Great Australian Bake Off Series 3: Week 3 BISCUIT WEEK {recap}

We’ve lost 2 bakers with Alex leaving last week and German Jane Hall (aka Claudia) last week’s star baker, the 10 remaining bakers are ready to tackle a jaw breaking signature & jam technical and a puzzling Show stopper. There’s lots of talk about how many fingers people like, so we know we are in for a good week. Let’s do this!

First up we have the signature bake: Biscotti. Bakers have 2 hours to make 32 twice baked identical (sweet or savoury) any size biscotti. Maggie is after fruit and colour and Matt a firm biscuit that’s crunchy and full of flavour. A little like me really.

Barb is happy and in good form and HELPFUL to Max. There appears to be backseat bandits forming in the shape of Max, Barb and Chris and I want IN.

Emma is making a Swotty Biscotti (cherries & chocolate) Going HARD on flavour.

Max, a French biscotti (almonds, fennel & apricot). Chris is going for a MACHO MAN SIZED biscotti pistachio & almonds. He’s talking a lot about size and to go big or go home and all I have to say is: I HEAR YOU CHRIS. Claudia is working on a scientific biscotti (hazelnut, cherry with Kirsch spirit which is powerful like her jawline). Dave has his ruler out (EYEROLL DAVE) cranberry & walnut and seems stressed that biscotti is out of line on his tray and appears to be ASKING FOR HELP? I’m worried about Dave. Marcus is focused on his special effects (LIKE HIS RUNNING MAN) and is making a Colosseum of apricot biscotti. He’s spending time talking to his biscuits and getting instructions on them and his cutting skills make me think that I would very much like him to STAY AWAY FROM MY TEETH. Robert prefers them to be thin with his almond & cranberry creations.

It’s judging time.

Chris’s BIG ONES have Maggie & Matt happy with great flavour & texture. Dave’s are rushed and soft. Roberts’s penchant for the thin biscotti has given us almond bread instead of biscotti, Michelle’s could be dryer, Emma’s are tiny (again). Barb’s presentation is better (I think you look fab obvs, Max too crisp with Mags almost breaking a tooth and Claudia’s is the best that Matt has ever had.

Max finishes off by saying that old French(?) saying: Carpe Diem which he says “we will see what ‘appens” which makes me question whether Max is French at all as we head into the technical bake next.

For the technical bake we are looking at 24 jam drops with Fig Jam (no surprises there from Mr Moran, just ask him) in 1 hour 45 mins with Matt giving us the menacing clues that he prefers red to brown. I’m thrilled because this is ONE bake that I could actually do!

Controversially Matt would like bakers to finish off with extra jam? What would those CWA ladies say?

Barb tells us that she has made it for her local show. I LOVE YOU BARB. Marcus is doing something with maracas and dancing. I am so confused by him. Chris talking temps and jam and I like it. Dave is making a second batch of jam for fun. Because that’s how he has a good time. He also likes to weigh our his dough in 22 gram batches so, you know… Claudia’s jam is too jammy (she is human) and Marcus has created a snowstorm with the icing sugar.

It’s judging time:

Barb nailed it to the wall (course she did), Raeesa not enough jam and over cooked; Chris has made a good bickie with great jam. Rob not enough jam, Michelle great colour on jam, Emma not uniform, Dave visual stand out (EYE ROLL) and Max not enough jam. Again Max, are you French?

Claudia last place

2nd BARBS
1st DAVE (EYEROLL)

As we head into the signature there are a couple in the lead, MANLY Chris doing well, Barbs dropping it with her jam drop and Robert at the bottom. It looks like whoever does the best show stopper will be Star baker.

For this week’s show stopper bakers have to create a biscuit Puzzle that forms a scene, object or theme with a decorated biscuit in 4 hours.

GRIZZ (aka Chris) is making a bear with butter cream icing and I like it. Claudia a “pieces of Sydney” with her own fondant getting a run again. She’s made her own cause it tastes better OF COURSE IT DOES. Barb mentions a Spice Girls when talking about her Lemon & Lime Sunflower which obvs makes me love her more. Raeesa is making a Tree of life, Marcus solar system puzzle, Emma a periodic table (is everyone a nerd?) and Robert a Chai spiced jigsaw sunflower. He’s bought out the Ginger Ninga head scarf so we know it’s business time. Dave is creating a design of the Chinese 5 virtues despite me thinking he would have made The Great Wall of China with 67,895 biscuit bricks. Michelle is making a Blooming marvellous jigsaw covered in fondant and Max an Eiffel tower using vino cotto. Surely this is to sweeten Maggie who loves that shit.

It’s Judging time!

GRIZZ has nailed his puzzle, Emma gets an A+ from Matt for her periodic table, and Marcus’s is a car crash with a sticky glaze. Dave’s precision calligraphy is amazing (of course it is) and Claudia is swishing her ponytail around because her homemade marshmallow fondant is a winner. Michelle’s fantasy flowers are pretty but her fondant too sweet giving the best side eye EVER to Claudia and Robert who made their own. Max has good flavour, a little too soft could be better given time but seriously, it looks like my kid could have done it right? Raeesa’s is a good story but missing something and Robert’s fancy painting biscuit is short and flavoursome.

This week’s Star Baker is BARB! And going home….is Max. As they say in France…Oh well.

Comments

  1. oh you with the Barb love…legends all round x

  2. I really need to find the time to watch this! Have them lined up on IQ

  3. I think Claudia looks like Jane Hall also. And how fabulous was that bear puzzle 🙂

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