1363 – 1980s Week | Great British Bake You Off to Sleep C8/S11 E7
The day will melt away like a faded neon house or like ice cream on a summer day as Scooter guides you to dreamland on a path of quiche.
-
GBBO
Why was neon so popular in the 1980s?
https://www.popbae.com/blogs/trends/summer-in-neon
https://medium.com/the101times/how-did-the-neon-trend-begin-a6fe4f409f06
https://clothescolorguide.com/neon-nights-80s-palette/
GBBO C8/S11 E7
https://jenrosewrites.blog/2020/11/03/the-great-british-bake-off-season-11-episode-7-my-thoughts/
https://robhasawebsite.com/the-great-british-bake-off-series-11-episode-7-evie-james/
Finger Donuts
https://thegreatbritishbakeoff.co.uk/bake-offs/jacqueline-shearer-pauls-80s-finger-doughnuts/
https://www.grubstreet.com/2020/11/great-british-baking-show-80s-week-2020-recap.html
Ice Cream Cake
https://www.thedailymeal.com/1559159/origin-of-ice-cream-cake/
https://www.tastingtable.com/930865/the-unlikely-predecessor-to-the-ice-cream-cake/
DOWN TO BUSINESS
I’m here to carry you off to dreamland via baking
A dull shade of neon
Talking near you
Neon signs vs neon colors
I don’t know my neon from my neon
PLUGS
Sleep With Me Plus; SleepPhones; Story Only Feed; Crisis Textline; Rusty Biscuit Links; Emily Tat Artwork
SPONSORS
Helix Sleep; Progressive; Zocdoc; Quince
INTRO
Confusing thoughts about neon
You’re not alone
I have trouble too and can relate to those feelings
Someone else listening on our planet Earth has been through something similar to what you’re going through
And they’re thinking of you fondly
It’s a regular kind of magic
Thinking fondly is a two-way street
Superfluous Mismanagement
Confused in my confusion
It’s normal to be skeptical
sleepwithmepodcast.com/nothankyou
Barely Listenable
Believe it or not, there’s a loose, calm effort here the whole time
What if Claude Neon had a pet named Dull Neon?
More like faded neon than dull neon, maybe
Are even neon signs dull?
Neon is the color of highlighters
The Faded Neon House, not the Fated Neon House
People probably wouldn’t mind living next to a faded neon house
But not a fresh one
My inner Abbott & Costtello
It would be nice if it was faded by a salted sea breeze
Who lives in a faded neon house by the sea?
Me, Tom Kenny, and Bobcat Goldthwait are all from Syracuse
Electric Blue Lemonade
Faded neon shirt, acid wash jeans – that’s me in retirement, baby
A somewhat familiar structure
A new, well-worn path
The Wind Down Routine
GBBO Ep 7
I’m pretty sure this one is 80s week
I couldn’t do it without you opting in
Team Fake Neon
STORY
Ep 7, 80s week
Matt Lucas’s first season
A little ET action
Matt as ET
We see donuts and ice cream cakes
They always do meltable stuff on the warmest days
No jackets today
Some people actually remember the 80s
Signature Challenge
Individual Quiches w/ 2 different flavors
I guess quiche is an 80s thing
Quiche Lorraine
You don’t have to do 80s flavor, though
Peter – coconut curry with crab meat and a salmon with capers
He wasn’t around in the 80s
Laura – spicy sausage and a pea one with mint and asparagus
ET with a smartphone
Marc – shortcut pastry
Pastry doesn’t like heat
Marc works with fish – Cornish style fish
Talking about 80s bands
Matt thinks music peaked in the 80s
28 degrees aka so hot
Doing a blind bake to avoid the soggy bottom
Hermine is behind schedule
Hermine – spinach and mushroom, salmon and leek
People are sweating a lot
Why isn’t Paul sweating?
The custard component
Dave – English breakfast, avocado and beef; doing scrambled eggs and custard
Lottie – traditional Full English; summer salad
No one likes baked beans, what??
If you start your day with beans, you’re already ahead for the day (in my opinion)
Hermine starts baking while everyone else assembles
Prue has a really bright hot pink jacket on
She’s wary of Dave’s custard and Lottie’s beans
Hermine is still behind
Everyone else is going into their 2nd bake
Lottie’s bacon comes out burnt
Noel dances for Hermine
One minute left
Final touches
Everyone is impressed with each other’s quiches
Judgment
Lottie – neat, cooked, great pastry, beans aside it’s good
Dave – one is so spicy that Paul sweats, heavy spice; still wary of scrambled egg but good taste
Marc – delicious fish; great pastry; too similar – needed more contrast
Laura – tough pastry; great pea flavor
Peter – very pretty; nice pastry on the Thai one; too much chili; Great salmon flavor
Hermine – pastry is undercooked; good texture; very large; love the flavors; salmon and leek is delicious; but NO HANDSHAKE
Hermine is surprised it went so well
Paul took one of Hermine’s quiches for lunch!
Everyone feels a little wary
Gingham Shrouded Mystery
Technical Challenge
Watch the color of the end product
6 Custard and Jam Finger Donuts
They have to deep frying
Is frying preferable to baking?
Out of their comfort zones
Paul had to fry donuts at his dad’s place
Golden brown, not burnt
Make the dough so it can rise
Windowpane testing
Peter is using a machine to knead the dough
Matt and Lottie use cold chamois to cool down
Maybe they don’t need the proving dough if it’s so warm
Make a jam and pass it through a sieve
Creme Mousseline – creme with butter
Talking 80s fashion
Dave’s dough is not rising
Fingers that are 15cm in length
Peter doesn’t know 80s music
Waiting for deep fryers to heat up
Some use a basket, some drop in, some use a whisk
Dave’s oil is too hot
Dave’s are definitely too dark
Covering up color with sugar
Why isn’t Noel sweating?
Cool the pastry before putting the creme in
Peter Piper is so good at piping
Dave cuts his weird
Not everyone is happy
Judgment Time
Peter – quite like it, lovely flavor
Dave – burnt, underproved, a right mess, very doughy, right inside, wrong color
Hermine – right color, airy inside, good creme, delicious
Lottie – a little dark, not consistent, a little tough
Marc – bubbly mousseline, tastes good
Laura – overfried, good flavor, doesn’t look good
Dave is last
Lottie is 5th
Laura is 4th
Marc is 3rd
Peter is 2nd
Hermine wins the Technical!
Hermine wants to celebrate with a cold beer
Lottie and Dave are stressed
Showstopper Challenge
One more challenge until the Quarterfinals!
Hermine is doing good
Lottie, Dave and Laura are in trouble
If Hermine wins, she would be the 7th different Star Baker!
No one wants to hear about Paul’s sweaty jeans
Ice Cream Cake with one baked element
Peter is making an Arctic Roll
Laura only loves wine more than ice cream
25 miles of Arctic Roll were sold every month, wow
Peter – ice cream christmas cake; marzipan on top; Italian meringue; it should freeze
Hermine – Summer holiday style; mangos, lime, coconut ice cream, raspberry
Laura – A custard base for her ice cream
They do have ice cream makers, fortunately
Ingredients will determine cooling time
Marc – Retro ice cream parlor flavors! A whole pot of honey. Honey, hazelnut, butterscotch, blackberry, chocolate giaconde
Laura – Joy by chocolate, brownie ice cream, chocolate ganache, hazelnuts
Dave – He’s gonna pipe his ice cream on top, risky, tiramisu flavors
Lottie – coating her entire ice cream cake in chocolate ice cream! A cassette tape. If it works, it’ll be cool
Hermine is worried hers is too simple
Marc is making a striped exterior
Discussing Sting’s lute playing
Shape it and then chill it
Laura’s is not freezing
The cooler in her ice cream machine wasn’t on!
Laura offers a meringue kiss to Lottie
Believe in yourself, Laura!
Noel is Laura’s advocate
Noel is playing with Lottie’s leftovers
You can’t start building until the ice cream is done
It’s just so warm
Matt jokes about wearing a bikini
Laura’s churn is finally done
Up against the clock with assembly
Things will defrost quickly
The heat is getting to everybody
Throwing them into the freezer
Laura’s isn’t freezing yet
Lottie and Laura are the most concerned right now
Peter is working on decorations
Peter is very competitive
Matt tries to make Noel laugh
They begin melting the minute they’re out of the freezer
It’s too hot, innit?
Lottie still has to coat her cake in ice cream!
Lottie is really in trouble
Laura’s cake collapses in the freezer!
Hermine’s looks like a piece of 80s art
More assembly
Different levels of success
Judgment Time
Low spirits but lots of laughter
Marc – Impressive, Delicate, Delicious, 3 layers, lovely mousse, only one ice cream isn’t set, brave, complicated, maybe too much
Hermine – beautiful, great ribbon, neat lines, well-balanced, simple but effective, classic
Still no handshake though
Peter – clever look, fantastic, hard to cut, absolutely delicious, still froze even with booze, too solid because of the fruit
Dave – Looks like a tiramisu, a little sloppy, good flavor and texture
Lottie – incomplete, underwhelmed, nice idea but hard to execute, a lot of ice cream melted, looks good though, inconsistent flavors
Laura – good meringue kisses, leaning, chocolate is melting, praline ice cream is great, ice cream just isn’t frozen but good flavor, almost got there
Lottie’s risk didn’t pay off
Table Talk Time
Hermine excelled
Marc pulled himself up
Dave, Lottie, and Laura are at the bottom
Lottie is erratic
Laura’s been at the bottom
Hermine is Star Baker!
It looks like Lottie knew
Lottie is going home
They call her Cat Face in a nice way?
Lottie needs a moment
Laura is sad to lose Lottie
Lottie only packed 2 outfits so she’s happy to go home
Hermine is chuffed
Just keep going
Some guy runs out and gives her a hug
He’s happy for her!
Ending with a cute moment
SUMMARY:
Episode: 1363
Title: 1980s Week | Great British Bake You Off to Sleep C8/S11 E7
Plugs: Sleep With Me Plus; SleepPhones; Story Only Feed; Crisis Textline; Rusty Biscuit Links; Emily Tat Artwork
Sponsors: Helix Sleep; Progressive; Zocdoc; Quince
Notable Language:
- A regular kind of magic
- Superfluous Mismanagement
- Confused in my confusion
- Barely Listenable
- A loose, calm effort
- Dull Neon
- Faded Neon
- Faded / Fated Neon House
- Electric Blue Lemonade
- A new, well-worn path
- Team Fake Neon
- Quiche
- Gingham Shrouded Mystery
- Peter Piper
- Cat Face
Notable Culture:
- Great British Bake Off
-
- sleepwithmepodcast.com/nothankyou
- Abbott & Costtello
- Spongebob Squarepants
-
- Tom Kenny
- Bobcat Goldthwait
- Matt Lucas
- E.T.
-
- Rubik’s Cube
- Fame
- The Cure
- Spandau Ballet
- Sting
Notable Talking Points:
- Confusing thoughts about neon
- You’re not alone
- I have trouble too and can relate to those feelings
- Someone else listening on our planet Earth has been through something similar to what you’re going through
- And they’re thinking of you fondly
- It’s a regular kind of magic
- Thinking fondly is a two-way street
- Superfluous Mismanagement
- Confused in my confusion
- It’s normal to be skeptical
- sleepwithmepodcast.com/nothankyou
- Barely Listenable
- Believe it or not, there’s a loose, calm effort here the whole time
- What if Claude Neon had a pet named Dull Neon?
- More like faded neon than dull neon, maybe
- Are even neon signs dull?
- Neon is the color of highlighters
- The Faded Neon House, not the Fated Neon House
- People probably wouldn’t mind living next to a faded neon house
- But not a fresh one
- My inner Abbott & Costtello
- It would be nice if it was faded by a salted sea breeze
- Who lives in a faded neon house by the sea?
- Me, Tom Kenny, and Bobcat Goldthwait are all from Syracuse
- Electric Blue Lemonade
- Faded neon shirt, acid wash jeans – that’s me in retirement, baby
- A somewhat familiar structure
- A new, well-worn path
- The Wind Down Routine
- GBBO Ep 7
- I’m pretty sure this one is 80s week
- I couldn’t do it without you opting in
- Team Fake Neon
- Ep 7, 80s week
- Matt Lucas’s first season
- A little ET action
- Matt as ET
- We see donuts and ice cream cakes
- They always do meltable stuff on the warmest days
- No jackets today
- Some people actually remember the 80s
- Signature Challenge
- Individual Quiches w/ 2 different flavors
- I guess quiche is an 80s thing
- Quiche Lorraine
- You don’t have to do 80s flavor, though
- Peter – coconut curry with crab meat and a salmon with capers
- He wasn’t around in the 80s
- Laura – spicy sausage and a pea one with mint and asparagus
- ET with a smartphone
- Marc – shortcut pastry
- Pastry doesn’t like heat
- Marc works with fish – Cornish style fish
- Talking about 80s bands
- Matt thinks music peaked in the 80s
- 28 degrees aka so hot
- Doing a blind bake to avoid the soggy bottom
- Hermine is behind schedule
- Hermine – spinach and mushroom, salmon and leek
- People are sweating a lot
- Why isn’t Paul sweating?
- The custard component
- Dave – English breakfast, avocado and beef; doing scrambled eggs and custard
- Lottie – traditional Full English; summer salad
- No one likes baked beans, what??
- If you start your day with beans, you’re already ahead for the day (in my opinion)
- Hermine starts baking while everyone else assembles
- Prue has a really bright hot pink jacket on
- She’s wary of Dave’s custard and Lottie’s beans
- Hermine is still behind
- Everyone else is going into their 2nd bake
- Lottie’s bacon comes out burnt
- Noel dances for Hermine
- One minute left
- Final touches
- Everyone is impressed with each other’s quiches
- Judgment
- Lottie – neat, cooked, great pastry, beans aside it’s good
- Dave – one is so spicy that Paul sweats, heavy spice; still wary of scrambled egg but good taste
- Marc – delicious fish; great pastry; too similar – needed more contrast
- Laura – tough pastry; great pea flavor
- Peter – very pretty; nice pastry on the Thai one; too much chili; Great salmon flavor
- Hermine – pastry is undercooked; good texture; very large; love the flavors; salmon and leek is delicious; but NO HANDSHAKE
- Hermine is surprised it went so well
- Paul took one of Hermine’s quiches for lunch!
- Everyone feels a little wary
- Gingham Shrouded Mystery
- Technical Challenge
- Watch the color of the end product
- 6 Custard and Jam Finger Donuts
- They have to deep frying
- Is frying preferable to baking?
- Out of their comfort zones
- Paul had to fry donuts at his dad’s place
- Golden brown, not burnt
- Make the dough so it can rise
- Windowpane testing
- Peter is using a machine to knead the dough
- Matt and Lottie use cold chamois to cool down
- Maybe they don’t need the proving dough if it’s so warm
- Make a jam and pass it through a sieve
- Creme Mousseline – creme with butter
- Talking 80s fashion
- Dave’s dough is not rising
- Fingers that are 15cm in length
- Peter doesn’t know 80s music
- Waiting for deep fryers to heat up
- Some use a basket, some drop in, some use a whisk
- Dave’s oil is too hot
- Dave’s are definitely too dark
- Covering up color with sugar
- Why isn’t Noel sweating?
- Cool the pastry before putting the creme in
- Peter Piper is so good at piping
- Dave cuts his weird
- Not everyone is happy
- Judgment Time
- Peter – quite like it, lovely flavor
- Dave – burnt, underproved, a right mess, very doughy, right inside, wrong color
- Hermine – right color, airy inside, good creme, delicious
- Lottie – a little dark, not consistent, a little tough
- Marc – bubbly mousseline, tastes good
- Laura – overfried, good flavor, doesn’t look good
- Dave is last
- Lottie is 5th
- Laura is 4th
- Marc is 3rd
- Peter is 2nd
- Hermine wins the Technical!
- Hermine wants to celebrate with a cold beer
- Lottie and Dave are stressed
- Showstopper Challenge
- One more challenge until the Quarterfinals!
- Hermine is doing good
- Lottie, Dave and Laura are in trouble
- If Hermine wins, she would be the 7th different Star Baker!
- No one wants to hear about Paul’s sweaty jeans
- Ice Cream Cake with one baked element
- Peter is making an Arctic Roll
- Laura only loves wine more than ice cream
- 25 miles of Arctic Roll were sold every month, wow
- Peter – ice cream christmas cake; marzipan on top; Italian meringue; it should freeze
- Hermine – Summer holiday style; mangos, lime, coconut ice cream, raspberry
- Laura – A custard base for her ice cream
- They do have ice cream makers, fortunately
- Ingredients will determine cooling time
- Marc – Retro ice cream parlor flavors! A whole pot of honey. Honey, hazelnut, butterscotch, blackberry, chocolate giaconde
- Laura – Joy by chocolate, brownie ice cream, chocolate ganache, hazelnuts
- Dave – He’s gonna pipe his ice cream on top, risky, tiramisu flavors
- Lottie – coating her entire ice cream cake in chocolate ice cream! A cassette tape. If it works, it’ll be cool
- Hermine is worried hers is too simple
- Marc is making a striped exterior
- Discussing Sting’s lute playing
- Shape it and then chill it
- Laura’s is not freezing
- The cooler in her ice cream machine wasn’t on!
- Laura offers a meringue kiss to Lottie
- Believe in yourself, Laura!
- Noel is Laura’s advocate
- Noel is playing with Lottie’s leftovers
- You can’t start building until the ice cream is done
- It’s just so warm
- Matt jokes about wearing a bikini
- Laura’s churn is finally done
- Up against the clock with assembly
- Things will defrost quickly
- The heat is getting to everybody
- Throwing them into the freezer
- Laura’s isn’t freezing yet
- Lottie and Laura are the most concerned right now
- Peter is working on decorations
- Peter is very competitive
- Matt tries to make Noel laugh
- They begin melting the minute they’re out of the freezer
- It’s too hot, innit?
- Lottie still has to coat her cake in ice cream!
- Lottie is really in trouble
- Laura’s cake collapses in the freezer!
- Hermine’s looks like a piece of 80s art
- More assembly
- Different levels of success
- Judgment Time
- Low spirits but lots of laughter
- Marc – Impressive, Delicate, Delicious, 3 layers, lovely mousse, only one ice cream isn’t set, brave, complicated, maybe too much
- Hermine – beautiful, great ribbon, neat lines, well-balanced, simple but effective, classic
- Still no handshake though
- Peter – clever look, fantastic, hard to cut, absolutely delicious, still froze even with booze, too solid because of the fruit
- Dave – Looks like a tiramisu, a little sloppy, good flavor and texture
- Lottie – incomplete, underwhelmed, nice idea but hard to execute, a lot of ice cream melted, looks good though, inconsistent flavors
- Laura – good meringue kisses, leaning, chocolate is melting, praline ice cream is great, ice cream just isn’t frozen but good flavor, almost got there
- Lottie’s risk didn’t pay off
- Table Talk Time
- Hermine excelled
- Marc pulled himself up
- Dave, Lottie, and Laura are at the bottom
- Lottie is erratic
- Laura’s been at the bottom
- Hermine is Star Baker!
- It looks like Lottie knew
- Lottie is going home
- They call her Cat Face in a nice way?
- Lottie needs a moment
- Laura is sad to lose Lottie
- Lottie only packed 2 outfits so she’s happy to go home
- Hermine is chuffed
- Just keep going
- Some guy runs out and gives her a hug
- He’s happy for her!
- Ending with a cute moment
-
Episode 1363 – 1980s Week | Great British Bake You Off to Sleep C8/S11 E7
[START OF RECORDING]
SCOOTER: Friends beyond the binary, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, it’s time for the podcaster, bakers, who’s here to carry you off into dreamland through baking, like a dull shade of…I’m like a dull shade of neon. You say, that’s not possible. I say, I’m someone who’s attempting to create a dull shape of neon with his words. You say, well, why would you even do that? Well, welcome to Sleep With Me, by the way. It’s a podcast to keep you company and put…take your mind off of stuff so you could fall asleep. It’s like someone trying to create a dull shade of neon in the sense…you'll say, well, why would…? How’s it work? Well, this show kinda works by me just talking to you in a friendly way so that you can feel like you have someone around who’s there for your benefit, talking for your benefit.
Not talking at you or with you; just talking near you about almost nothing to begin with, and then eventually I’ll start recapping an episode of Great British Bake Off, but it’ll take me about twenty minutes to get there so that you could barely pay attention to me or you could pay attention to me or you could just hear me in the background so your mind is comforted and distracted so you could fall asleep. That’s the best explanation I could come up with, but I think a more apt explanation is, yeah, it’s like someone creating a dull shade of neon. You say, can't…? Can you see how contradictory that is? By definition, a neon color…okay, whoa boy, I didn’t even realize we had…I poorly explained myself.
A neon sign versus neon colors from the 1980s…'cause this episode, the bake off we’ll talk about eventually, is about Eighties Week. So, yeah, maybe I could cover that. I say, wait a second, no wonder you're so confused by a confusing podcast. I don't know my neon from my…neon from my neon. So, great observation, everybody that said, Scoots, you're confusing me. You're talking about neon shoelaces and neon paints, but you were kinda…I thought you were talking about neon signs. Of course a neon sign could be a dullish color, but you are right; neon paints, by definition…I say, well, yeah, we’ll get to it. Welcome to Sleep With Me again. If you're new, so good to have you back. If you're new, just kinda see how the show goes.
It’s meant to ease you into bedtime, and eventually you fall asleep on your own, kind of. I’m just your company. So, just see how it goes. I’m really glad you're here. What we got coming up; support so paying for the show is optional, then a long, meandering intro meant to ease you into bedtime, and then we’ll cover Episode 7 of this season we’ve been covering of The Great British Bake Off. I think that’s it. I’m really glad you're here. I work really hard, and we really are able to be here 'cause of the people who benefit the most from the podcast who opt in to the show.
You're probably hearing me in other places say, hey, if you are one of those…about 20,000 people who have listened to the show for years, who listen to multiple episodes a week, like three, four, five episodes a week, who listen all night long, who love the show, this is the time to opt in to support the show back so we could continue to be here for your benefit and all those other people that listen, too. It’s cool because it’s…you become a part of, and everybody gets to be a part of the show passively if they want to because of the people who opt in to actively do that. Even a lot of the active people are like, well, I’m a passive-active person, kinda like my description of neon. You say, I’m confused again. So, I’m glad you're here, and here’s a couple ways if you want to opt in that you could.
INTRO: [INTRO MUSIC] Hey, are you up all night tossing, turning, mind racing? Trouble getting to sleep? Trouble staying asleep? Well, welcome. This is Sleep With Me, the podcast that puts you to sleep. We do it with a bedtime story. Alls you need to do or could do is get in bed, turn out the lights, and press Play. I’m gonna do the rest. What I’m going to attempt to do is create a safe place where you could set aside whatever’s keeping you awake.
That could be thoughts on your mind, confusing thoughts about neon or thoughts from the day, thoughts about the past, the present, the future, thinking thoughts, as we call them, thoughts about thoughts, thoughts and things, it could be feelings, anything coming up for you emotionally related to those thoughts or feelings that are just there or just coming up, making an appearance, physical sensations, changes in time, temperature, routine, travel, guests, work schedule. You could be…have something coming up, you could be in the middle of something, you could just be getting over something. Whatever it is. The most important part of the show is letting you know you're not alone. What do you mean when you make a podcast? What do you mean I’m not alone?
I say, well, there’s a lot of other people listening right now, and I make the show. I have trouble getting to sleep, staying asleep…trouble waking up, whatever, all those things, and I think I can probably relate to some of the feelings for you when you can't sleep, 'cause I know what it feels like for me in these different situations when I can't sleep or I’m anticipating not being able to get the sleep I need or I’m getting over not getting the sleep I need or I get good sleep and then it’s like, oh boy. So, I know how it feels for me, and I may be able to relate to how it feels…I’m pretty confident I can relate to at least part of it. But you say, no, no, you don’t know me. You don’t know what I’m going through. I say, you're right about that.
The great news is, though, that there is someone listening somewhere on the globe, somewhere…not on a globe; on our planet Earth, somewhere around the world who has been some…through something very similar to whatever it is that’s keeping you awake. There’s enough people listening right now that there is someone listening to this show right now, whether you're new or a regular listener who is rooting for you, who is thinking of you fondly even though they don’t know you, and that’s what I mean about what the show…and loneliness or whatever…the show and being alone, not being alone have anything to do with one another. Think about that; somewhere there’s someone in the world thinking fondly of you, hoping you flourish because you get the rest you need.
I make the show and I’m thinking of that, but there’s someone that can relate directly to you that’s also thinking that, and not only that; they're hopeful for you. I hope this podcast helped you like it helped me, and they're hopeful you get the same experience they're feeling right now, which is a nice experience of like, becoming a regular listener or a somewhat-regular listener or a somewhat-new listener, and holding that wonderful space for somebody else. It’s pretty indirect, it’s pretty low-lift, but it is magical. It’s not the…it’s not fancy. Oh, the old fancy magic. It’s just kinda regular magic, I guess. You get to say, man, there’s someone out there listening who’s gone through what I’ve gone through, and this podcast has helped me. I’m really glad they're here. That’s it.
That’s all you could do, and you're making magic for somebody else just thinking fondly of them. You could think fondly of yourself, too, at the same time. It’s a two-way street. So, that’s what I like to point out is important about the show. The other side is that you deserve a good night's sleep. You deserve a bedtime where you can get the rest you need so your life is more manageable, that you don’t have to dread bedtime, and that’s why I make the show. Hopefully the show can help you out and help you get the rest you need. The way it works is I send my voice across the deep, dark night. I use lulling, soothing, creaky, dulcet tones, pointless meanders, and superfluous tangents. So, I’ve already gone on a pointless meander or a superfluous tangent, or maybe one of each.
I guess it was pointless when…at first I went on a superfluous…mismanagement? No, superfluous…whatever. I went off topic, then I was…realized I was wrong. Or, not wrong; I was realizing I was confused in my confusion. So, that’s kinda…my voice is not traditionally soothing. Also, when you get here, you're probably gonna be skeptical, doubtful, irritated. Those are normal ways when you're new to the show to feel, because if you can't sleep, you're anything like me and you've been…you look for things or you've spent your whole life paying money, trying stuff out, and nothing really has worked on a regular basis…it worked once or twice or for a month or two, and then you hear about this show, you stumbled on it or somebody recommended it or you found it in a search and you get here…you say, man, what the heck?
I thought you were gonna put me to sleep, and you're talking about neon shoelaces? I say, yeah, this…that’s how the show works, kind of. It does take some getting used to. Hundreds and hundreds, maybe a million people…no, definitely, have said, man, I didn’t like you at first. I didn’t know…it took two or three tries for me to get used to the show 'cause…and some people, it takes years. They listen to the show once; they're…they have strong feelings about it. Never again. Then they come upon it again; they say, oh, wait a second, okay. I didn’t realize that’s what I was looking for. So, just see how it goes. There’s really no pressure, but give it two or three tries. If you find out the show is not for you or you're already positive…hey, you're not for me, man, there’s…that’s the great thing about this podcast.
Pretty rare is that there’s no pressure to like me or the show, because I have a website set up, sleepwithmepodcast.com/nothankyou, and I think /nothanks will also go there, which has other sleep podcasts and sleepy stuff on there, 'cause it doesn't change everything I said up until this point. You still deserve a good bedtime…you still…and there’s other options are out there that are different from this show, that have a different style and sensibility. So…and when I think I first started the website, there wasn’t even as many sleep podcasts as there are now. So, I have other sleepy audio and stuff on there. So, check that out. What else do you need to know? Oh, this is a podcast you can just bare…you say, it’s barely listenable. I say, thank you. That’s a very good compliment.
It is…just barely listen to it, kinda like background noise, a out-of-focus picture, like a sitcom you're not really paying attention to. Maybe you got it playing on your phone under your pillow, or something else that you're not quite engaged with or you're barely engaged. You could just barely listen to the show. Now, you could listen if you need to, because the other thing is this podcast is not meant to put you to sleep. I’m here to keep you company while you fall asleep, which is a bit different. There’s no pressure to fall asleep with this podcast. That’s why the episodes are over an hour. I think there’s 600 episodes in our archive so that if you become a regular listener and you want to listen to this ad-supported version, you have so much to choose from to find what works for you or to test everything out.
We're consistently putting out different styles of shows, too, because this show is meant to keep you company while you fall asleep. I’m just here to be a distraction, because there’s people who are listening who cannot sleep at all or who need a break during the day. I’m here to the very end of the show. Believe it or not, I’m putting effort in, a loose, calm effort, all the way to the end…is I’m here present with you to keep you company and talk to you so you don’t need to listen. It’s kind of paradoxical, as paradoxical as, whatever, dull neon. We had Claude Neon. What about…? I guess maybe I’ll get a reminder. Claude Neon had a pet named Dull Neon. Or maybe that’s their imaginary friend? I don't know. But what else do you need to know?
Oh, I’m here to be your bore-friend, your bore-bae, your bore-sib, your bore-bud, your neigh-bore, your bore-bie, your bores, your Boris Borlaf, your bore-bud, your best bore-friend f’eva, and keep you company while you fall asleep instead of putting you to sleep. That’s the job of the bore-friend. Oh, my bore-bae, he’s barely listenable. Holy cow, he’s like…you know, he’s more like faded neon than dull neon. I’d say, okay, well, that’s a legitimate thing. That’s a natural process, faded neon. But yeah, I guess dull neon, faded neon…what was I saying? I guess dull…new dull shades of neon. Just trying to picture neon signs if…I mean, there’s some that are that red color. Still, I wouldn't call it dull, but compared to some…or a purplish neon. You say, well, it’s not dull, but it’s still neon.
So, there’s neon signs; that’s what I was just talking about there, and then there’s neon colors from the eighties, or that were popular in the eighties or are popular now when people dress up like they're in the eighties. But they were popular in the eighties, somewhat, and…or high…I guess the…what’s a neon color, Scoots? The color of highlighters, for the most…I mean, there’s your shorthand. So, you're right, I don't know how I would dull it down, but I could find a way. I’d spend…I could say…he quit the podcast, but then he realized, oh, I’ll just leave it out in the sun. Then it’ll be…old, faded neon. That’s what happened to him. He painted a house of neon and then let it sit, and then it became the faded…the faded neon house. F-A-T-E? No, faded. Fated neon, like he was fated to be neon? No, it was faded neon.
Why would anyone call it the fated neon house? I thought it was the fate of the neons. That sounds like something. No, no, this was a faded neon house. It was once the neon house. That’s why it’s…no one…he made it in the middle of nowhere because…people don’t mind living by a fated neon house, but a neon house, especially if Scoots painted it, oh boy, do they. So, yeah, that’s the faded neon house. Fated? No, no, faded neon house. What, are you Abbott and Costello? No. I mean, just try…I just…I guess when I say those two words, they sound the same, even to me. But I’m picturing my house that was once neon that is now faded.
But you have to be a nice…I wouldn't mind if…here’s a thing, imagination or universe; if you're gonna give me a faded neon house, maybe it could be also faded not just by the sun…by a salty sea breeze. I’d like that if I’m gonna be living there. You know what I’m saying? If it’s my…I mean, it doesn't fit…I could create…I could find a way to make it fit my style. Could you…would you be crusty if you lived in a faded neon house? Who lives in a faded neon house near the sea? Scooter does. Yes, sir-ee. Believe it or not, Spongebob…the creator of Spongebob is…Tom Kenny is from the same place. Me, Bobcat Goldthwait, Tom Kenny…I don't even know. So…are from Syracuse, though I don't know either one of those. I don't want to create the impression. But so…okay, so, anyway, what was happening?
I spent all the time at the old, faded neon house. Yeah, out on the porch sipping my lemonade. The lemonade’s brighter than the house, they say, whether you drink a pink lemonade or regular. Electric-blue lemonade, man, it makes your house look even more faded. Thanks, Spongebob. So, I explained what the podcast is…oh, structure of the show. I need to explain that. Just in case you're new, I want to meet you where you are, 'cause the show’s already strange, and I can kinda ask…it’s not asking you to do a lot. It’s just asking you to go through a lot of incomprehensible nonsense. It’s probably asking more to just let go and lower your expectations than to do something active, right? To give something a few tries until it clicks that this podcast is really never going anywhere. This podcast really is faded neon.
Faded neon shirt, acid-washed jeans, man, that’s what I’ll be wearing in retirement, maybe, if I get that house. Structure of the show, though…that’s what I was gonna say. So, the show starts off with a greeting; friends beyond the binary, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, so you feel seen and welcomed in and you say, okay, that show sounds fun and welcoming and inviting. I could…I’ll try a shot of that out. Then there’s support because paying for the podcast is optional, then there’s a long, meandering intro that’s meant to ease you into bedtime versus put you to sleep. So, the intro’s about fifteen to twenty minutes long where I explain what the podcast is, I get mixed up, I forget, kinda like we’ve seen here. You never know what tangent the show is gonna go on. So, that’s why the intro is new every time.
It’s a show within a show, separate from the support, where we just hang out, and whatever comes up comes up. But I follow a familiar structure so you say, okay, it’s familiar and reassuring but different every time, but different every time so I can't get used to it. Whatever keeps me awake doesn't know what to expect. I expect Scoots to get confused about regular words, but I don't know which ones he’s gonna be confused about and then go on a in-depth…you know. So, it’s a new well-worn path every time. Maybe that’s a new catchphrase for the podcast; every episode’s a new well-worn path. So, the show starts off with a greeting, then there’s the intro, but the intro isn't just meant to introduce the podcast. It’s meant to ease you into bedtime.
While there is a percentage of people, a small percentage, that fall asleep during the intro, most people wind down during the intro. They get ready for bed, they do a chill wind-down activity, or they're getting comfortable, because that’s just been what’s shown to work, is to be eased into bedtime. If you're looking for something without the intro, just the bedtime stories, there’s a separate podcast free or ad-supported in every podcast app called Bedtime Stories from Sleep With Me that you could check out. But most people…this is our hang time and it eases you into bedtime, and then you fall asleep, or could fall asleep. So, that’s what the intro is, then there’s support, then there will be our bedtime story.
Tonight it’ll be coverage of Great British Bake Off, Episode 7, Eighties Week, I think, unless we did Eighties Week last week. Then it’s Japanese Week. But I’m pretty sure this one’s Eighties Week. I record the intros and the episode on separate days 'cause I want to be fully present for you. So, that’s the bedtime story. All told, we’ll be here a bit over an hour, and I’m really glad you're here. I really appreciate you coming by, checking the podcast out, seeing how it goes. I couldn't do it without those of you that listen to the show and benefit from the show whether you sleep passively or those of you that keep the show going, that opt in, that are a part of this. Never before…so, it’s like, you really should feel good about it.
If you're opting in to support the show or you spread the word about the show or support our sponsors, we're here because of you. So, thank you. But we're also here for the new people, the people that need the show. Someone recently described it kinda like a family. We're here to support you. So, I’m really glad you're here. A team…myself and a team of people work really hard on the show. I just laugh because most people are like…don’t necessarily believe that, but it’s true. Yeah, I yearn and strive. I really want to help you fall asleep. Thanks again for coming by, and if you want to be a part of this, you want to feel like, yeah, I’m one of those people behind the scenes. My actions make this show happen, and a lot of other people are able to fall asleep to it…Team Faded Neon…here’s a couple ways you could be a part of this. Thanks.
Alright bakers, it’s time for another episode of Great British Bake Off, baking you off into dreamland. I’m trying to figure out all the titles for the show. Great British Bake Off baking show…off into dreamland. We're doing Episode 7, Eighties Week, Collection 8. It’s Matt Lucas’ first series or season, so, yeah, let’s get this going here. It starts off with another funny…okay, so, we got…subtitles are on. We get a little ET action. Fast goes by Matt…oh, ET bike goes by Matt fast in the background with Elliott…Elliott and ET. Then we realize Matt’s riding the bike as Elliott. Says, it’s Eighties Week, but don’t take my word for it. Noel is ET, and they say, welcome to the Great British Baking Show. Then they even go into the sky via special effect, and we go into the tent for a preview of the episode.
Ducks, sun-warmed…see…we see donuts, we see ice cream cakes, and we see that it’s very warm. Always stuff with ice…meltable stuff when it’s the warmest day. So, a lot of…yeah, you know it’s not gonna go well. Yeah, so, we…everybody heads into the tent after we see ducks in a pond, and everyone’s already…no jackets. Hermine’s excited. We see a boombox. Mark was a teenager in the eighties. Laura, when she turned thirty, had a Eighties Night, dancing to Oops, Upside…ruffled cake, prawn cocktails, frozen packet meals — that’s what the younger people are wondering about — and lots of pop-culture references, of course. Cool decade…as they run through things.
Noel and Matt have different things…eighties…individual quiches to start us off, with two different savory flavors, with a shortcrust pastry, savory custard something…no quiche in a tin. Noel won't like that. Two hours. On your marks, get set, bake. Quiche; I guess…I think that is a eighties’ thing. Who doesn't love a quiche? Lottie’s like, I don't remember quiches from the eighties. What’s his name? Peter says it’s like ancient history. Paul, though, loved the eighties. Prue says, yeah, this is a eighties’ classic. Quiche lorraine; bacon, onion, and cheese. You don’t have to use eighties’ flavors, though. Maybe something more modern. Beautifully crispy base, creamy egg interior, full of flavor, is what Paul wants. It’s hot in the tent, so you gotta concentrate. We see the sun’s coming up. Laura asked Lottie how she’s doing.
She’s warm. They have…they're sitting in front of the fridge, the freezer, fans. Peter, tell us about your quiche, bud. So, for my quiches, I’m doing a southeast Asian coconut curry with some crab meat. Oh, wow. Paul and Prue are like, huh. Then the other one’s gonna be a salmon; less spicy with capers and smoked salmon. He was not around in the eighties, so they all laugh about that. Prue shakes her head. Then we go to Laura. She’s giving her quiche a kick, too, with spicy sausage that she uses on pizza, and then a pea one, P-E-A, which will be fresht mint, asparagus. She’s just barely…Noel talks about a Rubix cube, ET…and now it’s just different. Phone home…they're laughing about that. Would ET have a mobile? Would he be swiping? Would he be Zooming? What would ET be up to? So, we talk about that.
Next we see Mark working on his shortcut pastry. I’m having trouble saying that today. Short texture, crumbly…chill it down, man. How come they don’t talk about slowing it down, cooling it down? Hermine’s make…trying to make…yeah, 'cause you don’t want your butter…gotta balance your butter. Pastry does not like heat. So, put it in the freezer like Uncle Ebenezer. That song’s from the nineties, I believe. It’s warm in the tent. Fish…Mark’s working with fish, which is not good to cook on a hot day. Cornish-inspired quiche…so, Cornwall-style fish with a Cornish blue, smoked haddock, and…oh, what about…? They talk about bands from the eighties, altered images…and Matt seems to think music peaked in the eighties. So, they talk about time passing. Then we're forty-five minutes in. It is hot in the tent.
Twenty-eight degrees, currently. Hottest day of the year. Now they're rolling out their pastries. That makes it sticky when it’s…when you gotta roll it out when…then the fat will melt if you handle it too long, making it harder to shape. So, people have their fans as they're working on them. You gotta do a blind bake for a few minutes or twenty-two minutes, with baking beans. Don’t want the infamous soggy bottom. Hermine’s not ready to bake her pastry yet. She’s working on her veggies. She’s like, yeah, I’m a bit behind, but I’m gonna cook like I’m at home. I don't cook by time; I cook by love. Love cooking more than baking.
So, she’s doing two classic quiches, spinach and mushroom, salmon and leek — oh boy, that sounds good — with French Gruyere, mustard Dijon…she’s a French…she’s good at cooking that French…she’s good at cooking the French food, French style. So, they talk about this, and she talks about family. Noel gives her a hard time. We go outside the tent again. Noel is pretending to drink for Matt. Sound effects-wise…people are sweating a lot and they're trying to use cold towels around their necks. Hermine’s pastry’s frozen. Paul’s watching over her shoulder. For some reason, Paul’s not sweating, though. His armpits and his back are not sweaty. Okay, everybody else is trying to move on to the final part of the quiche, which is the custard part, which is eggs and cream; coconut cream in Peter’s case.
Is that his name, Peter? This is how you make it interesting. Dave’s going all out. He’s doing an English breakfast; scrambled egg custard base. Prue’s like, what? Paul says, interesting. Scrambled egg in a egg custard. Why don’t you just scramble the custard? So, he’s doing a English one with hashbrowns and mince, and the other one; top sirloin beef and avocado. Very original. One’s English breakfast; one’s avocado and beef. Thank you. Okay, so, people are working on their…he’s scrambling his eggs but he says, yeah, I like my idea. I’m gonna go for it. Lottie’s cooking sausage. She’s also making a full English, but she’s using all of the traditional things. So, her’s is gonna be a little different. So, she’s gonna have all…and then she has a summer salad one.
So, beans, pudding, and sausage in there, and then the other one; beetroot, walnut, and goat cheese. Turns out people don’t like baked beans. Those are really good, though. But no one…yeah, everybody’s like, you're gonna put beans in there? No one likes beans. Usually everybody leaves the beans behind. We say, that’s one of the more parts you want for your breakfast if you're gonna have…if you have beans for breakfast, you're already ahead for the day, in my opinion. Okay, now Hermine’s doing her blind bake. It’s assembly time for everyone else. We get alliteration; construction can commence, or construction can commence, yeah. Coconut curry…that’s not purposeful, though. Prue’s got a really bright jacket on, pink…hot pink. Very eighties.
She’s not sure about Dave’s custard or the beans in Lottie’s thing, but Paul’s the one that says, we have to be open-minded. They talk about being open-minded, and they're laughing. A half-hour left. Hermine’s behind. Everybody else is putting their…in for their second bake and trying to stay cool. It’s gonna be close for everybody. Don’t want to splodge on the plate, Peter says. Hermine’s blind bake is done, so she use…she fills hers and then she puts them in. Not sure if they're gonna get cooked in time, though. Lottie’s bacon comes out burnt. Noel’s dancing for Hermine. Everybody’s trying to stay in front of the things. Ten minutes left. Yeah, everything’s starting to come out of the oven. Hermine’s begging. Maybe put up the heat? I don't know. Don't worry. Who knows?
Lottie’s bacon was supposed to be for decoration, but probably not gonna work. Paul says, brilliant. One minute left. Not long enough. So, everybody’s doing their final touches. They're taking them out, putting them in fancy things, making them as perfect as they can, and then the time is up for the…what are these? Quiches. Mark takes a big glass of water. Everybody’s impressed with each other’s quiches. Okay, then we go outside the tent, go back in. Bakers, judgement time. They start with Lottie. Neat, cooked, lovely pastry, delicious. Prue does…well, let’s see what she says. Cooked underneath, and…there is a big difference when you get a good pastry like that. Lovely short pastry. I can almost taste it, you know? Buttery, crumbly base. Beautiful.
Put our beans aside, our judgements about beans, 'cause Prue does not like baked beans at all. She takes a bite. She says, yeah, I’m getting the pudding. I like that. I can hardly taste the beans, so that’s good. Pastry’s the king in that one. Very good. Thank you. Then they go to Dave. One of them is so hot, Paul sweats, 'cause it has bird’s-eye chili. Let’s see…they take a bite. Paul’s…yeah, he’s wiping sweat off his forehead. Sorry if it’s making you hot. It’s…oh, the paprika, cayenne…overwhelming. Heavy on the spices. They go to the next one. Prue’s not saying…there is egg in there, yeah. I didn't know if that was the scrambled egg or the custard. I like the ideas of the spices in the pastry, but it’s too…it does taste like a sausage breakfast. Mark’s up next. His fish is delicious, they say, the smoked haddock. They like it.
More importantly, the crumbly and buttery pastry is good, very, very good. Cod is beautiful on the other one. But if you were at a party, they're too similar. So, you should have played two off each other. Then we go to Laura. A bit of leakage on your chorizo one. So, they cut that, take a bite. Pastry’s a little tough, but it’s got a bit…the flavor’s lovely. A bit of spice. Asparagus and pea…delicate hint with the mint. Delicious. Lovely. Then Peter’s up. His look so pretty, Peter. Let’s try the Thai-inspired one. They cut it. Nicely-cooked pastry. Look at that bottom. But the chili overwhelms the fish. Crab is delicate. Then the wholemeal one worked well with the salmon. Excellent. Then Hermine…pastry’s a little undercooked in the middle. I was short on time. Yeah, but you got the texture. It holds well.
Alright, let’s try to taste this stuff. Hers are larger, too. Prue takes a bite. Paul takes a bite. Paul’s thinking about it. Prue’s thinking about it. They look at each other. Whoa, boy, I love it. Classic combination, a good one. The salmon and leek is absolutely delicious. Creamy, buttery in the pastry. Gorgeous. I’m surprised she doesn't get a handshake. She’s surprised, then she’s really…they do the talking heads. She’s like, I thought I booked my ticket home, but Paul took one of my quiches for lunch, so I can't believe he did that. Dave’s like, I’m not making quiches again. That didn’t go well. Lottie and Laura are both trying to stay cool, but they're also not feeling hot about the situation. Then as the afternoon temperatures rise, you get a gingham-shrouded mystery. Good afternoon, bakers.
This is the hottest tent in the history of the world. Prue’s jacket’s off, even. Paul Hollywood set this one up for you. Any words of advice? This is a classic. Watch the color of the end product, he says. Is that it? Yeah. So, they say, great. We're gonna ask those two to leave and head out. Bye, bye. They want you to make six custard-and-jam finger donuts, digit donuts fried to a golden color. Two hours and forty-five minutes. How about our magic words? Izzy, whizzy…no, not those ones. Magic words. On your mark, get set, bake. So, they have to do deep-frying in this hot weather. Maybe that’s better than baking. I don't know if they also have to bake. What’s his name has never deep-fried before. So, I guess deep-frying is not in their comfort zone, either. Prue says, this…Paul, this is interesting.
This reminds me of the eighties. These were posher donuts than the round ones. Paul’s like, yeah, my job was frying donuts at my dad’s my place. Gotta do it at 160 degrees and it’s gotta be golden brown, not burnt, 'cause you'll taste it. Prue says, I haven't had one of these donuts since the eighties. They are whoppers. Prue says, this is delicious. They say, in the tent, this is gonna be a difficult one. Dave’s testing the air. It’s at 33.3. 35.8, Mark has. Okay, let’s get to work. We gotta make the dough and leave it to rise. The mixture’s getting hot. Everybody’s trying to do…get their dough to window-pane test it, to try to knead…get it kneaded. Peter’s using the machine 'cause it’s so hot and sticky. Matt and Lottie are talking about sweating and the cold shammies that keep their necks cool, but that means water drips.
It’s unflattering, 'cause we're getting dripped with water. So, everybody’s covering their dough. Maybe I don't even need a proving drawer, it’s so warm out. It’s gotta double in size. Dave does use the proving drawer. Only time will tell if my dough is right. Then you gotta slice the strawberries, make sugar to make a jam, and then you pass it through a sieve. Mousseline is creme pat with butter, creme mousseline. So, they're working on that. Whip that into a creme pat. The wind is…the fans are going because it’s really warm. So, Noel says to Mark, man, you're dripping with water, huh? Yeah. Talk about fashion in the eighties; shoulder pads, leg-warmers, fame. That was cool stuff, man. The Cure, Big Jumpers…and then the proving’s getting done. Everybody’s checking their proving.
Dave’s dough is not rising, so…but I don't know what I’m gonna do. I gotta take it out anyway. Then you gotta divide your dough into six pieces, and they gotta be a finger…fifteen centimeters in length. So, they're doing some measuring. Six…is that like six inches? How long is fifteen centimeters? Then they have a laugh about that, and then it’s back to waiting. We need some music. How about some eighties’ music? Peter, you know any eighties’ music like Spandau Ballet? Peter goes, no. You don’t know any of those songs? People are having a laugh. Matt says, man, I guess I’m old. We see the sun outside and some wheat. Fifteen minutes left for the bakers. More joking around, more wet towels around people’s necks, waiting for their heaters or their deep-fryers to heat up. Whose idea was this?
A deep-fat fryer…thirty-five-degree heat. Some people use the frying basket. Some people are dropping it in. Some people are using a separate whisk thing. It’s about 160 degrees, 180. Maybe that’s too hot, Dave says, 'cause mine cooked in like, fifty seconds. It’s gotta be golden brown, right? Not brown brown. Oh, my goodness, Dave’s are not the right color. Then people are trying to put sugar on it to cover up where things are at. So, Noel’s like, man, I’m really hot. He’s not sweating much, either, though, and he has a long-sleeve shirt on, but it does seem thin and breezy. Okay, and then everybody’s trying to cool their pastries down before they put the mousseline in, 'cause that’s a whole ‘nother thing, using fans and everything.
Talking about dancing in the eighties…how do you slice this thing to put the mousse in or whatever? They look more like bread inside. Dave cuts his in half. People start piping. Peter Piper they call Peter, 'cause he’s so good at piping. Not much time left. Then Dave gets his…the rest of his cuts right. Pipe a line of jam…a wiggly line is still a line. So, some people are trying to be more precise than others. Everybody’s just trying to get it done. Time is up. Not everybody’s happy about how it turned out or that they're covered in water. Bring your finger donuts forward, they say. So, everybody brings their donuts up. Six golden finger donuts, and fill them with cream mousseline, a line of strawberry jam. Some of them…some look tasty. So, we’ll start with Peter. Quite like it. They cut it. Prue takes a bite. Paul’s…mm, it’s lovely.
Baked well. Then they move on to Dave’s. Burnt, under-proved. Right mess. They try to take a couple bites of it. Very doughy. Tight on the inside, wrong color, and didn’t taste extremely good. Hermine…right color. Cream mousseline looks good. Oh, nice and airy on the inside. You can kinda see it, too, when they cut it. Paul even takes a lick off his thumb. Texture and flavor’s good. Delicious. Moving on. Lottie’s next. A little dark. Not consistent enough. A little tough. Then they go on to Mark. A little bit bubbly on the mousseline, and I’m…I don't know if we should have it because of the weather. It tastes good. Then they go on to Laura. Over-fried, and…hm, they say. The flavor’s okay. The flavor’s good, Prue says. It doesn't look great, though. Then we get the rankings.
Dave is six, Lottie; fifth, Laura; fourth, third is somebody, then Peter, then Hermine. Mark must be in third. So, yeah. Fourth place…Mark is third, and then second place…they like Peter and Hermine’s. Those are the two I would eat, too. Peter’s could have been all the same size. That might have put him up into one, but…you know. Flavors and textures for Hermine were spot on. So, then we do talking heads. She’s really happy. She says, I could use a cold beer after that. Well deserved. Hermine’s like, man…or, I mean, Lottie’s like, oh boy. Lottie and Dave are stressed. They say, it could be…either one of them is worried. Then we get the tent shot. One more challenge between the bakers and the quarter finals. It’s the next day. A lot of people in shorts…table talk…okay, well, the bakers did pretty well.
Well, Hermine’s doing good, so…and there’s been six Star Bakers, so Hermine would be the seventh. Lottie and Dave, though…Laura, too, are in trouble. So, some of them can come out of it, but the temperature in the tent’s gonna rise. But hopefully it’s not as hot as yesterday. Anything could happen today after a day like yesterday. Paul talks about how his jeans were sweaty. They say, no thanks, Paul. Don’t talk about it, specifically. He must have two shirts, because everybody’s dressed in the same things. I guess they must just do laundry that night. Eighties’ classic; ice cream cake. One baked element, though. The flavor and styles are up to all of you. You have four hours and thirty minutes. That’s it? That’s a long time. Well, it’s Eighties Week. You could go hang out and rot in Emu’s pink windmill. It’s a JD Sports now.
They're joking about stuff. I don't know. Somebody wants a four. They say, yeah, this only works if you're over forty-five. So, don't worry about it. On your marks, get set, bake, they say. Peter’s gonna be making an Arctic roll, or he’s referring to an Arctic roll. He loves ice cream, so…too much, he says. Laura likes…says, nothing better than a bucket full of ice cream, other than wine. Viennettas, baked Alaska, Arctic roll…eighties were synonymous with ice cream cakes, accordingly. Twenty-five miles of Arctic roll were sold every month. So, it was a big deal back then. If you had a birthday or a dinner party, you'd have it. It was a celebratory thing. It’s gotta look amazing and we want to see a variety of levels; some baked, some cream. It should hold your shape and form. They say, okay, Peter, tell us about your ice cream cake.
Alright, well, mine’s a ice cream Christmas cake. Marzipan on the top, Italian meringue…they say, wow. A Christmas cake surprise. It’ll have brandy ice cream, Christmas cake ice cream, ice cream Christmas pudding style. It’s gonna freeze? Yeah, hopefully. The brandy will make it a challenge, but it should freeze. Christmas in the middle of summer, Prue says. I love it. Then Hermine’s doing a summer holiday style with a bit of sunshine…mangoes, lime, and…Hermine loves mangoes, so it’s tropical flavors; coconut ice cream, raspberry coulis, and it’s…it’ll look like a present, almost. She says, I’m playing it simple. Noel’s like, I think you're gonna…I think you got this. So, he says, yeah, I’m betting on you. Alright, Laura’s making a custard base for Laura’s ice cream; castor sugar, egg yolks, double cream.
You can make a custard, you can make an ice cream, then you put it in the freezer. But they also have ice cream makers, so they do have the luxury of that. It has a paddle that churns it and makes everything smooth. But how the mixture cools depends on what the ingredients are. Alcohol, brandy is gonna take longer. Peter says, yeah, I don't want to put too much in…honey and hazelnut is in Mark’s. He says, there’s a whole pot of honey in his ice cream, so it’s gonna take a while to freeze. His is a retro ice cream parlor style of cake; four layers, honey and hazelnut, butterscotch and pecan, blackberry mousse, chocolate gicande, and it’s got stripes on the outside. So, it looks like a old-school ice cream shop, he says. Yeah, he says it’s gonna have delicate chocolate stripes. Then we have Laura.
She’s got her cakes baking. Chocolate everywhere. Go big or go home. So, this is joy by chocolate. So, brownie ice cream, salted caramel praline, chocolate sponge, chocolate ganache. She tests out her whipped stuff by seeing if it pours on Matt. It doesn't. Oh, Italian meringue…okay, and hazelnut. She said, maybe I’ll put it on your head and dip you in hazelnuts. He’s like, I don't know what Prue would think about that. Okay, Dave’s doing his cake with something more novel. He says, yeah, if you're having a bad week, you gotta pull it out of the bag. So, he’s gonna pipe his ice cream on the top with only a small bit of decoration. Tiramisu…flavor; almond liqueur, chocolate disk, chocolate ice cream, almond ice cream, and piped ice cream on the top. Paul says, that’s risky. He goes, yeah.
You're gonna have it soft enough but not melt. So…and Prue says, he knows what he’s doing. Paul says, good luck, man. Decorating with ice cream may be a risk. Hello, Lottie. Hello. Lottie’s pushing it even further. She’s coating her entire ice cream cake in chocolate ice cream, all the way around. It’s gonna look like a cassette tape, like a mix tape. Chocolate ruffled rice cake, cherry jelly, blackberry mousse, chocolate ice cream. Says, yeah, when you look back, usually they're protected by something, I think Paul says, like the sponge or something. You gonna put ice cream on the outside? If it works, it’ll be good, or it might be like a milkshake or worse. They say, thank you, Lottie. Matt says, it does sound good. Hermine’s worried. Says, well, mine’s pretty simple, but we shall see.
Marc’s working on his stripe outside, and it’s very eighties. They're talking about Sting playing the lute. Then they're halfway through. The ice cream has been churned, or people are maybe on their second batches, but you gotta keep chilling it. No, you gotta shape it and chill it. So, this is…and then carve it or other things or construct…temperature is supposed to be lowered to minus eighteen degrees. Plop it in, fill it up. I don't know what’s going on, Laura says. Come on. Hers is not freezing. She realizes her ice cream…the cooler in her ice cream machine wasn’t on. It’s not cold at all. So, that’s not great. So, she has to…she didn’t realize there was a setting for it to be cold. I didn’t press the ice setting, so it’s just been churning for forty minutes. Prue’s watching. Laura says, do you want one of my kisses?
It’s a meringue kiss, I think. Lottie says, it’s very good. So, it helps Laura’s spirit. So, Laura…we're watching her ice cream churn. Noel says, you gotta believe in yourself. You're not…you'll make the best of this. Then he plays the advocate. He says, well, what if you do go home 'cause you forgot to press a button? So, he’s trying to help her. The day is just getting hotter and hotter. We see another outside shot. Noel’s playing around with something. What is that? Oh, part of Lottie’s leftover something? Now people are taking out their different sponges and layers. Construction can't start without the ice creams, though. Mark’s are still soft. That’s not it, though. Making ice cream on a hot day…it’s getting warmer and warmer. So, this is no fun. This is really not the way we're supposed to do it.
Matt’s joking about wearing a bikini. Noel’s standing on a chair. He jumps off, then he’s sitting on a fridge. One hour left. I gotta get down. Everybody’s laughing at him. Churn is done for Laura. So, she’s trying to assemble her cakes now and get it in the freezer. Mark’s worried about his honey ice cream setting. Lottie’s worrying about carving her chocolate. How is she gonna do that? The heat is on, literally, literally and physically. Mark’s assembling his cake, but it’s…you're up against the clock now. Trying to work through it…it’s still warm. Peter’s doing his layers 'cause things are gonna defrost or unset quickly, which increases the chance of collapse. Okay, Mark gets his in there. He’s assembling his. Laura’s worried. Brandysnap is splitting. The heat’s getting to everybody. Just concentrate, Lottie, Lottie says.
She’s begging her freezer, hurry up. Everybody else is assembling and then putting it in the fridge and then assembling. Or, freezer; I’m sorry. Dave’s putting his in the freezer. His looks like it’s coming together. He’s…him and Hermine…Laura takes her first brownie ice cream out, tries to get it out of the frame. Paul’s watching her the whole time. Is it freezing, Laura? Not yet. It’s very sticky and…but it was…it was still contained, though, so I don't think it’s as bad as it seems. Thirty-five-degree ambient temperature. It’s gonna be close. Lottie and Laura are the ones that are the most concerned at this point. Peter’s working on his decorations, and Noel comments about how competitive he is, 'cause he’s working on these little, tiny decorations. What a baby face. You're here to take everybody out, huh?
He’s laughing, but he is competitive. He said, I love everybody here, but yeah, I’m competitive. I like that about him. Matt says gibberish to Noel. It’s thirty minutes left. He’s whispering in Noel’s ear. He’s trying to make him laugh. It’s still warm. Everybody’s hoping their cakes stay together. Everybody’s going to their freezers to bring them to their stations. We start to get more reveals, 'cause if it’s leaking, then it’ll ruin the entire look of the cake, it says. So, Dave’s trying to get his out. What’s his name? Peter is trying to get his. Mark is taking his out. His is self-contained, though. Hermine’s is very well together, too. But yeah, it starts melting as soon as it gets revealed to the air. Okay, Laura takes hers out, but it’s a little bit off. She says, this is the worst-case scenario. So, she’s trying to figure out what to do.
Fifteen minutes left. It’s too hot, innit? It’s just melting. Lottie still has to get it coated in ice cream. Hermine’s spray…decorating spray…Laura’s looks a mess, but it looks like a ice cream cake, though. So, I can't say that this is…Dave blows his…Laura puts hers back in the freezer. Lottie’s…or Hermine’s is in the freezer, and Lottie’s kind of in trouble because she’s trying to coat her cake with soft ice cream in a hot room. So, maybe if she had another…time left, but fifteen minutes is not great. So, her and Laura…and then Laura’s cake collapses in the freezer. We can hear it hit the side of the freezer or something. Paul’s watching. She says, oh no. Hers is literally melting and falling apart. She’s really stressed. Lottie says, check out my cake. Mine’s dripping, too. Hermine’s cake looks like a piece of art, eighties’ art, actually.
Who’s that? Peter’s assembling his. Mark’s assembling his, decorating them. So, some people are try…oh, Dave’s is starting to look nice. So, a lot of them…different levels of success, we’ll say. I think it’s just the exposed ice cream on the outside that kinda left those…everybody. ‘Cause, yeah, now some people have time. Hermine’s still making hers look nicer and nicer. Same with Peter. So…okay, so, it’s time for the judges to check it out, right? Low spirits with some people, Lottie and Laura, but they're still laughing. Gotta laugh or cry. Can't look. They must have taken them out, and then they bring them to a freezer for the…official freezer. Okay, so we see Peter’s first? Oh no, we see all the cakes. Mark goes first. Bring up your showstopper. They're like, yeah, it’s impressive. It’s delicate, delicious…what do they say?
Retro ice cream parlor…and his outside is…looks like it must be cake on the outside. Considering that’s ice cream cake, it’s impressive. Stripes…cake stripes on the outside. They say, wow, look at that. Three layers, eh? Neopolitan. I mean, they didn’t say that. They take a bite. Lovely mousse. Ice creams are delicious. Bottom one’s not set. He says, yeah, it’s the honey. Yeah. Well, yeah, it’s something…freezing’s gonna take longer. Brave but complicated. Too much happening, maybe, but you pretty much did it. Then Hermine’s up. Yeah, hers looks like a painting, almost, 'cause it has this jam in the pattern. Looks nice, beautiful. Love the ribbon. Very good. Let’s have a look. Nice, neat lines. Biscuit down on the bottom like shortbread…and they start taking bites of it. Prue says, it’s beautiful.
Thank you. Well-balanced. Mango and coconut together go to…great, and I can taste the difference. Breton’s beautiful and buttery. Simple, but a good eat. Highly effective, Paul says. Classical things. Simple. Beautiful. Thank you. Well done. Still no handshake, though. Then we got Peter’s cake, Christmas cake surprise. His looks very high-end, too. Paul’s kinda staring at it. Peter’s like, oh, it’s not good? They go, it looks great. Clever, fantastic decoration. Love it. Let’s have a look. It’s actually hard for Paul to cut it. He takes it out. Tell us about your flavor. A Christmas cake; Christmas ice cream, brandy. They start taking bites of it. Peter, this is absolutely delicious, Prue says. Very clever. You managed to freeze it with booze in there, so that’s cool. Flavors are neat. Cake’s solid, too solid.
Too much fruit in there, Paul thinks, 'cause it’s too hard because of the fruit. It just doesn't work. Then they go to Dave. His looks like a tiramisu. So, it looks like it says on the tin or whatever. Yeah, but he took a risk. It doesn't look the best. Maybe don’t put the drops on top. He says, I didn’t want something too simple, so I tried to make it look fancier. But they take it out. They start scooping it. Textures are nice and lovely. Chocolate’s nice and strong. Sponge is baked beautifully. It is like tiramisu, so…it doesn't look the best, though, but we like the flavor. So…okay, good. So, he’s in the middle there. Then Lottie and Laura don’t want to go. Lottie’s next. Hers is incomplete and…so, she didn’t get the…Paul just stares at it. Underwhelmed. Did you know all the way, Prue says, that it wasn’t gonna freeze?
She goes, yeah, but it was a new idea, so…yeah. It wasn’t a square cake tin, but then I had no way to hold it together. It was a nice idea, just not easy to model a cassette tape. It would never work at this temperature, Paul says. Is it gonna taste good? I hope so. Maybe there’s still ice cream in there. Hopefully. Did a lot of it melt off? Yeah. Okay, so, they take a slice. They say, it looks nice. Paul takes a bite; doesn't say anything. Chocolate ice cream’s delicious. Prue says, absolutely delicious. Is this supposed to be cherry? No, blackberry. Oh, well, I don't get any blackberry. Okay. Then there’s…it looks terrible, Paul says. If it tasted good, you could hang something on that, but…puffed rice at the bottom, but beyond that, I’m not getting anything. Lottie has to breathe through her nose 'cause it’s so intense.
Then they go to Laura’s chocolate…joy of chocolate. Meringue kisses look nice. Okay, I’ll take that. It’s leaning, though. Yeah, it had issues. I didn’t press the button on the ice cream machine, so, sorry about that. What a pity. The chocolate lost its shine. It’s melting. Okay, let’s see what it tastes like. What’s the baked element? Chocolate sponge and brownie chocolate ice cream meringue. Okay, well, interesting. So, they start testing it. First Paul takes a little ice cream. The ice cream is…praline is delicious. Lovely flavor, Prue says. Ice creams are delicious, but they're not frozen. Why would you put…? I don't know about the brownie idea. It’s supposed to be…yeah, I don't know. So, flavors are nice, though. It’s a pity, Laura. You almost nearly got there. I know. I’m sorry. So, they bring it back to their table. It could have been worse.
Lottie says, that was an embarrassment. I should have listened. It was a risk. It did not pay off. Laura’s upset, too. If I get through, it’s only gonna be 'cause…it’ll be lucky. Then we see the tent outside. It’s table talk time. Not quite as hot as yesterday. Still pretty hot, though. Challenge to make ice cream. So, who excelled, they say? Hermine. Clean, tidy, neat. Very beautiful. Classic, perfect…and mango. She’s in line for Star Baker, or has to be. Mark pulled himself up, too. I was very, very impressed with his cake. It was ambitious. Who’s at the bottom? Dave, Lottie, Laura. Lottie’s been erratic, brilliant, or chaotic sometimes. Laura’s been down at the bottom a lot. Made a lot of mistakes. So, between Lottie and Laura again. Well, well done to you guys. Ice cream cake challenge on the hottest day of the year.
We didn’t know, Paul says. Matt says, you knew, man. So, that was funny. I guess it was funny. Alright, then we go to everybody sitting there. Oh boy…hands in my lap. Matt gets to pick Star Baker or announce Star Baker this week. All of you have been Star Baker once except for Hermine, until now. Congratulations. So, everybody claps for her. Well deserved. Then Noel’s got the job of saying who’s leaving us. Puts his hands behind his back. It’s tough. We're all buddies now, but the person who’s going home today is…it looks like Lottie knew, kind of. They show Laura and Lottie, but Lottie kinda was smiling like…and she says, don’t be nice. They call her cat face? I don't know what that means. But they give hugs. She’s upset, though. She needs a minute. So, she’s like, it’s a massive relief but also, you know, I’m gutted.
So…not to be with everyone on the next cook, you know? Been amazing. Laura stopped crying. Don’t take it away from me. Laura’s got mixed emotions. Happy I’m through, but Lottie was a good friend. Beneath the sarcastic, tough exterior, she’s kinda really kind and funny. A lovely human being. So, Laura’s a little bit sad about that. I’ve lost Lottie. She gets a lot of hugs goodbye, and she says, I only had two outfits, anyway. I’ve been wearing other people’s clothes 'cause I only packed two outfits. So, I got a handshake. I was Star Baker, so I’m chuffed. Maybe I can bake. Maybe I can. Hermine gets everybody’s…Paul just pats her. A little bit less hugs from Paul and Prue. Prue says she deserved it two or three times before. It was just pipped by a tiny margin. Well done. Lovely to hear.
Cherry on the icing, Hermine says, but as they always say, keep my head on my shoulder and keep going. Then her son kinda runs out from behind a hedge and gives her a hug from behind. It was very cute. He goes, alright, did you hear? Are you happy for me? Yes, yes, yes, I’m proud of you. Then he gives her another big hug, and she’s laughing. Very cute. What better way to end than to say goodnight than with a cute moment? Goodnight, everybody.
[END OF RECORDING]
(Transcription performed by LeahTranscribes)
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