Quarter Final 1 Junior Bake Off

Over the last two weeks, 40 junior bakers have entered

the hallowed Bake Off tent.

-We are now down to ten.

-Eh, if you thought cakes and biscuits were tough...

-I did!

Well, think again! Because baking is about to get tougher.

BOTH: Ooh!

Welcome to the Junior Bake Off quarterfinals!

In four days' time one baker will be crowned

Junior Bake Off Champion 2015.

The winner is...

Today, the first five quarterfinalists

return to face the judges.

It is the quarterfinal, there is nowhere to hide now.

Scary times!

You want to see determination, technical skill, creativity, finesse.

Oh!

Whose choux wheels will have the judges in a spin...?

Oh! Good catch!

And whose fruity Showstopper will prove their pastry-making skills?

It is the best pie I have tasted today.

To secure them a place in the semifinal.

These five talented bakers have already impressed the judges once,

but which three can do it again and bag a place in the semifinal?

-Good luck, guys.

-Good luck!

Will it be imaginative Alyth from Lanarkshire, who in her heat

produced immaculate bakes?

You have nailed it. Alyth did one of the best Technicals

we had in the heats.

I think the standards of the bakers are going to be a lot

higher considering they got through their heats.

Nice being back, isn't it? ALL: Yeah.

Up against Alyth is Freddie from Newcastle, who packed a punch

with his flavours.

You have got the flex of the lemon zest in there. That is really working.

Freddie has got something you can't necessarily teach -

he understands taste.

I am really proud of myself for getting this far.

When I filled in the application form, I thought I wouldn't even get called.

Darcey, from near Belfast,

picked herself up from a baking disaster...

Oh, no!

..to win her place.

That is high street standard.

She did such a fantastic Showstopper, we had to put her through.

In the heats I wasn't going to give up easily.

So I am hoping to carry on the determination.

Oh, I've got a skewer!

From West Lothian, Euan delivered a complex idea inspired by his family.

-Looks amazing.

-Thanks!

Euan, for me, looks like a very gifted baker.

My granny was really pleased that I managed to get through,

and her advice for this time was that I should knock 'em dead!

Olivia from Northumberland showed off technical ability with her

sophisticated bakes.

Olivia's chocolate gateau was one of the best bits of baking I saw.

That is a very good cake.

I would absolutely love to get through to the semifinals.

I have got so far, it seems a shame to go home now.

Are you nervous or excited?

-I am actually in-between!

-Yeah.

LAUGHTER

Just two challenges stand between these five bakers

and a place in the semifinal.

And first up it's the Technical.

Bakers, well done for getting to the quarterfinals. You should be

very proud of yourselves. We are going to be ramping things up a bit.

You are going to be making a version of one of Graham's recipes.

It's a classic French patisserie - Paris-Brest.

This choux pastry circle gets its name from the famous

Paris to Brest cycle race, hence the circle meant to be

-like a bike wheel!

-Very clever

-Very clever.

And it's filled with a delicious praline creme diplomat.

-Whatever that is.

-Whatever that is.

Judges, what are you looking for?

With the shell, we will be looking for a nice crisp outside,

and light and airy on the inside.

And the creme diplomat needs to hold its shape when it's piped.

Best of luck, guys! You have one hour.

BOTH: On your marks, get set, bake!

It feels really good to be back in the tent.

It is just magical.

When I heard this challenge - I was thinking, "What on earth is

"a Paris-Brest?"

But when they mentioned choux pastry I felt a bit better,

cos I have made choux pastry before.

Graham, is this your idea of the perfect Paris-Brest?

It's big, it's proud.

It looks golden brown.

And then when we lift it up...

..you can see that on the inside it has got a nice open texture.

Got lots of nooks and crannies. Not too even

and flat. So, the filing, just talk me through that.

Creme diplomat is essentially creme patissiere with cream.

If they under whip it, it's not going to stay nice and proud.

Smooth on the inside and crunchy on the outside. We have definitely stepped it up here.

This is so confusing.

That seems to make choux pastry.

It is like a GCSE in baking.

I am melting the butter

and dissolving the sugar and salt into the water and the milk.

"Add the flour and stir into the butter mixture,

"stirring all the time."

Choux is the only pastry that is cooked twice,

first on the heat and then in the oven.

You want it to be a ball, like it is now.

"Place the pastry in the low speed for one minute.

"Slowly add the eggs..."

It's essential the eggs are added gradually.

If the dough has too much egg in it,

there's a danger that it will set too quickly.

I am really happy it is not too wet.

This could prevent the steam from helping it rise,

which won't give the choux the

all-important bubbles the judges are looking for.

-Morning, Olivia!

-Morning.

-How are we doing?

Good, yeah. I have just put my first egg in and I am just making

sure that it is fully put together, and then I'm going to add the second egg.

Fully incorporated, yeah? That's exactly what you need to do with choux, isn't it?

Have you been practising since you were last in the tent?

Yes! Every spare minute I have been baking.

Dream about your bakes?

-Erm, no...

-Really?

-I just sleep very deeply! LAUGHTER

- Good luck. - Thank you!

-Well done, cheers.

-Bye!

Oh, I am doing a workout here!

There is a lot of elbow grease for this!

I am hoping to achieve a nice dropping consistency,

and it should just drop.

I am just filling my piping bag with the choux pastry,

so I can pipe it into the circular shape.

As you look round the room, you can see

differences between the bakers. If you look at Alyth here -

She's got a relatively good-looking choux on the table.

On the other hand, we have got a real problem on the other side of the room.

To me, looking at those two, it looks too wet.

They are going to end up with pancakes, not proud choux.

It is a bit of an odd shape, but it should puff up.

So it might cover up my... massive failure

Oh, I haven't egg washed it yet!

The egg wash just adds a shine.

So it just means that it

will be a nicer finish.

I am just going to put it in the oven for about 15 to 20 minutes.

If you're going to try your hand at baking, make sure a grown-up

knows what you are doing.

Bakers, half an hour gone, half an hour left.

Come on, guys, you can do this!

OK...

Whilst the choux wheels bake, the race is on to begin

the creme diplomat filling.

This is milk, right?

Yeah!

I hope so, anyway!

The first stage of the recipe requires the bakers to make a classic creme patissiere.

A creme patissiere is basically a posh custard.

"Heat the milk in a saucepan.

"In a separate bowl, mix together cornflour, sugar, vanilla paste

"and egg yolks."

-I am waiting for my milk to start simmering.

-I know!

"Stir all the time, and then... back into the saucepan."

Are you pleased with this Technical, are you happy with it?

I am a little bit happy, I have made choux pastry before,

and I have made a creme pat.

-How are you feeling about your competition?

-I think they are really good bakers.

Hopefully, we will all do really well!

-That is the spirit!

-You don't really mean that, though, do you?

-You just mean yourself.

-I do!

LAUGHTER

"After it cooks on the heat for a while, it should be quite thick."

What happened to your hob?!

I just spilt it everywhere!

LAUGHTER

I am really happy with that, it has risen really well, so...

Oh...

Nearly!

It fell a little and it's a wee bit flat

but it is quite an even bake, which I was hoping for.

It is looking good, I'm just going to put it in the fridge,

cos there's not much time to spare now.

Whilst the choux wheels cool down, the bakers need to finish their filling.

I have just added the praline paste into the creme patissiere.

Praline paste is made from caramelised nuts,

which have been crushed.

It gives it a nice nutty flavour.

To transform their creme patissiere into a light, fluffy creme diplomat,

the bakers must add whipped cream.

I am just folding it in, so it is nice and creamy.

I think they're looking for it to hold its shape...

..which it does.

Yeah, that is not going to fall.

I don't think mine is thick enough.

Bakers, un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq, six, sept, huit, neuf,

dix minutes left! Ten!

Oh!

Good catch!

I need it to cool, so that when I put the creme pat in,

-it doesn't melt

-Ah!

Oh, whoops!

Good enough...? Yes!

Bakers, one minute left, let's get finishing up.

Desserts are stressed spelt backwards.

SHE GASPS

Yours looks much better, you have got a better ring!

OK, bakers, that's it. Step away from your Paris-Brest.

High five! Bring it in!

Oh, you might have got creme pat all over your hand!

SHE LAUGHS

If you would like to bring your Paris-Brest up to the gingham altar?

Overall, I am pretty happy, although I would have liked my

pastry to rise a little more in the oven.

When I placed my finished product on the table, I noticed that it

was a lot thinner than the rest of them.

Allegra and Graham were looking for a perfect circle

of well-risen, light and airy choux pastry,

with a filling that has held its shape.

So, Freddie - looks nice. Golden brown. I am just going to

look inside quickly - the texture is a little tight.

Less wet mix, holds its shape,

and you get the aeration and the bigger bubbles.

It gives a really nice crunch and a good delivery of hazelnut.

Absolutely. It's a nice eat, Freddie, it really is.

Darcey!

It's just spread a little bit too much.

And again, perhaps it was a bit wet.

I love the detail in your slate, that's very nice.

Good hazelnut flavour.

Your cream has held nicely, that is a good structure

you've got to your diplomat. Be proud of that, though.

It's not an easy bake.

Olivia, it is a nice even pipe.

Feels nice and crisp. Quite tight bubbles.

Because it is smaller we have a greater intensity of praline flavour.

It is very nice indeed.

Euan...

Your cream hasn't quite held up. It's all sort of squidging out.

You need to just give it a little bit more whisk before you folded it through.

But you have got some height, and this is good choux structure here.

Great big caverns.

Lovely bite on the nuts. Your cream is not

quite there, but apart from that I am impressed.

Alyth, it looks amazing. Really nice and proud choux.

Got a decent structure inside. We've got some of these nice caverns.

It could be a little bit more filled. There - it wants to be

full of cream.

The choux ring is very good.

That's a wheel that could get you from Paris to Brest

without any problems at all.

HE CHUCKLES

Whose choux will propel them into the top two?

So, in no particular order...

The first of our top-two bakes is this one...

by Alyth.

-Thank you!

-And the second is this one

by Euan.

Thank you.

I am really proud that I got into the top two. It is a good

boost for the Showstopper.

I think Scotland will be proud!

I agree with the judges' decision, cos their choux pastries were awesome!

No, I definitely didn't think it was going be easier the

second time round, and it wasn't.

Not being in the top definitely makes me

more determined to make sure my next bake is perfect.

So, are you a lid or a casing and lid man?

-Casing and lid all the way, mate!

-Yeah, it's got to be, hasn't it?

Oh, definitely. Otherwise it is just a stew with a lid.

Yeah, and that wouldn't be a Showstopper, would it?

Is it pies for the Showstopper? HE LAUGHS

-No.

-Oh.

-I'm only joking!

-He's only kidding! LAUGHTER

Welcome back, bakers, this is your Showstopper Challenge.

The judges - they would like you to make a decorative fruit pie.

What you are about to bake could secure you a place in the semifinals.

So, no pressure!

You have 1 hour 30 minutes - on your marks...

-Get set...

-BOTH: Bake!

What I am looking for is when you cut a wedge from the pie

you have got a nice even pastry.

And when you eat it, it has got a balanced flavour.

The filling inside needs to be wettish

but you really don't want the base pastry soggy.

All five bakers are making shortcrust pastry for the case of their pies.

Today, I am making a spiced pear and blueberry fruit pie.

Blueberries give such a lovely purple colour when they are cooked,

and they taste amazing!

Darcey's pear and blueberry pie will be spiced with cinnamon

and nutmeg, and then decorated with pastry stars.

I do make quite a lot of pastry at home, it is

one of my favourite things to make.

This is a sweet shortcrust pastry, and it has got lemon rind in.

Cos I think it just adds a little bit more flavour.

Olivia's lemon pastry case will have an apple, ginger and blackberry filling,

and will be designed to reflect one of her favourite hobbies.

So, what are we making today?

I'm making a roue de velo. That is French for bike wheel.

Are you having a two-wheel day?

It is all a bit of a bike theme. I do a lot of triathlons,

so I'm used to biking.

-Wowzers!

-And what are you going to do on top?

Like, spokes, and then, like, the middle of the wheel.

Yeah, that's a very cool idea.

Thank you!

Hey, hey, Alyth, what are you making?

I am making an apple, blackberry and raspberry pie.

I call it a hedgerow pie.

Alyth's hedgerow pie will be full of sliced green apples,

bursting with berries, and have a lattice pastry top.

These are the things that live outside my house,

so that is why I had the idea...

Nice technique using the whole of the forearm there.

You are going to get some right arms on you, Alyth.

Nurrr!

Euan has also taken inspiration from his Scottish roots.

I am making my granny's Sunday bramble pie,

because, erm, my granny used to take my mum

and my auntie bramble picking. And make a bramble pie afterwards.

Euan's granny's pie will have a full pastry lid. Inside will be a bramble

and apple filling, with added zingyness from some lemon.

Is this bang on your granny's recipe or is it granny and a bit of Euan?

-Granny and a bit of Euan.

-What is the Euan bit?

Instead of proper apple, I am using dried apple,

-which soaks up the moisture.

-Nice idea.

-Nice.

I am making a juicy fruit pie. I have made it before, I think...

..four times?

Freddie is the only baker making two types of pastry -

a sweet shortcrust for the bottom,

and a plain shortcrust for the top.

The filling will be a mixture of grated apples,

raspberries and melted butter.

-Freddie, what are you most nervous about this?

-Time.

- Really? - Yeah.

What has it been like at home, when you have been practising it?

An hour and a quarter over.

Oh, no! An hour and a quarter over!

Yeah, yeah, but it is fine now, cos last time it was 12 minutes over, so it is not as bad.

-Oh, you are working in the right direction, then?

-Yeah, yeah.

-OK, that's good.

One of the trickiest parts about making a pie

is ensuring that all the pastry is evenly baked.

To help achieve this,

Darcey, Olivia and Freddie are blind baking their pastry cases first.

Weight on the pastry case stops it from puffing up or shrinking,

and also to get a crisp bottom.

No, I am not blind baking. I have decided just to cook it all in one.

Because I think the bottom can sometimes get a bit burnt if you blind bake it.

I chose not to blind bake my pastry case,

because the fruit weighs it down. I am hoping I don't get a soggy bottom!

Bakers, you have had 30 minutes.

You've got an hour left to soak the fruit, be the fruit,

be the pie!

With the filling, the bakers have the difficult job of making it sweet and juicy,

but also thick enough so that it doesn't leak through the pastry.

When I first made the filling, it was quite acidic. The butter

and egg mix gives it quite a sweet taste, and it's really nice.

I am going to toss my brambles in cornflour and granulated sugar,

so that the juice that

comes out of my pie won't be too wet.

The cornflour should thicken it up a bit.

-Afternoon, Darcey.

-Afternoon.

So, what is in here?

Blueberries, pear, some ground arrowroot to soak up

the excess juices, and some lemon zest.

And why did you choose arrowroot?

It absorbs a lot more than cornflour.

Very good!

I don't think it is quite done yet but I am going to take it out in

about two minutes and I am just going to have to go with what I have got.

It is looking good, it has been cooking better than it has at home,

so that is always a good sign.

Bakers, that is 45 minutes gone, which means you are halfway.

Oh!

I am going to put the filling in, put the cover on the pie

and cover them with decorations, egg wash, oven. And then I can relax.

Now their cases are filled with fruit, the bakers turn to

topping their pies.

I've just used my lattice roller to make some lattice.

Oh...

Everyone's pies are now baking, except for Freddie's.

-Is that ready for the oven after you have done that?

-Yeah.

SHE HUMS Get it in that oven!

How is yours looking?

-Do you want to come round and see?

-Yes!

You see the topping there?

It has kind of gone a bit skewwhiff.

That's cool!

Did you carve that?

My dad did!

He likes to get the little saw out.

IMITATES SAWING

That is a great impression of my dad!

Bakers, you have just five minutes left!

It's pie time! Almost.

That is looking great.

I have put it on for just another minute, cos I think it might need that.

Scary times!

Where has the sugar gone?

Is your pie still in the oven?

Yeah, it's got one minute left...

Oh, not even...

Yes, that's good.

Hm, I am just going to serve it.

Just going to do some finishing touches to it.

Bakers, that's it, your time is up!

Alyth! Alyth!

THEY LAUGH

SHE EXHALES

Very nice, Euan, nice presentation.

It cuts like a pie.

The base is cooked.

Technically it is a great bake, cos you have managed to keep all that

moisture in and give us a crisp pie.

It is nice and juicy. I think

if you put in a touch more sugar, the flavours of the berries

would have come through a bit more. But all in all that is a good bake.

Alyth, it looks really stunning. Good lattice

and I love that you are tying it all with your home.

Yeah, it is

-just a bit difficult to get out.

-Sorry.

-So on the base here you can see it's raw.

-Oh...

-Yeah?

The actual crust itself is delicious.

It is nice and tart

but you really did need to blind bake your tart case to start.

But a beautiful-looking pie.

Well done, Olivia, loving the presentation. The pastry has

got a good colour to it around the outside.

But your spokes are over.

The pastry tastes delicious. That lemon in it is really coming through.

For me, you need a bit more juice to bind it

and bring it all together.

It is a nice idea, it just needs polishing.

Thanks, Darcey. Love your little stars. And again you have

opted for not a very juicy pie.

There should be some juice in there somewhere!

LAUGHTER

It is actually a really nice bake on the base.

-You have just taken it too far on the sides.

-Yeah.

The arrowroot has helped to give it a sort of creaminess.

And actually it is not a dry eat. Just watch your outsides

and that's a winner of a pie.

Freddie...

this is looking good around the outside. But this is definitely not cooked on top.

Looks beautiful. Nice and golden on the base.

That is a fine slice of pie there, Freddie.

HE CHUCKLES

The fruits are acidic

and they are sweet. And both of those are balanced very nicely in this pie.

To eat - it is the best pie I have tasted today.

-It's all done.

-Oh, that's a relief.

Well, judges, I think it is fair to say the quarterfinals have kicked off with a bang.

Let's start with this morning's Technical Challenge.

This morning, Alyth did a near-perfect Paris-Brest.

But then, tale of two halves - her pie looks nice,

but the underside absolutely raw.

Euan, he was in the top two...

And his pie... His pastry was so thin that it cooked in seconds,

so he has got a nice crisp bottom.

And how about Olivia?

Her choux pastry didn't have the aeration.

What about the Showstopper in the afternoon?

The design was great, it just needed some more moisture.

Darcey, this morning... She wasn't in your top two.

Did she do what she did in the heats and totally redeem herself?

She had a better afternoon than she had morning.

And finally - Freddie...

Freddie wasn't nearly there on the Technical.

Did he redeem himself?

Freddie's pie - it is not cooked on top, which is a near tragedy,

because then you cut into it - it is a gorgeous pie.

-It is a tough one.

-Mm.

Bakers...

you have been absolutely brilliant.

But unfortunately, only three of you can go through to the semifinals.

In no particular order...

The first baker going through is...

..Euan.

Well done, Euan, well done.

Good job.

The second baker going through is...

..Alyth.

Well done, Alyth.

And the final baker going through is...

..Freddie!

It feels really, really, really, good to go through to the semifinals.

Well done, you saved it with your pie there.

I can't believe I got through, they were all really good bakers,

I mean, they are they best bakers I have ever seen.

Brilliant baking, really tough day.

It was my granny's bramble pie that managed to get me through,

and I hope that she is going to be really proud of me.

You have been fantastic, you really have.

It is so amazing to have got this far in the competition.

It has been loads of fun.

Give yourself a round of applause.

I think Alyth, Freddie and Euan are definitely the right people to

go through. I think they will soar through this competition.

And maybe one of them will be the Junior Bake Off Champion.

The next five quarterfinalists face a wedding centrepiece Technical...

It looks a bit like a Christmas tree.

..and scary mini-tart Showstoppers...

SHRIEKING

..for a place in the semifinal.

It's getting tough!