S03.E08: Biscuits

[Athena]

Quote

It is the biscuit-based quarter-final, and Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry are taking the challenges to another level.

The signature bake sees the bakers' organisational and baking skills put to the test, as they attempt to deliver a huge batch of perfectly baked crispbreads. Then the bakers have to throw away the baking rule book as time and temperature work against them to produce six perfectly tempered chocolate tea cakes for the technical challenge.

A place in the semi-final will be hard earned as the final challenge tests not only the quality of the bake, but how well it works as a building material.

[dubbel zout]

Oof, those poor bakers, having to make that tea cake recipe (which looked like Mallomars—yum!) when the weather is absolutely wrong for nearly every stage. Catherine's incessant "Oh, no!" drove me nuts. James's hug was very sweet. 

I'm surprised the bakers don't use thermometers more often. They might have better results if they checked the temperature. Are they not allowed?

I ADORE a good gingerbread, so I really enjoyed the little history break and the showstopper.

I'm not surprised Catherine was sent home. She had an unfortunately terrible week.

[adhoc]

Just finished watching. I wonder if Brendan did not realize that Paul was looking for more than "just a house." Because as cute and well made as the birdhouse was, it was a house--no second level, no grand scale structure. So I get why Paul was disappointed, considering the kinds of structures made by the others.  Brendan did seem to play it safe, structure-wise.

On the other hand, I was not that impressed by the other gingerbread creations, except when Paul would say something like "That's very hard to achieve." I had the feeling that Mary and Paul were being deliberately more positive about those other showstoppers than they actually felt. Except for James's gingerbread, which apparently was delicious and you could eat everything on tableau.

And please do not spoil me--I don't know who won this season--but seriously, how does Brendan not win this?

[Kohola3]

Poor Kathryn, everything she touched went wrong.  Just not her week.

I can't imagine how hot it would be in that tent and how difficult that would make things.

I know that the bakers know ahead about the showstopper but was it clear that Paul didn't want a house?  Brendan might have done something more challenging if he had known ahead, I would think.

James taking Star Baker on his birthday was pretty cute.

[Pickles]

Everyone looked like they were roasting in that tent. They really had the fans going, at least. Sue's hair was standing on end from the breeze. Lol. I like everyone so much. Sad to see Katherine go. I will be happy whoever wins. The extra gingerbread segment was interesting. 

[dargosmydaddy]

John's face during the judging of the technical was hilarious.

I thought James's claim that the "derelict" barn was what he meant to do all along was really funny, and Mary (and maybe even Paul) seemed to buy it! I didn't think it looked that impressive (though the caramel cobwebs were a nice touch), but I guess it was yummy.

31 minutes ago, adhoc said:

And please do not spoil me--I don't know who won this season--but seriously, how does Brendan not win this?

I dunno, I feel like there have been other seasons where it felt like a clear leader going in, and they didn't end up winning. It really comes down to that day. Putting the rest under spoilers just in case, not because it has to do with this season, but because it's mentioning other PBS-aired seasons just in case someone hasn't watched them yet (I was spoiled once on a season I hadn't watched yet by someone else's comment in a different season's thread...) 

Spoiler

Richard-the-builder and his insane amount of Star Bakers comes to mind, as does Ian from Nadiya's season.

I agree, though. that Brendan has been far and away the most consistent so far.

[Rinaldo]

59 minutes ago, dubbel zout said:

Oof, those poor bakers, having to make that tea cake recipe (which looked like Mallomars—yum!) when the weather is absolutely wrong for nearly every stage. [Cathryn]'s incessant "Oh, no!" drove me nuts.

I was totally charmed by Cathryn's frequent outbursts, especially when she blurted out "Oh my Giddy Aunt" three times within one minute. (I talked about her use of that expression last week.) At the same time, she was the right person to go; things just didn't work out for her in these two days.

1 hour ago, dubbel zout said:

I'm surprised the bakers don't use thermometers more often. They might have better results if they checked the temperature. Are they not allowed?

They're absolutely allowed (as we saw when some did use thermometers). I don't know; some cooks and bakers want to work more by feel and experience than measurements, while others are more analytical.

36 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

I know that the bakers know ahead about the showstopper but was it clear that Paul didn't want a house?  Brendan might have done something more challenging if he had known ahead, I would think.

They all seemed to be prepared to make more-than-a-house structures, so I would think it must have been stated in advance. Brendan must have figured that his decorations and elaborations made it "more."

8 minutes ago, dargosmydaddy said:

I thought James's claim that the "derelict" barn was what he meant to do all along was really funny, and Mary (and maybe even Paul) seemed to buy it!

James's statement was meant as a carry-it-off-with-bravado sort of joke at his own expense, I feel certain, and not intended to fool anyone; he knew they remembered his detailed plans for a more completed barn. It seemed to me that Mary and Paul were both amused by the ploy, and moreover were impressed by the intricacy and stability of the structure he ended up with, even if it wasn't the original plan. That every part of it apparently tasted wonderful was an additional plus.

After they make these big intricate structures, it seems a shame to cut them apart instantly, but there's no other way. And after all they're made to be eaten, in the end.

[Winter Rose]

It wasn't just that Brendan only made a house, using cereal for the roof was also a bit of a shortcut and not very impressive to look at.

It's a shame that Cathryn was never able to pick it back up once things started going wrong. But I thought how she expected her kids to react to her elimination was really sweet, that her daughter would be sad because she thinks her mom's the greatest while her son would just be happy to have her home again.

I did love the way James sold his gingerbread barn, as well as question if his birthday was why he won Star Baker. Ultimately, they wanted something structurally sound that tastes good and that's what he delivered. And he was on top in the other challenges as well, so I'd say his win wasn't only because of his birthday.

John's Colosseum also deserves a shout out.

[jenh526]

Ok, so Brendan only made a house. It was very cute though. I kinda love that he had marshmallow bits all over his face during the technical. 

[mlp]

I understood what Paul was saying about Brendan's roof but he was clearly going for a thatched look with the cereal so it made sense.  I doubt they'd been told up front that Paul didn't want to see any houses because I can't see the very particular Brendan ignoring a directive.

I like everyone but I'm especially fond of James so I'm glad he's doing well.  

I thought the historical segment was very interesting.  Those gingerbread molds were marvelous.

[magdalene]

That "derelict" barn  of James'  looked fantastic and like a piece of modern art, spider webs and all.  And John's Colosseum was beautiful.

Obviously not a surprise that Catherine was the one going but I am still sad to see her go.

They are all so likable.

[biakbiak]

I love pomegranate molasses and so will definitely explore looking into when I make my Christmas gingerbread cake. 

Now I want a mallomar, I actually made a version of them for Christmas last year (mint and strawberry) and didn’t find them that difficult but it was winter in Seattle so not dealing with the same difficulties!

[Mystery]

3 hours ago, adhoc said:

And please do not spoil me--I don't know who won this season--but seriously, how does Brendan not win this?

I have no idea who wins, but those biscuits were amazing. 

2 hours ago, Rinaldo said:

I was totally charmed by Cathryn's frequent outbursts, especially when she blurted out "Oh my Giddy Aunt" three times within one minute. (I talked about her use of that expression last week.) At the same time, she was the right person to go; things just didn't work out for her in these two days.

They all seemed to be prepared to make more-than-a-house structures, so I would think it must have been stated in advance. Brendan must have figured that his decorations and elaborations made it "more."

James's statement was meant as a carry-it-off-with-bravado sort of joke at his own expense, I feel certain, and not intended to fool anyone; he knew they remembered his detailed plans for a more completed barn. It seemed to me that Mary and Paul were both amused by the ploy, and moreover were impressed by the intricacy and stability of the structure he ended up with, even if it wasn't the original plan. That every part of it apparently tasted wonderful was an additional plus.

Cathryn also gave us a "Heavens to Betsy!" I'll miss her, but no one else deserved to go more. 

James was definitely playing when he said that his barn came off as planned. I loved the derelict look of it!

 

1 hour ago, mlp said:

I understood what Paul was saying about Brendan's roof but he was clearly going for a thatched look with the cereal so it made sense.  I doubt they'd been told up front that Paul didn't want to see any houses because I can't see the very particular Brendan ignoring a directive.

I thought the historical segment was very interesting.  Those gingerbread molds were marvelous.

I'm inclined to think they were told to do something spectacular. The fact that no one else did a house says something. Regardless of the type of building, Brendan, who I like, spent too much time on non-gingerbread things. Though I loved him giving his lady bird eyelashes. 

[GaT]

FINALLY! Actual Showstoppers! Cathryn has been hanging on for a while, I think she's one of those people who can't really handle the pressure, & that didn't help her baking at all.

4 hours ago, adhoc said:

And please do not spoil me--I don't know who won this season--but seriously, how does Brendan not win this?

Exactly how I feel, he seems like the best baker to me.

[Quilt Fairy]

I keep waiting.  There's a season that hasn't aired on PBS (and now probably never will) that had a gingerbread showstopper challenge with one entry so spectacular people were still talking about it years later.  I was so hopeful that this was that season, but apparently not.  I liked John's coliseum, but it like most of the others was pretty rough around the edges.  Brendan's was cute but probably didn't fit the brief, at least as delineated by Paul. 

I hate marshmallow, and have never really gotten the uniquely English concept of "digestive biscuits" so I thought those tea cakes looked disgusting. 

[Ms Lark]

5 hours ago, GaT said:

FINALLY! Actual Showstoppers! Cathryn has been hanging on for a while, I think she's one of those people who can't really handle the pressure, & that didn't help her baking at all.

With her meltdown (!) over the chocolate, I couldn't see her holding up in a final. She'd have a total nervous breakdown before the judging. Poor thing.

Paul really is a dick. Man, I can't stand the guy. If he had said anything about sticking chocolate in the fridge, he deserved a pound down. It was 95f in the tents before the ovens started. Chocolate melts between 86-90f. I'm glad Kathryn started standing up to him over the past few weeks.

Not a fan of marshmallows and hate Mallomars. Gah. That was gross. Liked the gingerbread, but really, most GB houses aren't meant to be eaten, so that was a big challenge.

I figure the odds are: Brendan for the win, James second, Danny third, John next out. Love John, but he can't keep it together that well under pressure. All could surprise, though.

[TimothyQ]

I've liked Brendon up to this point; I mean, he's been consistent and just does his work with a quiet competency. But this week, he really grated on me with his "I'm better than everyone" attitude, even to the point of shooting "you've got to be kidding me" looks at Paul and Mary's criticisms. I'm really hoping Danny can pick it back up in the next couple of weeks and come away with the win.

[rhys]

7 hours ago, Quilt Fairy said:

 

I hate marshmallow, and have never really gotten the uniquely English concept of "digestive biscuits" so I thought those tea cakes looked disgusting. 

Aren't British digestive biscuits the same as U.S. Graham crackers?

They do need to get a/c in the tent. It's asking too much of the bakers to work in heat like that. Not smart or healthy.

I'm inadvertently spoiled---i know who wins. Warning: don't go poking around the interweb looking at GBBO bloopers. Grrrr

Also, I did happen across season 2 where 1 contestant toppled a cake while decorating. I've long thought the bakers don't have enough space to work and that convinced me.

[Mabinogia]

I will miss Kathryn, which amuses me since, at the start I feared she was going to be another Ruby (quite possibly the only contestant on this show I did not like at all) but Kat has some much charm and humor to her (two things Ruby lacked) that I found her delightful. But she was clearly the one to go this week. You could see it in her face, she knew it was her time. I think it's better that way, when they know and aren't blindsided. 

I am in the minority in that I didn't care for James' gingerbread. The detail was fine and all, but the cake just piled up to one side looked terrible and though he threw on some cobwebs, it still just looked like he didn't finish. Brendons was stunning, but if they knew about the no house rule ahead of time, then it didn't fit the brief. I do think Paul's hatred of it was a bit much though. 

I'd say John's was my favorite and I loved Danny's Big Ben, even if it was a bit messy. The one thing this showstopper proved is that as the seasons went on, the talent increased. 

Those chocolate tea biscuits looked yummy, though I kept yelling at Kathryn to put hers in the fridge. Yes, it might dull it, but everyone else did it so you would be in the same boat as them (though most of theirs seemed at least somewhat shiny). I knew she was dead when she made that choice. 

My favorite thing about this season is that I actually adore all of them fairly equally and I will be happy no matter which one of them wins. 

My least favorite thing about this seasons is that they can't all win. lol

[magdalene]

I don't count any of them out for the win at this point.  I am also not sure that Brendan has this in the bag after seeing his ginger bread house, which didn't look as sophisticated as the others.  It was of course very skillfully done but looked more childlike to me.

One thing I learned watching this show is that no matter how good you were throughout it's your baking performance in the finale that determines the winner. They all have the skill and the brilliance in them to be the winner.

Edited August 6, 2018 by magdalene

[Kohola3]

1 hour ago, magdalene said:

One thing I learned watching this show is that no matter how good you were throughout it's your baking performance in the finale that determines the winner. They all have the skill and the brilliance in them to be the winner

Absolutely.  And no matter what the track record, one bad bake in the final is the kiss of death.

[Rinaldo]

3 hours ago, magdalene said:

One thing I learned watching this show is that no matter how good you were throughout it's your baking performance in the finale that determines the winner. They all have the skill and the brilliance in them to be the winner.

Exactly. Because like other competition shows (The Amazing Race comes to mind) the competition resets to zero each week. And as with those other contests, at first it's apt to seem unfair -- you lose your advantage a week later! -- but then on reflection it becomes clear that that's the only way it could be done impartially.

Edited August 4, 2018 by Rinaldo

[dleighg]

the bakers are always so nice to each other but Danny couldn't help snickering a bit at Cathryn's disaster of her tea cakes.

[Rinaldo]

55 minutes ago, dleighg said:

the bakers are always so nice to each other but Danny couldn't help snickering a bit at Cathryn's disaster of her tea cakes.

(Sorry for posting so much, but I obsess so much over this show, I watch an episode multiple times.) I saw Danny's reaction too, but I guess I have a more charitable explanation: Danny, like us viewers, can't help being amused by the flurry of Cathryn's emphatic and frequent verbal reactions to trouble. So many iterations of "Oh no!", "Heavens to Betsy!", and "Oh my giddy aunt!" in such a short time. One can feel bad for her and see the humor at the same time, especially as we know Cathryn can see the humor in her mistakes herself (as with the immortal "I'm not serving Mary Berry green carpet!" incident).

[dubbel zout]

7 hours ago, Ms Lark said:

I'm glad Kathryn started standing up to [the male judge] over the past few weeks.

That's the thing that kept me from disliking her completely.

4 hours ago, rhys said:

12 hours ago, Quilt Fairy said:

I hate marshmallow, and have never really gotten the uniquely English concept of "digestive biscuits" so I thought those tea cakes looked disgusting. 

Aren't British digestive biscuits the same as U.S. Graham crackers?

Regular digestive biscuits are pretty similar to animal crackers (the ones that aren't cookies, I mean). The whole wheat diggies are pretty close to graham crackers. (See here for the wonderful world of digestive biscuits.)

1 hour ago, Rinaldo said:

at first it's apt to seem unfair -- you lose your advantage a week later! -- but then on reflection it becomes clear that that's the only way it could be done impartially.

Starting from scratch each week is a way to keep the tension going until the end, because I don't think there's been a winner who hasn't had at least one disastrous bake. That's a big part of the appeal for me—someone can start out strong and fade, or a dark horse can suddenly come into his/her own and win.

[dleighg]

1 hour ago, Rinaldo said:

I saw Danny's reaction too, but I guess I have a more charitable explanation:

Yeah, snickered isn't the right word. I didn't see anything mean about it; just that one can't help but laugh a tiny bit when they come out with the chocolate sliding off after all that drama.

[sum]

They couldn't say the brand name but the technical challenge was basically home-made version of the famous Tunnock's Teacake, though as the link page shows, there are loads of similar products around the world. According to people who have tastes both that and Mallomars, Tunnock's is less sweeter, the filling is creamier, less rubbery and the biscuit bit is crumblier.

As for the showstopper challenge, I don't think they were told 'not a house' per se but the introduction of the round by Mel ('... not just an any old gingerbread structure, you've go to take a normal gingerbread house to another level. Sydney Opera House, Eiffel Tower something like that.') suggests what the brief was. Brendan's was certainly very neat and pretty. However, the house structure was quite basic and the fact that all the extra bits were made of something other than gingerbread probably didn't impress the judges, either.

 

18 hours ago, dubbel zout said:

Oof, those poor bakers, having to make that tea cake recipe (which looked like Mallomars—yum!) when the weather is absolutely wrong for nearly every stage. Catherine's incessant "Oh, no!" drove me nuts. James's hug was very sweet. 

I'm surprised the bakers don't use thermometers more often. They might have better results if they checked the temperature. Are they not allowed?

I ADORE a good gingerbread, so I really enjoyed the little history break and the showstopper.

I'm not surprised Catherine was sent home. She had an unfortunately terrible week.

Surely not the case. Just in this episode we saw James and Danny using them, so I presumed thermometers were provided. For some reasons, Cathryn didn't use it though - 'a true home baker' thing by Mary.
 

1 hour ago, dubbel zout said:

Starting from scratch each week is a way to keep the tension going until the end, because I don't think there's been a winner who hasn't had at least one disastrous bake. That's a big part of the appeal for me—someone can start out strong and fade, or a dark horse can suddenly come into his/her own and win.

Second that, especially the last part. We see some bakers improve so much, as the series progresses. Gaining more confidence or just good old 'Practice makes perfect'. For example, with cumulative scoring we would've had a different S03 winner (series 6 in UK) and likely would've missed the subsequent career blossom of the champ, which for me is the most amazing story from the whole series that will be long remembered.

Edited August 4, 2018 by sum

[dubbel zout]

The bakers had to use thermometers for tempering chocolate. I was wondering why they don't use them for baking, like with the pies or bread. Everything has an ideal internal temperature, and if you know you're a few degrees under, you can leave it in a bit longer. (Of course, if you've run out of time, nothing will help.)

1 hour ago, sum said:

the most amazing story from the whole series that will be long remembered

I don't think anything will ever top that ending. Even Mary Berry got choked up!

[sum]

6 minutes ago, dubbel zout said:

The bakers had to use thermometers for tempering chocolate. I was wondering why they don't use them for baking, like with the pies or bread. Everything has an ideal internal temperature, and if you know you're a few degrees under, you can leave it in a bit longer. (Of course, if you've run out of time, nothing will help.)

I don't think anything will ever top that ending. Even Mary Berry got choked up!

I do remember bakers using them, mainly for bread, meat pies, chocolate and a more traditional looking one for syrup (maybe more frequently in the later season?*), so it's definitely not banned. Why wouldn't they use more often, I don't know.

*I think as the bakers in the later season tend to be more skilled & challenges get more complex they started to bring their own stuffs (homemade devices or commercial kitchen gadgets) more and more.

[carrps]

22 hours ago, dubbel zout said:

Oof, those poor bakers, having to make that tea cake recipe (which looked like Mallomars—yum!)

I had the exact opposite reaction -- I said Mallomars, yuck!

18 hours ago, Mystery said:

Regardless of the type of building, Brendan, who I like, spent too much time on non-gingerbread things. Though I loved him giving his lady bird eyelashes. 

Mascara, not eyelashes!

I was surprised Sue was acting like chipotle was such an exotic ingredient. I know it's an older show, but not that old.

[Mystery]

3 hours ago, carrps said:

I was surprised Sue was acting like chipotle was such an exotic ingredient. I know it's an older show, but not that old.

Speaking of the hosts, I was touched that Mel was working her hardest (off camera) to show how crisp Cathryn's biscuits were, cracking them for all she was worth. 

I'm watching the Amy Poehler/Nick Offerman show "Making It," which premiered tonight. The contestants walk in a group to a large airy workspace and I thought, these producers like The Great British Bake-Off! 

[escatefromny]

I watch this show on Saturday mornings and it always sends me to the bakery in search of something I simply have to have.   Last week it was cinnamon rolls.   Cruel to show the Mallomar episode durning the season when they don’t ship them to many parts of the country (including mine!)  

Cathryn was delightful, especially in standing up to Paul.  (I wonder if all the “Good Place” cursing is because she has young children).  Sorry to see her go.  

[Souris]

I never knew any of that gingerbread history — fascinating!

Brendan seems like the obvious winner, but you never know. I do like all the bakers left, so I will be happy for any of them.

[Quilt Fairy]

8 hours ago, sum said:

 Tunnock's is less sweet

Well, you know we Americans like everything sickeningly sweet. 

[Toothbrush]

Dr. Toothbrush & I dined at a restaurant Friday night that had chili rubbed lavash crackers in the bread basket. I was absolutely jonesing for them watching the signature bake.

Poor Cathryn had a wreck of a weekend. I will miss her and her 'my giddy aunt', 'pants', and 'oh Lor' expressions. She was a lot of fun to watch.

John is right that he has been in the middle of the pack and needs to step it up. Of the final 4 I have been least impressed by him overall, but his gingerbread Coliseum was well-done. I am not spoiled whatsoever, but my feeling is that he is the ultimate winner. 

James winning star baker on his birthday was nice. 

On 8/3/2018 at 9:30 PM, Pickles said:

Everyone looked like they were roasting in that tent. They really had the fans going, at least. Sue's hair was standing on end from the breeze. Lol.

She almost lost her wig lol

16 hours ago, Mabinogia said:

My favorite thing about this season is that I actually adore all of them fairly equally and I will be happy no matter which one of them wins. 

My least favorite thing about this seasons is that they can't all win. lol

Yes & yes! 

3 hours ago, escatefromny said:

Cathryn was delightful, especially in standing up to Paul.  (I wonder if all the “Good Place” cursing is because she has young children).  Sorry to see her go.  

That is what I was thinking too. We did the same thing, but the oldest mini-Toothbrush managed to drop an f-bomb in the correct context before he was 3. Naturally, I blame Dr. Toothbrush. 

[backgroundnoise]

That is definitely not what I think of when I hear the term "tea cake."  I imagine something more scone like, dainty, non-chocolate and little.  I think I would love those ones they made, though--the tea cake equivalent of fudge pinwheels, one of my favorite cookies.

I'm not a baker, but I find watching how to make things I take for granted like crackers fascinating.  Love this show, can't say that often enough.

Edited August 5, 2018 by backgroundnoise

[Mabinogia]

18 minutes ago, backgroundnoise said:

I'm not a baker, but I find watching how to make things I take for granted like crackers fascinating.  Love this show, can't say that often enough.

Me too. It is weird because the show both makes me want to bake and makes me terrified of baking. It all just seems so complicated but it looks kind of fun and delicious. Even when the results aren't perfect, I am still so impressed by what these bakers are capable of. 

[Rinaldo]

34 minutes ago, backgroundnoise said:

That is definitely not what I think of when I hear the term "tea cake."  I imagine something more scone like, dainty, non-chocolate and little.  I think I would love those ones they made, though--the tea cake equivalent of fudge pinwheels, one of my favorite cookies.

The concept "tea cake" seems to encompass a variety of possible items. I got the impression that these -- like some other technical challenges they've had like custard tarts and iced buns -- are ordinarily store-bought snack items that nobody would think of baking for themselves. The British Food Depot, which seems to be a distributor of such items in the US, sells something that seems to be the same concept, though with a shortbread rather than digestive biscuit base; and in the photo they're firmly wrapped so we can't see if they have the dome. Would the American equivalent be "Make 6 identical Ho Hos; you have 3 hours"?

[illdoc]

1 hour ago, Rinaldo said:

Would the American equivalent be "Make 6 identical Ho Hos; you have 3 hours"?

Ho-Hos are more like mini-Swiss Rolls. Maybe Ding-Dongs (those are the ones that look like hockey pucks)?

[Mystery]

I think Rinaldo was referring not to the shape, but to the concept that the bakers would make have to make something that people usually just buy at the store. 

The tea cakes that Paul made looked very appetizing!

Edited August 5, 2018 by Mystery

[springbarb]

I could see why James got praise for his barn; as soon as he had the structure in place, I was impressed. The cake shoved in looked a bit messy, but apparently tasted delicious, and the cobwebs looked amazing. I doubt that his initial vision would've looked better, honestly.

Brendan grates on me; he does execute things impeccably, but his vision for things seems off from what the judges want a decent amount of the time. And I think that if you asked him about that afterwards, he'd still say that his was the right way. That birdhouse was gorgeous, but it obviously wasn't the judges wanted. It was at a different level than John's Coliseum, and not in a good way.

[Ceindreadh]

5 hours ago, springbarb said:

I could see why James got praise for his barn; as soon as he had the structure in place, I was impressed. The cake shoved in looked a bit messy, but apparently tasted delicious, and the cobwebs looked amazing. I doubt that his initial vision would've looked better, honestly.

Brendan grates on me; he does execute things impeccably, but his vision for things seems off from what the judges want a decent amount of the time. And I think that if you asked him about that afterwards, he'd still say that his was the right way. That birdhouse was gorgeous, but it obviously wasn't the judges wanted. It was at a different level than John's Coliseum, and not in a good way.

Did they actually show the drawing of what James’s barn was supposed to look like?  I don’t remember seeing it. 

 

I thought he did well to get something that looked like a showstopper even if it wasn’t what he’d originally planned. 

[Kohola3]

1 hour ago, Ceindreadh said:

Did they actually show the drawing of what James’s barn was supposed to look like?  I don’t remember seeing it. 

 

Yep.  And it was a completed barn.  Good save on his part, creative thinking.

In Brendan's defense, the bird house was a complete scene and something I would stop to look at in a bakery window.  Lots of cute details.  Again, I don't think they were told that "just a house" was worthy of being smashed in Paul's world.  I somehow think he'd do something different if he'd known.

[dleighg]

11 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

In Brendan's defense, the bird house was a complete scene and something I would stop to look at in a bakery window.  Lots of cute details.  Again, I don't think they were told that "just a house" was worthy of being smashed in Paul's world.  I somehow think he'd do something different if he'd known.

I think they said "step it up." And Brendan took this in a different direction than everyone else. He stepped up the "scene" and the decorations rather than the structure. I agree that they should have made it explicit what they were, and were NOT, looking for. 

[Winter Rose]

12 hours ago, springbarb said:

Brendan grates on me; he does execute things impeccably, but his vision for things seems off from what the judges want a decent amount of the time. And I think that if you asked him about that afterwards, he'd still say that his was the right way. That birdhouse was gorgeous, but it obviously wasn't the judges wanted. It was at a different level than John's Coliseum, and not in a good way.

If this was an American competition, Brendan would be my pick to say "I'm not here to make friends." Him saying there's a few contestants he's "keeping an eye on" but otherwise acts like he knows better because he's older was really off-putting. And if he becomes paranoid about the others, his own work will suffer. He definitely has the skills and he's very consistent, I expect he'll make it to the final, but it's been a running theme with him that his design ideas are dated in the judges' eyes. And when contestants keep doing the thing they're told not to do, it catches up to them eventually.

[proserpina65]

On ‎08‎/‎04‎/‎2018 at 4:17 PM, sum said:

They couldn't say the brand name but the technical challenge was basically home-made version of the famous Tunnock's Teacake, though as the link page shows, there are loads of similar products around the world. According to people who have tastes both that and Mallomars, Tunnock's is less sweeter, the filling is creamier, less rubbery and the biscuit bit is crumblier.

Mallomars predate Tunnock's Teacake by about 43 years, so one could say that they are a less sweet copy of the original.  Mallomars were first sold in 1913 - who'd have imagined that?  I like Mallomars, but wouldn't be adverse to trying Tunnock's version.

 

Good for James, doing the baking equivalent of taking lemons and making margaritas.  I was also quite impressed by John's Colisseum and, to a lesser extent, Danny's Big Ben.  Brendan's birdhouse was quite pretty, but structurally it wasn't in the same league; maybe if he'd made the roof tiles out of gingerbread rather than store-bought cereal, Paul and Mary might've been more impressed.

Edited August 6, 2018 by proserpina65

[sum]

13 minutes ago, proserpina65 said:

Mallomars predate Tunnock's Teacake by about 43 years, so one could say that they are a less sweet copy of the original.  Mallomars were first sold in 1913 - who'd have imagined that?  I like Mallomars, but wouldn't be adverse to trying Tunnock's version.

 

Good for James, doing the baking equivalent of taking lemons and making margaritas.  I was also quite impressed by John's Colisseum and, to a lesser extent, Danny's Big Ben.  Brendan's birdhouse was quite pretty, but structurally it wasn't in the same league; maybe if he'd made the roof tiles out of gingerbread rather than store-bought cereal, Paul and Mary might've been more impressed.

Just to be clear, I wasn't implying which was the original. My comment was about Sue's 'an iconic biscuit' reference that was clearly picked up by the bakers. Since it wouldn't be obvious for us non-Brits, I was thinking of adding some context to the challenge.

[proserpina65]

6 minutes ago, sum said:

Just to be clear, I wasn't implying which was the original. My comment was about Sue's 'an iconic biscuit' reference that was clearly picked up by the bakers. Since it wouldn't be obvious for us non-Brits, I was thinking of adding some context to the challenge.

Sorry, I didn't mean to imply that you were.  I just thought it was an interesting tidbit.  So we're cool, I hope?

[chaifan]

I thought Brendan's bird house was very cute, but I also thought it missed the mark for the challenge.  What would have made it a show stopper is if he lifted off the roof to reveal a birdcage with a little gingerbread man in it (bird in a house, man in a cage).  I'll side with Mary that I didn't like the shredded wheat roof. 

When James' original design was shown I wasn't impressed and thought, well, it's just a long house, how is that anything different.  If he had done as he had planned, how would the judges have seen the interior construction, which is what made it more than just a regular gingerbread house?  I thought the end result was fabulous.  He could re-brand that as a gingerbread haunted barn or something like that. 

I was not impressed with Danny's Big Ben.  I liked the concept, but I thought her icing was really messy.  I didn't think Cathryn's Buckingham Palace was all that great, either. 

I think Brendan made a smart pick on his crackers - by using a darker wheat it gives a little leeway in having them all even toned.  He really is such a perfectionist, and that really showed in his crackers. 

A final thought on usage of thermometers - we really have no idea if they are used on a regular basis or not.  They might be and it's just not part of what is shown. 

[OhTheHumanity]

Quote

Brendan grates on me; he does execute things impeccably, but his vision for things seems off from what the judges want a decent amount of the time. And I think that if you asked him about that afterwards, he'd still say that his was the right way. That birdhouse was gorgeous, but it obviously wasn't the judges wanted. It was at a different level than John's Coliseum, and not in a good way.

I'm glad to know I'm not alone in feeling that Brendan grates.  He's clearly very talented, but there's something that's just...I don't know, maybe self-satisfied about him?  And unlike nearly every other competitor I've seen across several seasons, he never seems to offer any encouragement or kind words (or hands-on help, although he's of course not obligated to do that) to any of the other competitors.  Part of what makes this show so lovely is the camaraderie among the bakers, and Brendan doesn't seem to be part of that.