Episode 11 Junior Bake Off

The heats are complete. 40 have now become ten,

and in that very tent as I speak

the first batch of semifinalists are cleaning their whisks,

lining their tins and separating their eggs.

Why? Because our judges Mary Berry and James Martin

are about to turn up the heat.

Welcome to Junior Bake Off.

Today it's time to get serious as the semifinals begin.

Oh! Oh! Oh!

Five of the best bakers return to the tent...

Rocket, rocket, rocket!

..to battle it out for a place in the final.

I'm not sure it's cooked.

Will their Junior Bake Off dreams crumble?

It's coming out a few holes.

Only two can go through.

Aah! I'm stuffed.

Judges Mary and James have ramped up the pressure

as five bakers face two even tougher challenges.

First it's the technical challenge.

The bakers have big choux to fill as they tackle James Martin's

recipe for coffee eclairs.

And in the Showstopper they'll be hoping for international inspiration

for their Round The World savoury tarts.

But only two bakers can make it through. Who will they be?

In the heat Emma produced the flawless iced marble cake

and stunned the judges with her Under The Sea shortbreads.

I could eat more of those.

Being part of the Bake Off was amazing,

going through to the semifinal is even more amazing,

and if I won, it would be outstanding.

Griffin made great flavoured biscotti and his carrot cake

was one of the best judges had ever tasted.

That's a spankingly good carrot cake.

If I won the Junior Bake Off,

it would mean the world to me

cos then I could have my own shelf with a trophy.

Ellie made fantastic chocolate fondant

and went wild with her parrot-coloured Showstopper.

Beautifully light, well layered, evenly cooked. Well done.

The standards of the semifinal have been raised,

but I believe I can give the judges what they're looking for.

She dazzled with her chocolate and orange carnival cake

and baked ten perfect melting moment biscuits.

Not too sweet. Not too sour. Well done.

Now I'm in the semifinals I'm going to do everything perfectly.

Emily presented light and crumbly rock cakes, and wowed the judges

with her beautifully made jigsaw Showstopper.

Great element of spice in there. Taste-wise, fantastic.

Mary and James will be expecting a lot more from the semifinalists

as we're all really good bakers. The pressure's on.

The bakers' first challenge is the technical.

Bakers, welcome to the semifinals of Junior Bake Off.

Your first test is one of James Martin's very own recipes

for coffee eclairs.

James, what are we looking for?

I want you to produce six coffee eclairs,

but remember the eclairs should be a lovely golden brown colour,

-all nice and even.

-And the rich French custard filling

should be thick and smooth, and that coffee icing set and glossy.

-Now guys, have you washed your hands?

-Yes.

You've only got an hour to complete this challenge.

On your marks, get set...bake.

These are experienced bakers, so if you want to try this at home,

get an adult to help.

I'm quite nervous about the time limit,

but I'll just get my head down and work.

It's feeling absolutely amazing to be back in this Bake Off tent.

It's almost like a second home now.

For this recipe James and Mary are testing the bakers

on the notoriously difficult choux pastry.

It's not easy. There are a lot of things to think about.

Timing is crucial. You know, they've got to get this in the oven

within ten minutes, then they can't relax when they're in the oven,

they've got the creme patissiere to think about.

And then they can't even relax they're doing that,

because I've got them to make their own fondant icing as well,

so it is pretty tough.

The bakers start by melting butter in water.

Choux pastry is different to other pastries

as it's twice cooked, first in a pan and then baked in the oven.

It feels amazing to be back in this environment.

Super sporty Emma is bringing her competitive side to her baking.

She's been practising nonstop since the heats.

Well, it's a lot of pressure being in the semifinal,

cos everyone wants to go to the final.

Add the flour and beat until it comes together and forms a dough.

From a foodie family, Ruby has been baking since the age of two

and has a wide range of complex bakes under her belt.

I've made choux pastry before, but still things can go wrong.

But Ruby is not the only one who's experienced in this tricky pastry.

I've made them before, so I know what to expect

and how they should be.

Griffin loves very sugary bakes

and getting his hands messy making bread.

It's really exciting, but...it's also nerving cos you know that

you're in the semifinals.

Next, three whole eggs are added to the dough mixture.

The pastry needs to be cool before I add the eggs,

otherwise they'll just separate and cook and scramble and you've got...

scrambled choux buns.

Emily thrives on working under pressure, but admits to being

quite the chaotic baker.

I just do what I need to do when I think I should.

And hope.

I'm just separating the egg. Just the yolks are to go in.

Ellie is the queen of fondant figures.

She's extremely passionate about baking,

but is finding today's recipe tricky to follow.

You all right, Ellie?

I thought that I was only supposed to add the egg yolk.

-You got egg yolk in there already?

-No.

Right, I got three more eggs, yeah?

Thanks.

I've just added my eggs and now I'm just about to pipe it.

I've never piped before.

Aah! It's coming out the other end.

OK, that'll do.

Well, the piping's not going very well at the moment.

So I've kind of got it all over my hand.

The bakers should pipe the eclairs evenly and in a straight line.

Griffin, you look like a new man.

I thought that was Dizzee Rascal for a minute. Look at that. Boom.

-I've done the same thing. New shirt. You like it?

-Yep.

-I knew as soon as I went in the shop I was like...

-Is that my shirt?

No...

It's not his shirt. It's mine.

Mm-hmm.

In they go.

I don't know now...cos it didn't start.

-Oh!

-So...

-Right, hold up a minute, we've got an issue.

You didn't press start on it. So what your going to have to do now

is use your baking skills.

Focus on them.

-OK, yes.

-Good luck.

Now I'm making a creme patissiere, which is a mix of milk,

sugar and vanilla pod.

Creme patissiere is a rich custard...

It's a bit hot.

..heated up gently to a smooth lump-free consistency

and thick enough to hold its shape.

It's starting to thicken.

-A lot to do, isn't there?

-Yeah, there's a lot to do.

Well, it's the semifinals.

It's going to get harder.

Once the creme patissiere is cool, it's lightly whipped with cream,

but one whisk too many and it could curdle and split.

Have a taste.

Yeah, that's nice.

Bakers, you've got half an hour to complete this bake. Half an hour.

Yay!

They're out.

They just look a bit too small. I think they needed to be bigger.

Yes, I'm happy with these eclairs.

Thank you.

-What's happening?

-Um, those aren't coming off the tray.

That is literally stuck there, isn't it?

-Aah!

-What's happened?

It's curdled. You know what it's done, you took it to a cheese.

-It's gone too far.

-I'm stuffed.

James, we need some help over here, buddy.

These are sticking on to the paper and the creme patissiere has split.

-Can we bring it back?

-No.

-No.

Fortunately, you've got a little bit still on this.

Save whatever you possibly can, get a little bit more cream,

-do it again.

-OK.

When the eclairs have cooled,

the cream is piped in from both sides to ensure the bun is filled.

Some of the holes aren't big enough for the nozzle

so I' just having to make them a little bit bigger.

Is it going through?

-Yep.

-Nice one.

It's coming out a few holes.

Right, we've got a bit of chaos here, right. Listen...

EMILY GASPS

Oh! Oh! Oh!

Don't...

-I've got extras.

-Come on over here.

-Right.

-Goodness. Need to get piping bag. Quick.

Go.

Literally shaking here.

I think I'll be OK.

Finally the buns are dipped into a coffee icing

leaving them with a smooth glossy finish.

Three. Three more to go.

OK, bakers, you've got two minutes to finish these eclairs off.

Two minutes!

Beauties.

They'll get sticky fingers, but who doesn't like stick fingers.

Yes, I've done it. I've done it.

That's it, bakers. The technical challenge is over.

Please step away from your worktops.

James and Mary will be looking for six uniform eclairs,

golden in colour, crisp on the outside and full of cream.

First off - Ellie.

They're slightly overbaked. You've got a lovely shine on top.

Really, you could have done with a little bit more cream here.

I can see they've got cream at either end.

-Mind you, it tastes pretty good.

-Great effort. Well done.

Ruby, you have got the best rise out of all of them, hasn't she?

That is as good a choux pastry as you're going to make.

The colour is just about perfect.

The cream is filled in the centre

-And look at all that.

-It's going in in one.

I would pay for that in a restaurant. I can't fault it.

Brilliant. Well done.

Griffin, you've got perfect piping skills.

You got that little flick at the end.

They are small, but the choux pastry was right.

Mouth-watering. You made rather big holes.

You were desperate to get a lot of cream in there, well, I enjoyed that

Yeah, you should be very happy. Well done.

Emma.

You haven't done that much piping, but I thought you did it very well.

You've got a very nice bake.

But the real key to this is the cream in the middle.

Not a lot.

-The flavour's really good.

-Mmm.

Well done.

Emily. You had a bit of a tough morning.

I can tell straight away, this is full of cream.

That's good.

That tastes fantastic.

I think you've done brilliantly to get this. Well done.

This is the semifinals

and I think you should be extremely proud of what you've done.

All of them I would enjoy for my tea.

To do that in a hour, you should be very proud

and we're all looking forward to your dishes this afternoon.

I'm really proud that I managed to get six fully finished eclairs

to the judges, and they seemed to like them.

Well, that's got enough cream.

James said he would pay for my eclairs in a restaurant

and it made me feel really happy.

I love the icing.

I was quite proud of myself that I managed to impress the judges,

it's just I was really annoyed that I didn't add enough cream.

I'm really confident with my Showstopper

cos it's got different flavours that other people aren't using,

so I hope I can wow the judges with that.

Yum.

The bakers have just one last challenge between them

and a place in the Junior Bake Off final.

Welcome to the Showstopper.

To prove to Mary and James that you've got what it takes

to go through today they would like you to bake and present

one large savoury tart.

And the theme of today is flags from around the world.

Concentration now is the key.

And whatever base you use, make sure it's thoroughly cooked.

And the flag design should be clearly defined

and all those flavours should go really well together.

One hour and half. A place in the final.

On your marks, get set...bake.

Wow, that butter is rock hard.

We're in the semifinal. We are getting tougher.

We'll be watching them far more.

And it's very interesting, when they make a mistake,

how they cope with that.

The pastry must be cooked underneath.

It's a big common error, so it's really important that that is

baked blind properly, but concentrating on the flavour of it

as well as the design.

Most of the bakers have chosen to use crumbly short crust pastry,

which uses a rubbing in technique to combine the butter with flour.

I'm choosing a Welsh flag because I'm from Wales.

So I chose my home country.

For Griffin's Welsh flag tart,

his short crust pastry is filled with cheese and leeks

and decorated with a fiery pastry dragon, coated in chilli salsa.

So are you looking at all Welsh ingredients?

Erm, yeah, most of them.

-Go on, then.

-Apart from the mozzarella.

Mozzarella. Right, OK. And what's this?

-Erm, balsamic vinegar.

-Apart from that one as well. Yes

-Do you know where that comes from?

-No.

Italy.

Ice cold water is added to bind the dough.

If the pastry is over-mixed, the gluten in the flour strengthens

and the result is tough pastry.

I'm making a Welsh tart,

and they're all Welsh ingredients.

In the battle of the Welsh flag tarts,

Emma is also filling hers with leeks,

two types of strong Welsh cheese, and topping it with a wax dragon

she carved from the cheese casing.

-You're doing a Welsh tart.

-Yep.

-So is Griffin.

-Yep.

Why is yours going to win?

Cos I've got all Welsh ingredients.

Well, Griffin's got all Welsh ingredients, too.

Mozzarella.

Is that Welsh?

Ask him. He seems to think so.

Well, every single ingredient going into mine is Welsh.

And going a little further than Wales, Emily is taking us

to South America.

I'm basically putting a typical Brazilian meal into a tart.

And I'm calling it Flavours Of Brazil Tart.

Clue's in the name.

Emily has chosen the Brazilian flag to honour her family roots.

She is filling her cheesy pastry case with a black bean mixture,

topped with kale and a blue-colour potato.

What are the flavours of Brazil?

There's a lot of like spices, and garlicky...

You'll be able to save that.

If you tuck it in like that, and then do that.

-Saved, you see?

-Thanks.

Disaster averted for Emily.

But is Ruby taking a risk with her choice of bake?

She's gone for a flaky pastry, which is made by a process of rolling

and folding several times to create layers.

Flaky pastry is much more flaky and buttery, and much nicer.

Well, I think it is.

Ruby's pastry case will form the base of her Devon flag tart,

which is topped with locally sourced ingredients.

I'm doing asparagus, green beans,

and the asparagus grows in a town near me.

And what about this in-between here?

It's going to be the special Devon goat's cheese,

which is very mild and creamy.

-Good luck.

-Thank you.

Once the tins are lined, the pastry is left to rest in the fridge.

This allows the glutens to relax,

resulting in a lighter pastry.

Roast in oven...

Ellie has chosen to base her tart around the Italian flag,

filling her pastry with roasted peppers, Parmesan cheese

and Mediterranean herbs and spices.

Why Italian flag?

I was going to do Scotland,

but there's not many blue vegetables, so...

True. So are you running to time?

-I hope so.

-Keep an eye on the time and I hope things go well.

Thank you.

These are going in.

Blind baking the tart cases

ensures that the pastry case is cooked through.

This prevents it from getting the dreaded soggy bottom.

Italian Welsh tart, here we come.

As the pastry cases bake,

it's on to the fantastic flavoursome fillings.

I've just seen some black beans.

Classic Brazilian ingredient right there.

Going to cause a bit of wind.

-Yep.

-But it'll be worth it.

-Yeah.

The difference between my tart and Emma's tart

is mine's got salsa and hers hasn't,

and hers isn't an edible dragon, whilst mine is.

Well, I've got Welsh cheese.

I love this cheese, so that's why I'm adding it.

I'm not just using one cheese, I'm going to use two

because this one compliments it really well.

Let's see.

Yeah, it's looking good.

-Crispy. Good texture.

-Yeah, it's really crispy.

Going in.

Three of the bakers are using an egg custard mix to cover their fillings.

The tart should be perfectly filled to avoid it bubbling over the edges

when baked.

How long have we got left?

About 25 minutes, I reckon.

This takes 25 minutes to cook.

-It takes 25 minutes to cook? Best of luck.

-Start.

Kale, kale, kale.

With the clock ticking, attention is turned to making the tarts look

just like their chosen flag.

Oh, that's a perfect colour.

That's a little bit burnt.

You've got five minutes left, guys.

Cook, cook, cook.

You've got two minutes and 37 seconds on there,

so that means you're going to have about two minutes to finish it off.

You've got to get it out of the shell, get it onto the plate

and you've got to do your flag. Is it possible?

-I hope so.

-Boom. Me too. Good luck.

Bakers, you've got two minutes left. Two minutes.

I'm not sure it's cooked.

What happened there?

-I shouted two minutes and you put it back in again.

-Yep.

I'm going to put it in for one minute.

-Wow. You confident it's going to be all right?

-No.

Oh, my God. I forgot my rocket. Rocket, rocket, rocket!

30 seconds!

I'm hoping I've got enough time to make the flag.

It's really quite quick.

Ten seconds left, guys. Ten seconds.

Bakers, your time is up. The challenge is over.

Please step away from your bakes.

For three of the bakers, their journey is about to come to an end.

Their fates rest on their savoury tarts.

I don't think I cooked my pastry very well

and its flag wasn't as big

as I hoped it would be.

So, wax and heat. Don't really go well together, does it, really?

-No.

-You can certainly see you got a lovely even bake to it.

-We like the pastry.

-Yeah.

It's a very, very lovely flavour.

That cheese has given it real strength.

I think that the two cheeses go fantastically well together.

-Great with the leeks.

-Well done.

I hope that Mary and James say that the flavours are perfectly

balanced and that my tart case is

delicious and well cooked.

With no soggy bottoms.

I can see the pastry's definitely cooked.

That is just as crisp and brown on the bottom as it is on the sides.

That bean mixture is really good.

Lovely flavours.

I just wonder whether a little beaten egg through that,

just to set it, cos when we cut it all these things sort of fall out.

Other than that, you can't fault it.

I'm hoping the judges will say it tastes nice and looks good.

-That was crisp, wasn't it?

-That was crispy.

You're the only person who did a flaky one.

So I can see it's nicely cooked.

The pastry is absolutely delicious.

Beautifully cooked underneath.

There's not a lot of liquid in there.

It almost needs something to put on the base.

-I love the little animals around the outside. Thank you.

-Well done.

I'm really happy with what I produced.

I just hope the judges really like it.

Looking underneath here, you've hidden the leeks,

-which you have caught a little bit too much.

-Yeah.

Nice crisp pastry going through there.

I actually like the bit that hasn't got the leek in it

cos I think that's fantastic.

And then shall we try this. Is there a lot of chilli in it?

Er, two.

I better have some as well.

-JAMES COUGHS

-It's warm.

You might call it warm, I might call it hot.

But that's how a dragon should be, fiery, shouldn't it?

I think a really fantastic job getting all that done in time.

-Well done.

-Thank you.

Time was running out, and I just honestly threw everything on

so I don't have a flag on my tart,

only the colours of the flag.

I could see that on an Italian deli, in Italy for sale.

The filling looks spectacular.

Beautiful bake underneath.

I like this thin layer of pastry there.

Great flavour. Really, really, I mean, really good flavour.

-Well done, Ellie.

-Great effort. Well done.

Bakers, congratulations. You've done a smashing job. Well done.

Go and have a break, we'll see you in a bit.

I don't know how they're going to choose.

Yours looked amazing.

Yeah, but yours tasted delicious.

Tarts tasted and decorations dissected.

The bakers can do no more.

Well, judges, let's start off with Ellie.

How did she get on with her technical challenge?

She struggled, struggled with the mixture,

struggled getting it in in time.

And they were a bit on the small side.

Now let's move on to the Showstopper.

There's no question, the flavour was fantastic.

But we didn't get a flag.

She could have used her time more wisely.

OK, let's move on to Ruby.

She definitely rose to the occasion when it came to the eclairs.

One word - faultless. Simple as that, really.

And did she take that confidence into the Showstopper?

It was too dry for me.

I loved the ingredients being all local.

It was spectacular to look at and it has excellent flavours.

OK, let's move on to Griffin.

The way that he was piping those eclairs just looked like a chef.

And how did he get on, Mary, in his Showstopper?

Do you know, I thought it was going to be great,

but he made just one or two mistakes.

Let's move on to Emma.

The eclairs themselves, they rose nicely,

they were nicely cooked.

Just didn't see the cream going in all the way through the eclairs.

And then her tart. Very moist, full of flavour..

Outstanding pastry.

-Right. Emily.

-She's showed gut spirit,

and to be able to produce six eclairs from what she had left over.

Brilliant effort.

Mary, how did she get on with her tart?

She had a really beautiful pastry,

but as soon as you cut it on the plate it all fell apart.

Five tarts. Two finalists.

It's not an easy decision.

Semifinalists, congratulations on a superb day of baking.

As you know, only two people can go through today to the finals.

Mary and James have had to make a very tough decision.

The first person going through to the finals is...

Congratulations, Emma, you're through to the finals.

The second person going through is...

Ruby.

There was one outstanding person, and that was Ruby.

She did perfect eclairs.

And I thought Emma just did amazing.

Just a really, really good baker.

It felt amazing when my name was called,

and I literally, like, couldn't really breathe for a moment.

It feels absolutely amazing to be through to the final

because I just love baking so much.

I think with Emma we've got consistency,

and I think with Ruby we've got genius.

Both of which are going to combine to make it very, very interesting.

Next time...

The five semifinalists back in the tent are...

Harry, Kavern,

Archie, Zainab

and Monty.

Turning up the tension with Mary's meringue roulade...

-Does that look right?

-No, not really.

..and the most challenging Showstopper yet.

It's going to be tight.

But only two can secure a place in the final.

Yes! Score!

If you fancy giving baking a go, head to the CBBC website

and choose a Junior Bake Off recipe.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd