S08.E05: Pudding Week

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Quote

It's pudding week and the signature challenge is a steamed favourite. There's a technical challenge where timing is everything and a multi-layered showstopper that's not to be trifled with. Which bakers will impress Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood enough to keep their place in the tent? And which of the eight remaining bakers will be heading home? Noel Fielding and Sandi Toksvig are with the contestants every step of the way, and during a break from the action, Sandi returns to her old haunt, Cambridge University, to discover the history of the college pudding.

[Occasional Hope]

Yan's mango steamed pudding looked totally yummy.

Kate was lucky they didn't object to her packet custard.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

This week's recipes:

Signature challenge:
Stacey's bakewell steamed pudding
James' steamed orange and ginger pudding
Yan's mango fruit hat pudding
Steven's lemon and blackcurrant drizzle steamed pudding

Technical challenge:
Paul's molten puddings

Showstoppers:
Kate's raspberry trifle terrine
Sophie's raspberry, yuzu, and white chocolate trifle terrine

[ElectricBoogaloo]

James' exit interview

[Darian]

GBBO posted a photo of Yan's technical challenge offering captioned "A Chocolate Pudding to Make Your Jaw Drop." Dang! 

I know this isn't airing in the US, but I don't think it's a coincidence that the day after the Caramel Week episode aired, King Arthur Flour sent out an email advertising their baking caramel. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

To me, pudding is the chocolate stuff after you open the Jello instant pudding package so I'm always interested in seeing what the bakers make as puddings! I was a little confused by what stodgy meant in terms of a pudding. I know the non-food definition that means boring or old fashioned but I was pretty sure that Paul wasn't talking about the puddings being old fashioned! And what is a school pudding versus a non-school pudding?

Sophie's ginger, fig, and honey steamed school pudding didn't sound interesting to me (but I don't like ginger, let alone in desserts, so I'm biased). I was surprised that such a to-do was made about her using tonka bean in her mascarpone cream. She's really the first person in eight seasons to use tonka bean? The finished pudding looked a bit messy.

Yan's mango fruit hat steamed school pudding with ginger and caramelized coconut flakes and coconut custard sounded very summery and tropical. The bright orange was so colorful.

Kate's Mr. Darcy inspired lemon zest and bergamot oil steamed school pudding with earl grey custard was not my cup of tea because I am not a fan or bergamot. Her custard wasn't thick at all, despite all her efforts.

Liam's cherry and lemon bakewell pudding with ground almonds and vanilla custard sounded yummy and it looked very pretty with the cherries on top.

Stacey's bakewell tart steamed school pudding with cherry jam and vanilla custard also sounded delicious. Cherries, raspberries, and lemon together sound like such a summer dessert. It looked really beautiful, like something you'd see on the cover of a cookbook.

James' orange and ginger steamed school pudding with spiced chocolate custard was very pretty with the oranges on the outside.

Julia's orange caramel and black treacle steamed school pudding with vanilla custard sounded interesting and it looked very neat.

I really want to eat Steven's lemon and blackcurrant drizzle steamed school pudding with vanilla custard! It looked beautiful and I looooove blackcurrants!

THREE Hollywood handshakes in one challenge! And almost four!

The technical challenge was interesting, first because Paul used peanut butter as the filling. I seem to recall him not loving peanut butter when he did the first version of the American show. I'm not a fancy baker. The things I usually bake are chocolate chip cookies, brownies, and simple cakes. But even I've made molten chocolate lava cakes. They're super easy to make so they were my go to dessert. The only challenging thing about the technical challenge was that Paul didn't tell them how long to bake them.

Loved Kate's attitude after the technical: "It's not the end of the world. It's just pudding."

Loved the showstopper challenge! I love layered desserts because they're so pretty. Plus that means you are guaranteed several different flavors!

Steven's American flag trifle terrine with coconut sponge, white chocolate and coconut custard, and raspberry jelly looked so awesome!

James' Union Jack trifle terrine with blueberry swiss roll, eton mess mousse, raspberry panna cotta, and prosecco jelly

Yan's strawberry mousse, white chocolate mousse, elderflower jelly, and chocolate trifle was so different from everyone else's. Loved the clear jelly ith the injected heart at the top.

Kate's bûche trifle terrine with raspberry jelly, yuzu custard, and white chocolate bavarois sounded delicious!

Stacey's trifle terrine with pineapple rum jelly, chili mango mousse, and passionfruit lime eton mess sounded so tropical. I thought Paul might tell her she had too many flavors so I was pleasantly surprised when he loved it.

Liam's chai latte panna cotta, orange jelly, and chocolate mousse trifle terrine with a brownie base looked a little bit messy.5

Kate's raspberry jelly, raspberry meringue cream, and custard trifle terrine sounded good but I was surprised that the judges were fine with her using powdered custard instead of making it from scratch.

Julia's opulent ornament trifle with chocolate mousse, prosecco passionfruit jelly, and mixed berries didn't sound like something I would like, but she seemed so sure that she was going home.

[Occasional Hope]

They just mean a steamed pudding like they made - kind of like cake served hot with sauce.  It is often served up at schools for dessert as part of school dinners at lunch time (though generally less fancy flavours, typically chocolate or syrup, sometimes with a  fruit filling/sauce).  Usually accompanied by hot custard or chocolate sauce.  We used to get that once a week.

[Rinaldo]

Yes, that became clear once we saw them being made. But, obsessed with things English though I am, I had never heard of a "school pudding" before, and it cracked me up. Of course there is a particular subcategory of pudding immortalized by being served in schools and nowhere else, and of course everyone knows exactly what that is. Now I want to see a church pudding and a hospital pudding.

[Occasional Hope]

Well, they aren't necessarily not served elsewhere - my mum used to do that sort of pudding quite often when I was young, and small versions are on sale in supermarkets.

[Occasional Hope]

The stars on Steve's flag thing were so clever.

[Lois Sandborne]

The stars were so cool, and I still think it's super clear that Steven's going to win, but it's nice that he had a bit of a down week, so it isn't such a monotonous journey to the final.

A proper Bakewell tart is something I really, really want to try (and if I ever make it to the UK I'm absolutely going to make it my business to get one), so I really liked the face-off between Liam and Stacy during the signature; both of their finished products looked good to me.

Poor Liam always comes up with such good flavor combos.  His signature and the chai, orange, and chocolate in his showstopper sounded so delicious.  I keep hoping he can get his act together as far as getting the actual baking business done, so he can have a Tamal-style turnaround in the last few weeks.

11 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

To me, pudding is the chocolate stuff after you open the Jello instant pudding package so I'm always interested in seeing what the bakers make as puddings! I was a little confused by what stodgy meant in terms of a pudding. I know the non-food definition that means boring or old fashioned but I was pretty sure that Paul wasn't talking about the puddings being old fashioned! And what is a school pudding versus a non-school pudding?

For this type of pudding, "stodgy" tells me that it's too dense and starchy.  Stiff.  They praised Steven's to the skies for being light, and you could see when they sliced into it that the crumb was still fluffy and tender even after the steaming.

[Athena]

I actually did laugh out loud when Kate said she was going to bake her pudding for 35 mins! Damn.

I noticed Noel was getting a cupcake or some treat in the background when Sandi was interviewing Stacey. I thought that was really amusing.

Sandi seems to really have developed a bond with Liam. She mentioned to the judges how she was rooting for him and she comforted him after they announced who was going home. Liam is really a lovely guy and I agree that he has some great flavour combinations.

[Primetimer]

We're not sure what makes a British pudding a pudding and not a cake, but we learned a lot this week anyway!

View the full article

[2727]

Ah, those delicate English complexions. I have never seen so much blushing as goes on in this show, both from embarrassment and happiness. Suffused pink to cherry to deep crimson-oh-my-lord-Paul-gave-me-a-handshake.

I love Liam. Poor kid, devastated by jelly.

[adam807]

On 9/27/2017 at 10:00 AM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I was a little confused by what stodgy meant in terms of a pudding. I know the non-food definition that means boring or old fashioned but I was pretty sure that Paul wasn't talking about the puddings being old fashioned! And what is a school pudding versus a non-school pudding?

When I did a quick Google of "stodgy" for the podcast last night, it gave me the food-related meaning as a second definition. Merriam-Webster actually has it first. "Having a rich, filling quality. Heavy." I'd only heard the "old-fashioned" or "stuffy" meaning too before.

I always thought "pudding" was an all-purpose British term for dessert, and Googling "British pudding" or even "school pudding" kind of bears that out. I wonder if in the US this will get dubbed into "Dessert Week?" In any case, the school pudding seems like a very specific TYPE of pudding.

[Athena]

31 minutes ago, adam807 said:

I always thought "pudding" was an all-purpose British term for dessert, and Googling "British pudding" or even "school pudding" kind of bears that out. I wonder if in the US this will get dubbed into "Dessert Week?" In any case, the school pudding seems like a very specific TYPE of pudding.

Yes, pudding is a British term for dessert - sweet course. School pudding traditionally was the steamed puddings they made here. Though, like Liam referenced, I don't think steamed puddings are as omnipresent in British schools as they use to be. The other specific steamed pudding would be a Christmas steamed pudding. These take longer to steam (at least 4 hours rather than the two here) and are usually prepped weeks in advance with dried fruit marinated in alcohol. They usually call this week "Dessert Week" actually which is more broad.

Spotted Dick is a traditional school pudding as well. I have promised someone I will make it for them; I'll need to find a butcher for the suet though! 

[adam807]

23 minutes ago, Athena said:

I'll need to find a butcher for the suet though! 

If you were really dedicated you'd render it yourself. :)

[pfk505]

I continue to absolutely adore this show, but is it just me or are the judges being ever so slightly more cruel than in past years? It's more than likely the editing ramping things up but some of the comments from Paul and Prue are a little much.

With that said, my favourite thing about this new iteration is Noel, hands down. I'd never heard of him before this but he knocks it out of the park every week! He seems an odd fit for a baking show but his sense of humour, his timing, and his warmth/charm with the bakers is phenomenal. Three cheers for Noel!

Liam and Julia are my favourite bakers this year, but as usual I like everyone. Julia's facial expressions / nervous twitches / odd sound making in particular is fantastic. Pretty much everyone is at the stage where confidence is teetering so hopefully next week goes a little better for more of them.

[Rinaldo]

I think if anything Paul is being more generous, on the whole, than in past years. He's been handing out lots of superlatives and handshakes. If there's a difference, it's that Mary would always make it a point to find something positive to say, however small and however much she had to stand on her head to find it. Whereas with Prue, though she too is positive and indeed glowing much of the time, when something didn't turn out well at all, she'll say so. So a couple of times a baker has been left with no positive comments at all. But for me, that's not "a little much," as I don't think they've ever been gratuitously mean about it; it's a competition, the judges are there to judge and the bakers are there to be judged.

[pfk505]

I won't argue with that, and the "handshakes for everyone" is also a bit much for me as it takes away from the significance of it, but I just noticed once or twice that both of them would pile on about something and it would leave a dark cloud behind. Of course they are there to judge but one of the strengths of this show has always been its unrelenting positivity and its lack of manufactured "reality show" drama.

Loving this season, in any case.

[Athena]

19 minutes ago, pfk505 said:

Of course they are there to judge but one of the strengths of this show has always been its unrelenting positivity and its lack of manufactured "reality show" drama.

I think this is one area where Mary, Mel and Sue are sorely missed. While I think Prue, Noel, and Sandi are generally very positive, I think the original three together were sweeter for the lack of a better term. Prue is nice and kind but she doesn't have Mary's touch for it. It's splitting hairs really since I think the show is doing well since the move (thank goodness). 

[pfk505]

I think Noel and Sandi are terrific and are filling the Mel/Sue role perfectly. I think it must be Mary I'm missing because really Paul hasn't changed much (besides being more fast and loose with the handshakes). I like Prue and the dynamics of them all together, so I think even by mentioning this sense I got from a few of their comments I'm probably overstating it.

[OoogleEyes]

How adorable was Liam and his chi tea latte?

Party on, dude!

[aradia22]

Quote

Sophie's ginger, fig, and honey steamed school pudding didn't sound interesting to me (but I don't like ginger, let alone in desserts, so I'm biased). I was surprised that such a to-do was made about her using tonka bean in her mascarpone cream. She's really the first person in eight seasons to use tonka bean? The finished pudding looked a bit messy.

I thought it sounded amazing and very posh. But maybe in that way that something on a menu or in a cookbook sounds posh and impressive and then tastes a bit bland. Now, I like a bit of bland, particularly with healthy stuff, but as Prue says if it's going to be "worth the calories" then for dessert I've realized I like things with a bit more punch. I'd rather have a small serving of something rich and flavorful than a giant serving of something bland. 

Quote

Kate's Mr. Darcy inspired lemon zest and bergamot oil steamed school pudding with earl grey custard was not my cup of tea because I am not a fan or bergamot. Her custard wasn't thick at all, despite all her efforts.

I thought it sounded fantastic. Another posh sounding recipe but one with a lot of flavor. It's totally the kind of thing I'd bookmark in a cookbook. I think one of my disappointments with Kate is that she has a lot of ideas but I wish her "historical" influences were a bit more focused and... successful.

There are Asian steamed cake desserts but for some reason British pudding is one of those things I don't think I'll ever be motivated to attempt. 

Quote

Steven's American flag trifle terrine with coconut sponge, white chocolate and coconut custard, and raspberry jelly looked so awesome!

Yan's strawberry mousse, white chocolate mousse, elderflower jelly, and chocolate trifle was so different from everyone else's. Loved the clear jelly ith the injected heart at the top.

[Sophie's] bûche trifle terrine with raspberry jelly, yuzu custard, and white chocolate bavarois sounded delicious!

Similarly, I don't think trifles are in my future. For my cooking/baking style it's too much effort for too little payoff. And it makes me think of all those weird 60's jello, aspic, cream cheese, etc. desserts. But I liked Steven's trick with the stars. Yan's was a genuine showstopper and gorgeous. I might try Sophie's only because the flavor combination sounds so good. But in terms of these time consuming desserts I'm more interested in trying to make patterned slice and bake cookies work.

[Occasional Hope]

Trifles are quite fun to make.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

On 12/31/2017 at 2:05 PM, aradia22 said:

I don't think trifles are in my future. For my cooking/baking style it's too much effort for too little payoff.

I think it's like making a lasagna. The effort is in making the ingredients of each layer yummy, but if you can make some of them ahead of time then it's just a matter of layering everything and sticking it in the refrigerator. What I dislike about trifles is that they look so pretty in the big glass bowl but as soon as you start serving the actual dessert, it turns into a big sloppy looking mess (both on the plate and in the bowl). I know it's because there are so many soft layers so it can't be helped, and I know that not everything has to look perfect and pretty, but still.

[Athena]

I did finally make a steamed pudding over the holidays. It was something I wanted to try for awhile having lived in the UK and watching all these UK food shows. The recipe was easy to follow and the most difficult part of it was having to shred the suet and then making sure the pot didn't dry out in the 1.5 hour steam. The smell was unique; not offensive but different. It's a heavy dessert. I wouldn't have known if it was authentic or good if it hadn't been for my SO who is English. Of course, the only way to eat such a pudding is smothered in custard. Due to time constraints, I use custard powder instead. Not the best but it worked. If anyone wants to try it, I used this BBC Good Food recipe: Spotted Dick.

[aradia22]

Eh. It's just me. I like scones. I like muffins. I'd like cookies if I could find a good recipe. But I don't have a lot of patience for BS. I stumbled on Ruby Tandoh's book from the library which I'm currently reading. I didn't really watch her season and I don't know her as a bake off person but I like her approach in her cookbook to things that are simple. Though I wish the recipe descriptions were more elaborate. I don't really know what the eff she's talking about in the bread chapter... it's way too simplified. But I might try some of the cookies or something and report back. 

[DHDancer]

On 9/28/2017 at 8:41 AM, Athena said:

Yes, pudding is a British term for dessert - sweet course. School pudding traditionally was the steamed puddings they made here. Though, like Liam referenced, I don't think steamed puddings are as omnipresent in British schools as they use to be. The other specific steamed pudding would be a Christmas steamed pudding. These take longer to steam (at least 4 hours rather than the two here) and are usually prepped weeks in advance with dried fruit marinated in alcohol. They usually call this week "Dessert Week" actually which is more broad.

Spotted Dick is a traditional school pudding as well. I have promised someone I will make it for them; I'll need to find a butcher for the suet though! 

You don't need a butcher:  If you are in the UK, packet suet is available in supermarkets (or it was when I lived there in the 70s/80s) You can buy it online through Amazon -- they also have a vegetarian version which is my choice :)

And yeah steamed puds/custard, along with flapjacks (not the American kind) were very common school lunch "afters".   Ah, such not-very-fond memories....

[Athena]

33 minutes ago, DHDancer said:

You don't need a butcher:  If you are in the UK, packet suet is available in supermarkets (or it was when I lived there in the 70s/80s) You can buy it online through Amazon -- they also have a vegetarian version which is my choice :)

And yeah steamed puds/custard, along with flapjacks (not the American kind) were very common school lunch "afters".   Ah, such not-very-fond memories....

As I don't live in the UK anymore, I did need a butcher. My local butcher does sell it regularly though and people use suet around here for bird feeders. Amazon Canada is also bad for food so I'm glad I had the local option.

I love flapjacks (UK kind). I have tried a few recipes to replicate it (including Mary's) but there is something really cozy about the store bought kind you can get anywhere in the Uk as well.

[Bunnyette]

Darned CBC cuts out the technical challenge to accommodate useless adds.  Anyhow, those Americans lucky enough to be near the Canadian border saw lots of tonguebathing on Liam and poor James having a bad night...out with oldies, keep the youngins!

[GaT]

The technical was Paul's recipe, wasn't it? Paul has a recipe with chocolate & peanut butter???? When he judged the American version of the show, he hated anything made with peanut butter, when did he start baking with it? 

I thought trifle was that layered dessert that was served in a big bowl, all those loafs with jelly confuse me.

[amass]

I wanted to smack Julia for how much she was crying when they didn’t eliminate her....

[cherrypj]

On 10/4/2017 at 12:19 AM, pfk505 said:

With that said, my favourite thing about this new iteration is Noel, hands down. I'd never heard of him before this but he knocks it out of the park every week! He seems an odd fit for a baking show but his sense of humour, his timing, and his warmth/charm with the bakers is phenomenal. Three cheers for Noel!

Bang on. Noel's just great. 

I love it when I see a handshake. My favorite thing is watching competent people do their work well. At this point, after 5-1/2 seasons of watching Paul, I trust him to know when he thinks something is good. He's not handshaking for participation, that's for sure.

I'm already ranking this series right up there with 5 (Richard Builder/Nancy/Luis) as my favorite.

[Quilt Fairy]

Puddings = another British thing that does not translate into American.  ;)

[Rinaldo]

And the more they try to explain it, the more incomprehensible it becomes.

[biakbiak]

15 minutes ago, Rinaldo said:

And the more they try to explain it, the more incomprehensible it becomes.

If a British person tells me it’s a pudding, I just go with it! 

[Winter Rose]

I've never understood it. I've heard that pudding was considered a coverall term for dessert but if that was the case, wouldn't nearly everything on this show, except for bread pretty much, qualify as a pudding? But then it seems that's not right either or else they wouldn't make a point to dedicate a week to puddings and the judges would never critique when something isn't a pudding.

[dleighg]

17 hours ago, Quilt Fairy said:

Puddings = another British thing that does not translate into American.  ;)

I (an American) was a voracious reader of popular science as a kid back in the 70s. I was always vaguely confused by the "plum pudding" analogy to the infinite universe expansion. I finally got a picture of a plum pudding, in the historical segment! (well maybe this was raisin, but you get the idea)

Edited September 9, 2018 by dleighg

[dleighg]

19 hours ago, cherrypj said:

Bang on. Noel's just great. 

I love him! Every time he's on screen I start smiling.

[Ilovepie]

On 9/8/2018 at 9:36 AM, cherrypj said:

Noel's just great. 

Yes he is - I laughed when he asked Liam if he would like a Fielding Fondle in lieu of a Hollywood Handshake...Sandi is growing on me too and I think they are working nicely together.

Another American here who thinks of something approximating a very thick jiggly mousse when I hear pudding, no cake involved. Those school puddings reminded me texturally of something like a bundt cake. Maybe I’m way off - I don’t know what we have that would compare?

i am really loving this cast - all very likable.

[Kohola3]

I thought the idea of a school pudding was amusing.  Can't even imagine something like that in US schools.

[festivus]

I know what a steamed pudding is because I read and watch a lot of British stuff. Here in America what pudding means to me is you get the box of Jello pudding mix add milk and there you go. I don't like our pudding but I would like to try a British pudding someday. Some of those looked really appetizing. Sophie is shaping up to be one of my favorites. She's adorable, I like her personality and she reminds me of Louise Brealey. Maybe she'll be the stealth contestant and just keep getting better every week.

[singsong]

Every once in a while, GBBO really baffles this American.  Steamed puddings?  I've heard of them, never actually seen them.  And now that I have - I don't understand why they are a thing.  They look awful.  But I don't understand the British love of meringues either.    

I'm enjoying this season more than I thought I would.  They challenges seems very difficult so far, and I am liking the new hosts.  I'm still on the fence about Prue though.  

[Kohola3]

2 hours ago, singsong said:

They challenges seems very difficult so far, and I am liking the new hosts.

I honestly don't remember the challenges on earlier shows but I think these are a lot harder.  I've never heard of some of them.

[meep.meep]

The Hollywood conundrum - he looooves the stuff with sweet squishy layers like these, but thinks that "American" pies are disgusting.  Plus, as noted above, now he likes peanut butter with chocolate.  

They did molten center cakes on a previous season, but I think they were signature bakes, and there was no silliness about having to serve them immediately.  These are a restaurant standard, and I don't think they get cooked to order.

[illdoc]

1 minute ago, meep.meep said:

there was no silliness about having to serve them immediately

The only time I remember "staggered" bakes was during a semi-final where they did chocolate souffles. Of course, being American, I haven't seen all the seasons, just the Netflix & PBS ones.

[Kohola3]

Just now, meep.meep said:

These are a restaurant standard, and I don't think they get cooked to order.

I believe that they are.  Well, not made to order but heated as needed.  There are lots of pre-made ones that can be heated up as ordered to get the insides runny.

[chaifan]

Years ago I was in Vienna, it was a cold drizzly fall grey day, so I ordered a "hot chocolate pudding" after dinner.  I wasn't really sure what to expect, but it ended up being a chocolate molten lava cake, served in a shallow bowl with hot chocolate sauce.  It was fantastic.  And this was just as the molten lava cake trend was starting in the US.  So I generally think of the British pudding as a warm cake (sponge) with a sauce.  But I've always wondered, what do they call our (US's) puddings - the Jello pudding type puddings? 

I'm curious about the jelly based terrines.  Some of the flavor combinations sounded good, but I can't picture all those different textures working.  Sophie's was the only one that made sense, as it was all sort of the same soft mousse to jelly texture.  Liam's flavors sounded amazing, but even if the jelly had jelled, I think that would be weird.  I may give it a try one of these days.  I love chai tea latte!!!

I think the staggered time made sense for the molten lava cake challenge.  To get a fair judging each of the desserts would need to be presented hot & fresh.  Otherwise the last one to be tasted could have cooled enough for the filling to start to solidify or get absorbed into the sponge. 

Sorry to see James go, but he clearly was lagging behind the others this week.  I think Julia's cry at the end was a stress cry.  I know they get to go home each week, but it has to be getting awfully stressful at this point in the competition.  You're far enough along that the finals are within reach for everyone.

ETA:  I ended up making lava cakes when I got home from Vienna.  I didn't have individual molds, so I used cupcake tins.  So I was surprised that so many of the bakers really overestimated the baking time - it was pretty much the same as cupcakes, maybe a minute or two longer.  35 minutes?  wow, that was really out there.

Edited September 22, 2018 by chaifan

[dleighg]

9 hours ago, chaifan said:

But I've always wondered, what do they call our (US's) puddings - the Jello pudding type puddings? 

mousse?