S06.E08: Patisserie

[Athena]

Quote

No series of Bake Off would be complete without testing the bakers on patisserie, and what better time to do it than the quarter finals? The five remaining bakers must work their way through childhood favourites and delicate french fancies to a mountainous choux pastry masterpiece.

They start with a brief to create 24 creams horns for the signature challenge. Creating two different flavoured cream horns isn't enough for one ambitious baker who also makes two different types of pastry, while another hopes to appeal to Paul's inner child by making a banana and custard filling.

Mary sets mokatines as the technical challenge, delicate squares of light genoise sponge filled with coffee buttercream and then decorated with two types of icing. It's a fiddly challenge, and Mary and Paul want perfection, but which of our bakers can create cakes worthy of their praise?

If ever there was a challenge to define the word show-stopper, then this episode's brief to create a religieuse a l'ancienne is it. Three tiers of choux pastry eclairs filled with creme patissiere, beautifully iced and decorated with buttercream, the religieuse is a marvel to behold, yet leaves the bakers in fear. Time and gravity are against them as they to try create something that looks and tastes amazing and, crucially, stays standing.

[annah]

Can't wait for the new episode!

[Rickster]

Not surprised that Paul went out, he had been on shaky ground for quite a while. I think having no idea how to make a genoise, a pretty basic cake style, at this level of competition was the nail in the coffin.

Bubble gum and peppermint eclairs sounded pretty disgusting though.

[Stinger97]

Seriously, though, what was Nadiya thinking going with that flavor combination? There was no way that was going to turn out well, especially with Mary and Paul as the judges. I mean, Paul struggled with comprehending a peanut butter & jelly combination, so I'm not sure how he was supposed to choke down bubble gum and peppermint buns. Interesting to see that Nadiya still pulled out Star Baker pretty much on the strength of her bakes in the signature and technical challenges. 

 

Sad to see Paul go since he appeared to be a really sweet guy! But if it had to be either him or Flora, I was okay with losing him before the final four. Elimination by genoise! Someone needs to give him a book deal focusing on the step by step process of making modeled cake figures!

 

I'm worried for Flora next week. It's really feeling like her time is coming up quickly unless she can pull something out of her hat. Ian, who I was sure was losing steam, appears to be making a strong comeback and will likely take the whole thing unless Nadiya or Tamal can keep up. I pray they can because, as I said last week, I've had just about enough of Ian and his *perfect* breads, and his *perfect* flavor combinations, and his *perfect* herbs, etc. (Can you tell I'm bitter?)

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I'm not surprised that Paul was eliminated because he seemed kind of middle of the pack and we are down to the top four now. I was willing to chalk up his first failed genoise as a mistake but when his second one was just as bad, it was no longer just a fluke. Adding that fake banana flavor was just the nail in his coffin. Fake banana flavor ALWAYS tastes fake. I love bananas but I hate anything that's banana flavored (remember Runts?).He had a good attitude though. He knew he was bombing this week but he was still very positive and he never gave up. I give him credit for making that second genoise with only an hour left.

 

While most of me totally supports the bakers using flavor combinations that they like, sometimes you have to be practical and take into account who will be tasting/judging, which is why I agree that Nadiya had to know that Paul was not going to like that flavor combination.

 

As soon as this episode was over, I thought great, the top four is Nadiya, Tamal, Flora, and....who? I completely drew a blank and had to think about the entire episode before I remembered that Ian is still around.

[annah]

Flora could easily be the one to go home next time. She is the only one of the remaining contestants who has never been star baker.

[Danny Franks]

I was sure that Flora was going to be the one to go, even though her technical was better than Paul's. The editing of the show often leaves you slightly questioning whether the signature was judged to be good or not, so I guess in balance, Paul's banana-lite horns were not better than Flora's shortcrust-like ones. I liked Paul, thought he was funny and had a zen calmness I liked, but I'm glad he stepped in front of that bullet that had Flora's name on it.

 

It does seem like Flora is likely to go next. Unless she wows them next week, or someone else has a disaster, I can't see the judges letting her stay over one of the other three. She's obviously got the baking muscles, but it looks to me like she's overthinking things and while she's getting the technical details right, the flavour combinations and decorations don't quite seem to work. I like her a lot though, and I read an article the other day about how she's apparently struggling to deal with her newfound celebrity at university, which makes me sad.

 

Ian gets away with being poor again, by managing to please Paul and Mary with his flavour combinations. Starting to get annoying, now. Though at least he seems to be talking to the others a bit more. He's had some kind, encouraging words for Nadiya last week and Flora this week, and he's obviously a nice enough guy. Just smug and still a teacher's pet. The way that Paul and Mary react when he makes something crap is noticeably different to the way they react when someone else does.

 

Nadiya's facial expressions are still gold, and her reaction to the bubblegum taste was a picture. It sounded gross, and it looks like it was. Tamal was steady and flew under the radar, which is all you would ask for, at this stage.

[Stinger97]

Flora could easily be the one to go home next time. She is the only one of the remaining contestants who has never been star baker.

 

It's true that Flora has yet to be Star Baker, but I think it could be argued that she's more consistent than the remaining bakers, at least when looking at their performances in the technical challenges. Here are the current standings as of the last episode: 

 

• Flora:        6th, 2nd, 2nd, 3rd, 3rd, 2nd, 4th, 3rd
• Ian:            8th, 3rd, 1st, 4th, 5th, 3rd, 5th, 2nd
• Nadiya:     12th, 9th, 9th, 8th, 1st, 4th, 1st, 1st
• Tamal:      4th, 8th, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 7th, 3rd, 4th

 

To me, Flora came out of the gate a highly skilled technical baker and remained fairly consistent throughout the competition, whereas Tamal has consistently found himself in the bottom of the pack in technical challenges. In fact, Flora has bested Tamal and Ian in six out of the eight technical challenges. And I think that's something. 

 

That said, I realize that Paul and Mary try to judge each baker week to week based strictly on their performance during that particular week, but I'd argue that Flora isn't the 4th best baker of the four remaining. I want to think that each of the four have an equal chance of going home next week, however it'll probably be a fight between Flora, Nadiya, and Tamal. Ian isn't going anywhere. (Ugh.)

[Occasional Hope]

I feel Nadiya won star baker this week by default, because there wasn't a strong case to make for any of the others, so her good first day prevailed despite her disastrous nun.  P & M seemed to be desperately trying to find something to salvage in it to justify their selection.

[Athena]

Based on the history of the show, the winners tend to be ones who are consistent but also who improve over their previous weeks. I think Tamal and Nadiya have both built on their experiences and won Star Baker after each having so-so or bad weeks. Flora could win if she basically kicks ass in next two weeks which is easier said than done. It really is down who gets into the finale. Once in the finale, it's a rather even playing field of who does best on the day.

[shandy]

The religieuse tower was a technical on the french version and all the bakers bombed. There was no way in hell Mercotte (French Mary) would have allowed very strong flour and a serated nozzle. 

 

It's shaping up to be fascinating - the final four have all been a little shaky but have instincts too and I really cannot call it. 

[Stinger97]

Here's the recap from the the Daily Mail. The best part is the tweet that reads: "Ian probably moulded his horn cones off a unicorn he found 'gently bumped' on the side of the road." If that doesn't sound like something Ian would do, I don't know what does. 

[OnceSane]

Yay again for Nadiya! I wasn't impressed with the candy flavors, but it seems her bakes were on point otherwise.

I'm not surprised Paul left, I figured it would be him. Flora's definitely struggling with the dreaded "doing too much", so I can see her being the next out. Then again, I think everyone is in danger because with so few left, one mistake may send you home.

[Kromm]

I'm worried for Flora next week. It's really feeling like her time is coming up quickly unless she can pull something out of her hat. 

It's seemed like her time for weeks, since Paul definitely doesn't like her. Mary's been her champion, and that can only last so long.

A big part of me really thinks this show would be so much better if the whole thing was blind judged and not just the Technical.  The Technical has been made useless lately anyway. Doing well on it rarely helps, and doing badly is easily overcome by the other two tasks.

It's definitely NOT 1/3 of the judging. They seem to count it as just a minor tweak either up or down and not much more.

Flora could easily be the one to go home next time. She is the only one of the remaining contestants who has never been star baker.

And might have actually deserved it at least twice. Paul's shot down her victory both times, IMO.

[Niuxita]

I pray they can because, as I said last week, I've had just about enough of Ian and his *perfect* breads, and his *perfect* flavor combinations, and his *perfect* herbs, etc. (Can you tell I'm bitter?)

 

Ian gets away with being poor again, by managing to please Paul and Mary with his flavour combinations. Starting to get annoying, now.

 

Agreed. He bombed in the signature and yet Paul and Mary didn't even lump him in with Paul and Flora in the "contestants in trouble" group, so can they just give him the trophy now and get it over with? Blergh.

 

I agree that Flora might be the next out, which I am OK with because at least that would mean Nadiya will make the final and also going out in the semifinal is no small feat. This is the same stage in the competition that brought down great contestants I loved like Chetna and Danny, so I'd be happy if Flora joined those ranks. (Also agreed that she has deserved Star Baker a couple of times before but Paul has completely ignored her, which makes me so mad. Once again, that is why going out in the semifinal wouldn't be terrible, since she could have lasted a lot less if it were up to Paul.)

 

Those mochatines (?) looked delicious.

Edited September 25, 2015 by Niuxita

[Pallida]

Flora focuses far too much on additions rather than the challenge, especially when the challenge is outside her comfort zone.  I see it as far more than just "doing too much" and instead veering into distraction from what they should be judged on.  I don't see some Paul-bias against her, especially since Mary has called her out on her production being about something other than the challenge.  

 

I loved the juxtaposition of veiled Nadiya and the comment about running naked down the stream.  I don't think I want to try the bubble gum or peppermint flavors, but I love her doing well.

 

ElectricBoogaloo, I'll take all of your artificial banana flavored things.  I have no idea why, but I actually like "banana" Runts and other fake banana candies.

[Rinaldo]

Seriously, though, what was Nadiya thinking going with that flavor combination? There was no way that was going to turn out well, especially with Mary and Paul as the judges. I mean, Paul struggled with comprehending a peanut butter & jelly combination, so I'm not sure how he was supposed to choke down bubble gum and peppermint buns. Interesting to see that Nadiya still pulled out Star Baker pretty much on the strength of her bakes in the signature and technical challenges. 

This may be wishful thinking on my part, but I also saw it as Paul and Mary acknowledging that it was a matter of individual taste, so she deserved the benefit of the doubt -- they couldn't fault her Showstopper technically, they just didn't care for the flavors. (But on the other hand, Paul H regards his palate as the infallible standard, so I am indeed probably dreaming.)

 

The Technical has been made useless lately anyway. Doing well on it rarely helps, and doing badly is easily overcome by the other two tasks.

I disagree in general, and specifically this week Nadiya's technical bake #1 was a big part of why she was star baker, even though they found fault with her Showstopper more than some of the others.

[Stinger97]

This may be wishful thinking on my part, but I also saw it as Paul and Mary acknowledging that it was a matter of individual taste, so she deserved the benefit of the doubt -- they couldn't fault her Showstopper technically, they just didn't care for the flavors. (But on the other hand, Paul H regards his palate as the infallible standard, so I am indeed probably dreaming.)

 

Yea, I think it might be wishful thinking! I think Paul and Mary did knock Nadiya for her choice of flavors, although I guess it didn't matter in the grand scheme of things. The reason I think they actually took it into consideration is because they always take it into account for everyone else. For example, Paul (the contestant) was faulted this episode for using the artificial banana flavoring in his bake. It wouldn't be very fair for the judges to overlook Nadiya's choice of flavorings while knocking Paul for his. 

[awkward1penguin]

It seems to me that a large issue with Nadiya's nun's flavors wasn't necessarily the flavor combination, but moreso the balance. Both Paul and Mary noted that the bubblegum and peppermint were "overwhelming", which seems to me that it was an issue of adding too much flavoring. 

While Nadiya seems to have had the most ups and downs so far, I'm always excited to see what she comes up with. I'm always somewhat excited by what she brings to the table, whether it's a stunning aesthetic (the overflowing cups) or a fresh flavor perspective (cod and clementine). I think the only other contestant this season who has done so in a similar way is Tamal, who is perhaps a little more consistent and careful, but hasn't wowed the judges as much. 

I'm a tossup between wanting Ian or Flora to go next. They really are both pleasant (especially after having watched Top Chef, Masterchef and Hell's Kitchen in the past), so I can't bring myself to actively root against anyone. Flora has perhaps slightly more inventive flavors, which don't seem to work out as well as other contestants' have. I've been most impressed by her visuals, though that might be something that's been holding her technique back. I do appreciate Ian's resourcefulness when it comes to making molds, growing herbs, and game foraging, even if it can come across a little smug at times. Since he is a stay at home dad, I think he just likes having these personal projects to work on. To me, when Ian does something well, it's a highlight (the cake with the trees; the crown), and when he underwhelms, it's really disappointing. 

 

This is my first season of this show. My British friends introduced it to me, and I'm just stunned by how different it is from American shows. There's so much focus on the actual baking/cooking - the technique, the process, the contestants' inner thoughts, the judging. They don't skip over anyone's finished product, which I really appreciate. There's almost no drama, and the editors/producers don't try to milk the contestants' backgrounds for sob stories or inspirational messages. It's such a breath of fresh air. 

[Primetimer]

If your cream horn drips and your pastry tower falls, then you might be sent to the guillotine.

View the full article

[mlp]

Bubblegum is pretty disgusting IMO.  I can't even stand the smell of it so I couldn't believe Nadiya was putting it in frosting.  Mary had my sympathy when she had to eat it.  I understood the logic of awarding her star baker but I thought that flavor in a fancy pastry made no sense.

Paul was the right choice to be sent home but I hated to see him leave.  I expect Flora will be next.

[Zahdii]

The Great British Baking Show

Season 3, Episode 7: Victorian

"In a Baking Show first, the entire episode is devoted to the period of history that gave birth to modern baking, the Victorian era. For the first challenge, the bakers have three hours to make a raised game pie. For the technical challenge, a tennis fruit cake is set for the bakers. A Charlotte Russe is set as the Showstopper."

http://www.pbs.org/video/2365777864/

==========================

Season 3, Episode 8: Pâtisserie

"The remaining bakers must work their way through delicate french fancies. In the first quarterfinal challenge, the bakers have to make twenty-four cream horns in three and a half hours. Mary’s recipe for nine Mokatines is set for the technical challenge. Religieuse à l’ancienne are set as the Showstopper challenge."

http://www.pbs.org/video/2365777869/

[Zuleikha]

I understood the logic of awarding her star baker but I thought that flavor in a fancy pastry made no sense.

I love Nadiya, but I didn't understand why she got star baker. She was the only one to get the technical, but I thought Tamal did well in the signature. So I would have expected his superior showstopper to beat Nadiya's superior technical. It's never seemed like Paul and Mary value the technical that much. And Nadiya didn't just have bizarre flavor choices, but her nun partially collapsed, which I think put her solidly behind Ian and Tamal.

Flora's really falling apart, but I can see her having a good career as a baker if she goes that path. Her ideas are interesting, and when she has more time, her love of fancy should serve her well. Those familiar with the Aga... could part of her problem with overcooking her baked goods be going back and forth between practicing her bakes with her Aga but then using the tent's ovens for the competition? I've never heard of an Aga before this show, but it seems like every episode, she overcooks at least one thing.

[sassykattt]

I love the flavor of coffee. In anything.

[Athena]

20 hours ago, Zuleikha said:

Those familiar with the Aga... could part of her problem with overcooking her baked goods be going back and forth between practicing her bakes with her Aga but then using the tent's ovens for the competition? I've never heard of an Aga before this show, but it seems like every episode, she overcooks at least one thing.

Most likely. Agas are hotter in certain areas and things can bake faster. However, I think Flora's decline has been caused by her love of extraneous add-ons. She spent so much time on her tuiles she forgot her cream horns.

[BradandJanet]

All I could think of with the bubblegum and peppermint were cover-up flavors for toothpaste and other dental products. Ugh. Also, why did Flora put her horns upright to fill? They might have held the filling better on their sides like everyone else had theirs. 

What kind of ovens are they using in the tent? The bakers occasionally pour water directly onto the bottom of the over for steam. I've never had an oven I'd feel safe pouring water into. 

[tvchick]

Another recap is available:

episode 8

Bubblegum flavor sounds awful to me, too, but we are handicapped in not being able to taste everything.  I think that Flora's add-ons will be her downfall eventually and her practicing with an Aga sounds like it may be a factor as well.

[Rinaldo]

8 hours ago, Zuleikha said:

It's never seemed like Paul and Mary value the technical that much. And Nadiya didn't just have bizarre flavor choices, but her nun partially collapsed, which I think put her solidly behind Ian and Tamal.

It can sometimes seem like the technical is weighted less, and I'm not saying the judging has been beyond cavil in each competition over the years... but I do think Paul and Mary try to weigh the three challenges equally. "Near the top in all three" can earn a higher spot than "tip-top in one, bottom in another." And they also seem to try (again, maybe not invariably successfully) to be fair about flavors that may not have been their own preference, but were well achieved on their own terms. 

[Athena]

3 hours ago, BradandJanet said:

What kind of ovens are they using in the tent? The bakers occasionally pour water directly onto the bottom of the over for steam. I've never had an oven I'd feel safe pouring water into. 

The show uses the Neff Slide and Hide Ovens. This link has a video of an older 2013 model. The ones on the show are more updated and smaller, but you can put two racks in the oven. I believe these ovens have a flat bottom (which does heat up). So the bakers most likely have a roasting pan or baking sheet (as seen in the video) for the water underneath the rack with their bake.

[starri]

12 hours ago, Zuleikha said:

I love Nadiya, but I didn't understand why she got star baker. She was the only one to get the technical, but I thought Tamal did well in the signature. So I would have expected his superior showstopper to beat Nadiya's superior technical.

Mary made a comment that sounded like Nadiya had won the Signature as well.

[Winter Rose]

Maybe part of it is that there were only five left but I really felt Mat's absence in this one.

I don't think anyone really 'wowed' in the showstopper. Ian and Tamal did enough to get themselves out of trouble, and Nadiya didn't screw up so much to negate her good first day, so I think that still left her as the best choice for Star Baker this week.

[starri]

After Flora said that her Nun Pastry (I'm just not typing the proper name, I'm not that talented) would end up looking more like a Dalek, I wish she'd gone ahead and done that.

[DHDancer]

2 hours ago, starri said:

After Flora said that her Nun Pastry (I'm just not typing the proper name, I'm not that talented) would end up looking more like a Dalek, I wish she'd gone ahead and done that.

I thought the "daylek" quipping was really fun :)  And yes, the end results looked much more like Daleks than elderly nuns!!

[Quilt Fairy]

2 hours ago, Winter Rose said:

Maybe part of it is that there were only five left but I really felt Mat's absence in this one.

Remember the first episode where people kept saying they couldn't tell Matt and Ian apart?  I will miss Matt and Prison Paul, who was always ready to lend a hand (or a freezer rack) to help someone out.

It's just a hunch but I think one of the reasons that Nadiya is doing better in the technicals is that she is doing her homework and studying Mary's cookbooks during the week. In both this episode and the last one she mentioned being familiar with the items even if she hadn't baked them herself. (As much as I hate PBS for burning off these episodes 2 at a time, you can spot trends better.)

[theatremouse]

20 hours ago, Zuleikha said:

I love Nadiya, but I didn't understand why she got star baker. She was the only one to get the technical, but I thought Tamal did well in the signature. So I would have expected his superior showstopper to beat Nadiya's superior technical. It's never seemed like Paul and Mary value the technical that much. And Nadiya didn't just have bizarre flavor choices, but her nun partially collapsed, which I think put her solidly behind Ian and Tamal.

The way it played to me was Nadiya was #1 in the Signature and Technical. Tamal may have been a solid #2 in Signature but did poorly in the Technical. They also seemed to emphasize that her Showstopper was well done technique-wise. So even if you call her #3 there, that still puts her ahead of Tamal on the whole. Plus, while I do think they try to weigh each round roughly equally, I also don't think that necessarily just means by placement. So for example, if one of her #1s in the two earlier rounds were leaps and bounds beyond others', then that counts even more than (fake example for illustrative purposes) if they had a straight-up points system in all rounds based on relative placement. It's not necessarily that the round counts more, but say (other fake example) if you were scoring each bake on a scale of 1-100, then star baker could have the most total points by going 100-100-70 vs someone else who had 90-65-95. Not that I think they use an actual points system; I'm just applying math to illustrate the type of weighing of factors process. I think either of the above "weighing" methods result in a Nadiya win in this one, which is basically what Mary Berry said.

[Rinaldo]

Well, said theatremouse. That matches my impression -- that it's not just rankings, but qualitative. And one challenge might be bunched with just one or two really outstanding achievements and then a big gulf below them, and so on.

[stillshimpy]

The single best, loudest laugh I've ever gotten out of this show was Prison Paul's "I thought that went really well" and then laughing while saying, "You weren't expecting that were you?" to the cameraperson.  I think it was absolutely the right decision, he had a thoroughly awful week and was officially punching above his weight class in terms of skills, but oh my god, it was funnier than hell.  

Ian was back to being charming, but I now unfortunately associate him with picking up road kill, taking it home and eating it.  Why, why, I implore, you space oddity, did you have to tell that story and forever brand yourself as an eater of carrion?  

Poor Flora, lovely Tamal (as always, what a delightful man) and then Nadiya who I simply adore and then Ian.  I will attempt to forget his regretable pie choices before next week.  It should go about as well as Paul's endeavors in this one. 

[Quilt Fairy]

Does anyone else not get the double-entendre-ness of "cream horns" ?  I mean, I guess if I was a 12yo boy it might be good for a giggle, but if Mel hadn't mentioned it, I wouldn't have given it a second thought. Although maybe it's a British thing, as "cream horns", much like "vol-au-vents" aren't really common usage on this side of the pond.

ETA: Historical note, I had never even heard of "vol-au-vents" until it was mentioned as a canapé at Bill & Fleur's wedding in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I'm glad I finally know that it's what I would call a puff pastry shell.

Edited July 31, 2016 by Quilt Fairy

[zxy556575]

Truly, it hurts my knees and back in sympathy when I see the bakers crouching, sitting and kneeling in front of ovens that are only a few inches above the floor.

[GaT]

No surprise that Paul went home, I thought it was obvious from the first bake. Flora is next IMO, she just keeps overdoing everything, she needs to edit her work more.

My cable went out just as this started recording so I had to watch it online. They don't have the extra stuff after the show online, what was it about?

[Quilt Fairy]

1 hour ago, lordonia said:

Truly, it hurts my knees and back in sympathy when I see the bakers crouching, sitting and kneeling in front of ovens that are only a few inches above the floor.

And yet somehow, it makes for exciting viewing.

[Mabinogia]

I hate when this show gets close to the end. The fewer bakers there are, the harder it is to lose them because I have come to adore them all. Mat was tough last ep and Paul this ep. The great thing, though, is that, as hard as it is to lose them, I very, very rarely question the decision. Personality is not a factor, it seems to be all about Paul and Mary deciding who did the worst job that week. No production in their ear saying "but so and so is great TV!"

I'll miss Paul. I love the juxtaposition of this big, burly prison warden making these delicate flowers and decorative bits. He also seemed to be the first to go and help out a fellow baker, which speaks volumes about who he is as a person. (Yes, I have a lot of crushes this season. Mat, Tamal, Prison Paul...I guess I'm a sucker for a man who bakes)

[adhoc]

Quote

And yet somehow, it makes for exciting viewing.

I had to chuckle when I realized that perhaps the most "exciting" thing was the background music. 

[stillshimpy]

I'll miss Paul. I love the juxtaposition of this big, burly prison warden making these delicate flowers and decorative bits. He also seemed to be the first to go and help out a fellow baker, which speaks volumes about who he is as a person. (Yes, I have a lot of crushes this season. Mat, Tamal, Prison Paul...I guess I'm a sucker for a man who bakes)

I love how plain old-fashioned merry he turned out to be.  I will miss him too, but we're well into the point where I miss all of them as they go.  Nadiya naming off her nun catastrophes was also a highpoint of the episode.  "I've had nun explosions...nun landslides...." that and her admitting she doesn't actually care for cream horns after having to make hundreds of them for practice.  I'm with you, Nadiya, they aren't a favorite of mine either.  

 

As the whole "everyone will have to take a two-hour lunch break and return...." thing was announced, my husband supplied, "Well, no one will want to eat a thing, that's for sure.  Hopefully, they'll be allowed to drink at lunch".  I did point out that they were English, after all, chances seemed good if that's they were of a mind to, there would be bound to be something around.  In lieu of that, perhaps they could have could just sit around eating Ian's filling.  Too much kirsch for Mary?  I didn't think it could be done.  Hats off to you, Ian, I got a good laugh out of that too, he knows his audience.  

[Portia]

Okay, I'm an American, so you'll just have to humor me: 

A bunch of pastries stacked up in the shape of a nun. Um, WHYYYYY?????

[DHDancer]

Because they can, lol,  and in all seriousness it probably started life as something served at some particular religious celebration.  France is neck and neck with Spain for # of religious "holidays"....

I still think they look more like daleks than nuns....

[Amethyst]

On 9/25/2015 at 1:05 PM, Pallida said:

Flora focuses far too much on additions rather than the challenge, especially when the challenge is outside her comfort zone.  I see it as far more than just "doing too much" and instead veering into distraction from what they should be judged on.  I don't see some Paul-bias against her, especially since Mary has called her out on her production being about something other than the challenge.  

IA with all of this, which is why I wouldn't really be sorry to see her go.  Flora's good at decorating, but she's forever adding unnecessary ingredients and it rarely works out.  Her lime, basil, coconut, and white chocolate religieuse l'ancienne was a wash because none of the other flavors came through but the white chocolate.  Not even the lime.  For example, instead of playing with four flavors, she could have properly concentrated on two of them and really brought them out.  At this point in the game, she can't be making those same mistakes.  Even Mary has mentioned that.  Sometimes, less is more.

Nadiya's peppermint/bubblegum was a mistake, and I say this as someone who likes those flavors.  But they are quite specific, and like awkward1penguin said, Nadiya may have added too much, and those flavors are already strong on their own.  

[Winter Rose]

I think Flora may be running into the same kind of thing Ugne did, getting so caught up in her concept that it takes away from the actual challenge. First and foremost should be to make the thing you're asked to make then do the extra stuff. I think elimination really could've been more of a toss up had Paul not done so dreadfully on the technical challenge.

Edited August 1, 2016 by Winter Rose

[Kohola3]

Quote

They don't have the extra stuff after the show online, what was it about?

On my station it was a repeat of the history of macarons.

[Rinaldo]

It's getting kind of fascinating to watch Flora, because she's been told repeatedly to make sure she nails the essentials and not take time and attention away for extras that "aren't in the brief," but she seemingly can't help herself. I suppose they seem essential parts of her concept while she's in the midst of it. And then during judging she nods ruefully that yep, she did it again. I like her, though -- in particular her matter-of-fact recognition that she really could have been the one eliminated ("that bullet so had my name on it").

Actually, they pretty much all have that cheerful facing of their boot-ability, which is one of the endearing things about the show. Paul was lovely in his smiling acceptance this week. I recall Mat's "Taxi!" when he knew he'd bollixed it up. And another year, the man chosen to leave immediately spoke up from his stool with that lovely British idiom "It's a fair cop."