After three episodes sponging off the BBC’s ingredients for success, Channel 4 finally came up with a new idea for The Great British Bake Off, or rather its first good one.
‘Caramel Week’ was certainly an improvement on other contributions: adding 15 minutes’ worth of adverts or Noel Fielding being zany (claiming he was ‘part wasp’, eating flowers etc).
It was just a shame the theme didn’t work out that well – for the contestants or one of the judges.
Sticky situation: After three episodes sponging off the BBC’s ingredients for success, Channel 4 finally came up with a new idea for The Great British Bake Off, or rather its first good one
‘Caramel Week’ proved so difficult for the Bakers at least one round was a right off – even more of a waste of time that usual.
Prue Leith’s revelation ‘I don’t like really sweet things’ meanwhile suggested that she was on the wrong programme given the proliferation on GBBO of cakes, biscuits, buttercream, éclairs, and now caramel.
Prue redeemed herself though with the Technical Challenge, and the way she justified selecting the Netherland’s most popular waffle, the stroopwafel.
Time for their just desserts: ‘Caramel Week’ proved so difficult for the Bakers at least one round was a right off – even more of a waste of time that usual
‘With any luck none of our bakers will have made one before !’ she cheered.
Debatable, you thought. Which of us has not made stroopwafels?
‘There are plenty of things that can go wrong and they’re only allowed one waffle to practice on…’
Mary Berry would be proud of her mean elitism.
‘Wow ! Brilliant !’ Paul Hollywood approved.
Sweet tooth: Prue Leith’s revelation ‘I don’t like really sweet things’ meanwhile suggested that she was on the wrong programme given the proliferation on GBBO of cakes and biscuits
Leith listed some of the hurdles for him, and us. If the stroopwafels were too brittle they would break, too soft and they would be soggy.
‘The trick is you have to go low and slow !’ she said. Good advice for life not just stroopwafels.
‘I’m beginning to feel a bit mean now,’ she reflected.
‘No don’t !’ enthused Hollywood.
Tricky and sticky: The candidates had done well with the Signature Challenge, making Millionaire Shortbreads. But from the start they had mixed feelings about the key ingredient and theme: the caramel
Prue Leith’s comments throughout the show proved she was the equal of Queen Mary.
‘Maybe it’s got too much pecan. It’s a little unpleasant,’ she sneered softly to James.
‘The biscuit is quite coarse,’ Yan was reprimanded. ‘I don’t think the texture of anything is right.’
The bakers’ stroopwafels meanwhile were universally so inept eventually she sighed: ‘I’m really looking forward to one getting it right’ – a desire that proved fruitless.
Prue and Paul adjudged that all the Bakers’ stroopwafel were ‘grainy.’
Stacey was declared the winner but even then Prue felt the need to comment: ‘you failed on the graininess.’
Oops: The bakers’ stroopwafels meanwhile were universally so inept eventually she sighed: ‘I’m really looking forward to one getting it right’ – a desire that proved fruitless
The candidates had done well with the Signature Challenge, making Millionaire Shortbreads.
But from the start they had mixed feelings about the key ingredient and theme: the caramel.
‘This is the week I’ve practiced most and it hasn’t gone that well,’ admitted Sophie, which was better than Julia’s assessment: ‘the tricky thing about caramel is pretty much everything.’
Yan’s reaction was even more succinct: ‘how am I feeling about caramel? Oh God !’
Up for a challenge: ‘Those making individual shortbreads face layering the caramel and then the chocolate 18 separate times,’ Sandi Toksvig told us, at the start of the Signature Challenge. ‘And Steven’s separate layers will be bigger than most’
Even the favourite for the title, double Star Baker, and smug semi-professional extraordinaire Steven Carter-Bailey struggled.
‘After yesterday obviously caramel is a sensitive subject for everybody,’ he confessed gravely. ‘Caramel will do what it wants – you just have to go with it and hope that it works out.’
Whether this (profound) philosophy was helpful, or true, seemed debatable when you were baking.
‘Those making individual shortbreads face layering the caramel and then the chocolate 18 separate times,’ Sandi Toksvig told us, at the start of the Signature Challenge. ‘And Steven’s separate layers will be bigger than most.’
Breaking boundaries: Even Noel Fielding felt the need to mention that ‘as usual’ Steven was going ‘all out’ for his Showstopper – ‘a caramel crown encasing a mirror-glazed red velvet cake’
Of course they would be, we thought. For once the problem was they weren’t that good though.
‘For the first time I don’t like the flavours and I don’t like the texture of that caramel,’ Steven’s biggest fan Paul Hollywood told him. ‘It’s far too bitter.’
At least Prue liked them, but only because it transpired ‘I don’t like really, really, sweet things.’
Even Noel Fielding felt the need to mention that ‘as usual’ Steven was going ‘all out’ for his Showstopper – ‘a caramel crown encasing a mirror-glazed red velvet cake.’
‘I do love the royal family,’ Steven preened to camera. ‘They are my second family.’
(‘I am royalty’ in other words.)
Turning tables: ‘For the first time I don’t like the flavours and I don’t like the texture of that caramel,’ Steven’s biggest fan Paul Hollywood told him. ‘It’s far too bitter’
When he joked: ‘so your Majesty today I present to you the crown jewels in sugar,’ it was lucky he hadn’t actually said: ‘I present my crown jewels.’
Unusually he wasn’t made Star Baker (which went to Kate) and he wouldn’t have won Innuendo of the Week anyway.
That honour went to James.
‘I think I can dip my nuts and then use the leftover to do the sugar spinning,’ he told the judges.
‘I don’t think you should say ‘dip your nuts’ on television !’ Sandi Toksvig sniggered.
Then again it was Channel 4.
Saucy: ‘I don’t think you should say ‘dip your nuts’ on television !’ Sandi Toksvig sniggered