finnish  immigrants. It just became so ingrained in their cuisine, the generations downward forgot it wasn’t Finnish originally.

[meep.meep]

On 10/24/2020 at 9:39 PM, sharifa70 said:

Eat a ham and cheese sandwich on wheat bread? I’m trying to think of something that’s loaded with gluten and suddenly all my brain will contribute is...wheat bread.

Answering my own question - the answer should be "switch to beer!"

[CatLover74]

On 10/25/2020 at 3:30 AM, Quilt Fairy said:

He's given out one or two this year, but I don't remember to whom.

He gave out one to Lottie in Biscuit week for her Quarantine Florentines, and one to Hermine in Bread week for her soda breads.

[laurakaye]

On 10/24/2020 at 12:47 AM, dbell1 said:

Whoever does the drawings of the desserts deserves all the awards. Beautiful every time. 

That's my dream job.  What fun to find out what the bakers and planning on making and sketching out the ideas and making them beautiful!  I do love to see how close the pictures resemble the real thing.

 

On 10/24/2020 at 1:00 PM, iMonrey said:

Criminy, is she really in her 80s??

Prue did this cute little thing during one of her talking head segments where she kind of lifted her arms and tipped up onto her toes.  It was such a darling, child-like thing to do!  It was at that moment that I too looked up her age and was thrilled to see that she was 80!  She's one of a kind, for sure.

 

On 10/24/2020 at 3:11 PM, libgirl2 said:

There is a place in Traverse City, MI that makes them. I haven't tried them yet when I have been there though. 

This hits close to home.  We visit TC every summer and for the past several years, I always swear that I am going to get to that restaurant and order a pasty and I never get around to it.  I know exactly where the place is, too.  Next summer for sure!

Also, Linda was lovely and gracious upon leaving the tent.  She has clearly been through some very difficult times in her life and when she was the one sent home there were no tears, just her delightful smile while she told us that she'd had the time of her life.  I will miss her a lot!

[libgirl2]

1 hour ago, laurakaye said:

 

This hits close to home.  We visit TC every summer and for the past several years, I always swear that I am going to get to that restaurant and order a pasty and I never get around to it.  I know exactly where the place is, too.  Next summer for sure!

 

this is our second time out there and I say the same thing, I must stop, then I don't. 

The next time you are out there try Reflect Bistro that is in the Cambria Suites hotel. So very, very good. Not cheap but delicious. 

Edited October 29, 2020 by libgirl2

[iwantcookies]

Linda poor thing just wasn’t her week.

Peter looks so pale is he sick?

Laura wants to feed Peter cheese lol

I like Lottie she is fun!

[iwantcookies]

Everyone’s eclairs looked bad. My favorite treat yum yum.