S15.E08: 70s Week

[dleighg]

The five remaining bakers hop into the time machine to create '70s favorites including profiterole stacks, banoffee pies and elaborate gâteau.

I chuckled a bit when Prue said that the technical (Banoffee Pie) was something they would all, of course, be familiar with. As an American, I (vaguely) know what it is, mostly that bananas are somehow involved, but even though I was quite alive in the 70s, I have never seen, much less eaten one.

Again, Paul with his skepticism of "unusual" flavor combinations. Mint chocolate chip? All I can say that when I was a college student starting in 1979, we all were super excited when that was a flavor in the ice cream freezer in the dining hall!

[magdalene]

1 hour ago, dleighg said:

Again, Paul with his skepticism of "unusual" flavor combinations. Mint chocolate chip? All I can say that when I

The Girl Scouts of America would disagree that mint/chocolate is an unusual flavor combo. Their mint chocolate cookies are very popular.

[Shrek]

3 minutes ago, magdalene said:

The Girl Scouts of America would disagree that mint/chocolate is an unusual flavor combo. Their mint chocolate cookies are very popular.

Mint/chocolate is in no way shape or form an unusual combination, never has been & never will be, anywhere or anytime. 

[AnnMarie17]

Banoffee Pie is the ONLY pie I like so I was thrilled with this week's Technical.  I had it (several times) during a visit to the UK in the early 2000's and haven't had it since.  It seems kinda/sorta/maybe easy-ish to make.  I might just try it this holiday season! 

[libgirl2]

13 minutes ago, AnnMarie17 said:

Banoffee Pie is the ONLY pie I like so I was thrilled with this week's Technical.  I had it (several times) during a visit to the UK in the early 2000's and haven't had it since.  It seems kinda/sorta/maybe easy-ish to make.  I might just try it this holiday season! 

I would love to try it! 

[Rammchick]

Au contraire, GBBO -- Illiyin's cake was perfect.  It was the embodiment of a 70's disaster movie, poor thing.

[SunnieDays]

When Dylan helped out Christaan, not to mention offering several times, my heart just melted.  He deserved Star Baker on that score alone.  

[Straycat80]

Poor Illiyin. Her flavors were good too bad the cake fell over. I like how everyone rallied around her and tried to make her feel better. That’s what I like about this show, how supportive everyone is to each other. 
I never heard of a banoffee pie, it looked good but I’d pick off the bananas. 
I predict Dylan, Georgie and Christiaan for the final with Dylan winning. 

[Salacious Kitty]

Loved Georgie's early 70s inspired look, down to the earrings. Illyin's look also celebrated pre disco. 

Well done, ladies!

eta Dylan's silver bell bottoms. Perfection. 👍

Edited November 15 by Salacious Kitty

[Orcinus orca]

Hate caramel and bananas so that banofee was a big no for me.  And having lived through the 70s - ugh, those colors,  It was definitely not my decade!

Poor Illiyin!  I never expected her to make the finals but it was so uplifting to see everyone rallying around her.  What a great group!

I'm right there with the girl scout thin mints, my favorite.  Paul is can be so derpy sometimes.  One minute it's peanut butter and jelly and the next is is chocolate and mint.  Sheesh!

[springbarb]

Love banoffee pie. There's an Irish restaurant nearby that does a good one (though with a graham cracker crust, I think).

Paul's attitude about Dylan's mint chocolate cake was so annoying. I wanted to go force some mint chocolate chip ice cream down his throat.

[Dirge]

10 hours ago, dleighg said:

I chuckled a bit when Prue said that the technical (Banoffee Pie) was something they would all, of course, be familiar with. As an American, I (vaguely) know what it is, mostly that bananas are somehow involved, but even though I was quite alive in the 70s, I have never seen, much less eaten one.

Again, Paul with his skepticism of "unusual" flavor combinations. Mint chocolate chip? All I can say that when I was a college student starting in 1979, we all were super excited when that was a flavor in the ice cream freezer in the dining hall!

Honestly, mint chocolate chip and peanut butter and jelly are not outrageously unknown combinations. Paul's bafflement always annoys me. 

And speaking about Paul, what in the world is a "gregarious color"? I assume he was thinking of the word "garish."

It was nice of Dylan to offer to help. Gill did that several times earlier in the season, so she's been a bit of a favorite of mine and I was glad to see her make it through. 

The first time I ever heard of banoffee pie was in Love, Actually. Georgie's the first person I've ever heard who agrees with me that bananas are slimy!

[caitmcg]

36 minutes ago, springbarb said:

Paul's attitude about Dylan's mint chocolate cake was so annoying

I had a different take on Paul's comments when Dylan explained his flavors, not that he dislikes or isn't up with the combination, but skepticism about how it would work in a cake and whether it would be balanced (which Prue shared, she was the one who warned that if too strong it could taste like toothpaste). In the end this was borne out, because the peppermint overwhelmed the chocolate. Mint chocolate chip ice cream puts mint at the forefront, but one would expect a dessert in which the lion's share is chocolate cake to go the other way, just as Thin Mints are more chocolaty than minty.

Quote

Georgie's the first person I've ever heard who agrees with me that bananas are slimy!

Raises hand: I agree, too! I do love banana bread, but otherwise am not wild about the flavor, and can't stand the texture of bananas as themselves.

The whole 1970s theme was kind of a reach, but if they insist on theme weeks (and it seems they do), at least they've moved on from the rightfully blasted "international" challenges. The only thing particularly offensive about this episode was the colors.

Despite the discussion at the end, I thought it was obvious that Georgie would get star baker. Dylan may have had a handshake in the signature, but she was the only one who was strictly complimented all the way through, plus first in the technical (which counts when they want it to). 

(Aside: Even more than the browns and oranges, the pink and green of Georgie's showstopper was a bit triggering for me because the fixer-upper my mom bought out of probate court in 1980 was entirely decorated in a pink-and-green theme, as in every single room save the kitchen was painted some combination of pink and green, including salmon pink and avocado green tiles and avocado green fixtures in the bathroom. The kitchen was that mint ice cream green of Georgie's and Dylan's buttercream with white, and flooring to match. All this in a 1910 house with the original woodwork and hardwood floors intact. You better bet that after we were done with it, there wasn't a hint of either color in the house.)

Edited November 16 by caitmcg

[peeayebee]

47 minutes ago, caitmcg said:

I had a different take on Paul's comments when Dylan explained his flavors, not that he dislikes or isn't up with the combination, but skepticism about how it would work in a cake and whether it would be balanced (which Prue shared, she was the one who warned that if too strong it could taste like toothpaste)

That was my take, too. Kinda of like when a baker says they're going to use rose water. Too much is a bad thing.

I generally have a negative reaction to the idea of mint and chocolate, though I've had ok experiences with them. If I had a choice, I wouldn't take something that was mint and chocolate... unless that was the only option.

I never thought of profiteroles as a 70's thing. 

I'm not sure I'd like a banoffee pie. I do like all the components: shortbread crust, caramel, bananas, cream... but when Prue said that it can be too sweet, I thought, Yeah, that sounds right. Anyway, if given the opportunity, I'd definitely try a slice. And I love bananas. I have some with my oatmeal practically every day.

I'm definitely not a chocolate and cherries fan. Every time they do a black forest dessert or cake on this show, I think I should give it another chance, but it just doesn't appeal to me.

[Ms Lark]

Most Brits do not like peanut butter. Paul doesn't and Prue has said she doesn't either. There's a lot of flavors that don't cross the pond in both directions!

And whoa! I posted a link to an article about a possible Dylan💗Sumayah over in media. Could just be friends, but who knows? They're both  young...

 

[dleighg]

9 hours ago, Dirge said:

And speaking about Paul, what in the world is a "gregarious color"? I assume he was thinking of the word "garish."

oh i noticed that as well. Thank you for coming up with the word he presumably meant!

 

9 hours ago, caitmcg said:

Aside: Even more than the browns and oranges, the pink and green of Georgie's showstopper was a bit triggering for me because the fixer-upper my mom bought out of probate court in 1980 was entirely decorated in a pink-and-green theme

Ah, don't be too mean. When I was a tween we moved into a new house (early 70s) and I got to choose the colors of my bedroom. It already had pink carpet, so chose exactly that color green for the walls. Hey, it was a thing!

[Sailorgirl26]

This was one of those themes that could have been stupid but they did okay.

A couple of years ago, 70s week would have been something like "make a disco ball that rotates and suspend it from a roller skate lace"--SO glad the show runners paid attention and brought the show back to what it's actually about--good, quality baking by talented home bakers. 

If you follow GBBO on Instagram, they posted pics of Allison when she was little in the 70s. She was laughing even then. 

In the list of people I want to drink with in a pub, she is pretty close to the top!!! Hell, I bet even just a Target run with her would be crazy fun!!

Edited November 16 by Sailorgirl26

[Jodithgrace]

I’m glad that Alison wasn’t hurt when she fell off that table. I knew it was going to happen, thanks to Facebook, but her reaction was hilarious, just lying facedown, laughing too hard to get up. And then when she wanted to demonstrate what she had been trying to do, everybody was saying, “no, no, don’t” 

I did notice that she was limping a bit afterwards.

[sugarbaker design]

I grew up in a town in NJ in the 70's with a huge Irish & Scottish immigrant population. Banoffee pies were at every cookout, christening, communion, and graduation parties. However, I've never seen it covered in banana slices.

15 hours ago, Dirge said:

And speaking about Paul, what in the world is a "gregarious color"? I assume he was thinking of the word "garish."

I could tell by Paul's tone he meant to be complimentary not insulting. He may not have meant gregarious but he certainly didn't mean garish.

[TVbitch]

My brother's house still has one pink and green tiled bathroom. I told him, at this point just embrace it. It will be cool again soon enough. 

This season is a real gem. I have to root for Dylan but if Georgie or Christian bests him on the day, then cheers to them! 

[peeayebee]

6 hours ago, dleighg said:

Ah, don't be too mean. When I was a tween we moved into a new house (early 70s) and I got to choose the colors of my bedroom. It already had pink carpet, so chose exactly that color green for the walls. Hey, it was a thing!

In the 70's, the bathroom for my sister and me was foil with shocking pink peonies and lime green leaves. Groovy.

10 minutes ago, sugarbaker design said:

I could tell by Paul's tone he meant to be complimentary not insulting. He may not have meant gregarious but he certainly didn't mean garish.

Maybe he meant friendly or happy?

[Quilt Fairy]

14 minutes ago, sugarbaker design said:

However, I've never seen it covered in banana slices.

The banana slices were underneath, it was covered in piped whipped cream.  And if you meant there was no banana at all, how is it then a banoffee pie?  Presumably it would then just be an "offee pie"!

[iMonrey]

I've seen every episode of this show, and yet I had to look up almost every word used in this episode! Profiterole. Banoffee. Gateau. Namelaka. Advocaat. Diplomat (as it pertains to food). Craquelin. I felt like I was watching a foreign film.

My heart broke for Illiyin when her Showstopper fell over. She knew she was already in danger of going home, you could see how upset she was. 

I thought the Technical challenge was dumb, not giving them any kind of instruction or recipe whatsoever, it was like they were just begging for disasters. Ironically none of them really were. Take that, show!

I wonder if Dylan purposely shaves a line through his one eyebrow for effect, or if there's some kind of natural break from a scar or something.

I think Dylan and Georgie are pretty much a lock for the finals (although anything can happen on this show). That third spot is up for grabs between Christiaan and Gill. Christiaan tends to have more failures than Gill because Gill tends to play it safe so her odds of making it are slightly better, I think.

[dleighg]

44 minutes ago, sugarbaker design said:

I could tell by Paul's tone he meant to be complimentary not insulting. He may not have meant gregarious but he certainly didn't mean garish.

I think he meant garish in a *good* way! The 70s were garish!

 

3 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

I wonder if Dylan purposely shaves a line through his one eyebrow for effect, or if there's some kind of natural break from a scar or something.

 

It's a thing among the young'uns. I looked it up. 

https://www.eyeadorethreading.com/master-the-eyebrow-slit-a-step-by-step-guide-to-edgy-brows/

[Ancaster]

1 hour ago, iMonrey said:

 

I thought the Technical challenge was dumb, not giving them any kind of instruction or recipe whatsoever, it was like they were just begging for disasters. Ironically none of them really were. Take that, show!

I

But that's the point of not giving them many or any directions.  At this stage, the bakers should have read enough, watched enough, or practiced enough to be able to make a lot of stuff.  As you say, this was borne out by the success of the technicals.

Ever since a bad childhood incident (don't ask) bananas have made me gag, but if you're British you have certainly been exposed to banoffee pie even if you haven't eaten it, and I think it was fine to expect these final 5 to come up with a decent version.

Edited Saturday at 06:25 PM by Ancaster

[sugarbaker design]

1 hour ago, Quilt Fairy said:

The banana slices were underneath, it was covered in piped whipped cream.  And if you meant there was no banana at all, how is it then a banoffee pie?  Presumably it would then just be an "offee pie"!

Oh no, there was definitely "ban" involved! I should've posted I've never seen it covered in whip cream. I'm used to a bare toffee top.

[peeayebee]

2 hours ago, iMonrey said:

I've seen every episode of this show, and yet I had to look up almost every word used in this episode! Profiterole. Banoffee. Gateau. Namelaka. Advocaat. Diplomat (as it pertains to food). Craquelin. I felt like I was watching a foreign film.

I always have to look things up multiple times because I just don't remember. Seeing "Craquelin" spells out makes me think "Crack-a-lackin." Who was it that said that? (Not on the show, but in a comedy bit?)

[Quilt Fairy]

4 hours ago, iMonrey said:

I've seen every episode of this show, and yet I had to look up almost every word used in this episode! Profiterole. Banoffee. Gateau. Namelaka. Advocaat. Diplomat (as it pertains to food). Craquelin. I felt like I was watching a foreign film.

I've heard of profiteroles, but didn't know what they were.  If I had to guess, I would have said it was some kind of savory appetizer.  That being said, I don't understand how a "stack of profiteroles" is different from a croquembouche, which is a tower of cream puffs.  

Fun fact: I was at the hair salon today and they were looking for something to watch on Netflix.  I said "Well, just turn on The Great British Baking Show!"  Because they didn't realize there was a new season, when I searched for it it just came up to this season's first episode.  It was fascinating to see contestants I had already forgotten about, and very hard to keep my mouth shut about who went home and who went far. 

[kittykat]

4 hours ago, Ancaster said:

But that's the point of not giving them many or any directions.  At this stage, the bakers should have read enough, watched enough, or practiced enough to be able to make a lot of stuff.  As you say, this was borne out by the success of the technicals.

Right.  They only do the no method instructions on iconic recipes like tarte au citron or Victorian Sponge.  And if you're in the quarterfinals you should have a based knowledge of certain elements.  The only tricky parts of this challenge was the shortcrust and the caramel.

Did enjoy the 70sness of it all.  Georgie seemed like a no-brainer for SB after Dylan over minted his cake.  Not sure if Gill or Christiann will make the cut. Gill always seems to save herself on the showstopper where Christiann should be lucky Illyin has a worse week because he really bombed on flavors in his showstopper.

Liked how Paul shouted out Bingate and pointed out that at least Illyin rallied and presented something.  Sucks her presentation wasn't up to snuff because apparently she had the best flavors.

[dleighg]

23 minutes ago, Quilt Fairy said:

That being said, I don't understand how a "stack of profiteroles" is different from a croquembouche, which is a tower of cream puffs.  

yeah, me too! I'm mostly familiar with profiteroles from a conference trip I made to Paris in 1986, and a profiterole with chocolate sauce and ice cream seemed to be the go-to dessert on every prix fix menu where I ate (on a limited grad student budget). But yeah, never in a tower LOL.

[Ancaster]

22 hours ago, Quilt Fairy said:

I've heard of profiteroles, but didn't know what they were.  If I had to guess, I would have said it was some kind of savory appetizer.  That being said, I don't understand how a "stack of profiteroles" is different from a croquembouche, which is a tower of cream puffs.  

 

Why do they have to be different?  That's like saying "trousers" (UK) have to be different than "pants" (US).  Or not allowing that there are words like "jumper" or "vest" that mean different things in the two countries (and other English speaking countries). To put it in the context of GBBO, I think most Americans who've watched more than one season have learnt that biscuits are cookies.

There's an old saying "Two nations divided by a common language".

Edited Sunday at 09:11 PM by Ancaster
Learnt and leant are not the same

[Orcinus orca]

Definitions:

What are Profiteroles? Underline Keyboard shortcut Ctrl+U

Profiteroles are bite-sized choux pastry puffs filled with a variety of sweet fillings, such as whipped cream, pastry cream, or ice cream. They are typically served with a rich chocolate sauce or a dusting of powdered sugar. The name “profiterole” comes from the French word “profiter,” meaning “to profit,” as they were originally made with inexpensive ingredients and sold to the poor.

What is a Croquembouche?

A croquembouche is an elaborate dessert consisting of a towering cone of profiteroles held together by caramel. The profiteroles are filled with a variety of fillings, creating a symphony of flavors and textures. The caramel coating provides a crunchy exterior that contrasts with the soft interior of the profiteroles. The name “croquembouche” comes from the French words “croquer,” meaning “to bite,” and “bouche,” meaning “mouth.”

So they were making profiteroles in some sort of shape held together with caramel but not necessarily a croquembouche.  I was confused when I saw Dylan's presentation at first.

[janie jones]

Yeah, when they were giving the instructions, I was like, "So a croquembouche?" But once I saw what people were doing, and Georgie said that hers was going to be like a croquembouche, I realized it was more like, "Build something with profiteroles."

[caitmcg]

5 hours ago, kittykat said:

The only tricky parts of this challenge was the shortcrust and the caramel.

And really, neither should be a challenge for these bakers. Both are things that regularly feature on the show, and they've made them already more than once this season over various challenges.

[Quilt Fairy]

50 minutes ago, caitmcg said:

they've made them already more than once this season over various challenges

Yes, they had Caramel Week only a few episodes ago. 

[stormy weather]

9 hours ago, Quilt Fairy said:

I've heard of profiteroles, but didn't know what they were.  If I had to guess, I would have said it was some kind of savory appetizer.  That being said, I don't understand how a "stack of profiteroles" is different from a croquembouche, which is a tower of cream puffs.  

They're both cream puffs filled with custard or some sort of cream, the only difference is croquembouche are always piled to form a cone and covered with caramel, while profiteroles are usually served "horizontally" (or singularly) and they don't involve caramel in any shape or form, as they are traditionally covered by chocolate ganache.

[chaifan]

I liked that Dylan did something different with the profiteroles, instead of just doing a standard croquembouche tower.  However, they all missed the fabulous opportunity of somehow making a ball shape out of the profiteroles, and dusting it in edible glitter.  A profiterole disco ball!  (Seriously, how did no one think of this for 70's week???)

I was a bit disappointed that Noel didn't dress to theme.  I would have though he'd have a blast with some retro outfit.  I loved Allison's pant suit.  Her falling over the counter was hilarious!   And the cameras just followed along...

Pink & green...  I do not associate these colors with the 70's.  I associate them with the 50's (so many pink and/or soft green tiled bathrooms in homes from that time).  But really more with the early 80's, with the Preppy fad in full bloom.  Pink and green were the quintessential preppy colors - polo shirts, madras plaid, bermuda bags, ets.  Oranges, yellows, browns, etc., those are 70's colors to me.

Back to the bakes...  I like all the elements of a banoffee pie, but all together it doesn't appeal to me.  I'm weird about bananas.  I love just a regular banana (a day or two after green, no spots whatsoever), I love banana bread or muffins.  But I don't like banana creme pie, puddings, etc.  I love caramel.  I love all the other parts.  But together?  Nope.  I'd walk right past it.  

I think the technical challenges benefit the older bakers, as sometimes it's just how long have you been around to see/know/have baked one of these "classic" desserts.  

I love mint & chocolate, and Paul knows this is a classic combo.  Wasn't it this season someone used some kind of chocolate mint candy/wafer in their bake?  But yes, mint flavoring can come out like toothpaste, so I understand Prue's concern on this.  I loved Gill's shag carpet icing.  This is what I love about Gill - sometimes her bakes are a little basic, but she does some surprising details.

Sorry to see Illiyin go.  I wonder which is worse from a baker standpoint - to go at this point due to an obvious fail, or to go simply because your bake was 97% perfection, but everyone else was at 98% perfection?  

I'd like to have Gill in the final 3, along with Georgie and Dylan.  I think Gill is more consistent in her bakes being just good bakes than Christiian, but Christiian has more flair.

If Disney makes any more Pirates movies, someone needs to give Dylan a small role, as Orlando Bloom's 1/2 brother or something.  

 

[iMonrey]

22 hours ago, peeayebee said:

Seeing "Craquelin" spells out makes me think "Crack-a-lackin." Who was it that said that? (Not on the show, but in a comedy bit?)

I think you're thinking of Chris Rock in Madagascar. 

[peeayebee]

Yes! Definitely. Thank you!

[SemiCharmedLife]

I've never had a Banoffee pie, but it looked delicious to me.  One of my favorite desserts is a Bananas Foster, which has some similar flavor profiles.  I'm sure it is too sweet for many.  I wonder if the cream topping is less sweet to help balance it.

Illiyin will be missed.  She did a wonderful job this season and is a memorable contestant.  I wish her the best. 

[AZChristian]

Illyin's Farewell:

[RoxiP]

I'm not sure I ever saw or ate a profiterole in the 70s (and I consider myself a 70s girl - graduated high school in 1976).  Maybe they just weren't a big thing in Texas.

[dleighg]

5 minutes ago, RoxiP said:

Maybe they just weren't a big thing in Texas.

You have to remember that this is a British show. I think profiteroles were more of a European thing. Same with Banoffee pie- more British, not so American.

[libgirl2]

7 minutes ago, dleighg said:

You have to remember that this is a British show. I think profiteroles were more of a European thing. Same with Banoffee pie- more British, not so American.

I think we in the states were busy eating jello molds and bundt cakes! 

[RoxiP]

I do like a good bundt cake (jello molds not so much).  I have heard of profiteroles and Banoffee pie now but couldn't have told you what they were until after this show.  I didn't even make the connection between Banoffee and banana...LOL!

[Shrek]

1 hour ago, RoxiP said:

I'm not sure I ever saw or ate a profiterole in the 70s (and I consider myself a 70s girl - graduated high school in 1976).  Maybe they just weren't a big thing in Texas.

You could buy packs of fresh profiteroles in the supermarket in the U.K. up until at least the mid 2000s, my go to was a pack of 6, fresh cream center and a chocolate type sauce that was in a separate sachet so you could have as much or as little as you liked. 

Oh and obviously  GO GEORGIE !!!!!! 

Yes I can understand every word she says, apparently her accent is a lot stronger than mine after 20 years, or so Fiona says.

Edited Monday at 04:23 PM by Shrek

[Ancaster]

23 minutes ago, Shrek said:

You could buy packs of fresh profiteroles in the supermarket in the U.K. up until at least the mid 2000s, my go to was a pack of 6, fresh cream center and a chocolate type sauce that was in a separate sachet so you could have as much or as little as you liked. 

Oh and obviously  GO GEORGIE !!!!!! 

Yes I can understand every word she says, apparently her accent is a lot stronger than mine after 20 years, or so Fiona says.

 

We should be grateful she's speaking English and not Welsh!

 

Maybe they'll make Welsh rarebit next week.  Or crempogs.  🤣

 

 

[peeayebee]

12 hours ago, AZChristian said:

Illyin's Farewell:

TS:DR (too small: didn't read)

 

1 hour ago, libgirl2 said:

I think we in the states were busy eating jello molds and bundt cakes! 

Whip N' Chill!

[meep.meep]

1 hour ago, libgirl2 said:

I think we in the states were busy eating jello molds and bundt cakes! 

Grasshopper pie!  And lots of Cool Whip.

[libgirl2]

11 minutes ago, peeayebee said:

Whip N' Chill!

I always thought I imagined those but they were real! 

3 minutes ago, meep.meep said:

Grasshopper pie!  And lots of Cool Whip.

My mom rarely made pies. She was not the greatest baker but she made a delicious bread pudding.