The Great British Bake Off: Patisserie Week
November 19, 2024 2:47 PM - Season 15, Episode 9 - Subscribe
It's the semi-final and the bakers show off their patisserie prowess with buttery breakfast pastries and a classic-but-theatrical Technical. Who'll make final-worthy fruit entremets?
I found the Wikipedia page on entre-mets interesting. They have a long history and include (in England) the pie - imortalised in the nursery rhyme - that had four and twenty live blackbirds encased in it. Maybe better to stick with fruit and baskets: and spectacular results on that front I thought. The competitiion seems like Dylan's to lose at this stage: he keeps on winning challenges that involve making things he's never heard of or eaten before.
posted by rongorongo at 11:26 PM on November 19, 2024 [2 favorites]
posted by rongorongo at 11:26 PM on November 19, 2024 [2 favorites]
When I think of entremets I think of Amaury Guichon, so technically difficult!
posted by ellieBOA at 9:54 AM on November 20, 2024 [4 favorites]
posted by ellieBOA at 9:54 AM on November 20, 2024 [4 favorites]
ellieBOA, that guy is unbelievable—working edible racetracks! And those apples and pears!
This was a tough one—it really did feel as if there was nothing between them, that any of the three apart from Christiaan could go or that all of them should stay. I wondered for a moment if they might have an unprecedented four-person final...
But I guess they looked back over the series as a whole and Gill lost it on that. It would have felt incredibly unjust if they'd kicked out Dylan for being an entremet short, though I suppose they could have. Thankfully it's Bake Off, not Taskmaster!
Huge respect to Alison for saying just the right things needed to snap Georgie out of it—she's such an asset to the show. She's brought out the best in Noel, too—I liked him in combination with Sandi, as well, but Noel & Alison are the best supporting duo since Mel & Sue.
posted by rory at 10:56 AM on November 20, 2024 [5 favorites]
This was a tough one—it really did feel as if there was nothing between them, that any of the three apart from Christiaan could go or that all of them should stay. I wondered for a moment if they might have an unprecedented four-person final...
But I guess they looked back over the series as a whole and Gill lost it on that. It would have felt incredibly unjust if they'd kicked out Dylan for being an entremet short, though I suppose they could have. Thankfully it's Bake Off, not Taskmaster!
Huge respect to Alison for saying just the right things needed to snap Georgie out of it—she's such an asset to the show. She's brought out the best in Noel, too—I liked him in combination with Sandi, as well, but Noel & Alison are the best supporting duo since Mel & Sue.
posted by rory at 10:56 AM on November 20, 2024 [5 favorites]
I feel it surely has to be Dylan in the final, but I remember when James Morton faltered at the last hurdle,* so who knows.
*Which happened when Dylan was, what, seven? This show really is an institution now...
posted by rory at 11:32 AM on November 20, 2024 [3 favorites]
*Which happened when Dylan was, what, seven? This show really is an institution now...
posted by rory at 11:32 AM on November 20, 2024 [3 favorites]
what's the deal with mirror glaze? like, it looks good on the dessert, but as soon as they cut into it it looks all goopy and like shiny snot? does it taste ok, or is it just for appearance?
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 12:34 PM on November 20, 2024
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 12:34 PM on November 20, 2024
Innnnteresting that the three large-bodied women have been sent home, and the thin girl made the final.
Illiyin fell apart emotionally last week, and went home.
Georgie fell apart emotionally this week, and stayed.
Georgie's chocolate basket-weaving was praised-- Gill got no praise for doing pretty much the same thing in shortbread: a more difficult medium, since it has to survive being baked.
Sure, everyone else did 2 flavours of entremets and Gill only did 1. But I'll hang my hat on this: Gill is a baker as good or better than Georgie. Georgie's decoration skills are better, but Gill has been more consistent, both in bakes and temperament.
But Gill pays the social penalty both for being large-bodied and for not performing femininity "correctly" with the whole hair-and-makeup thing. And Hollywood clearly favours Georgie, so she's still here. Whatever.
Good to see Christiaan get the star-baker he should have had in Caramel Week.
Dylan seems an almost inevitable winner, but Christiaan might pull off an upset. We'll see.
posted by Pallas Athena at 5:16 AM on November 21, 2024 [5 favorites]
Illiyin fell apart emotionally last week, and went home.
Georgie fell apart emotionally this week, and stayed.
Georgie's chocolate basket-weaving was praised-- Gill got no praise for doing pretty much the same thing in shortbread: a more difficult medium, since it has to survive being baked.
Sure, everyone else did 2 flavours of entremets and Gill only did 1. But I'll hang my hat on this: Gill is a baker as good or better than Georgie. Georgie's decoration skills are better, but Gill has been more consistent, both in bakes and temperament.
But Gill pays the social penalty both for being large-bodied and for not performing femininity "correctly" with the whole hair-and-makeup thing. And Hollywood clearly favours Georgie, so she's still here. Whatever.
Good to see Christiaan get the star-baker he should have had in Caramel Week.
Dylan seems an almost inevitable winner, but Christiaan might pull off an upset. We'll see.
posted by Pallas Athena at 5:16 AM on November 21, 2024 [5 favorites]
Aw, man. I'm sad that Gill is gone. I'm not really rooting for anyone right now, but I'll still be glad to watch the last episode to see who it is.
posted by BlahLaLa at 8:11 PM on November 22, 2024 [1 favorite]
posted by BlahLaLa at 8:11 PM on November 22, 2024 [1 favorite]
Sure, everyone else did 2 flavours of entremets and Gill only did 1. But I'll hang my hat on this: Gill is a baker as good or better than Georgie. Georgie's decoration skills are better, but Gill has been more consistent, both in bakes and temperament. But Gill pays the social penalty both for being large-bodied and for not performing femininity "correctly" with the whole hair-and-makeup thing.
I'm honestly not as convinced that how Gil looked played into it as much. Every year there's a baker who is just as good as the finalists, but plays it a little....safe, or is a little more "homey" than the others. Thinking back over the season, something that Paul and Prue said to Gil a lot during those initial "so what are you planning" convos is some variant on how "that sounds a little simple, so just make sure you NAIL it." And Gil WOULD nail it, which is why she got to the semi-finals. But the finalists are usually the people who take the risks - sometimes they fall flat with their risks, but most of the time they succeed. They do the two entremets and have unusual flavors that they know will just WORK and Paul and Prue say things like "I never thought this would work but WOW this tastes amazing." For people like Gil they say things like "this is a classic [blank] and well done, thank you."
To me it's a sign of the different kinds of bakers we have. People like Gil are totally happy baking for family and friends, or maybe working as the on-site baker in a little corner coffee shop; their bakes are nice and homey and comfortable, and if not every slice of cake is the same size nobody cares because you're there at their house and it's a dinner party so whatever. It's the people like Dylan, who come up with the unusual flavors and real knock-it-out-of-the-park presentation that you can see at a fine-dining place, who win.
Gil and Dylan are both equally good bakers - in different contexts. Gil is just the winner in a different context. Dylan is the "I'm the head patisserie in a London restaurant" context, and Gil is the "I run a nice cozy little bakery in Kingston Upon Hull" context.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 5:03 AM on November 23, 2024 [8 favorites]
I'm honestly not as convinced that how Gil looked played into it as much. Every year there's a baker who is just as good as the finalists, but plays it a little....safe, or is a little more "homey" than the others. Thinking back over the season, something that Paul and Prue said to Gil a lot during those initial "so what are you planning" convos is some variant on how "that sounds a little simple, so just make sure you NAIL it." And Gil WOULD nail it, which is why she got to the semi-finals. But the finalists are usually the people who take the risks - sometimes they fall flat with their risks, but most of the time they succeed. They do the two entremets and have unusual flavors that they know will just WORK and Paul and Prue say things like "I never thought this would work but WOW this tastes amazing." For people like Gil they say things like "this is a classic [blank] and well done, thank you."
To me it's a sign of the different kinds of bakers we have. People like Gil are totally happy baking for family and friends, or maybe working as the on-site baker in a little corner coffee shop; their bakes are nice and homey and comfortable, and if not every slice of cake is the same size nobody cares because you're there at their house and it's a dinner party so whatever. It's the people like Dylan, who come up with the unusual flavors and real knock-it-out-of-the-park presentation that you can see at a fine-dining place, who win.
Gil and Dylan are both equally good bakers - in different contexts. Gil is just the winner in a different context. Dylan is the "I'm the head patisserie in a London restaurant" context, and Gil is the "I run a nice cozy little bakery in Kingston Upon Hull" context.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 5:03 AM on November 23, 2024 [8 favorites]
Queen Nelly got an NYT Opinion piece! [Archive]
posted by ellieBOA at 10:39 AM on November 23, 2024 [5 favorites]
posted by ellieBOA at 10:39 AM on November 23, 2024 [5 favorites]
I wondered for a moment if they might have an unprecedented four-person final
Same. But since they sticked to form, I think they made the right choice, largely for the reasons laid out by EmpressCallipygos above. Also I'd say it's not just that the other three did two different flavors, but their level of decorations were just at another level - especially Dylan's and Georgie's fruits looked amazing and unexpected - Gil's just looked like I'd expect a strawberry shaped pastry to look. Still very impressive and requiring talent that I know I certainly don't have - but when the other contestants create A+ showstoppers, anything less isn't enough - especially since after the first two rounds the three besides Christiaan were all kinda tied.
Anyway, I agree that if Dylan is on the top of his game, he should win. But not every risk he's taken has worked, sometimes he's a bit flakey, so either of the other two could win it.
Mainly hoping that they all do really well. One reason I've found this season better than usual is there have been very few real catastrophes - the closest was maybe Illiyin having two literally wobbly bakes last week. But on the whole, the challenges appear fair and while they've tested the bakers, it seems to have found a better balance this season in terms of the right amount of difficulty. And way less zany structural challenges.
posted by coffeecat at 11:27 AM on November 23, 2024 [3 favorites]
Same. But since they sticked to form, I think they made the right choice, largely for the reasons laid out by EmpressCallipygos above. Also I'd say it's not just that the other three did two different flavors, but their level of decorations were just at another level - especially Dylan's and Georgie's fruits looked amazing and unexpected - Gil's just looked like I'd expect a strawberry shaped pastry to look. Still very impressive and requiring talent that I know I certainly don't have - but when the other contestants create A+ showstoppers, anything less isn't enough - especially since after the first two rounds the three besides Christiaan were all kinda tied.
Anyway, I agree that if Dylan is on the top of his game, he should win. But not every risk he's taken has worked, sometimes he's a bit flakey, so either of the other two could win it.
Mainly hoping that they all do really well. One reason I've found this season better than usual is there have been very few real catastrophes - the closest was maybe Illiyin having two literally wobbly bakes last week. But on the whole, the challenges appear fair and while they've tested the bakers, it seems to have found a better balance this season in terms of the right amount of difficulty. And way less zany structural challenges.
posted by coffeecat at 11:27 AM on November 23, 2024 [3 favorites]
Christiaan! I was so happy for him. Still pulling for him to win, but at least he finally got his star baker. Also gimme a saffron rhubarb pastry, stat.
I don't think it's fair to Georgie to imply she's made it through on her looks. Was it Dylan's looks that saved him when he got over-emotional and threw out an orange entremet for no good reason amd ended up short one?
I loved how well everyone did this episode, and how supportive of each other they are - group hug! I hope the finals baking level stays this high, and would be happy for any of them to win.
posted by the primroses were over at 9:23 AM on November 24, 2024 [2 favorites]
I don't think it's fair to Georgie to imply she's made it through on her looks. Was it Dylan's looks that saved him when he got over-emotional and threw out an orange entremet for no good reason amd ended up short one?
I loved how well everyone did this episode, and how supportive of each other they are - group hug! I hope the finals baking level stays this high, and would be happy for any of them to win.
posted by the primroses were over at 9:23 AM on November 24, 2024 [2 favorites]
I’m not saying I agree with Pallas Athena about Gill being sent home because Georgie didn’t deserve staying or what have you. I'm just agreed that we never seen any reason that when the baking is basically at the same level, the woman who is older and isn’t performing femininity in the traditional way is not going home that week, especially at the end. This is TV, after all. Maybe I notice it more as an older woman who doesn’t perform femininity right.
I like Georgie and am super glad that there’s a Welsh woman in the final, but Gill didn’t really do worse and I am really bummed about it.
So glad Christiaan finally got his star baker. Some of those entremets looked utterly delicious.
posted by kitten kaboodle at 11:53 AM on November 25, 2024 [1 favorite]
I like Georgie and am super glad that there’s a Welsh woman in the final, but Gill didn’t really do worse and I am really bummed about it.
So glad Christiaan finally got his star baker. Some of those entremets looked utterly delicious.
posted by kitten kaboodle at 11:53 AM on November 25, 2024 [1 favorite]
I don't know what it takes to be a professional pastry chef at an elite level, but I hope Dylan does it.
Georgie's meltdown felt like she was done. Alison brought her back, and I was so impressed. I cannot think of a reality host as genuine and human as Alison is. Would Tom Colicchio have brought someone back from the edge (and I love Tom!)? It's why I love this show so much.
Delighted for Christiaan to finally get his star. Gill had such a lovely goodbye, especially attacking the camera man with her hug. That was an adorable moment.
posted by gladly at 6:03 PM on November 25, 2024 [2 favorites]
Georgie's meltdown felt like she was done. Alison brought her back, and I was so impressed. I cannot think of a reality host as genuine and human as Alison is. Would Tom Colicchio have brought someone back from the edge (and I love Tom!)? It's why I love this show so much.
Delighted for Christiaan to finally get his star. Gill had such a lovely goodbye, especially attacking the camera man with her hug. That was an adorable moment.
posted by gladly at 6:03 PM on November 25, 2024 [2 favorites]
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posted by ellieBOA at 2:48 PM on November 19, 2024 [2 favorites]