The Great British Bake Off: Alternative Ingredients
September 2, 2015 6:40 PM - Season 6, Episode 5 - Subscribe
The remaining bakers must bake without sugar, gluten or dairy - but thankfully not all in the same challenge.
First up, the signature challenge sees the bakers create a variety of sugar-free cakes, from an upside-down pineapple cake to carrot cakes. They use honey, agave syrup and fruit, but there's more to replacing sugar than just adding sweetness. For one baker, going sugar-free isn't enough as they take the healthy option one step further and bake a cake without any traditional forms of flour.
Paul picks the technical challenge, gluten-free pittas, which are made with a very sticky dough that tests the bakers' skill - but which of them can get the desired pocket within their pittas?
For their show-stopper, the bakers must make dairy-free ice cream rolls. Mary and Paul are looking for silky-smooth ice cream, surrounded by jam and a light sponge. Coconut milk provides the base for all the ice cream, tropical flavours are in abundance, and there's more than one desert island for the judges to try - and even a fondant sunbather.
description via bbc iplayer
First up, the signature challenge sees the bakers create a variety of sugar-free cakes, from an upside-down pineapple cake to carrot cakes. They use honey, agave syrup and fruit, but there's more to replacing sugar than just adding sweetness. For one baker, going sugar-free isn't enough as they take the healthy option one step further and bake a cake without any traditional forms of flour.
Paul picks the technical challenge, gluten-free pittas, which are made with a very sticky dough that tests the bakers' skill - but which of them can get the desired pocket within their pittas?
For their show-stopper, the bakers must make dairy-free ice cream rolls. Mary and Paul are looking for silky-smooth ice cream, surrounded by jam and a light sponge. Coconut milk provides the base for all the ice cream, tropical flavours are in abundance, and there's more than one desert island for the judges to try - and even a fondant sunbather.
description via bbc iplayer
Not really, I would expect most Brits to have heard of them from US tv shows. Obviously jelly is something else in the UK so the J would have to be for jam, but no, I don't think jam and PB is a particularly popular combo.
posted by biffa at 12:47 AM on September 3, 2015
posted by biffa at 12:47 AM on September 3, 2015
Grape Jam (Grape flavour anything) is not widely available in the UK.
Popular Jam flavours (in order of popularity) are:
Strawberry (By a long margin)
Raspberry (The best jam)
Apricot
Blackcurrant
Gooseberry
We do have jellies, but they tend to be served with meats.
These are mainly represented by Redcurrant and Mint (both served with lamb)
This has been the UK Jam report.
posted by Just this guy, y'know at 1:37 AM on September 3, 2015 [25 favorites]
Popular Jam flavours (in order of popularity) are:
Strawberry (By a long margin)
Raspberry (The best jam)
Apricot
Blackcurrant
Gooseberry
We do have jellies, but they tend to be served with meats.
These are mainly represented by Redcurrant and Mint (both served with lamb)
This has been the UK Jam report.
posted by Just this guy, y'know at 1:37 AM on September 3, 2015 [25 favorites]
I have a LOT of feelings about Ugne going home because I loved her! And yet, it was the right choice going on performance this week. But I loved her! Endless internal conflict.
YAY NADIYA indeed! She earned that.
I feel like there was a lot of Tamal this week, and I love him too so I'm all for that, but I did catch myself wondering if they'd done a sneaky re-edit because he's been very popular. My Twitter feed on a Wednesday evening is basically just people lusting after him. But maybe he was just extra interesting this week compared with other people.
Top tip: don't watch this on catch-up during your commute in the morning, because you will really want to eat cake, and there will be no cake.
posted by theseldomseenkid at 4:33 AM on September 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
YAY NADIYA indeed! She earned that.
I feel like there was a lot of Tamal this week, and I love him too so I'm all for that, but I did catch myself wondering if they'd done a sneaky re-edit because he's been very popular. My Twitter feed on a Wednesday evening is basically just people lusting after him. But maybe he was just extra interesting this week compared with other people.
Top tip: don't watch this on catch-up during your commute in the morning, because you will really want to eat cake, and there will be no cake.
posted by theseldomseenkid at 4:33 AM on September 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
I am sure that someone made a PB&J thing in a previous season. Maybe a cheesecake? I don't remember. I don't think it went down very well, in any case.
YAY NADIYA from here, too. She did some really stellar decorating work on her ice cream roll.
I thought Alvin was in trouble the entire episode, especially once he started sawing into his ice cream, but Ugne's cake was a mess and her ice cream roll was probably the worst thing I've seen on this show.
Gooseberry, the 5th most popular jam? Where does marmalade fit? (I guess it probably doesn't count as a jam.)
posted by minsies at 5:13 AM on September 3, 2015
YAY NADIYA from here, too. She did some really stellar decorating work on her ice cream roll.
I thought Alvin was in trouble the entire episode, especially once he started sawing into his ice cream, but Ugne's cake was a mess and her ice cream roll was probably the worst thing I've seen on this show.
Gooseberry, the 5th most popular jam? Where does marmalade fit? (I guess it probably doesn't count as a jam.)
posted by minsies at 5:13 AM on September 3, 2015
Round here, PB&J is just a weird thing that Americans have, like red cups, yellow buses, and mail boxes with little flags on them.
I didn't even know that you should make it with grape flavour jam because what does grape flavour even taste like? Grapes don't have a flavour!
posted by emilyw at 8:43 AM on September 3, 2015
I didn't even know that you should make it with grape flavour jam because what does grape flavour even taste like? Grapes don't have a flavour!
posted by emilyw at 8:43 AM on September 3, 2015
Grapes don't have a flavour!
Oh indeed they do! The Concord grapes in my backyard are perfectly lovely. They taste like... like... like grape jelly. *** suddenly sees the problem ***
posted by dness2 at 10:05 AM on September 3, 2015 [3 favorites]
Oh indeed they do! The Concord grapes in my backyard are perfectly lovely. They taste like... like... like grape jelly. *** suddenly sees the problem ***
posted by dness2 at 10:05 AM on September 3, 2015 [3 favorites]
Agreed raspberry is indeed the best jam. But if you have an Eastern European or Turkish supermarket anywhere near where you live, check out their jam selection. Mind-blowing. And in square jars too, that fit better in the cupboard.
I was sorry to see Ugne leave this week, but the judges had no choice. Alvin's perfect upside down cake redeemed him. And, sadly, smug Ian's ice cream roll kept him in. I was so glad to see Nadiya triumph. She seems so sweet.
posted by essexjan at 2:10 PM on September 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
I was sorry to see Ugne leave this week, but the judges had no choice. Alvin's perfect upside down cake redeemed him. And, sadly, smug Ian's ice cream roll kept him in. I was so glad to see Nadiya triumph. She seems so sweet.
posted by essexjan at 2:10 PM on September 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
Really happy to see Nadiya take one title. I'd love to see Alvin or Tamal win next week; they often get so close. I love Tamal's creativity. Alvin probably seem very creative in a UK context, but over here the combos he uses are very standard Asian flavours that are widely available. That said, there's something I find really cute about him and his nerves about the pineapple cake were palpable (and I must say, I was really happy to see the judges recognise that a simple cake, done well, is actually a beautiful thing).
It's getting close now: I predict next week the non-Ian skinny guy will be going home, but after that, I think it could be anyone. Ugne was a little too wacky, she tried to hard I think sometimes and it let her down.
posted by smoke at 10:41 PM on September 3, 2015
It's getting close now: I predict next week the non-Ian skinny guy will be going home, but after that, I think it could be anyone. Ugne was a little too wacky, she tried to hard I think sometimes and it let her down.
posted by smoke at 10:41 PM on September 3, 2015
I liked Ugne a lot, and not JUST because she's a lady bodybuilder who bakes. She was just too creative, Paul especially always seemed to be rattled by her, he had this attitude of "what are you doing!?" each time they judged her.
I adore Nadiya, she's just lovely and her last interview where she was choked up was heartwarming. I wanted to hug her when she said "this is weird, I'm never proud of myself but I'm really proud of myself!" I'm proud of you, Nadiya!
YOU GUYS.
Sue: Shall we share a torso?
Mel: I'll have a leg
Sue: I'd like the bikini bottom
Mel: Oh really.
And Paul threatening to saw her in half during judging! YOU GUYS!
posted by palegirl at 10:10 AM on September 5, 2015 [4 favorites]
I adore Nadiya, she's just lovely and her last interview where she was choked up was heartwarming. I wanted to hug her when she said "this is weird, I'm never proud of myself but I'm really proud of myself!" I'm proud of you, Nadiya!
YOU GUYS.
Sue: Shall we share a torso?
Mel: I'll have a leg
Sue: I'd like the bikini bottom
Mel: Oh really.
And Paul threatening to saw her in half during judging! YOU GUYS!
posted by palegirl at 10:10 AM on September 5, 2015 [4 favorites]
My SO tells me Mary Berry is now a national icon here in the UK but I still believe she may be Palpatine in EP VII. I don't trust her and I think she is mean. I'm sure Yoda said something about that basically being the dark side.
posted by biffa at 5:04 PM on September 5, 2015
posted by biffa at 5:04 PM on September 5, 2015
I want to be BFFs with Nadiya'a eyebrows. Nadiya herself seems lovely and its a very ingenious baker -- you can tell how technically accomplished she is by the way she off-handedly mentions all these different techniques. But her eyebrows are amazing. They're like the Spinal Tap knob that goes to 11 of facial expressiveness.
posted by Diablevert at 5:20 PM on September 7, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Diablevert at 5:20 PM on September 7, 2015 [1 favorite]
I don't trust her and I think she is mean. I'm sure Yoda said something about that basically being the dark side.
No, no, she's not evil. She's the great aunt who takes secret nips of gin all through Christmas dinner and then starts telling the grandchildren really embarrassing stories about their parents. Her and Paul have a fun dynamic during the masterclass episodes --- he turns into a truant schoolboy. But you can tell they respect each other.
posted by Diablevert at 5:24 PM on September 7, 2015 [2 favorites]
No, no, she's not evil. She's the great aunt who takes secret nips of gin all through Christmas dinner and then starts telling the grandchildren really embarrassing stories about their parents. Her and Paul have a fun dynamic during the masterclass episodes --- he turns into a truant schoolboy. But you can tell they respect each other.
posted by Diablevert at 5:24 PM on September 7, 2015 [2 favorites]
Hearing someone question whether grape jam really goes with peanut butter was truly mind-boggling.
posted by showbiz_liz at 9:12 PM on September 11, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by showbiz_liz at 9:12 PM on September 11, 2015 [5 favorites]
They sell it here for I guess American expats but I have never tried it and I've offered it to my kids who like peanut butter and Nutella mixed on bread, and it's just - why? Why would you mix two good flavours like that so badly? These are kids with extremely adventurous palettes. I think PB&J is a very childhood taste like Vegemite and fish sauce. Only grosser.
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 10:25 PM on September 11, 2015
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 10:25 PM on September 11, 2015
I can imagine not liking it -- but it's so strange to my American palette that people find it gross. :) It can't be gross -- it's PB&J! Comfort food!
posted by litlnemo at 2:05 AM on September 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by litlnemo at 2:05 AM on September 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
Dammit... I do know how to spell "palate," really.
posted by litlnemo at 1:26 AM on September 20, 2015
posted by litlnemo at 1:26 AM on September 20, 2015
So, one question I had was why did all contestants decide to use coconut milk? Does coconut milk have an advantage over soy milk, almond milk, and rice milk?
posted by FJT at 9:05 AM on September 24, 2015
posted by FJT at 9:05 AM on September 24, 2015
I'm not 100% on this but I strongly suspect it's the fat content. Typical ice cream recipes call for heavy cream, and coconut milk is naturally very high in fat as well. I haven't done exhaustive googling, but it seems like almond and soy milk are more comparable to regular milk in this regard.
The fat has a lot do with texture and mouthfeel in ice cream --- that's what makes it creamy and smooth, instead of icy, with lots of crystals and shards. There's ways to get around this that I can think of --- carrageenan, glucose, corn syrup, maybe making some kind of oil emulsion --- but it might have made the recipes more complicated and prone to failure. Whereas with coconut milk I bet you can basically sub one for one with a standard ice cream recipe, or just add your own flavorings.
posted by Diablevert at 9:16 AM on September 24, 2015 [2 favorites]
The fat has a lot do with texture and mouthfeel in ice cream --- that's what makes it creamy and smooth, instead of icy, with lots of crystals and shards. There's ways to get around this that I can think of --- carrageenan, glucose, corn syrup, maybe making some kind of oil emulsion --- but it might have made the recipes more complicated and prone to failure. Whereas with coconut milk I bet you can basically sub one for one with a standard ice cream recipe, or just add your own flavorings.
posted by Diablevert at 9:16 AM on September 24, 2015 [2 favorites]
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I had no idea what they were talking about during the technical challenge until Mary & Paul's little sit-down segment. Pitterbread, what's pitterbread? Ha! Dumb American ears.
Is PB&J not a thing in the UK? Paul seemed confused by the PB and Grape J combo.
posted by everybody had matching towels at 6:43 PM on September 2, 2015 [1 favorite]