Pastry Galore – Week 5 Bake Off Review!
Livia Cockerell runs us through the highs and lows of pastry week!
Pastry week proved to be a flaky one for Linda as she became the fifth baker to say goodbye to the Bake Off tent. From the classic Cornish pasty to the slightly eccentric caged tarts, the bakers were put to the ultimate test this week and for many of them, their pastry cracked under the pressure.
Creativity thrived during the signature challenge as we saw the bakers throw everything from spiced lamb, fish and even bangers and mash into their not so traditional Cornish pasties! Many of us thought that this would have been Marc’s opportunity to shine but his lack of crimping proved not to be such a hit with the judges.
The true challenge this week, however, manifested itself in the form of the éclair (or churro in Linda’s case!). Prue asked the bakers for six crispy choux pastries filled with raspberry and salted caramel fillings, and this technical challenge left most of the bakers feeling as deflated as their éclairs. Nevertheless, Peter’s bake came out on top and this year’s youngest contestant was awarded first place for the first time in a technical challenge.
This week’s showstoppers epitomised the drama of Bake Off as the bakers were asked not only to produce a tart, but a tart encompassed within a cage made from pastry. The competition was tough as Paul and Prue applauded the detail of both Dave and Hermine’s delicate pastry cages. But it was Laura’s key lime tart truly impressed the judges, with Prue claiming that it simply tasted like “heaven”, and Laura was named star baker for pastry week.
Next week offers a new wave of excitement in the tent as the bakers will be tackling Japanese Week for the first time in Bake Off history!
Cover Photo by Otto Norin on Unsplash
