The Great British Bake Off: Dessert Week
September 19, 2018 6:47 AM - Season 9, Episode 4 - Subscribe
It's dessert week! This week, our bakers tackle Meringue Roulades in the signature, attempt to create Raspberry Blancmange with 12 Langues de Chat biscuits in the technical, and wrap this sweet week up with a Melting Chocolate Ball dessert showstopper.
...I actually feel really guilty about being so strident there. Terry is fine. And I get that it'd be unfair to kick him off for a non-bake-related reason, and that they can't delay filming for one person's absence, and that they still have to maintain Drama by pretending someone will go home. But I was Not Thrilled about the framing, and it somehow felt especially unfair because he's gotten lucky two times in a row, so far, so I seem to have taken it out on him, emotionally.
Less-ranty take: Kim-Joy has been generally a tad too twee for my taste, but her Inverted Universe Turtles (With Parasols Because Why Wouldn't They Have Parasols) has won me over.
posted by halation at 12:12 PM on September 19, 2018 [6 favorites]
Less-ranty take: Kim-Joy has been generally a tad too twee for my taste, but her Inverted Universe Turtles (With Parasols Because Why Wouldn't They Have Parasols) has won me over.
posted by halation at 12:12 PM on September 19, 2018 [6 favorites]
The only blancmange I ever heard of was the one that turned everyone in England into Scotsmen so it could win the Wimbledon Final.
posted by briank at 12:52 PM on September 19, 2018 [12 favorites]
posted by briank at 12:52 PM on September 19, 2018 [12 favorites]
Oh, yes, those turtles were adorable. I liked this particular showstopper challenge, with the will-it-melt tension.
This year's batch of contestants seems to have more distinct characters than the last, I think. Other than Yan I had trouble remembering who was who last season, but this year I Definitely Know who is who.
Prue's remark about knowing what the word sphere meant to Ruby came off a bit harsher than it was meant, I think. Felt a bit awkward.
And I loved Noel's shirt particularly this week.
posted by rewil at 12:54 PM on September 19, 2018 [1 favorite]
This year's batch of contestants seems to have more distinct characters than the last, I think. Other than Yan I had trouble remembering who was who last season, but this year I Definitely Know who is who.
Prue's remark about knowing what the word sphere meant to Ruby came off a bit harsher than it was meant, I think. Felt a bit awkward.
And I loved Noel's shirt particularly this week.
posted by rewil at 12:54 PM on September 19, 2018 [1 favorite]
Yeah, that dig at Ruby made even me, a known Prue apologist, wince a little.
What on earth was chasing Noel outside the window during that one time call? A werewolf? I don't mind the ratcheting up of wacky hi-jinx a bit, but that was just weird.
Was so tickled to see Kim-Joy deploying a craquelin top for her turtles! Recognizing the technique from a past season made me realize how much I've learned about baking from GBBO.
posted by merriment at 1:13 PM on September 19, 2018 [5 favorites]
What on earth was chasing Noel outside the window during that one time call? A werewolf? I don't mind the ratcheting up of wacky hi-jinx a bit, but that was just weird.
Was so tickled to see Kim-Joy deploying a craquelin top for her turtles! Recognizing the technique from a past season made me realize how much I've learned about baking from GBBO.
posted by merriment at 1:13 PM on September 19, 2018 [5 favorites]
Rahul a precious perfect boy and he is my favorite.
posted by Anonymous at 7:24 PM on September 19, 2018
posted by Anonymous at 7:24 PM on September 19, 2018
Kim-Joy! Your turtles are from Terry Pratchett!
And I do hope Rahul sees someone about his anxiety after this is all over.
posted by ocherdraco at 9:26 PM on September 19, 2018 [8 favorites]
And I do hope Rahul sees someone about his anxiety after this is all over.
posted by ocherdraco at 9:26 PM on September 19, 2018 [8 favorites]
Man, I would _fuck up_ some blancmange, no questions asked. But I love fruity gelatinous mousse-like food. Heck, there was a jello thing that produced three layers that I loved as a kid, one clear jello layer, one interface layer, and one blancmange-like layer at the top.
And yeah, it makes sense that they didn't let anyone go this week, and it seems like we're finally out of the first-weeks jitters. Heck, I actually sorta liked something Karen made. And Ruby seems to be maybe finally getting a bit more consistent now that she's figuring out working to time?
posted by Kyol at 8:20 AM on September 20, 2018
And yeah, it makes sense that they didn't let anyone go this week, and it seems like we're finally out of the first-weeks jitters. Heck, I actually sorta liked something Karen made. And Ruby seems to be maybe finally getting a bit more consistent now that she's figuring out working to time?
posted by Kyol at 8:20 AM on September 20, 2018
Didn't they do that 'someone's sick so no one leaves' thing before? Maybe with Val?
posted by cobaltnine at 1:02 PM on September 20, 2018
posted by cobaltnine at 1:02 PM on September 20, 2018
Didn't they do that 'someone's sick so no one leaves' thing before? Maybe with Val?
It was Diana--it was also the week after Bingate, so there was some nasty internet stuff about whether or not it was actually a legit illness. It was also a little different in that they just had at least one week with no one going home, but still only 1 person when they did finally kick someone off.
I loved Kim-Joy's turtle galaxy so very much, but also shout out to Rahul to his anxiety fighting glass of milk.
posted by damayanti at 5:22 PM on September 20, 2018 [1 favorite]
It was Diana--it was also the week after Bingate, so there was some nasty internet stuff about whether or not it was actually a legit illness. It was also a little different in that they just had at least one week with no one going home, but still only 1 person when they did finally kick someone off.
I loved Kim-Joy's turtle galaxy so very much, but also shout out to Rahul to his anxiety fighting glass of milk.
posted by damayanti at 5:22 PM on September 20, 2018 [1 favorite]
I’m generally pretty hard-hearted when it comes to children being cute, but Dan’s phone call to his daughter at the end was adorable.
posted by Bloxworth Snout at 3:22 PM on September 22, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by Bloxworth Snout at 3:22 PM on September 22, 2018 [3 favorites]
The turtles were cute, but I did not like the umbrellas because they were inedible. If she had made edible umbrellas I would have thoroughly enjoyed it.
posted by Julnyes at 9:00 AM on September 25, 2018
posted by Julnyes at 9:00 AM on September 25, 2018
I enjoyed the turtles very much and my husband had to explain the whole "it's turtles all the way down" reference to me.
I don't understand why Terry is an internet favorite? He sucks. I am not blaming him for being ill this episode, just saying that I don't understand why people like him so much.
Rahul is also starting to grate on me. Yeah yeah, low self esteem, self-effacing, anxiety. But he's getting annoying, there I said it.
posted by like_neon at 7:42 AM on September 26, 2018 [6 favorites]
I don't understand why Terry is an internet favorite? He sucks. I am not blaming him for being ill this episode, just saying that I don't understand why people like him so much.
Rahul is also starting to grate on me. Yeah yeah, low self esteem, self-effacing, anxiety. But he's getting annoying, there I said it.
posted by like_neon at 7:42 AM on September 26, 2018 [6 favorites]
Hello friends I am just catching up here but would like to sign myself up for your Irrational Terry Dislike Newsletter. He just rubs me entirely the wrong way and I can't put my finger on why.
I'm still trying to figure Kim-Joy out.
posted by soren_lorensen at 7:14 PM on October 10, 2018 [5 favorites]
I'm still trying to figure Kim-Joy out.
posted by soren_lorensen at 7:14 PM on October 10, 2018 [5 favorites]
I like Rahul, but sometimes his whole anxiety shtick gets to be a bit much. Like the thing with the milk - yeah I just happened to have a glass of milk here.
Agreed on Terry and I can't say I like Karen very much either.
I loved that Terry Pratchett reference too and and was hoping someone would say something.
posted by peacheater at 6:29 PM on November 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
Agreed on Terry and I can't say I like Karen very much either.
I loved that Terry Pratchett reference too and and was hoping someone would say something.
posted by peacheater at 6:29 PM on November 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
I mean, I don't think what are obviously chronic anxiety issues are a "schtick".
posted by Anonymous at 4:33 AM on November 14, 2018
posted by Anonymous at 4:33 AM on November 14, 2018
While I love Kim-Joy's Terry Prachett-y goodness, Jon won my heart because he not only wore a tutu, but also helped Ruby when she was struggling.
posted by miss-lapin at 2:48 PM on November 14, 2018 [5 favorites]
posted by miss-lapin at 2:48 PM on November 14, 2018 [5 favorites]
We're doing the Netflix thing as well, and as is traditional, I spoil myself so I can lord stuff over my wife and son. I won't spoil here for future readers...
That said... Even knowing what is to come, my issue with Terry is that he has So Much and is still a fuck-up. You see him riding a horse, raising bees, and working on his fancy homebrew setup. I'm reminded of my dislike for Stacey last time around when it turned out that she was not the hardscrabble homekeeper she presented herself as but instead a rather monied baker who could afford to practice her recipes over and over. I know participating in this show implies a certain degree of financial comfort, but there have certainly been some contestants that have struggled to balance baking and the real world.
Again, I know Terry's tale, but I think that the producer's reluctance to let it play out while he is actually participating is a disservice. Upon seeing him for the first time, my family immediately pegged him as the salt-for-sugar burnout of the season (we were exactly not wrong!) and seeing him linger while other, better bakers have bad weeks is extremely frustrating.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 6:55 PM on November 17, 2018 [2 favorites]
That said... Even knowing what is to come, my issue with Terry is that he has So Much and is still a fuck-up. You see him riding a horse, raising bees, and working on his fancy homebrew setup. I'm reminded of my dislike for Stacey last time around when it turned out that she was not the hardscrabble homekeeper she presented herself as but instead a rather monied baker who could afford to practice her recipes over and over. I know participating in this show implies a certain degree of financial comfort, but there have certainly been some contestants that have struggled to balance baking and the real world.
Again, I know Terry's tale, but I think that the producer's reluctance to let it play out while he is actually participating is a disservice. Upon seeing him for the first time, my family immediately pegged him as the salt-for-sugar burnout of the season (we were exactly not wrong!) and seeing him linger while other, better bakers have bad weeks is extremely frustrating.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 6:55 PM on November 17, 2018 [2 favorites]
I don't understand why Terry is an internet favorite? He sucks.
For a second there I thought you were talking about Terry Pratchett and I almost had to have a lie down.
posted by Rock Steady at 10:33 AM on November 19, 2018 [6 favorites]
For a second there I thought you were talking about Terry Pratchett and I almost had to have a lie down.
posted by Rock Steady at 10:33 AM on November 19, 2018 [6 favorites]
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i swear i'm going to have to rewatch the episode because i was TOO ANGRY TO ENJOY IT (although of course they decided not to kick anyone off, and i knew they would likely go that route, but my annoyance with Terry's existence was so severe, and my trust in Channel 4 was not strong, so i felt it was still possible that someone else would leave, and i was worried that it'd be Briony, and I WILL NOT LOSE BRIONY WHILE TERRY STILL WALKS THIS EARTH)
Also: I am only familiar with blancmange due to its ubiquity as a punchline in Are You Being Served? reruns I watched as a kid, but I can't say the Technical Challenge much improved it in my estimation. It is a deeply disturbing dessert. Even the example blancmange for Paul and Prue looked gross.
posted by halation at 11:34 AM on September 19, 2018 [2 favorites]