The Great British Baking Show Recap: Pie in the Sky

As a seasoned food enthusiast with a keen eye for culinary creativity, I must say this latest episode of The Great British Baking Show left me utterly bewildered and amused! I’ve tasted my fair share of oddities during my years spent traversing the globe in search of unique gastronomic delights.

I’ve rarely found myself as anxious as during those three minutes, with the exception of that instance in college when I was waiting for a pregnancy test after sleeping with a woman. (To clarify, this “instance in college” refers to only one encounter with a female partner.) I’m referring to the nerve-wracking finale where we were deciding which baker would be eliminated. It was an impossible decision between Dylan – my ideal man, a humanized anime cat, sporting a charming goatee and muscular physique – and Nelly – the humorous, popular choice, the jester of the tent, always managing to lighten the mood no matter the circumstances. How could we possibly choose between Dylan and the artist behind “Hot in Herre”?

This week has been peculiar for us, as we not only had to anticipate the results of the grand finale of “The Baking Show,” which was reminiscent of Sophie’s difficult decision, but we also encountered a mystery called Autumn Week. It seems like the producers are brainstorming themes randomly and they landed on Mexican Week, which didn’t turn out well due to unforeseen circumstances. They donned their thinking caps and baking aprons, pondering, “What doesn’t have inhabitants? I know! Seasons!” The bakers weren’t asked to do much; essentially, they were tasked with creating a pie, a vegan version of a regional dessert, and a cake. To put it simply, if you’re a baker and can’t bake a pie and a cake, what business are you in on this reality TV show?

In my opinion, this episode showcases an impressive level of baking skill. The bakers have consistently impressed us throughout the season with their delicious creations, and I believe the key to their success is that the show allows them adequate time and avoids asking for unrealistic tasks such as creating a mobile from biscuits. With Autumn Week approaching and only pie and cake challenges on the horizon, it feels like walking into an exam room only to discover that it’s a casual BuzzFeed quiz about which “Friends” character you resemble instead.

Many individuals excelled at baking pies, with Gill and Christiaan standing out particularly. Notably, Gill prepared an apple-blackberry pie, a regular treat for her family that she handles with ease, as shown by her relaxed demeanor. She added a unique antler design made of pastry to the top of the crust, making it visually appealing. On the other hand, Christiaan opted for speculaas, a popular Dutch spice mix used in holiday cookies, and incorporated marzipan and pumpkin into his pie. Regrettably, I’m not fond of pumpkin pie; there are only two types of pie I dislike: pumpkin and anything resembling hair (although the latter was an unfortunate college experience for me).

Dylan’s pie appeared stunningly beautiful as he meticulously arranged the apples into a large, floral design. However, Paul pointed out that it was overcooked, with a burnt taste and a tough crust. Nelly’s apple and poppyseed pie, on the other hand, was underbaked according to Paul. Yet, everyone appreciated her innovative twist on a classic Slovakian autumn dessert. I can’t wait to try a slice of that unique pie!

In their baking endeavors, Dylan and Nelly struggled with synchronizing their work, while others grappled with the intensity of their spices. Sumayah’s butternut squash pie was overloaded with seasonings, explaining why a Squash Spice Latte isn’t currently available at Starbucks. However, we all anticipated Georgie would face criticism. She enthusiastically listed an extensive array of spices for her pie: cloves, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, mixed spice, Baby, Scary, and even a hint of Sporty. Yet, the judges found it excessively flavorful as they generally lean towards Posh, especially Prue.

One method for creating a vegan adaptation of Parkin, a traditional dessert from the north that’s typically served during Bonfire Night:

It appears that a key ingredient in this vegan recipe is baking soda (or bicarbonate of soda, or “bicarb” in the U.K.), and some contestants seem to struggle with getting it right, particularly Gill who may have overlooked it entirely despite being the only one in the tent from the North, where parkin is traditionally made. As a result, she places last, while Illiyin, who had a poor performance in the signature dish, comes out on top instead. Things certainly have shifted in the competition.

It appears that the final deciding factor will be the showpiece round, where everyone must create a cake inspired by an Autumnal Festival, but with a twist – they must incorporate vegetables due to Paul’s doctor’s recommendation for a more balanced diet. The one design that confuses me is Nelly’s; she made a cake depicting a young woman transforming into an older woman, which could symbolize autumn, but I struggle to see how it represents a celebration. Is the aging of women considered a holiday? I highly doubt it.

I find myself encountering a similar predicament, as my cake seems more like a stubby trunk than the elegant tower I had envisioned. However, let’s remember that trees are felled throughout the year, so the season isn’t really a factor when it comes to stumps. A stump is a stump regardless of the time of year, just as a stump speech is a political address, not necessarily tied to the fall season unless there’s an election approaching. In fact, elections don’t always coincide with the fall season; for instance, the U.K.’s most recent election took place in the summer, which makes sense since waiting until 10 p.m. for results would be more bearable if it wasn’t already dark outside.

In my own experience, a turn of events becomes challenging for me when I accidentally drop the cake that was meant to be my top tier. Fortunately, I have some extra batter in the refrigerator to whip up another one, but this means I won’t have time left to decorate it. Upon presenting my all-white, Diwali-inspired creation to the judges, they comment that it appears incomplete. However, Paul takes a liking to the beetroot sponge and is particularly fond of the cardamom and cream cheese frosting.

Nelly’s cake seems a bit crooked yet adorable. Was its design intentionally asymmetrical to resemble a woman’s head, or was it an unexpected outcome? When Paul slices into it, there are layers of spinach-flavored sponge tinted green, alternating with avocado and chocolate icing. It bears a striking resemblance to Elphaba if she neglected her bath. Nelly’s cake looks appealing on the exterior but disappoints in taste compared to Dylan’s.

One surprising development this season is how Gill has managed to move from the background to the spotlight, seemingly unnoticed by everyone. She’s found an innovative way to avenge her disliked parkin dessert – she’s combined it with a carrot cake to create a bonfire night-themed dessert. The result is a breathtaking cake, with flames appearing around its edges and rockets shooting up from the top.

Apart from Nelly and Dylan, everyone else appears to be thriving quite well. Christiaan, with his architectural aspirations, crafted intricate “stained glass” designs using sugar for Halloween, and skillfully carved niches in his cake so that lights shone through the windows. This fellow is truly brilliant. Illiyin’s cake, which I initially found a bit vibrant, is a homage to Dia de los Muertos and is made from carrot and zucchini sponge. Prue praises it for its perfectly balanced spice level.

But it’s Sumayah who is clearly star baker. When the judges were making their rounds, it seemed like she was making the classic Baking Show mistake of doing too much. She was doing two cakes instead of one, she was making a chocolate collar, she was making vegetables into little leaf looking things as decorations. Well, she managed to finish it all in time and astonished the judges with both her parsnip, fennel, and cumin cake and her beet, ginger, and walnut cake. Paul even gives her a Showstopper handshake, which I think is only the third one ever and the second one this season. She definitely deserved this win.

The surprising part was that it could have been Dylan or Nelly who won. I was hoping for either of them. I was praying, making deals with a higher power, and searching their Instagrams so I could follow both, no matter the result. As expected, the judges chose Dylan’s tastier cake and sent Nelly home. It will be a bit disappointing — particularly for Noel now that he’s stuck with his constant critic, Sumayah, without Nelly to balance her out — but we can look forward to next week and supporting Dylan to reach the end.

2024-11-01 17:54

The Great British Baking Show Recap: Pie in the Sky

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