1381 – The Final | Great British Bake You Off to Sleep C8/S11 E10
The path to dreamland meanders like a walnut whirl as I try to understand how chocolate works and a champion is crowned.
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Episode 1381 – The Final | Great British Bake You Off to Sleep C8/S11 E10
[START OF RECORDING]
SCOOTER: Friends beyond the binary, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, bakers…bakers everywhere? Bakers…I guess you can't be…baker…I mean, you could…I wanted to say bakers everywhere to mean all bakers who are listening to me are welcome here, which is true, but thinking about it, there’s a lot of things you could say everywhere, right, and kind of mean it. But baking’s a very specific thing, and I realize there’s some alternate ways of baking things, but there’s not an endless number of ways of baking things, right? Talk about a way to start out a sleep podcast. I just stumbled into this. It’s gold. So, I can't say bakers everywhere. Well, I guess everywhere a baker would find themselves; then it would fit. So, talk…also over-analyzing. But I was just thinking in my head…I was idealizing bakers.
Let me just explain to you what happened. In my head, much like an animated TV series like The Simpsons or something, there was…I guess it literally wasn’t a bubble in my head. It was within my brain or my imagination, and it was a bit animated, and there was…when I said ‘bakers everywhere’, I was picturing them smiling, some, yeah, leaping like fawns, and many nice, nice things. But then I said, wait a second, you can't bake in an open field. I mean, you could technically. Well, I got this solar baker here. I’d say, yeah, but I wasn’t picturing you with a solar baker thing. Sun oven; is that what they call it? Solar oven; probably not a sun oven. The sun is like an oven, but…you say, oh yeah, there’s a tiny sun in there. This is my sun’s oven. So, baker’s everywhere, people…Sleep With Me listeners everywhere, welcome.
If you're new, we're already…talk about being in for a snoozy as a doozy. Welcome to Sleep With Me. It’s a podcast that’s here to put you to sleep. Tonight we're doing a series season finale of Bake Off, and it’s…yeah, that’s why I tried to set it up that way. Then I went way off topic. So, Sleep With Me…if you're a regular listener, good to have you back. If you're new, this show is a bit different. It’s kind of a friendly hangout. It’s here to kind of keep you company and take your mind off of stuff so you could fall asleep, to be your friend in the deep, dark night…yeah, just to help you off into dreamland. I’m sorry, I got…I petered out. That’s what happens in this podcast, too; I run out of solar energy and say…I guess I forgot to preheat my oven, is what happened.
So, yeah, basically what we got coming up is support so paying for the podcast is optional for anybody just coming and going, checking the show out, then a long, meandering intro meant to ease you into bedtime and help you get ready for bed and wind down, and then later on we’ll cover Bake Off. Don't worry, I think we’ll be back with one more Bake Off holiday episode, probably. But yeah, that’s it. I’m glad you're here, and…yeah, if you're new or you're checking the show out or you're coming and going or you only listened to a couple episodes, don't worry, we got you. The people that sleep all…fall asleep fast, listen all night long, whose lives are greatly improved by Sleep With Me…if Sleep With Me has greatly made your life better…you say, man, this show has made my life better; it’s really helped me, then I could use you to listen to what these ways to support the show back are. Thanks.
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 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, whether that’s thoughts on your mind, thoughts you're thinking about about the past, the present, the future, so, thinking thoughts, it could be feelings, anything coming up for you emotionally either related to those thoughts or feelings that are just there, feelings, I don't know, that…I don't know, about the future or the past, it could be physical sensations, changes in time, temperature, routine, work schedule, you could have guests, you could be traveling, or you could just be going through something tough or that’s impacting your sleep. Whatever it is, I’m here to try to help with that because I want to. Why would I…why do I want to? Because I’ve been there. I still get…unfortunately, I go there.
I actually don’t go there; I kinda end up there and, man, it’s not…I don't know, the last couple weeks has just been baffling. So, I have a combination of stuff that’s not…that’s impacting my sleep, and I know what it feels like for me. Actually, I know all the stuff, right? I make a sleep podcast for eleven plus years, and I know that all these different things to try or things to not do and the best practices. Even though I don't like to use that stuff around here…or the best suggestions I could take…and sometimes it’s just a combination of stuff that I don't quite…I’m like, man, what’s going on with this? And life stuff on top of it…and for me it’s two layers; trouble getting to sleep? I’m not quite sure about that. Trouble staying asleep is other stuff going on that’s waking me up.
I don't know, because I know what that feels like…and I’ve developed a much better relationship with it because of this podcast, but even then, it’s not the nicest feelings. When it first started for me as a kid, it was a lot harder than that. I had no resources internally and no way to foster some kindness and patience with it. So, I know what that feels like. It’s one of those things that’s just unforgettable, that feeling. I could go right back to it, and I can go back to it. I could slide right back to it some nights when I can't…when I’m having trouble with that stuff. The only reason I go through all this is not to bring it up or rehash it, but to see you or attempt to see you and how you're feeling, and that you're not alone.
Even if I can't relate to how you feel, even if what I’m saying is dissonant to how…your experience, I hope some of the general or the specifics we can relate on. But even if we can't, the great news about this particular podcast is there are people listening around the world and there is someone listening right now who really can understand where you're at or relate to it, at least, strongly. They are in their bed right now and they're thinking fondly of you even though they don’t know you, and they're sending that to you. Sure, it might be indirect or it might not be palpable.
The thing is, it might not be palpable, but I think it is tangible for them, and I think it’s tangible for you, too, in some way to say, yeah, there’s somebody out there that gets what it’s like for me at bedtime or in the middle of the night and, man, I have some kind of feeling there that they get it and they're not judging me or they just can't relate. They can relate to how I feel. But better than that, they are rooting for you.
They're hoping, hey, I hope this podcast can help you out like it helped me or you discover something else that does, because we all here at this show, the listeners, the people that work on the show, myself, we believe you deserve a good night's sleep, a place where you could get the rest you need so tomorrow’s better for you or that you get the rest you need on a regular basis…your life is better and more manageable. Yeah, that’s kind of important, right? So, yeah, that’s kind of why we make the show, is so hopefully…so you don’t have to dread bedtime anymore and you say, at least I got that silly podcaster to listen to who occasionally gets intense and…'cause I take this seriously, 'cause it means a lot to me. It does.
Making the show is meaningful to me, and helping people get the rest they need is meaningful to me. I hear the stories from people. So, yeah. 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 go off topic, I get mixed up, then I kinda forget what I was talking about, then I kinda reverse course and I say, wait a…oh, wait…oh no, yeah. Then…yeah, my stall-out…I use filler words, and just wait ‘til I talk about Bake Off. You say, man, did you…do you know…? I mean, I clearly…I already talked about my knowledge of baking. I mean, I do some baking, but nothing like on this show. You say, Scoots, how many times have you had to look up Genoise sponge or whatever the other stuff is that they use on there?
I’d say, prob…yeah, hundreds of times, probably. Still not positive what it is. Or, yeah, the other…like some of the…more other stuff that goes in there that I can't even remember its names. Like, there’s one…it looks like a frosting-type thing, but then you put it on and you bake it and it becomes a baked good, and it’s got some name. They all have names, though. So, yeah. That’s why…that’s what the show is a bit like, because it’s like you're hanging out with a friend who watched Bake Off and he’s just gonna talk to you. You're like, man, this is the least interesting recap of Bake Off I’ve ever heard. Also, these episodes came out years ago and you're just getting around to it. I say, yeah, correct on…correct, correct, correct. So, yeah. What else do you need to know? Oh, this is a show…most people don’t like the show, right?
When they first get here…most people get here…you're skeptical, you're doubtful, you're fed up, you've been trying to find something to help you fall asleep. Why wouldn't you be frustrated, skeptical, or doubtful when you listen to a sleep podcast for the first few times? To me, that makes perfect sense. That’s how I’d feel. Alls my job is is to kinda slowly see if I can earn your trust by kind of losing your attention, which is a unique way of doing things, and not so much win you over but so you're like, yeah, he’s not bad. Now, if you already know you don’t like me or the show, we have a website set up, or if you discover…I suggest…hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of thousands of people said, hey, it took two or three tries for me to get used to the show. Now I’m a superfan.
I didn’t realize…I got here; I was expecting some sort of guru and a sleep podcast and something different, and this is not what I expected. So, at first a lot of people are…but then they wake up and they're like, oh, wait a second, I fell asleep. Wait a second, it was like hanging out with a friend the second or third time. He is serious. The show is going nowhere, always never getting started. So, just see how it goes the first two or three tries. But if you've listened for two or three times or you already know…or you're a regular listener who’s…you're fed up with the show or something’s frustrating you, sleepwithmepodcast.com/nothankyou is set up for all of that. It’s a place where you could find other sleep podcasts or you could let it out or whatever.
If the show’s not for you or you really strongly dislike me, there’s a link that’ll take you someplace. If you're a listener or the show and something has fallen out for you, you could always use that form to kinda just get it out. Because no matter what you think of me, the truth is I can still relate to what it’s like not to be able to sleep at night, and I still truly believe you deserve a good night's sleep. Also, I want to save us all the energy whether you're never gonna listen again or whether you're a former fan or whatever from just…like, let’s keep the energy…we don’t have to go there. We can…let’s just find something that helps you sleep, right?
So, that’s what all the spirit of the ‘no thank you’…we had the ‘no thank you’ page for people that didn’t like me, then for people the show didn’t work for, and now it’s even for people that listened to the show that don’t like me. So, it’s like…it really works. The only reason I’m laughing is 'cause it’s worked every time to just help people find something else to help them fall asleep or to just let them get it out in a way that’s not where…I can keep focusing on making the best sleep podcast I can. So, yeah, it’s a show most people don’t like. More good news; this is a podcast you don’t really listen to. It’s kinda like background noise or a out-of-focus picture or something that doesn't quite…like a TV show streaming under your pillow or a book you're not paying attention to that you're reading or listening to.
Yeah, and then you kinda just drift off and you say, I don't even know what he’s been talking about. So, you just barely listen. This is also a sleep podcast that’s not meant to put you to sleep. I’m here to keep you company while you fall asleep, not to put you to sleep. There is not pressure to fall asleep with this show. There’s a reason the show is over an hour, so you don’t have to think about when you're gonna fall asleep and you don’t have to think about…what am I gonna do? There’s tons and tons of other episodes 'cause I’m here to keep you company while you fall asleep, 'cause there’s people listening that I know of, that I’ve heard from, and people that I never heard from that are out there that can't sleep at all or that need a break during the day, and even if I haven't heard from you, I’m here for you. I’m here to the very end.
You probably already know that already. If you're…if you fall asleep, I’m here to the very end for you, 'cause my job’s to be your bore-sib, your bore-bae, your bore-friend, your best bore-bud, your bore-cuz, your…I said it out of…boreman, your bores, your bore-bie, your…what is that? Boris Borlaf, neigh-bore, bar-bore…have I used that one before? Probably somebody told me that one…your best bore-friend f’eva to keep you company and take your mind off of stuff and help you fall asleep. So, yeah, that’s my job, is just to be here for you to listen to me when you need to, to barely listen to me when you need to, or to fall asleep while I’m talking. So, what else? Okay, most people don’t like the show…but yeah, it’s cool. It’s my job, man. Most people…you don’t listen, you don’t fall asleep, or you do but you don’t.
What else…? Oh, structure of the show also throws new people off. This show is very adaptable, but most people like to…just…it doesn't mean…just because most people like to listen one way…it’s just the way most people come in, too. So, I just explain what the structure is if you're new, and then you could see if the way…you could just see how it goes, right? But most people are kind of like temporary listeners or they kind of come and go when they're going through something, and they like to listen to the ad-supported version linearly, or they're new or they're just a casual listener. They just need the show once or twice a week or whatever, and that works for them. They just put it on and they let it play for a hour or they set a sleep timer in their podcast app for like forty-five minutes, thirty minutes, whatever.
They drift off and get ready for bed during the intro. So, there’s the greeting which all our shows start out…friends beyond the binary, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, so you feel seen and welcomed in. You say, okay, I might check that show out. Then there’s support so, yeah, those casual listeners and new people…paying for the show…you don’t have to worry about it. Then there’s a long, meandering intro meant to ease you into bedtime, and that you could listen to while you're getting ready for bed or you're in bed getting comfortable, but what I would recommend at least trying out if you become a regular listener is doing some sort of chill activity even if it’s just lying in bed or sitting somewhere or getting ready for bed to kinda ease yourself into bedtime and use the intro as a part of that.
Maybe; you could try it. If you decide the intros are not for you, like getting eased into bedtime, a show within a show, it takes twenty minutes or so, it’s…the structure of the intro is the same every time but the intros are different every time so whatever keeps you awake can't quite get used to it…but some people just prefer the stories. We have another podcast; it’s in every podcast app. You could get it right now, Bedtime Stories from Sleep With Me. But I’ve found that people like the intros 'cause it’s like a hang time, right? It’s where we all hang out. So, that’s the intro, then there’s support, and then we’ll talk about Bake Off. All told, we’ll be here a bit over an hour, ideally, and I’m really glad you checked the show out. I really work hard. A bunch of other people work really hard on the show.
I really appreciate you coming by and checking it out if you're new or a regular listener coming back for episode after episode after episode. We yearn and we strive. So, thanks for giving us your time, and if you're a regular listener, you fall asleep fast, you listen all night long, you've listened for years, and Sleep With Me makes your life better, we could use your support for the show. If the answers to all those are ‘no’, don't worry about supporting the show. But if Sleep With Me has changed your life, these are the ways you could make sure the show can keep doing that. Thanks.
Alright everybody, it’s Scoots here, and it’s time for the final. It’s…at least Collection 8, Episode 10 on the flicking of nets here in the US…is final; not finale. The final. I don't know if it’s always been the final or the finale, but another season of baking comes to a close, and we're here for it. No cold open, right? I think there’s no cold open. I’m getting my notes ready and it’s playing. I got the credits…and, yeah, we have a little recap in the beginning. Matt does the recap. We have all the bakers. We run through some of them. We see all of them kinda doing silly stuff…and ups and downs, drinking tea, mixing stuff. But now there is just three, and they're all at their mixers, concentrating. Holy moly, are they. We see things aren't going good for Laura, and we see…jeepers creepers; Laura’s in the freezer.
Then the opening comes and starts. We say, oh, there’s no jokes from Matt or…oh boy, then we get a great shot of the countryside. Dave says, good luck, everybody. It looks like it’s a warm day; shorts, matching shorts, on Dave and Peter. Sorry, Peter. Your name…I always blank on your name. We get Laura’s recap. Freddy Mercury…not pressing…turning on the ice-cream maker’s ice setting…ups and downs. But she proved…she did persist and kept going and even was Star Baker. So, it didn’t mean anything ‘til she got it. We hear her; she talks about how incredible it is making to the final. Dave…he said, I thought I was going home on Week 3, but he’s been listening and improving and learning, and they're impressed. One of the most improved bakers in the competition’s history. Remarkable.
Okay, I’m happy to be in the final. I’ve always wanted to get here, Peter says, since I was twelve or thirteen. Baby-faced baker, Peter, the great Battenberg. Thank you. Ambitious bakes, flawless flavors, taking things to another level…different shirt every time, too, so far. Youngest finalist…let’s give it a step further. We’ll give it a shot. He’s confident but not cocky, in my opinion. Hello, bakers. Welcome to the final. It’s your last signature challenge. If someone could remind me of these things if…when I get to England, I need to eat these; baked custard slices. Noel loves custard. Then he talks a little bit…it’s the reality about little cream horn. Matt says, yeah, this joke’s not funny. Let’s just end…why don’t you sit the final out? It’s pretty good. Matt’s good at the awkward stuff or responding to awkwardness. Two and a half hours.
On your marks, get set, bake. But Noel says ‘bake off’ off camera. So, we learn…I mean, Scoots learned what a custard slice is maybe for the third time I’ve done this; maybe not. It sounds homely, says Prue. It’s a difficult thing to get right. You want well-laminated pastry. That’s a check for me. I like that. So, it’s like a custard cake. At first I thought…when I was…the first time I watched this episode, I said, is this like a cream pie? ‘Cause I love cream pie. But spoiler; it’s not. You're gonna have to use your fridge, Paul says, to finish your custard slices. So, we start with Laura, and she’s trying to do something refined. Yuzu, yuzu. You say yuzu; I say yuzu…custard slice. Instead of…she’s gonna put hers on the side, and the resistance then is in the custard…hold it up. That’s the plan. Chantilly cream; not Chantilly lace.
Lemon-and-coconut gel and rough puff, which I think everyone’s doing anyway…frozen butter? Yeah, you got…check. Nerves? Check. Of course. Folding your pastry with butter? Yes. Working it into folds? Correct. Chilling it down, cooling it down, slowing it down in the fridge or the freezer; yes, like Uncle Ebenezer. Silky smooth…getting into some gelatin, maybe? Maybe put it in water? You don’t want it to be too much, 'cause you don't want it rubbery. Ten leaves? How many leaves do you need? Alright, Dave, tell us about your custard slices. Caramel latte custard slice. Coffee-set custard, caramel…oh boy, Dave, I’m liking this. Caramel…caramel again? You haven't had much luck with that. Yeah, set coffee, caramel…we start to see that they're not cake slices. They're different than that, but I don't go to a lot of patissiers.
I need…honestly, I need a patissier guide. Like, I need someone to guide me through it. Noel and Dave are talking about the future bambino. He sees…gets a message from his wife or partner and their future baby and the dog, all sitting on the floor together. Because they've been…they haven't been able to…nobody’s…none of the friends or family are gonna be able to join for the final, so they sent loving messages. Feels a bit like Stevie B’s show. Rob has a podcast about the…that show, where people get letters, but these are videos. So, he’s getting the coffee, hoping he gets the right amount. Whiskey into Peter’s creme pat…not your average custard, Laura says. The more liquid that’s added, the more it has to set. Yuzu and lime…yuzu and lime. 300 to 100 milliliters.
Peter’s doing two different custards; raspberry creme pat, whiskey creme pat. He wants a two-tone color. Porridge oat topping…I love a porridge oat topping. I don't know what the porridge part is, but…how do you feel about the final? It hasn’t sunk in. Yeah, I’m in the Bake Off final. It’s awesome. He does a little screen time with his parents and his twin brother. Those rainy afternoons, his mother says…when you were four, making cupcakes with your brother…couldn't have lost my oven to a better person, mom says. This is way more than a baking competition for Peter. It’s shaped him as a young man. This is the biggest time away from home he’s ever had.
He goes, maybe I haven't experienced as much as my peers, but this is something that…yeah, he goes, a hundred people…only a hundred people have ever experienced this before. They talk about going back to uni. Matt’s like, when you go back to school, people are gonna know who you are. What is that gonna be like? Matt doesn't exactly portray it as pleasant, but he does portray it as true. So, it’s like, just be aware, Peter. Your privacy may not be yours anymore. We got some…making, some whisking, some buttering, and trying to make sure your custard sets. So, again, I don't know what these custard slices…are they like a cream pie or no? I mean, I know a lot of them are more citrusy and berry-based. So, I’d probably prefer Dave’s most of all.
I can't have a whiskey creme pat, anyway, but…unless I watched Peter cook it for a long time, but…alright, so these are going in the oven. Icing sugar on Peter’s slices…Laura’s putting it between sheets to weigh it down. Put it in the oven…190 for twenty-five? What do you say? Golden brown and lovely, I hope. The final…pretty cool, Noel says to Laura. Three bakes to win. Yeah, change your life. She goes, I know…I like my life as it is. She hears from her husband. He just deep-cleaned the kitchen from the last time she was there — that’s funny — as a joke, but…she’s a bit like…I’m not…I’m like that, man. I’m not the neatest person. Neat as a pin? Not me. Not even within the general vicinity. She also hears from her father. He’s got a nice quilt behind him…and talking about pulling it off.
Great job by the producers to make the chair look really good with the quilt and then another thing behind him. Well done. So, she’s talking about doing it for them, making them proud. Yeah, then we get Mr. Spoon talking to Laura. Who do you think is gonna win, Laura? Mr. Spoon doesn't know. Spend every final, supposedly…do you think Laura’s gonna win? He nods silently. Noel says, yeah. Can you kiss Mr. Spoon? First she says ‘no’, then he says, come on. He laughs, heads off. They say, okay, call time. Halfway through. Noel’s got a pie topper on his head. Okay, it better be baked well and laminated, right? That’s what Paul and Prue are expecting. Will it be flaky? We’ll find out. Only time will tell. Color’s looking good. Laura’s butter seeped out, so…man, but it’s…and it’s thick.
Now it’s time to transfer those custard slices into decadent taste. Magic 8 ball…oh, that was Noel; Magic 8 ball…the way he was asking Mr. Spoon. Honeycomb…Peter’s honeycomb is looking…I don't know if it’s strange for a honeycomb or not. I’ve never seen it before, but it’s very bubbly. From sixties’ Star Trek, Noel says. I could communicate with it. Yeah. So, he says, yeah, I’ll see you later. Halfway crust…extra texture…Noel and group…thirty minutes…layers…cut it down to size. So crumbly…Dave is pleased. Raspberries in a row for Peter, and Laura’s trying to pick up her pace. We're in business now. Dave’s assembling his thing. Laura’s putting hers and Dave’s in the freezer. Worried about time…wouldn't be a signature challenge without a race to the finish. Dave’s comes out of the freezer.
Laura’s comes out of the freezer. Here we go. Let’s find out if these custards are set or not. Peter’s is. Dave’s is. Clean and set, Dave’s is. Laura’s is not. Hers is still a little squidgy. Oh, more than squidgy; not set. She’s like, this is no good. Peter’s cutting his slices. I mean, these…it’s different than a tiramisu, but that’s the shape I would associate it with. Again, I don't eat a lot in nice restaurants. Then if I did, I wouldn't…I guess I wouldn't know to order a custard. Where do you buy a custard in the US or the UK? A patissier? In the US…yeah, this is where I need a guide. They say, here…right here, Scoots, and these are the ones you would like. Just try a bite. ‘Cause it’s like, yeah, I could taste the yuzu-and-lime one. I’m sure it tastes good, but…okay, so they're doing their final decorating. Laura’s not pleased.
The time is up. She puts her head in the freezer. She’s down. Noel comes…first Dave comes over and talks to her, then Noel talks to her about Bjorn Borg, forgetting everything. Says, just forget everything that happened and move on. He whispers it to her. He was a good champion because he could forget everything. So, the next point…he would just think about the next point. He’d never think about anything behind him, just go forward. It’s really a good moment. But Laura’s talking heads…she’s kind of embarrassed. Noel says, you’ve come back from worse, so let’s do…let’s see. Okay, now it’s time for the judges to weigh in. They go to Peter’s first. Cranachin custard slice…look good. Let’s hope they taste good. Professional. I like the way the raspberries are standing. Lovely, flaky pastry. It looks good.
Paul bites it. Prue bites it. Dave watches. Oats are delicious on top. Crunchy, slightly caramelized, and beautiful flavor of custard, the whiskey and the raspberry. A little bit thick, though, but just a little bit thick. The raspberry’s your saving grace. Balance is there. You ticked every box, thought it through. Lovely custard slice. Thank you. Then we go to Dave’s. He’s got a coffee bean on each one, too. Now, that looks tasty…as long as it happened before 2:00 p.m. Wobbly, wobble, wobble. It should wobble. Has a crack, has a crunch…stood up to the cut. They start taking bites. Prue says, this is delicious. Pastry’s beautiful and flaky. Coffee flavor…a little stodgy, though, the custard. It’s still pretty delicious. I mean, not stodgy, stodgy. Love the coffee and the espresso flavor. Well done, well done. Okay, so, one down.
Then Laura’s up next. Okay, yeah, I’m sorry to have to serve you this. I’m a little bit embarrassed. How much gelatin? Not enough, huh. Then again…yeah, 'cause we got…yeah, the citrus flavors probably make it harder to use the gelatin. Too much flavor in a custard, you can't set, Paul says. The flavors sound wonderful, though. The pastry’s hard. You lost your butter. But where, oh where, could my butter…rough puff butter be? It’s like a cracker. Prue takes a bite. Paul takes a bite. The custard’s clearly delicious. Sharp, strong…love the flavors. Puff pastry’s not good, though. Laura, if you had a bad morning — but it does taste delicious — you could have a great afternoon. So, yeah. Noel says, see? Two more challenges. Don’t…just let it go. Move on. Bad morning, Prue said…Laura says, and that’s accurate.
So, she’s obviously…this is not great for her. Now a gingham-wrapped mystery. Alright, so it’s time for their gingham-wrapped mystery technical challenge set by Prue, the lovely Prue. Who’s Prue? Matt asks. Who’s the other person? Okay, they warned me about this…who’s…Prue, any advice? Keep your cool. Keep everything cool. Use your fridges. Everybody’s like, oh, okay. Alright, so, final technical challenge. Eight little walnut whirls. These look so good. Holy cow. Another thing…I gotta figure out how I can get these. Sable biscuit base, coffee ganache filling surrounded by marshmallow and coated in tempered chocolate. Two hours. Get ready, get set, bake.
The only thing I’ve seen like this in the US is in a mass market…I don't even know what they're called…that are…but I don't think they have all that…they don’t have the coffee stuff, coffee-infused ganache in the middle. Pinwheels maybe they're called? I don't even know. Laura does not like this idea. Final technical, Prue. Eight walnut whirls. Oh boy, do they look…these are right up Scoots’ alley. Coffee ganache or chocolate ganache would be fine with me. Surrounded by marshmallow…yeah, this thing would be ten thousand times better than a s’more, in my opinion. You just have chocolate ganache, marshmallow, graham cracker base. It’d be fine without it instead of actually having to eat s’mores. Maybe I’ll do that, but I could do it…maybe I could do that. Marshmallow’s tricky.
You don’t want to lose these whirlies, whirly whirlies. Then you gotta get the chocolate to set at the right temperature. Better…35 degrees today, maybe, so that’s why I suggested chocolate. They laugh. It’s hot. Nobody’s happy. They got the cold towels on their necks. Toast the walnuts. Toasty and walnutty. So, they're gonna…oh, I like a biscuit base that would have a walnut or an almond flavor. So, they're chop, chop, chopping it up. Blitz them like they're ground almonds, then make the sable dough and chill, man. Sable is a type of biscuit most people have never made before. Is it like a pastry biscuit? Okay, so that’s the sable dough. Dough, a deer, a sable dough. A dough that you pronounce sable. So warm, man, isn't it, Noel says to Dave. Yes. Put on an anorak, man.
Coffee-infused ganache…Laura doesn't like coffee at all, strongly. Peter’s got coffee beans in low heat, infusing the flavor. How do you infuse coffee? Laura doesn't even know. Hopefully that’s infused enough. Ganache has gotta be smooth. No lumps, no bumps, Peter. They put it in the fridge. Laura’s still trying to figure out…heat the coffee and the cream together? Okay, walnut whirls, man. Matt says, what do you think about them, Dave? Are you excited? Dave said…he says, I can't even see you on camera. Cut disks out. They're really small disks. What’s the thickness? Laura’s gotta get her biscuits. Eight biscuits is what we need. How thin? But that amount of dough…huh, we gotta…it’s supposed to be exact or what? Peter’s like, mine is too thin. Dave’s go into the oven. Ten minutes for Dave, maybe less.
Laura’s working on her stuff. Okay, so it’s like a coffee-infused chocolate ganache, it looks like, 'cause Laura was making hers. Go ask Mr. Spoon. Is Peter ready to win? Mr. Spoon also says ‘yes’ to Peter. By the way, kiss the spoon, man. A little peck on the cheek. He does it right below the eyes. Noel loves it. Peter’s having fun. Never made marshmallow before, says Dave. It’s Italian meringue with gelatin, maybe? I don't know, he says. Laura says, yeah, it’s similar to Italian meringue. Peter uses a Swiss meringue method; eggs over a bain-marie. So, that’s…Laura’s doing a syrup, syrup and egg whites. Same with Dave. Oh boy, a bain-marie. That’s one of my favorite things to say on the show. Bathing with bain-marie; is that what we talked about? Matt gives Laura a fresh, cold towel. So, she uses that to cool her neck.
Residual heat melting down the gelatin, and…so, both methods make marshmallow, Italian or Swiss, meringue. Laura’s…there was something missing. I don't know what it was. Oh, Laura’s egg whites were not whisked enough when she added her sugar syrup. So, she’s gonna have to try again. Peter has…says, my cookies look nice; okay. Dave’s got five more minutes. Crisp biscuit…so, Laura’s gonna try to restart her marshmallow. One hour left for the bakers. Laura’s going fast. Then you gotta pipe a cone of coffee ganache into the center of each biscuit. Give it a quick whiz, man. Okay…whether it’s right or not, no idea, Laura says. Put it back in the freezer. Dave’s look the best so far. Peter’s are more of a tube. Laura’s still working to catch up. Then number eight; assemble…step eight.
So, do your whirls, your marshmallow whirls. Reminds me of one of my favorite holiday songs, Marshmallow Whirls. I’m making marshmallow whirls…yes…are you whirling? Twice that song’s popped in here, three times if you count whatever the thing I said a long time ago was. I don't even know. Okay, then you got…it’s gotta be in a conic shape, no gappage in the marshmallow whirl, and then a glossy coat of tempered chocolate. 34-degree heat…you gotta be precise with this, precisely microwaved…I don't know how…45-ish degrees, Peter says? Cold-seed chocolate; I don't know what that…then they take it down to 29. You're losing me. Air temperature is 34 degrees, so it’s difficult. Dave’s got some other method; a ice bath. We're never gonna get to twenty-seven, Peter says. It’s not coming down.
Let me remedy that. He goes to the freezer. This was in the freezer. Maybe I’ll reduce the heat. Laura’s doing a seeder method. Whisk it in…but ten minutes are remaining, so they gotta get going. Noel and Matt are having fun. 36 degrees for…in the room, Laura says. Not looking great, 'cause the marshmallow’s already melting in the room for Peter. He’s like, I don't…everybody’s like, I don't know if I pour it or dip it. How am I gonna get coverage? Dip it, Dave says? Maybe do I dip it? So, he tries dipping it, but I think he changes his mind after that. Oh, you got one dipped. Peter’s doing a soaking method. He’s disappointing…disappointed in his neatness. One minute left as these things…Dave’s look good. Peter’s look very edible. Then place your walnut whirls behind your photographs, everyone. Okie dokie.
Two of them look tempered or shiny. I don't know. We’ll see on the tasting here. Okay, so, yeah, shiny, tempered coating…so, they start…an iconic whirl of light marshmallow. They start with Laura. Not quite set. It could have been chillier. Timing issue, probably. It hasn’t set; neither has the chocolate. So, it’s more of like a pudding-type thing. Biscuit’s delicious. It needed longer in the oven. Ganache is soft. Marshmallow’s soft. Chocolate’s soft. So, timing issue. Okay, next up is Peter. Set…marshmallow’s a little soft, though. You want…it does…you want whirls. Could have done with a bit longer. Ganache is good. Perfect. Coffee comes through. Not too much marshmallow. Then Dave…I like the look. Swirls are neat. Could have had a bit longer just like everybody else.
Crack of the biscuit…it’s good to have that; compensate for the sweet stuff. Taking a bite…okay. Hm. A nice crumble. Ganache is right. It could have been darker, though. Flavors are good. They do look neat as a pin. Then they discuss who…which whirl…walnut whirls are winners. They start with third place; that’s Laura. Wasn’t quite ready. Then the second place is…who is in second place? Peter. You managed to set it. You didn’t get the definition, though. Dave, you are the winner. Your biscuits were thicker. Good mouthful. Delicious. Well done. Then we go outside. Last technical, right? Prove myself to Paul and Prue…I can do it. Peter thought he would be in third, so he’s kind of relieved. Laura said, well, when I came in first the last time, I thought I was the best of the bad bunch. Now I’m the worst of a good bunch.
So, it’s okay. Okay, then we see some birds in the trees…thunder, rain. One challenge remains ‘til we crown the winner. Good luck, everyone. Can Laura win? The table talk begins with…well, it’s possible, but someone will have to lose it, actually, for her to win. More thunder rumbling. Prue says she’s got a huge mountain to climb. They say, Laura…maybe somebody’s…thunder says, rooting for Laura. So, they all have a laugh about the next dinner party…not being invited from thunder lord or whatever. Okay, we get a bunch of things; faces, hands, people…concern. Welcome for your final showstopper, a colossal dessert tower. It’s reflecting your personal experience. Tower treats…it has a large cake at its base, and then the rest of the tower must show off three different baking disciplines in four and a half hours.
Okay, good luck. On your marks, get set, bake. They start their final assembly here, right? Final challenge, a personal show…your own personal showstopper. It’s like a movie. An exhibition at the end of a term, Prue says. Big cake underneath, three other bakes on top; choux, pastry, biscuit, pudding, bread, whatever they want to do. I just want it perfect, Paul says. I hope they go all out, Prue says, and say, this is good. This is my best. It’s raining. They start with Laura. Tell us about your showstopper. She says, okay, it’s based on a quote I like from G.K. Chesterton; when it rains on your parade, look for the rainbow, more or less…a rainbow dessert tower. Carrot and walnut cake, Chelsea buns, chocolate orange, lemon macroons, and her Star Baker-winning lime tart, mini versions. Yesterday was topsy-turvy.
Yeah, yesterday was not a good day. But, I don't know, I just want to be proud of myself, so…they say, can you keep your bench clean? Everybody laughs and says…you know, that was unnecessary, man. Method in the chaos, Paul. Okay, so…but it could be chaotic during this thing from a unlikely source. Bonkers bake-off bubble cake; that’s what Peter’s working on. My cake’s a bit random, more out there than anything I’ve done. So, it’s like a puffed-rice Christmas tree, spiced Christmas friands, chocolate-and-orange biscuits, lemon-and-blackberry creme diplomat, and a strawberries-and-cream Victoria sandwich. Like your Chris Hoy cake, they say. Brainstorm my experience…I came up with two main themes.
One is the challenge of the uncertainty, uncertainty of…it’s not coming, what we're doing, all of it, and the joy of it, you know? I’m in the Bake Off finale. I’ve watched it half my life. I’ve dreamed about it. Paul has to interrupt that about his age. They say, you're just a kid. Okay, so, Laura’s working on her cake, getting it in the oven. Whilst Laura and Peter are working on triumphs, Dave’s strategy…a little riskier. His is a tower to redemption. Yeah, he goes, I’m gonna do the bakes I did badly. I think this is a smart…very smart move to try to win, a big risk trying to get different results from the same thing, you know? Maybe Einstein said that? Dave Einstein, they say. Okay, so, amaretto, fraisier cake, syrup, chocolate babka, raspberry profiteroles, miniature white-chocolate, macadamia-nut brownies.
Mildly monumental task, Matt says, succeeding where you failed. Fortune favors the bold. He should have said ‘flavors’. You gonna go on holiday after this? A staycation ‘til little bubba comes along. He goes, oh, I’m looking…Matt’s really…Matt does seem like a very genuine guy. Oh, I look forward to you having your baby. That’s gonna be cool. Then he…there’s a really…is that the awkward moment? He’s really good at quiet awkwardness. My first Matt Lucas exposure, so…okay, enriched dough for the Chelsea buns, cinnamon orange extract as well. She goes, when my husband’s not happy, I do these, 'cause he talks about me being in the…something. So, does…buns to make amends. Then babkas…took it out too soon. I didn’t know the timing. So, Dave’s…second story of his tower of redemption. Peter takes a sip of tea for Rowan.
Peter’s chaos theory…biscuit dough…American-style sugar cookie-type thing…I said, whoa, whoa, whoa, buddy, what are you talking about? I mean, which kind of sugar cookie, the soft kind or the kind you put frosting on? ‘Cause those are two…kinda two totally different things, and I need to know which one so I could prepare for how it’s gonna taste, 'cause I do like both. I prefer my frosted sugar cookies, honestly, not even a day old; like three or four days old. After they're cooked, I feel like they mature better. But a regular sugar cookie…make the dough, leave it in the fridge for two days, and then bake that cookie if it’s a round one, and then I’ll have it now. Prue and Matt do a little bit. Kiss…Dave kisses Mr. Spoon on his face…on Mr. Spoon’s stem or whatever by accident. Battambang biscuits or something?
Not measuring up or not something up. Choux sounded nice, but a bit too bubbly. Choux’s too loud. Laura’s are coming out. She’s feeling good. There’s a lot of rolling going on. I guess that’s for the buns. Yeah. Rolling up the Chelsea buns. So, is a cinnamon roll a Chelsea bun? Sausage shapes…Peter’s listening to his cake. It’s sounding good. I’m not Peter; I’m Laura. Peter’s part ruler, man. He measures everything. Laura does it by eye. Oh, his Battenberg biscuits were supposed to be checkerboard, but they're not measuring up, so then he makes them into stripes. But then he tries to do it again…then he tries to make some also that are checkerboard. Dave’s doing his…getting ready for his profiteroles. I did this in practice, Peter says. I don't know why it’s not working. My head’s not in the game.
Dave’s getting his stuff in the pastry thingamajigs. Tarts getting shaped…I don't understand how to make a checkerboard. So, Peter tries something different. Stripey biscuits, checkerboard biscuits…that’s mildly concerning. Okay, then we see some more of the tent. Let’s get these in the oven. Sleep well, my beauties. Stripey accidents…they look tasty, though. Peter’s becoming more chaotic than he planned. He does have a very clean workstation, though, for all the work he’s done. But he’s stressed. Dave’s piping out the old profiterole, like the eclairs he made. Piping out the profiterole, man. Tarts, nice and zesty, and craquelin…and they'll stretch out and grow. It’ll be wild. Hopefully these will be nice. That was Dave saying that. Now Peter’s trying to do some checkerboards…calling himself a silly billy.
Ninety minutes remaining. Does he say okie-dokie or okie-cokie? Everybody’s trying to figure out their timing. Can we finish these giant dessert towers in time for judging? All the cake components…construction…showstopper fillings and remaining treats at the same time, multitasking. Dave’s working on his brownies. Peter’s like, these aren't that great, but whatever, man. Rolls are coming out. They're looking good for both Laura and Dave. Hot stuff, man. No tray bake on his brownie. He wants to make some legit brownies. Structural stuff…you gotta structure it. A puffed-rice cone…I think that’s a puffed-rice crispy treat, but he’s doing it as a cone. His cone’s falling apart. How long have we got? One hour. Noel’s doing puppetry now with a colander and an anorak, actually. That’s funny. Talk about a callback.
Sixteen more minutes for the brownies. The guests are the most exclusive garden party…2020, 'cause it’s the staff and the people in the bubble who work so hard to make the baking show happen this year. That’s cool to see who’s crown champion. Laura says, yeah, I’m going quick as I can. I’ll be…are you ready? I’ll be ready. The fraisier cake’s getting made. Fraiser cake almost looks like a kawaii cake, too. I mean, it looks like it has a design on it. I don't know why he didn’t mention that. I would have said, also, this is like a kawaii cake, too. Okay, so you gotta be able to stack this stuff, and it’s gotta hold up. Christmas pudding friands…sounds like something your car needs, except for…just the friand part. Okay, everybody’s gotta hurry up. Stealth mode…somebody says, how much time? Half an hour left.
This is some serious business now. Laura, come on. Oh, you gotta use this…nougatine; that’s the construction material, nougatine. Yeah, that’s…nougatine; I like saying that. Time to ice the cakes. Get your nougatine assembled. Put fruit…decorate your cakes. Friands are gonna have the taste of a festive season. I’d like to taste those just by themselves just to see what the flavor is. I’d like to have the option of just having one bite and being like, oh, this is my kind of festive season taste or, whoa, this is my kind…and then eating a ton. Or a bite and saying, yeah, I don't know about these…this is not my festive season flavor. Or, surprisingly, I like the festiveness of this even though it wasn’t what I expected. Okay, so Dave’s getting his assembled. He’s…ends up being done way before everybody else.
Peter’s face is so…they're both using their nougatine structural things to build their towers. Dave’s doing some fine work on it, I guess, or whatever you want to call it. Detail work? Peter’s frosting his cone. Dave’s eating some of his stuff. Random vibes for Peter. Laura’s still kinda working hard. Actually, I’m surprised how sticky Peter’s cone is, that whatever he frosted it with must be glue-like, 'cause he’s able to put stuff on it. Dave’s helping Laura with her assembly of her tower 'cause there’s so little time left, and then he offers to help Peter because Peter’s trying to get his top on his tower and it’s very delicate. But Peter manages to do it. Dave’s like, careful, buddy. We're in friendly competition, so I’m being friendly.
Not quite as fancy as we would expect from Peter, but it looks about 8,000 times better than anything I’ve ever made in my life. So, time is up. Well done, bakers. Everybody clapping and cheering…and some relief, right, of, hey, the show is over, man. Me and Matt, we aged during this 'cause we were rooting for everybody. Well done. Group hug. Then the drone shots of the place. Then it’s judgment time for this year’s final showstoppers. So, Laura, you have to carry it up to the front. I was like, man, what, are you kidding me? Can't you come to my workstation and eat this thing? I’d love to know the producers that have to pick the bases the things are gonna go on, 'cause one of them is made of slate. I’m like, what if this slate wasn’t rated for a eight-pound cake? That producer would be…they must be great at their job, I guess.
It’s a compliment what I’m saying. I’m not capable of that. Okay, so, Laura’s cake is beautiful. They like the taste. Nice, moist, full of flavor and texture. Beautifully baked. Heavenly cake. Key lime, stem of ginger…stem ginger…flavors are coming. There’s a zing. Then the chocolate candied orange peel Chelsea bun…nothing wrong with your baking, Laura. A little stretchy and squashy, but the flavor’s fantastic. Lemon macroons, lemon curd, flavor…delicate, soft middle. You're a good baker. Good at flavor. Thank you so much. Just her details just didn’t come together. But everything sounded like it tasted delicious. It looked like it. Peter’s up next. His is on slate. It’s just so big. I can't believe they make people carry this stuff up like that. It’s like…I don't know.
It’s just…I don't know how much something like that weighs, but Peter’s like…it looks heavy. Okay, they look at it. A Christmas tree theme on top. Quite festive. Battle of everything. Prue thinks it looks lovely. Strawberry jammy cream in the middle of this cake…they take some bites of it and think about it. Dave’s watching, wondering, you know? Peter’s…they say, flavor and texture’s perfect. A little drier. Maybe more creamy strawberry in the middle. Okay, then they go to the lemon-and-blackberry choux buns. This is where they start to get really impressed. Blackberry’s delicious, and the lemon. Sharp. Lovely. Silky smooth on the inside. Nicely baked. Craquelin worked. The Battambang biscuits are good. They're softening, but good. The friands…well, okay, maybe not. A bit disappointing for Prue.
Doughy texture…a bit stodgy. Oh boy. Who will win now, you know? Thank you, Peter. Dave’s moving in his seat. He’s like, I got a chance. You telling me I have a chance? Okay. Alright, Dave, bring up your showstopper. It’s got mushrooms. It looks nice, too. Not as nice as Peter’s, to be honest. It kinda looks like a kawaii cake with a mushroom tower on top. They look at it. Okay, it looks original. Well designed. Enticing, even. Yeah, and also risky. These are things you thought you could have done better, right? Are these perfect now? Prue says, just say yes. So, they take out the fraisier cake, and they're impressed as soon as they get it out. A lot of filling. They take bites of it. Paul even pauses. Tender, lovely, Prue says. Light, summery cake. Okay, let’s try this brownie. They cut that in half.
Chocolate chunks…okay, but the last time it was cake-like rather than gooey. She goes, okay, I hit some goo. That’s better. Light crack on top. Texture and good flavor. They're alright. Now they have the babka. Last time you struggled with babka 'cause you didn’t understand what we asked for. Took them out of the oven early, he says, the other ones. These are out a little bit too late. Flavor’s good. Dough’s tough. It should be more open. Alright, let’s try the choux buns. Too flat straightaway. Paul doesn't even need to bite it. They break it in half. Everybody’s pausing. A lot of shots of…not crispy, Paul says. The wet filling’s not making it any better. Cream needed to be thicker. Brownies; check. Cake; check. Profiteroles and babka cake still need work. But the fraisier cake’s one of the nicest things Prue’s had. It’s heaven.
Well done. Okay, so, Dave’s got a shot, you know? So, everybody sits down. We get the reaction shots, thinking, then talking heads. Peter says, I don't know. I just don't know. Paul…Prue wasn’t keen on that. Stodgy. Goes, I love stodge. Laura’s like, that went better than I expected. Yesterday was tough. So, I could have done it, maybe, if I had done better yesterday. She’s like, it’s been…I think Dave’s gonna win. That’s what Laura says. But it’s gonna be close. Dave says, I don't know, it’s all up to the judges. Then the contestants come out with some food for the guests, and the guests are clapping…baking show bubblers. Then Paul and Prue have a decision to make. Okay…and they talk about that cake. Yeah, they talk about…okay, every cake on the bakers was good. All of them were really good, Paul says.
Laura had to excel. Her flavors were beautiful on every single layer, but she’s not in the running, right? Matt says. So, it’s just two of them, and they're so close. The two sponges were perfect. So, we’ve gotta judge on the other three things. So, what should we do? Those could be improved. Two of Peter’s were excellent. Two could be improved. So, they're neck and neck. How do…is it a draw? How do you reach a decision? Close to a draw, Paul says, I’ve ever seen. Wow. Okay, then we get cheering and clapping, and then the judges walk out with the trophy thing. They say, okay, bakers, come on up and join us. Everybody’s cheering. The bakers kinda…it’s awkward for them. They say, congratulations on reaching the final. Usually you'd be here with your family, but this is a different kind of family; us.
Everybody came together to make the show happen, and Matt thanks everybody. Everybody who worked on it, everybody taking care of us, cleaning…staff of the hotel looking after us. So, they cheer for all those people. This is a really nice moment for me, just thinking about the people that, yeah, were there. This is the closest final they ever had. Hardest decision they ever had to make. Noel says, okay, the winner is…there’s a pause and everybody’s holding their hands tight, standing stiff, gulping, even, for Peter, biting his lower lip for Dave. Peter. Everybody cheers and claps and hugs. There’s chatter and more hugs. He can't believe it, obviously. You're the winner, mate. Amazing, amazing. More hugs. He’s like, can't quite believe it. Hugs around. Congratulations. Can't believe I made it here.
Can't believe the show happened. A huge chapter in my life. What a way for it to end. How close, Paul says? It was those choux buns, really, that it came down to, and the rough puff pastries. It was that close. Peter should be proud. The youngest winner we’ve had. The first Scottish winner we’ve had. Terribly proud. Prue’s like, it’s my son or grandson; I’m so proud of him. Eager to learn. She goes, that’s why I like being on the show. I feel like they're my grand…my kids or my grandkids or whatever. Dave’s not disappointed. I’d take runner-up all day long. Laura says, overjoyed and bittersweet. I got some flowers. Couldn't ask for a better winner. My flatmates told me that they have a shelf for me to put it on. He laughs about that.
We see him at twelve…it got me into baking, Series 3. That was my favorite series of Bake Off. He just spoils it; so, I said, I could watch that, but you just spoiled it. He goes, yeah, I’m a Bake Off expert. Twelve-year-old Peter would be in awe. I relate to this 'cause this is kinda like Sleep With Me even though my gap was a lot bigger than Peter’s, but…and, yeah, so, everybody cheers for him. He’s laughing. Genuine smile…we freeze on his smile, and then it’s like, dedicated to everybody from 2020 helping us get through 2020, man. Everybody cheering…bakers and their families getting together. So, we see everybody getting together, then we catch up on everybody; Loriea, Mak, Rowan, and then Linda, and then we go to Sura and Mark hanging out at Lottie’s with Laura and Dave, Lottie visiting Marc, Jasmine, and Rosie, Hermine and Steven.
Laura; tidy kitchen, and then we’ve got Peter calling his family, and he’s like…they were just waiting. He goes, I won Bake Off. Then we see Peter back at school. His flatmates had no idea he was on the series. That’s pretty funny. Then Ronnie…twelve…Sunday, the 11th of October, future Star Baker. Then the show’s dedicated to Louise, and it comes to a close. So, thanks everybody for joining us this season. I will check the holiday specials to see if these…any of this cast was in the…one of the holiday ones, and we’ll do that in the holiday season. Yeah, we’ll have some other stuff coming up to put you to sleep. Whether you're a Bake-Off fan or whatever you're a fan of, we got something for you here coming out. So, goodnight, and thanks for listening, and sleep well.
[END OF RECORDING]
(Transcription performed by LeahTranscribes)
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GBBO
How GBBO Filmed in 2020 Lockdown
https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/great-british-baking-show-1234842469/
English Custard
https://britishfoodhistory.com/2012/02/18/custard/
https://www.thebutterbook.com/post/cr%C3%A8me-anglaise-the-mother-of-all-dessert-sauces
GK Chesterton
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2008/07/07/the-back-of-the-world
https://www.chesterton.org/chesterton-influence/
https://www.helwyssocietyforum.com/g-k-chesterton-a-forgotten-giant/
GBBO C8/S11 E10 Review
https://jenrosewrites.blog/2020/11/23/the-great-british-bake-off-season-11-episode-10-my-thoughts/
https://www.vulture.com/article/great-british-baking-show-finale-recap-episode-10-final-2020.html
https://www.eater.com/21523979/great-british-bake-off-doesnt-feel-cozy-anymore
DOWN TO BUSINESS
Bakers…everywhere…?
There’s not an endless way of baking things, is there?
Hold on, I was just idealizing bakers in my head
A bubble in my head in my brain
Picturing bakers, smiling, leaping like fawns
Sun Oven vs Solar Oven
This snoozy will be a doozy
PLUGS
Sleep With Me Plus; SleepPhones; Story Only Feed; Rusty Biscuit Links; Emily Tat Artwork; Crisis Textline
SPONSORS
Helix Sleep; Zocdoc; Progressive; Kindred; Odoo; Uncommon Goods
INTRO
Feelings that are…I dunno
Or you’re just going through something tough
Unfortunately I still end up there in the deep dark night
A combination of things are still baffling me
Those strong feelings can still return sometimes for me
Someone listening right now is thinking fondly of you
It might not be palpable but it is tangible
Making the show is s meaningful to me
Explaining the show structure
I do some baking, but I’m nowhere near knowledgeable
How many times have I looked up a Genoise sponge? Hundreds of times
Why wouldn’t you be skeptical? I get it
Earn your trust by losing your attention
Always never getting started
Shoutout to sleepwithmepodcast.com/nothankyou
I just want to find something that helps you sleep
- Bore, have I said that one before?
Thanks for giving us your time
STORY
It’s time for “The Final”
Has it always been final and not finale?
The Flicking of Nets
No cold open, just a recap
A great shot of the countryside
Dave and Peter have matching shorts
Sorry, Peter, I always forget your name
Laura’s Recap
Dave is one of the most improved bakers in the competition’s history
Peter has wanted this since he was 12 or 13
Flawless bakes
Confident but not cocky
Signature: Baked Custard slices
When I go to England, can someone remind me to eat all these specialty bakes?
Is this like a cream pie?
Use the fridge to finish your custard slices
Laura: Uzu Custard slice
I think everyone is doing rough puff pastry
Don’t make that custard too rubbery
Dave: Caramel Latte Custard Slice
Oh boy, I like this
Dave hasn’t been successful with caramel this season
I need a patisserie guide
Dave is excited for his future bambino
Their family won’t be able to join for the final because of world events
They’re getting letters and videos from family
Peter: 2 different custards – raspberry creme pate and whisky creme pate
I love a poured porridge topping
This is the most time away from home that Peter has ever had
Matt does excel at these awkward conventions
Bakin’, Whiskin’, Butterin’
I still don’t know what these custards taste like
I’d probably prefer Dave’s
Into the oven
Golden brown and lovely, hopefully
Laura chats with her husband
I relate to Laura not being neat as a pin
Laura talks about her father
Mr. Spoon talks to Laura
Laura refuses to kiss Mr. Spoon
Noel has a pie topper on his head
Expecting a flakey, good bake
Laura’s butter seeps out
Peter’s honeycomb is very bubbly
Coming out of the freezer
Laura’s custard is not set, but the others’ are fine
It’s different from tiramisu
Where do you even buy a custard?
Final decoration
Laura feels down and puts her head in the freezer
Noel invokes Bjorn Borg to get Laura to forget everything and move forward
Judgment Time
Peter – professional, lovely pastry, delicious oats on top, crunchy, beautiful flavor, a little bit thick
Dave – looks tasty, a little stodgy, very delicious, well done
Laura – not enough gelatin, too much flavor so custard couldn’t set, not enough butter in pastry, good flavor, not good pastry
Bad morning for Laura, but she can turn it around
Gingham Wrapped Mystery, set by Prue
Technical Challenge
Prue’s Advice: Keep it cool
8 Little Walnut Whirls
Sable Biscuit Base, coffee-infused ganache, surrounded by marshmallow
It kind of reminds of Pinwheels, I think?
Maybe I could make my own version of these without the marshmallow
The heat is no great for chocolate
Toast those walnuts!
Sable and chill
Laura really doesn’t like coffee
How do you infuse flavor?
Peter infuses his chocolate
How thick should these cuts be?
Mr. Spoon interviews Peter
Peter gives Mr. Spoon a peck on the cheek
Dave has never made marshmallow before
Italian vs Swiss meringue methods
Oh boy, bain marie
Matt gives Laura a cold towel
Laura’s egg whites weren’t whisked enough so she’ll have to try again
Pipe ganache into the center of each biscuit
Dave’s look the best so far
Time for Marshmallow Whirls (my favorite holiday song)
A glossy coat of tempered chocolate
All this tempered chocolate talk is losing me
The Seeded Method
It’s 36 degrees in that room
Peter is disappointed in his lack of neatness
Time is up
Judgment Time
Laura – not quite set, timing issues, more like pudding, delicious biscuit, needed to bake more everything else soft
Peter – set, marshmallow is soft, ganache is good, good flavor
Dave – great look, could’ve had longer, nice sharp biscuit, good flavor, neat as a pin
Which walnut whirls are winners?
Laura is 3rd
Peter is 2nd
Dave wins the Technical!
Thunder and Rain before the final challenge
Table Talk
Highly unlikely that Laura will win
Final Showstopper
Colossal Dessert Tower reflecting your personal experience
Your own personal showstopper
Big cake underneath, 3 other bakes on top
A blank slate
Laura – Based on a GK Chesterton – look for the rainbow
Carrot and walnut cake, Chelsea buns, lime mini tarts, lemon macarons
Peter – Bonkers Bake Off Bubble Cake
Puffed rice Christmas tree, spiced orange biscuits, spiced christmas freons, strawberries and cream Victoria sandwich
Themes: Dealing with Uncertainty, and the Joy of all this
Dave – a Tower of Redemption
He’s doing the bakes he did badly!
I think this is a smart move
Chocolate babka, Amaretto Frasier Cake, white chocolate brownies
Matt does seem very genuine
This is my first Matt Lucas exposure
Buns to Make Amends
Peter’s “American Style Sugar Cookie Thing”
American sugar cookies are my wheelhouse, for once
Dave kisses Mr. Spoon on the lips!
Choux too loud!
Laura rolls up her Chelsea buns
Peter’s cakes sound good
Peter measures everything
Laura eyeballs it
Peter tries to make a checkerboard, but it’s not working
Peter goes for stripes instead
More chaotic than he planned
Dave is piping out profiteroles
Does Dave say, “Okey, cokey”?
Dave works on brownies
Hot stuff, man
Puffed Rice Cone is falling apart
Noel does puppetry with a colander and an anorak
The guests are the staff of the show!
A Frasier cake looks kind of kawaii
Christmas Pudding Freons
Nougatine is Laura’s construction material
Dave ends up finished way before everyone else
Peter frosts his cone
Dave does detail work
I’m surprised how sticky Peter’s cone in
Dave helps Laura with her tower assembly
It’s not as fancy as Peter’s best, but it’s way better than anything I’ve ever made
Time is up!
Judgment Time
Why do they have to carry them up front?
Laura: beautiful cake, great zingy flavors, nothing wrong with the baking, delicious flavors, great flavor, not great details
Peter: quite festive, lovely look, beautiful flavor and texture, a little dry on the cake, choux buns are impressive, freons are disappointing
Dave might have a chance!
Dave: looks nice and original, well-designed, impressed by the Frasier cake, brownie is alright, babka is a little over-baked, choux buns are too flat and not crispy, needed thicker cream
Dave has a shot
Laura thinks Dave will win
Meeting their show crew guests
Final table talk
All the cakes were good
Really down to Peter and Dave
Really neck and neck
Closest to draw that it’s ever been
Announcement Time
A cheer for all the people who helped during this difficult time
The winner is … Peter!!!!
Celebrations and chatter
The closest judgment ever
Youngest winner ever, first Scottish winner
Prue thinks of Peter as a grandchild
12 year old Peter would be in awe
Genuine cheers
The final slideshow catch-up
We see Peter call his family
Peter’s flatmates didn’t know he was on GBBO!
I’ll check the holiday specials and be back soon
SUMMARY:
Episode: 1381
Title: The Final | Great British Bake You Off to Sleep C8/S11 E10
Plugs: Sleep With Me Plus; SleepPhones; Story Only Feed; Rusty Biscuit Links; Emily Tat Artwork; Crisis Textline
Sponsors: Helix Sleep; Zocdoc; Progressive; Kindred; Odoo; Uncommon Goods
Notable Language:
- Genoise sponge
- Always never getting started
- R. Bore
- The Flicking of Nets
- Poured Porridge Topping
- Gingham Wrapped Mystery
- Sable and chill
- Oh boy, bain marie
- The Seeded Method
- Which walnut whirls are winners?
- Colossal Dessert Tower
- Buns to Make Amends
- Okey cokey
- Puffed Rice Cone
- Kawaii
- Christmas Pudding Freons
- Nougatine
Notable Culture:
- Great British Bake Off
- sleepwithmepodcast.com/nothankyou
- Magic 8 Ball
- Bjorn Borg
- Pinwheel cookies
- “Doe, a Deer”
- “Marshmallow World” song
- GK Chesterton
- Einstein
Notable Talking Points:
- Feelings that are…I dunno
- Or you’re just going through something tough
- Unfortunately I still end up there in the deep dark night
- A combination of things are still baffling me
- Those strong feelings can still return sometimes for me
- Someone listening right now is thinking fondly of you
- It might not be palpable but it is tangible
- Making the show is s meaningful to me
- Explaining the show structure
- I do some baking, but I’m nowhere near knowledgeable
- How many times have I looked up a Genoise sponge? Hundreds of times
- Why wouldn’t you be skeptical? I get it
- Earn your trust by losing your attention
- Always never getting started
- Shoutout to sleepwithmepodcast.com/nothankyou
- I just want to find something that helps you sleep
- R. Bore, have I said that one before?
- Thanks for giving us your time
- It’s time for “The Final”
- Has it always been final and not finale?
- The Flicking of Nets
- No cold open, just a recap
- A great shot of the countryside
- Dave and Peter have matching shorts
- Sorry, Peter, I always forget your name
- Laura’s Recap
- Dave is one of the most improved bakers in the competition’s history
- Peter has wanted this since he was 12 or 13
- Flawless bakes
- Confident but not cocky
- Signature: Baked Custard slices
- When I go to England, can someone remind me to eat all these specialty bakes?
- Is this like a cream pie?
- Use the fridge to finish your custard slices
- Laura: Uzu Custard slice
- I think everyone is doing rough puff pastry
- Don’t make that custard too rubbery
- Dave: Caramel Latte Custard Slice
- Oh boy, I like this
- Dave hasn’t been successful with caramel this season
- I need a patisserie guide
- Dave is excited for his future bambino
- Their family won’t be able to join for the final because of world events
- They’re getting letters and videos from family
- Peter: 2 different custards – raspberry creme pate and whisky creme pate
- I love a poured porridge topping
- This is the most time away from home that Peter has ever had
- Matt does excel at these awkward conventions
- Bakin’, Whiskin’, Butterin’
- I still don’t know what these custards taste like
- I’d probably prefer Dave’s
- Into the oven
- Golden brown and lovely, hopefully
- Laura chats with her husband
- I relate to Laura not being neat as a pin
- Laura talks about her father
- Mr. Spoon talks to Laura
- Laura refuses to kiss Mr. Spoon
- Noel has a pie topper on his head
- Expecting a flakey, good bake
- Laura’s butter seeps out
- Peter’s honeycomb is very bubbly
- Coming out of the freezer
- Laura’s custard is not set, but the others’ are fine
- It’s different from tiramisu
- Where do you even buy a custard?
- Final decoration
- Laura feels down and puts her head in the freezer
- Noel invokes Bjorn Borg to get Laura to forget everything and move forward
- Judgment Time
- Peter – professional, lovely pastry, delicious oats on top, crunchy, beautiful flavor, a little bit thick
- Dave – looks tasty, a little stodgy, very delicious, well done
- Laura – not enough gelatin, too much flavor so custard couldn’t set, not enough butter in pastry, good flavor, not good pastry
- Bad morning for Laura, but she can turn it around
- Gingham Wrapped Mystery, set by Prue
- Technical Challenge
- Prue’s Advice: Keep it cool
- 8 Little Walnut Whirls
- Sable Biscuit Base, coffee-infused ganache, surrounded by marshmallow
- It kind of reminds of Pinwheels, I think?
- Maybe I could make my own version of these without the marshmallow
- The heat is no great for chocolate
- Toast those walnuts!
- Sable and chill
- Laura really doesn’t like coffee
- How do you infuse flavor?
- Peter infuses his chocolate
- How thick should these cuts be?
- Mr. Spoon interviews Peter
- Peter gives Mr. Spoon a peck on the cheek
- Dave has never made marshmallow before
- Italian vs Swiss meringue methods
- Oh boy, bain marie
- Matt gives Laura a cold towel
- Laura’s egg whites weren’t whisked enough so she’ll have to try again
- Pipe ganache into the center of each biscuit
- Dave’s look the best so far
- Time for Marshmallow Whirls (my favorite holiday song)
- A glossy coat of tempered chocolate
- All this tempered chocolate talk is losing me
- The Seeded Method
- It’s 36 degrees in that room
- Peter is disappointed in his lack of neatness
- Time is up
- Judgment Time
- Laura – not quite set, timing issues, more like pudding, delicious biscuit, needed to bake more everything else soft
- Peter – set, marshmallow is soft, ganache is good, good flavor
- Dave – great look, could’ve had longer, nice sharp biscuit, good flavor, neat as a pin
- Which walnut whirls are winners?
- Laura is 3rd
- Peter is 2nd
- Dave wins the Technical!
- Thunder and Rain before the final challenge
- Table Talk
- Highly unlikely that Laura will win
- Final Showstopper
- Colossal Dessert Tower reflecting your personal experience
- Your own personal showstopper
- Big cake underneath, 3 other bakes on top
- A blank slate
- Laura – Based on a GK Chesterton – look for the rainbow
- Carrot and walnut cake, Chelsea buns, lime mini tarts, lemon macarons
- Peter – Bonkers Bake Off Bubble Cake
- Puffed rice Christmas tree, spiced orange biscuits, spiced christmas freons, strawberries and cream Victoria sandwich
- Themes: Dealing with Uncertainty, and the Joy of all this
- Dave – a Tower of Redemption
- He’s doing the bakes he did badly!
- I think this is a smart move
- Chocolate babka, Amaretto Frasier Cake, white chocolate brownies
- Matt does seem very genuine
- This is my first Matt Lucas exposure
- Buns to Make Amends
- Peter’s “American Style Sugar Cookie Thing”
- American sugar cookies are my wheelhouse, for once
- Dave kisses Mr. Spoon on the lips!
- Choux too loud!
- Laura rolls up her Chelsea buns
- Peter’s cakes sound good
- Peter measures everything
- Laura eyeballs it
- Peter tries to make a checkerboard, but it’s not working
- Peter goes for stripes instead
- More chaotic than he planned
- Dave is piping out profiteroles
- Does Dave say, “Okey, cokey”?
- Dave works on brownies
- Hot stuff, man
- Puffed Rice Cone is falling apart
- Noel does puppetry with a colander and an anorak
- The guests are the staff of the show!
- A Frasier cake looks kind of kawaii
- Christmas Pudding Freons
- Nougatine is Laura’s construction material
- Dave ends up finished way before everyone else
- Peter frosts his cone
- Dave does detail work
- I’m surprised how sticky Peter’s cone in
- Dave helps Laura with her tower assembly
- It’s not as fancy as Peter’s best, but it’s way better than anything I’ve ever made
- Time is up!
- Judgment Time
- Why do they have to carry them up front?
- Laura: beautiful cake, great zingy flavors, nothing wrong with the baking, delicious flavors, great flavor, not great details
- Peter: quite festive, lovely look, beautiful flavor and texture, a little dry on the cake, choux buns are impressive, freons are disappointing
- Dave might have a chance!
- Dave: looks nice and original, well-designed, impressed by the Frasier cake, brownie is alright, babka is a little over-baked, choux buns are too flat and not crispy, needed thicker cream
- Dave has a shot
- Laura thinks Dave will win
- Meeting their show crew guests
- Final table talk
- All the cakes were good
- Really down to Peter and Dave
- Really neck and neck
- Closest to draw that it’s ever been
- Announcement Time
- A cheer for all the people who helped during this difficult time
- The winner is … Peter!!!!
- Celebrations and chatter
- The closest judgment ever
- Youngest winner ever, first Scottish winner
- Prue thinks of Peter as a grandchild
- 12 year old Peter would be in awe
- Genuine cheers
- The final slideshow catch-up
- We see Peter call his family
- Peter’s flatmates didn’t know he was on GBBO!
- I’ll check the holiday specials and be back soon
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