On last night’s Great British Bake-Off on Channel 4, Alice Fevronia’s chocolate and honeycomb confections made her Star Baker for biscuit week
I did say I would be a day late [with this review], but I still need to apologise. I just couldn’t wait to get this one out and there were moments yesterday it felt like I was trying to hide a soggy bottom in a puddle of custard from ye.
Over the Bake’ Sheet series, it may have come across that I never took this particular Bake-Off setting seriously, like last year I did take issue with the sequence in the schedule, and the previous year I set out my own feeble and lazy reasoning for snubbing the home baked biscuit.
But you know what, I think I have to change my tune.
The tenth Biscuit Tent’venture event was brilliant. Every single crumb and snap of it.
I’m not going to pretend any of us, or even the bakers in the Tent would do biscuit bars by choice; but I reckon I’m not the only one changing their mind. Even for a one off.
Honestly, if I’m to toast Bake-Off for anything this year it is that it put biscuits back into our recipe folders, drawers and tubs. I even predict trays of dedicated recipe books by Christmas.
Before I go on, let’s get the who and why out of the way. Jamie had to go, like, I was surprised he even came back for a second weekend. It was distressing telly at times, but no harm was done to any other baker. Nor should the producers be blamed, as Henry is coping so well he does it in a shirt and tie.
On a technical point, the Hollywood is wrong, Henry is not the first baker to wear a tie, Nick Hewer ; and anyone remember the very first baker to go?
Now I’m only half convinced about Alice , but from the Signature “BAKE” blow gun she was the Star Baker all the way; and I have a feeling people will get very attached to her.
You’ll find in her Showstopper a tidy recipe for coconut shortbread, and you might even be tempted to give it a go as a celebration cake. Like everything marked as challenging, just isolate out the individual elements and give yourself an overnight to complete.
I can’t exactly put my finger on my favourite from the Signature Challenge, but I don’t think I was the only one, even the producers have provided four recipes from it.
I don’t think they have ever been that generous, and bearing in mind nothing we are likely to be producing will ever be subject to Hollywood scrutiny, I am encouraging all of us to give one a go as a traybake.
Who seriously didn’t want a whole packet of Rosie’s to be in the press? Or who wouldn’t mind just a taste of Henry’s fancy pantsy afternoon tea ones?
The only thing I’m reluctant about touting these bakes is that the kit isn’t in everyone’s press, but most of those ingredients are, OK maybe not that pink chocolate or gold fake, but if I spot those trays in the Aldi/ Lidl I absolutely would.
Did you ever try a fig roll? Shur ye know I didn’t, but I will, Again, this is set to challenging, but you know I don’t think it is, so this is it; my first technical try-this-at-home. Not this weekend, but the first chance I get.
A brief look back to the Signature; Helena and those Wicked Fingers. I have actually done a Witchy Finger before, ladies’ fingers with an almond nail, and the syrup from fake blood sweets that you see in Tuthills.
Besides that personal context, I am also so glad she turned it around, I really did feel from our first meeting last week that she had a lot more baking skill than we were seeing.
Meanwhile, next week is Bread Week, and all I can wonder is: will the Hollywood break one out?
Pic: Channel 4
I thought we were going to get a handshake this week once or twice but I reckon Paul’s decided/been told to hold them back this year. Yer wan, Alice, has crazy eyes. I reckon she’s one failed raise away from a nervous breakdown.
I know
I was yelling meself at him a few times for being so mean
6 challenges in and still no handshake
I wonder was he told to keep his hands to himself
I’m actually disappointed this year that everyone seems pretty good from the start.
a now in fairness
Dan the Man Bun and Jamie would have been the first/ second to go in any of the previous nine seasonsas well
Bodger was a bit severe with the edit this week
So I’ll use the comments to fill ye in
Man Bun Dan did his signature Fruit Cake again for the Extra Slice https://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-great-british-bake-off-an-extra-slice
So if anyone had doubts about his early exit, lose them
After raw fruit cake, the worse that can happen, happened.
The fruit sunk.
The thick stripe was like a separate tier
The poor dote
Even his tattoos blushed
Ah the fruit cake batter tastes as good as, if not better than, the cake.
I can’t read this cause I’m watching all the old ones as a build up first..an appetizer as it were, the result, cake for breakfast twice this week
Ah, honey
do you know what Janie
I’ll have to get you over and we do the Hollywood’s Fig Rolls together
In the meantime just make sure you’re up to date before marquee week
I want a maccaron sheep biscuit cake so bad right now.