S15.E07: Dessert Week

[dleighg]

Leave room for dessert! The bakers whip up meringue nests with multiple fillings, traditional steamed pudding and tastefully tiered tiramisu.

[dleighg]

When they walked in and remarked on how empty it was, I started wondering-- there are no empty tables, so what has changed? I went back and looked at the first episode, and the tables were MUCH closer. Which is non-trivial since they have to provide electricity to the stoves and mixers and all after spreading the work tables apart.

Dylan's coconut shells were AMAZING.

When Georgie was talking about not liking the texture of currents in the spotted dick, it reminded me of what my father always said in remarking that he didn't like raisins in baked goods. "They are like flies without wings." I tend to agree, and only use golden raisins in cooking!

I don't dispute that Sumayah's lemon and coffee confection didn't work, but Paul seemed incredulous that those flavors could possibly go together. Has he never had an espresso in Rome, served with a twist of lemon rind to rub on the rim of the cup?

Dylan's "concrete" box looked amazing, but that dessert would never work in an individual plated environment (like a restaurant) as it cracks when served. Minor nit. I'm glad he had such a great week. And he's easy on the eyes :) 

[TVbitch]

Sumayah might want to follow the classic advice of "taking one thing off" as she tends to want to jam too many flavors into every bake. But I do see coffees advertised as having "lemon notes", so she wasn't completely insane.

I am rooting for Dillon or Christian. I love that Dillion is coming out of his shell more and really serving it back to Noel. "At least I'm not decaying!" 🤣

[Ancaster]

I was disappointed with Gill in that she didn't redo her custard.  They had 1 1/2 hours while the pudding steamed to make just custard and caramel/toffee topping.  If she left it so late that she didn't have time to remake it, that was on her, and she really should have just left it off the plate.

Also, using commercially tinned/canned peaches was idiotic - no way were the judges going to go for it.  (And why did they show someone cutting an actual fresh peach in half?)  Serving nursery food won't work.  If fresh are out of season, use commercial or homemade ones that aren't in sickly sweet syrup.

I think she was complacent this week and last about her "Northern" flavours (this coming from a proud Northerner), and failed.

Edited November 8 by Ancaster

[AZChristian]

I kept thinking Sumayah reminded me of someone, and it finally hit me.  With those little barrettes causing her ears to peep out from her hair, she looks like she beamed in from Vulcan to be on GBBO.

"Scottie, please beam Sumayah back to Vulcan now."

[Straycat80]

Good job Sumayah, she was a good baker. I won’t miss the vocal fry though. 
I can see Dylan winning this at the end. 

[mjc570]

I thought that Gill should have been sent home (regardless of everyone's bakes) for the decision to use canned peaches.  Why in the world would she have done that, unless she couldn't afford real or better peaches to practice with.  

Similarly, why in the world would Christiaan use rose water? I really don't think I have EVER seen a bake on this show where that worked.  I had to laugh when he said he was going to put it in his showstopper but it wouldn't be enough to taste, so why bother?

I thought Dylan certainly deserved all the accolades this episode, but I don't think it is a sure thing that he will be the ultimate winner. 

Maybe a grump, but I did get a bit tired of the spotted dick jokes. Based on some of her choices in other seasons, I know Prue is a fan of steamed puddings, but I do feel it was included here solely for comic relief.

Speaking of comic relief, I did love Dylan's insistence on how old Noel and Alison are compared to him.  

Much as I enjoyed Sumayah and her beautiful, imaginative bakes, I am so glad not to have to hear her again.  I'm sure she will be successful in whatever she does in the future. 

Finally, except for Sumayah's (not a fan of coffee/lemon), I would have eaten every bite of every one of those tiramisus all by myself.  Yummy.

[blueray]

I'm glad the show had Noel just come out and say it was Dylan. As it wasn't really close, he got a handshake in signature, won the technical and had an amazing show stopper.

Sumayah was the right one to send home. Lemon and Coffee sounds gross together. And based on Paul's reaction, it was.

[peeayebee]

11 hours ago, dleighg said:

I don't dispute that Sumayah's lemon and coffee confection didn't work, but Paul seemed incredulous that those flavors could possibly go together. Has he never had an espresso in Rome, served with a twist of lemon rind to rub on the rim of the cup?

Ah. When she said she was doing coffee and lemon, I said, Ick! However, I did think that sounded familiar, but I couldn't remember where I heard the two going together. It still sounds ick to me.

9 hours ago, TVbitch said:

I love that Dillion is coming out of his shell more

He sure was talkative this ep, esp compared to last week. I noticed when Alison was with him, he kept wanting to share something, but she kept talking. It happened a couple of times where he was a chatty cathy. I'm sure it's just that his confidence was back.

BTW, the dress Alison was wearing was beautiful on her.

3 hours ago, mjc570 said:

I thought that Gill should have been sent home (regardless of everyone's bakes) for the decision to use canned peaches.  Why in the world would she have done that, unless she couldn't afford real or better peaches to practice with.  

I didn't get why she was raving about canned peaches. I figured it was an English (or Northern) thing. 

Quote

Similarly, why in the world would Christiaan use rose water? I really don't think I have EVER seen a bake on this show where that worked.  I had to laugh when he said he was going to put it in his showstopper but it wouldn't be enough to taste, so why bother?

I know, right? I think every time rose water has been used, the judges didn't like it. And this time they didn't like his first use of it, BUT HE DID IT AGAIN! Granted, it seemed to work the second time. Still, is it an ego thing? "I like this and I'm going to make you like it, too."

Quote

Maybe a grump, but I did get a bit tired of the spotted dick jokes. Based on some of her choices in other seasons, I know Prue is a fan of steamed puddings, but I do feel it was included here solely for comic relief.

I feel the same. The types of jokes (like the beaver ones last season) seem forced.

I don't really like raisins in baked goods, except for oatmeal cookies. I'll accept them there. My mother was English, and I'm trying to remember what she baked with currants. I'm sure there was something. Probably a pie. No spotted dick!

Quote

Much as I enjoyed Sumayah and her beautiful, imaginative bakes, I am so glad not to have to hear her again.

I really hate when I'm annoyed by people based how they sound or speak, but her voice was getting on my nerves. It's not her fault. 

I was so happy for Dylan. His coconut meringues were beautiful and delicious. That was very inventive. I wasn't sure about his Showstopper. The box was great, but overall it looked kind of plain to me. I'm glad it tasted good.

[Bumblebee84047]

12 hours ago, dleighg said:

 

Dylan's coconut shells were AMAZING.

 

So was his jump of joy when he saw how well they had turned out.

[Ancaster]

1 hour ago, peeayebee said:

 

I really hate when I'm annoyed by people based how they sound or speak, but her voice was getting on my nerves. It's not her fault. 

 

She probably never made a conscious decision to speak like that, but it's certainly something that can be changed.  Hopefully when she sees (hears) herself on TV she will realize how obnoxious she sounds and will do something about it.  (I realize some people are not bothered by "creaky voice"/vocal fry, but a lot are.)

 

[Orcinus orca]

4 minutes ago, Ancaster said:

Hopefully when she sees (hears) herself on TV she will realize how obnoxious she sounds and will do something about it. 

That depends on whether or not her peers sound the same. 

It reminds me of Valley Girl Speak where every teen was inserting "like" into every sentence multiple times.  "It's, like, chocolate with, like, lemon, and it's, like, delicious at least it's, like, my friends, say so".  Sadly that persists to a degree.

[Quilt Fairy]

I was underwhelmed by both of Dylan's desserts.  The signature (coconut one) was brown and beige. Even a single added green leaf - as I think Gill did on her much more attractive one - would have made it visually more appealing.  As for his showstopper, gag me.  It was a box with grey sides and a brown top.  No way in hell was it "elaborately decorated" as per the brief.  Compare that with Georgie's showstopper with the lovely chocolate collar.  The one where both judges said "We should throw out what we define as a tiramisu and just use your Grandma's recipe."

 

[iMonrey]

8 hours ago, Straycat80 said:

Good job Sumayah, she was a good baker. I won’t miss the vocal fry though. 

7 hours ago, mjc570 said:

Much as I enjoyed Sumayah and her beautiful, imaginative bakes, I am so glad not to have to hear her again.  I'm sure she will be successful in whatever she does in the future.

I was hesitant to bring this up because it sounds unfairly superficial and I don't know what part of England she was brought up in but yeah, her voice really triggered me. The way she says "akchullllllaaaaayyyyyy" just made me cringe.

I think I would like Spotted Dick! It looks kind of yummy to me. But then I don't even mind fruit cake so I guess I'm weird that way {shrugs}.

7 hours ago, mjc570 said:

I thought that Gill should have been sent home (regardless of everyone's bakes) for the decision to use canned peaches.  Why in the world would she have done that, unless she couldn't afford real or better peaches to practice with. 

Based on my "scoring system" (LOL) Gill's Signature and Showstopper both got positive reviews for how they looked. Judges were split on the taste of the Signature but both gave positive reactions to how her Showstopper tasted.

On the other hand Sumayah got negative reviews for the flavors of both her Signature and Showstopper and mixed reactions to how her Showstopper looked. Plus she was last in the Technical. She had the worst numbers overall.

6 minutes ago, Quilt Fairy said:

Compare that with Georgie's showstopper with the lovely chocolate collar.  The one where both judges said "We should throw out what we define as a tiramisu and just use your Grandma's recipe."

Georgie's Signature got negative reactions for looks. They really had to give Dylan Star Baker after the handshake, winning Technical and getting positive reactions to both the look and taste of his Signature and Showstopper. (I agree Georgie's Showstopper was prettier though.)

Edited November 9 by iMonrey

[libgirl2]

9 hours ago, iMonrey said:

I think I would like Spotted Dick! It looks kind of yummy to me. But then I don't even mind fruit cake so I guess I'm weird that way {shrugs}.

 

I never had it either but I would love to try it. I'm one of those that likes fruit cakes and I wonder if it is like a dense bread pudding. 

[ichbin]

23 hours ago, Straycat80 said:

Good job Sumayah, she was a good baker. I won’t miss the vocal fry though. 

I was just about to post the exact same sentiment! I thought this affectation was only a USA phenomenon but apparently not. 

She is a very talented baker though and probably would have lasted longer, if not to the top, if she had pulled back on the temptation to impress by cramming in ingredients and design which wound up working against her rather than setting her apart in a favorable way.

[magdalene]

I am guessing - since I have not tasted his bakes - that Dylan is "gifted". I am sure that the judges, especially Paul are certain of this.  When he excels - like in this episode - his bakes look professional with an outstanding modern design.

Dylan could win this if he doesn't fall apart like in the Autumn episode.  So could Georgie.  I also find Christiaan to be a dark horse candidate for the win.

Gill using canned peaches made me doubt she could be the final winner.

[meep.meep]

Gill has also had to be helped to finish, not once but several times.

We were chortling through Dylan's discussion of aging and how he wasn't decaying like Noel and Allison.  I think Noel didn't know if he was supposed to support Allison or play along.

[stormy weather]

On 11/8/2024 at 3:12 PM, dleighg said:

I don't dispute that Sumayah's lemon and coffee confection didn't work, but Paul seemed incredulous that those flavors could possibly go together. Has he never had an espresso in Rome, served with a twist of lemon rind to rub on the rim of the cup?

I'm sorry but where in Rome did you have an espresso like that? I have lived in Rome before and travel there quite often and I have never even heard of such a thing! The only way I've heard of lemon and coffee paired together in Italy is as a remedy for headache (bitter espresso with a good squeeze of lemon) — I've even tried it a few times but it doesn't work really. 

I was honestly ready to see Sumayah go. She seems lovely but I won't miss her weird accent/vocal fry one bit.

Dylan has displayed some true talent through the episodes. He seems so serious about his creations and he is so confident about what he's doing I can't believe he is only 20 years old. I'm sure he will go far in his career as a baker or even chef. 

[springbarb]

My one quibble with Dylan's showstopper was how runny the cream inside was--I'm sure because it wasn't frozen. But the slices were a lot messier than the others' desserts. Not that that should've stopped him getting Star Baker.

[chaifan]

This was a great week!  Even with the spotted dick, which just doesn't look or sound appealing in any way, but I think it made a good technical challenge recipe.  (I'm with most others above - I'm not a fan of raisins in desserts, but will make an exception for oatmeal raisin cookies, which are one of my favorite cookies to both eat and bake.  Sometimes I get crazy and use Craisins instead.)

I loved seeing the various ways people made the bird's nests.  I really liked Gill's method - to make a smooth domed meringue, then break out the tops.  The smooth sides really made hers stand out visually.  Sumayah's were beautiful!  I loved the description and I really thought the judges were going to be wowwed, but nope, I was wrong.  Dylan's were really creative, but I didn't think the end visual effect was all that stunning.  Something was missing, but I'm not sure what.  I do love coconut, so they sounded delicious.

I loved the look of Christiian's tiramisu!  A little Dr. Seuss, a little Wonka.  But still very elegant. 

I am not a coffee drinker.  I love a little coffee flavoring, especially with chocolate (drinking a cafe mocha right now, more cocoa than coffee).  I love tiramisu.  But, like Gill, I've never made it because I have no idea if I'm getting the coffee part right.  Yeah, I can follow a recipe, but I'm afraid mid-recipe tastes will be off for me.  I'm glad hers turned out so well.

It was pretty obvious that Dylan would be star baker, and once the judges were meh on Sumayah's tiramisu, it was obvious she would be going home.

 

 

[ML89]

38 minutes ago, chaifan said:

I loved the look of Christiian's tiramisu!  A little Dr. Seuss, a little Wonka.  But still very elegant. 

It was quite amazing.

[Dobian]

Sad that Sumayah is leaving.  She wasn't just some "token teenager" contestant, she could have won the whole thing.  But that's how this show is.  How many times have we seen a star baker one week get eliminated the next?  Sometimes bakers have a bad week where nothing they do seems to work.  Any other week, Sumayah's wraparound for her showstopper would have met seamlessly instead of her having to do a patch job.  There are so many variables on this show, which is one of the things that makes it fun to watch.  No one is ever safe and there is never a guaranteed winner.

[AZChristian]

Sumayah's farewell:

[Rammchick]

On 11/10/2024 at 6:13 AM, chaifan said:

This was a great week!  Even with the spotted dick, which just doesn't look or sound appealing in any way, but I think it made a good technical challenge recipe.  (I'm with most others above - I'm not a fan of raisins in desserts, but will make an exception for oatmeal raisin cookies, which are one of my favorite cookies to both eat and bake.  Sometimes I get crazy and use Craisins instead.)

If you want to try something really great, use dried cherries 😉

[RoxiP]

Dried cherries sound delicious...and I'm also fond of cranberries.

[Natalie25]

On 11/8/2024 at 8:36 PM, peeayebee said:

I know, right? I think every time rose water has been used, the judges didn't like it. And this time they didn't like his first use of it, BUT HE DID IT AGAIN! Granted, it seemed to work the second time. Still, is it an ego thing? "I like this and I'm going to make you like it, too."

I read somewhere (or heard on a podcast from previous bakers) that they have to submit their recipes and ingredients in advance and can't really change them. So if they have similar flavors between the 2 days (which makes sense for when they're practicing all week), but it doesn't go over well on day 1, they don't have that much room to make too many changes for day 2.

[SemiCharmedLife]

On 11/8/2024 at 6:12 AM, dleighg said:

I don't dispute that Sumayah's lemon and coffee confection didn't work, but Paul seemed incredulous that those flavors could possibly go together. Has he never had an espresso in Rome, served with a twist of lemon rind to rub on the rim of the cup?

I'm not an expert on this, but have read a few things lately stating that the acid in the rind is far less than what is in the juice.  Hence, it made sense when Prue asked if she was adding in zest or the juice.  Also, her method of adding instant coffee to lemon curd doesn't sound as appealing as the espresso you enjoyed.

Regarding Gill's tinned peaches.  If I heard correctly, I believe she used fresh peaches as the baked fruit and used the tinned peaches in the custard.  (That's why there was video of slicing peaches.) However, we all see that the tinned peaches were not a hit with the judges.

Just an aside on vocal fry:  I once listened to a very interesting podcast where the host had a very pronounced vocal fry.  It was so bad, I almost couldn't continue with the series. (and I'm usually quite tolerant of things like that.) The host received so many critiques about her voice that she spent time and effort to correct it.  She shared some of this with the audience and I'm sure it wasn't easy for her to experience the negativity, but she really did turn it around.

[Ancaster]

2 hours ago, SemiCharmedLife said:

Regarding Gill's tinned peaches.  If I heard correctly, I believe she used fresh peaches as the baked fruit and used the tinned peaches in the custard.  (That's why there was video of slicing peaches.) However, we all see that the tinned peaches were not a hit with the judges.

Just an aside on vocal fry:  I once listened to a very interesting podcast where the host had a very pronounced vocal fry.  It was so bad, I almost couldn't continue with the series. (and I'm usually quite tolerant of things like that.) The host received so many critiques about her voice that she spent time and effort to correct it.  She shared some of this with the audience and I'm sure it wasn't easy for her to experience the negativity, but she really did turn it around.

Thanks for the additional information about the peaches.  Where do you all find this extra juice information?

As another aside, regarding vocal fry and other grating voices, Margaret Thatcher and Ayesha (I gave up on Sunday morning NPR listening for months) both managed to make themselves palatable (ha).

[iMonrey]

11 hours ago, SemiCharmedLife said:

Just an aside on vocal fry:  I once listened to a very interesting podcast where the host had a very pronounced vocal fry.  It was so bad, I almost couldn't continue with the series. (and I'm usually quite tolerant of things like that.) The host received so many critiques about her voice that she spent time and effort to correct it.  She shared some of this with the audience and I'm sure it wasn't easy for her to experience the negativity, but she really did turn it around.

Sometimes it's an affectation, hence the name. But I think a lot of times people don't realize they are doing it. Anyone who has ever had any kind of voice training for singing or acting would have been corrected immediately if they were doing it. You can watch any movie or TV show circa pre-2000 and never hear anyone doing it. It seems like a relatively recent phenomena. 

[Salacious Kitty]

2 hours ago, iMonrey said:

Sometimes it's an affectation, hence the name. But I think a lot of times people don't realize they are doing it. Anyone who has ever had any kind of voice training for singing or acting would have been corrected immediately if they were doing it. You can watch any movie or TV show circa pre-2000 and never hear anyone doing it. It seems like a relatively recent phenomena. 

Not true. Remember Valley Girls? Oh so annoying.

[libgirl2]

13 minutes ago, Salacious Kitty said:

Not true. Remember Valley Girls? Oh so annoying.

Like Oh My God! Like Tommy is totally tubular. 

It was annoying and I never talked that way (and that was my era), but I used to be able to do that for fun. 

Edited November 12 by libgirl2