0:00:02 > 0:00:04Week four of our search to find Britain's best amateur baker.
0:00:04 > 0:00:09We've had tiered celebration cakes, magnificent platters of tarts and enough bread to feed 5,000.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12Or loosely translated, enough bread to feed Mel and myself.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15We started with 12 bakers and now there are eight.
0:00:15 > 0:00:18Welcome to the Great British Bake Off.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21Britain's home bakers have come together in this,
0:00:21 > 0:00:24the ultimate test of their baking skills.
0:00:24 > 0:00:27To win you need to be able to perform across the board.
0:00:27 > 0:00:29I haven't left the house. Locked in my kitchen.
0:00:29 > 0:00:31Last week was bread.
0:00:31 > 0:00:35It's a bit scary. You just want it to work. You want it to be right.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37And Paul's expectations were high.
0:00:37 > 0:00:41- Someone's not been following my recipe.- The whole thing's collapsed.
0:00:41 > 0:00:45Yasmin really impressed and was named star baker.
0:00:45 > 0:00:47Well done, Yasmin.
0:00:47 > 0:00:51But Urvashi and Ian didn't make the grade and were sent home.
0:00:51 > 0:00:53Outstanding!
0:00:54 > 0:00:57This week, the bakers take on biscuits.
0:00:57 > 0:00:59I don't know if I can bear to look at them.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03It looks very dishevelled.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06And these bite-size delights prove too much for some.
0:01:06 > 0:01:08This is the worst they've come out.
0:01:08 > 0:01:10Please, God, let me finish.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35Yes, things are getting serious, for this week the contestants
0:01:35 > 0:01:38will be getting themselves into a right royal flap...jack.
0:01:38 > 0:01:42Today the bakers are facing biscuitgeddon.
0:01:49 > 0:01:54It's the fourth round of the Bake Off. This week, it's biscuits.
0:01:55 > 0:02:00Our bakers will need to prove they can deliver outstanding bakes
0:02:00 > 0:02:03in three increasingly more testing challenges.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05Tomorrow, for one person,
0:02:05 > 0:02:09their dream of becoming Britain's best amateur baker will be over.
0:02:11 > 0:02:17Welcome, bakers, to this, the halfway mark of the Bake Off.
0:02:17 > 0:02:18So well done for getting this far,
0:02:18 > 0:02:23but there's no time to relax, because it's time for your first challenge, the signature bake.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27So what the judges would like you to do is to make 12 biscuits
0:02:27 > 0:02:31to your own very distinct flavour combination and, of course,
0:02:31 > 0:02:33you have to remember that the ideal biscuit, well,
0:02:33 > 0:02:37is something that Mel and I will trough, but also has a distinct bite.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39So it's not too soft, and it's not too crumbly.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42You have one and a half hours on the clock.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44- On your marks.- Get set.- Bake!
0:02:47 > 0:02:50Unlike cakes or bread, a biscuit is much more delicate.
0:02:50 > 0:02:55Unforgiving in the oven, within seconds they can catch and burn,
0:02:55 > 0:02:57ruining both taste and texture.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00To achieve perfection requires precision.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02The humble biscuit can be quite deadly.
0:03:02 > 0:03:07Easy enough to bake, you think, but, actually, to bake them
0:03:07 > 0:03:11all the same colour with the same flavour is extremely difficult.
0:03:14 > 0:03:18The biscuits should be crisp, and if they're meant to be chewy,
0:03:18 > 0:03:21they should be chewy. They should all be uniform in shape.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24It should tempt me to eat it, and when you break it,
0:03:24 > 0:03:28it should have a perfect texture and be done right through.
0:03:30 > 0:03:35The essential biscuit ingredients are butter, sugar and flour.
0:03:40 > 0:03:44When I was practising, I made these biscuits about twice.
0:03:44 > 0:03:46The first time they were OK, a bit overcooked.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48But the second time they came out and tasted a lot nicer.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51Well, not a lot nicer, they were nice the first time.
0:03:51 > 0:03:55Jason taught himself how to bake from the age of just 12.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57His signature biscuit is called a lebkuchen,
0:03:57 > 0:04:00which is a traditional, soft-spiced German treat.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04They're not that hard. They're softer, which I'm worried about.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07I don't know what the judges will say. They've got spice in them.
0:04:07 > 0:04:08I'm using mixed spice and cinnamon,
0:04:08 > 0:04:11and with chocolate on the top. It's a nice combination.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17Rob grew up with baking.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20His mother taught him how to cook from the age of ten.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23My brother and dad would go to the football and I'd stay at home
0:04:23 > 0:04:25and help my mum make pastries. It was great.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28For one Christmas, and I've still got beef with this,
0:04:28 > 0:04:32my sister got a rolling pin, a little child's rolling pin,
0:04:32 > 0:04:36And it had "Hannah" on it. I never had one. So Hannah had a rolling pin. Mum had a rolling pin.
0:04:36 > 0:04:37Well, where's mine?
0:04:37 > 0:04:42Today he's baking a family favourite, chocolate and ginger oat biscuits.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45Chewy on the inside with a crunchy exterior.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47My granny always used to have them at her house.
0:04:47 > 0:04:49We always used to call them rejects.
0:04:49 > 0:04:54It's cos they don't come in a packet. They come in a see-through bag which reminds me of home,
0:04:54 > 0:04:58and just it being warm and comforting and nice.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03The biscuits I'm making today are grandmother's biscuits,
0:05:03 > 0:05:06so they're the sort of thing that I'd sit in front of the telly with,
0:05:06 > 0:05:09a cup of tea, and something I love to eat.
0:05:09 > 0:05:11Hopefully the judges will enjoy them.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16Ben's hoping for success with his crunchy version of stem ginger nuts,
0:05:16 > 0:05:18which is a recipe he learnt from his grandmother.
0:05:20 > 0:05:23- Hello, Ben.- Good morning. Good morning. Good morning!
0:05:23 > 0:05:25What's in these?
0:05:25 > 0:05:27It's basically flour, ginger powder.
0:05:27 > 0:05:32There's a piece of stem ginger and also some candied ginger in there as well.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35- So a lot of ginger flavour.- What temperature do you bake these at?
0:05:35 > 0:05:38- These are going to be baked at 190. - Right.- For about ten minutes.
0:05:38 > 0:05:42- Yeah.- But there is a look and feel thing, so I don't want them
0:05:42 > 0:05:45to be too brown on the edges and burnt underneath.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52Flour and eggs keep biscuits together.
0:05:52 > 0:05:54When the proteins in them are uncooked, they are small,
0:05:54 > 0:05:57tightly-coiled, separate strands.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03But heat causes them to unravel and fuse together to form a solid mass.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07Concentrating on the appearance this week,
0:06:07 > 0:06:10so fingers crossed it all works out.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13Sausage-fingers does dainty!
0:06:14 > 0:06:17Mary-Anne's signature biscuits are called Melting Moments.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20The high butter content and use of cornflour gives them
0:06:20 > 0:06:23a crumbly, melt-in-the-mouth quality.
0:06:23 > 0:06:27I chose it because it's an anytime biscuit.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29You wouldn't have to go out and do a special shop
0:06:29 > 0:06:32if you wanted to make this, because you could literally
0:06:32 > 0:06:34open the cupboard and pull out what you need.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38Once again Mary-Anne is showcasing her love of using
0:06:38 > 0:06:42inventive techniques to turn her biscuits into something special.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46Before I put the dough in the piping bag
0:06:46 > 0:06:49I did a stripe of red food colouring down the side,
0:06:49 > 0:06:53so I think it's the same principle of toothpaste.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56I'm going to put them in the freezer now for 15 minutes,
0:06:56 > 0:06:58and that will sort of freeze them,
0:06:58 > 0:07:03so that when they go in the oven the heat of the oven will hopefully cook the swirls a lot quicker
0:07:03 > 0:07:05and retain some of the nice shape.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07Like Mary-Anne,
0:07:07 > 0:07:10Holly is also making a delicate, melt-on-the-tongue biscuit.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13I just thought these were the sort of biscuit
0:07:13 > 0:07:15that you might serve at an afternoon tea for ladies.
0:07:17 > 0:07:21Using home-made jam and custard cream as the filling,
0:07:21 > 0:07:24she's named hers Strawberry and Custard Melts.
0:07:24 > 0:07:28- Oh, you've piped them already. That was quick.- Yeah. - How have you made the mix, then?
0:07:28 > 0:07:30It is creamed butter, very, very soft,
0:07:30 > 0:07:31with a bit of icing sugar.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35Instead of the cornflour, a little bit of custard powder and plain flour.
0:07:35 > 0:07:39- So it's kind of one-mouthful delights.- Yeah.
0:07:39 > 0:07:41- Those are tiny, delicate. - They're very delicate.
0:07:41 > 0:07:45- They're very small, aren't they? - But when you've got two together, with the filling,
0:07:45 > 0:07:47I personally think that's enough.
0:07:47 > 0:07:51- And you're making a quick strawberry jam?- Yeah.- How are you doing that?
0:07:51 > 0:07:53You haven't got much time to do that.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57- Are you doing a very small amount? - Oh, she'll do it in no time. - It's four minutes.- Minutes.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04It's a bit girlie, isn't it, the hearts?
0:08:04 > 0:08:05So I like the hearts.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10Jo's signature bake is a recipe she developed herself,
0:08:10 > 0:08:14a lightly-fragranced and crumbly lavender biscuit.
0:08:14 > 0:08:18Everyone will like them, but it's a really different flavour,
0:08:18 > 0:08:21because lavender's not something that you come across every day,
0:08:21 > 0:08:26but I really like them. I think they're really summery and a lovely flavour.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29In last week's bread round, Yasmin dazzled the judges
0:08:29 > 0:08:31and was named star baker.
0:08:31 > 0:08:35Up until last week I felt that I'd gone relatively unnoticed.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38I was like, you know, flying under the radar a bit,
0:08:38 > 0:08:42and now there's pressure because they'll be looking at me more.
0:08:42 > 0:08:46Yasmin has chosen to bake a chocolate chip and pistachio biscotti,
0:08:46 > 0:08:49which are Italian dry twice-baked biscuits.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53A biscotti, you can add so many things to it,
0:08:53 > 0:08:57whether it be honey, walnut, pistachios, but it's all about the baking.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59- Yeah.- You've got to get that crisp,
0:08:59 > 0:09:03because if you don't get that crisp it's not a biscotti.
0:09:06 > 0:09:10Bakers! One hour has gone. You've got half an hour to go.
0:09:10 > 0:09:12I've got two more to do, then I can shove them in the oven.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18The success of their biscuits rests heavily on that critical baking time.
0:09:20 > 0:09:21I hope they bake well.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24I hope they don't get overdone like they did at home.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27It's very easy to over-bake biscuits.
0:09:27 > 0:09:31You lose the consistency across the batch and they'll be overcooked.
0:09:31 > 0:09:34It's a waiting game and a praying game.
0:09:34 > 0:09:38And hoping that it's actually going to do what it needs to do
0:09:38 > 0:09:41and look fantastic, and everything goes to plan.
0:09:41 > 0:09:43So, fingers crossed.
0:09:44 > 0:09:48Now, delicious as those biscuits in the tent look,
0:09:48 > 0:09:50they won't do your waistline any favours.
0:09:50 > 0:09:52But back in the 18th century,
0:09:52 > 0:09:56eating biscuits on a diet was actually encouraged.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01In Georgian Bath, one particular biscuit
0:10:01 > 0:10:05became part of Britain's first ever calorie-controlled diet.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10Well, the whole of the 18th century is a century of appetite,
0:10:10 > 0:10:14so the mealtimes, in particular, are about excess, copious quantities
0:10:14 > 0:10:17of cream, cheeses, syllabubs, jellies,
0:10:17 > 0:10:19and, of course, lots of wine, port wine.
0:10:19 > 0:10:23All of this excess led, of course, to swelling waistbands,
0:10:23 > 0:10:26indigestion and gout.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29There was a nation of extremely unhealthy rich people.
0:10:29 > 0:10:33One medical practitioner believed that the solution lay not only
0:10:33 > 0:10:35in bathing in the waters,
0:10:35 > 0:10:38but in his invention of a new, low-calorie diet.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43Dr William Oliver decided that he would develop a biscuit.
0:10:43 > 0:10:47And this biscuit has now become known as the Bath Oliver biscuit.
0:10:47 > 0:10:51It's a very unusual biscuit with almost no sugar in it at all.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55It's low in calories, and with this biscuit, Dr Oliver thought
0:10:55 > 0:10:57he could control the waistlines of the wealthy
0:10:57 > 0:11:01and he could aid digestion because the biscuits had yeast in them.
0:11:02 > 0:11:07For 15 years, Dr Oliver prescribed a diet of Bath Oliver biscuits,
0:11:07 > 0:11:10eaten whilst sat in the spa water.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13By reducing his patients' excessive consumption,
0:11:13 > 0:11:16he dramatically improved their health.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20Shortly before he died, Dr Oliver bestowed his secret biscuit recipe
0:11:20 > 0:11:23to his long-serving coachman, Atkins.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26He then decided to mass market the product,
0:11:26 > 0:11:29and set up his own biscuit baking business.
0:11:30 > 0:11:34Over 250 years later, the simple savoury biscuit has become
0:11:34 > 0:11:36a popular addition to a cheese board.
0:11:36 > 0:11:41And in complete antithesis to Dr Oliver's original enterprise,
0:11:41 > 0:11:45is now available completely covered in rich dark chocolate.
0:11:50 > 0:11:5320 minutes to go.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55The biscuits are still in the oven,
0:11:55 > 0:11:58but time is running out.
0:12:00 > 0:12:04The trouble is that when you do them at home, you don't look in the oven all the time,
0:12:04 > 0:12:09you just trust they're doing. Here, you become neurotic, and I'm trying to resist the temptation
0:12:09 > 0:12:11because it's irrevocable anyway, now.
0:12:12 > 0:12:16Ben's keen to do his grandma's ginger nut recipe proud.
0:12:16 > 0:12:21With the sugar and everything that's in them, they can occasionally catch.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23So I've done a few at home, and some of them
0:12:23 > 0:12:26were a little darker underneath than I'd have liked.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29So what I want to try and do is just make sure that I get a nice, even bake.
0:12:29 > 0:12:30A nice colour on the top.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33And there's lots of things I'm looking at.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35So I'm watching them like a hawk.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48I'm reasonably pleased with how they're looking.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50I'd like more of a crack on top.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55But it is actually, you know, it is getting it, it's fine.
0:12:55 > 0:12:59I'm one of those people who like to prod and poke and see if everything's OK.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02And actually, I've got to resist and just not touch them
0:13:02 > 0:13:04cos they disintegrate really easily.
0:13:07 > 0:13:13This was given me by a very dear aunt who died in '96,
0:13:13 > 0:13:16and she gave it me when my children were small, for Christmas.
0:13:16 > 0:13:17You know, to put stuff on.
0:13:17 > 0:13:21So I always use this plate for these biscuits at Christmas.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25Janet's making her own invention, Christmas biscuits.
0:13:25 > 0:13:27A festive favourite using marzipan,
0:13:27 > 0:13:29which has a tendency to ooze out when baked.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34It's because the marzipan expands inside
0:13:34 > 0:13:37and there's no room for it, except coming through the top.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39No-one can control volcanoes.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44You've got ten minutes to go.
0:13:44 > 0:13:45Ten minutes to go, gang.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51I don't know whether to put chocolate on or not,
0:13:51 > 0:13:54cos I don't know whether they necessarily need it.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56I don't know whether it's just a bit of a bad idea.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04I'm trying to cool my chocolate down
0:14:04 > 0:14:10but I don't want to put it in the fridge cos sometimes it can go a little bit white in the fridge.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13So I just want to try and set it.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16- Morning, Jason.- Hello, Jason. - Good morning, all.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18I've just got the decoration left to do.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21So I'm going to... I still haven't decided what I'm doing.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24This is your signature biscuit.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27This is something you make often and so you should know how to finish it.
0:14:27 > 0:14:31I did at home. I'm still throwing ideas round. There'll be chocolate and mixed peel on top.
0:14:31 > 0:14:35- He's always working... - So wait and see.- Yeah, Paul.
0:14:35 > 0:14:39- So you're finished now, essentially. You're just finishing them off? - Yeah.- OK.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42It's not just a normal buttercream, is it?
0:14:42 > 0:14:48No. This is a variation I found called Depression Era buttercream,
0:14:48 > 0:14:51which is, rather than using just sugar and butter,
0:14:51 > 0:14:53it's sort of padded out, almost,
0:14:53 > 0:14:58with a flour and milk mixture that's cooked until it's thickened.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00Is this the Great Depression in America in '30s?
0:15:00 > 0:15:05I think so, yes. I found several people commenting online that their mothers made it
0:15:05 > 0:15:06or their grandmothers made it.
0:15:06 > 0:15:10So you've essentially made a contemporary austerity biscuit.
0:15:10 > 0:15:12- Yes.- For the credit crunch times.
0:15:14 > 0:15:16I'm going to drench these in chocolate.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19I've thinned it down with a bit of vegetable oil.
0:15:19 > 0:15:21Just put a nice thin layer over all of it.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24But I don't want too much chocolate, or it'll be overkill,
0:15:24 > 0:15:25cos the biscuits are thin.
0:15:25 > 0:15:30White, unlike milk and dark chocolate, contains no cocoa solids,
0:15:30 > 0:15:33but instead, the fatty content of the bean - cocoa butter.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38This, mixed with vegetable oil, creates a loose consistency.
0:15:39 > 0:15:45The white chocolate probably won't set in time. I'm going to flash it in the freezer for what time I have.
0:15:45 > 0:15:47That's one minute to go, bakers.
0:15:48 > 0:15:50They've just got to cool now.
0:15:56 > 0:16:00Just a little bit of purpley colour to show the lavender, and a little bit of gold.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03Just for my finishing little bit of sparkle.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17There we go. All done.
0:16:32 > 0:16:36Time is up, ladies and gents of the baking world. Your time is up.
0:16:41 > 0:16:46The bakers must now face judgment for their signature biscuit.
0:16:59 > 0:17:00A festival of daintiness.
0:17:00 > 0:17:05They look like little gems. They look really pretty and sweet.
0:17:05 > 0:17:07They've lost some of their shape in the oven.
0:17:07 > 0:17:12If you wanted a little bit more definition you could have fridged them before you baked them.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16- And you had plenty of time.- Mmm, that is melty.- It's got a good melt.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19- Well melty.- It's got a good colour. The flavours are great.
0:17:23 > 0:17:27- The taste is actually great. You are getting the ginger. - The middle is scrummy.
0:17:27 > 0:17:31- The only thing is, they're slightly over-baked.- Yeah.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34And if you move along here, this one's very over-baked.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36That's why it wasn't at the front!
0:17:36 > 0:17:40- So you basically tried to hide that one?- Yeah, that was just being covered up a bit.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43This is Miss Marple here you're dealing with.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47We are looking for originality,
0:17:47 > 0:17:50and this is a family recipe that you really enjoy.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52You've done a lot. You're totally confident with.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55You have a beautiful flavour. I love the marzipan.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58I'd like to have seen a bit more colour lifted up on the top.
0:18:00 > 0:18:05The appearance of the top is lovely. That nice crackle on the top.
0:18:05 > 0:18:09- You've caught a few of them there. - Ah, yeah.- Yeah.
0:18:09 > 0:18:13Yes, you have. For my taste, I think it's slightly over-gingered.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16But I like ginger and I always have, so my ginger nuts are always a bit
0:18:16 > 0:18:20hotter and my grandmother's ginger nuts were always a bit hotter,
0:18:20 > 0:18:23- which is why I've put quite a bit of ginger in. - I like the flavour of ginger,
0:18:23 > 0:18:26- but the burn that comes is, for me, too much.- OK.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32These I think are a very good example of something that's really
0:18:32 > 0:18:36difficult to make, but I would have liked a lot more nuts in it.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39The thing about a biscotti is it's dense with flavour.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42- Yeah.- And you've got large areas of big, empty crust.
0:18:42 > 0:18:44The texture's excellent.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47It's very, very good, but for me, a biscotti should be absolutely
0:18:47 > 0:18:50- rammed full of whatever you're putting in there.- Yeah.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55What's making it bitter?
0:18:55 > 0:18:58It's lavender. But it's not a lavender you recognise.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01- It's a very difficult thing to use, lavender.- Yeah. I just thought
0:19:01 > 0:19:04I like them and I just thought it was something different.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07It's just not working, that lavender, is it?
0:19:07 > 0:19:10No. I've nearly finished one and I'm not getting it coming through at all.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16Is this the way you wanted them to look?
0:19:16 > 0:19:20Once I decided how I wanted them to look, this is it, and I'm very pleased with how they look.
0:19:20 > 0:19:25You're very pleased. For me, it doesn't look like a biscuit. It looks more like a pudding.
0:19:25 > 0:19:29The chocolate didn't need anything with it, if it was a thin coating.
0:19:29 > 0:19:33The flavour of that cinnamon with the mixed spice is very strong.
0:19:33 > 0:19:34Jason, this doesn't work, really.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42- The look of them, they look great. - Thank you.
0:19:42 > 0:19:46I'd never have thought of putting colouring in, just a swirl.
0:19:46 > 0:19:47- So pretty.- Mmm, it's beautiful.
0:19:47 > 0:19:49- And the filling is good.- Thank you.
0:19:49 > 0:19:53I think the flavour of the biscuit is baked extremely well.
0:19:53 > 0:19:54Thank you.
0:19:54 > 0:19:56It does melt. The flavour in that is really nice as well.
0:19:56 > 0:19:58It looks very professional.
0:19:58 > 0:20:00- So good.- Well done. - Thank you very much.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03- I'm just going to keep this for research purposes.- OK, OK.
0:20:03 > 0:20:07The judges felt Mary-Anne excelled with her signature bake.
0:20:07 > 0:20:13But Jason, Ben, Yasmin and Jo failed to impress.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22I'm really, really happy with the biscuit
0:20:22 > 0:20:25and the comments they made, and it turned out just the way I wanted.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28If my gran was here, she'd probably be chasing Paul down the road,
0:20:28 > 0:20:31cos those were an old family recipe.
0:20:31 > 0:20:32We love ginger.
0:20:32 > 0:20:34I didn't think they were too hot.
0:20:34 > 0:20:36So, watch out, Paul, cos Gran will probably be after you.
0:20:42 > 0:20:47After the originality of the signature bake, the second challenge is a technical one.
0:20:47 > 0:20:51The recipe the bakers are about to be given is a complete surprise.
0:20:53 > 0:20:55Onwards, bakers.
0:20:55 > 0:20:57It's the technical challenge.
0:20:57 > 0:21:01Now, Paul and Mary have chosen a special challenge for you today,
0:21:01 > 0:21:03and as we all know, they will judge it blind.
0:21:03 > 0:21:07Paul and Mary, if you would please vacate the tent, thank you very much.
0:21:08 > 0:21:12What we'd like you to do is to make 24...
0:21:14 > 0:21:16..brandy snaps.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19OK. We need them to be of equal colour.
0:21:19 > 0:21:21We need them to be of equal size
0:21:21 > 0:21:25and we'd like them filled with whipped cream.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28We are giving you just one and a half hours on the clock.
0:21:28 > 0:21:29On your marks. Get set.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31Bake them snaps.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40Brandy snaps are tubular and lacy brittle biscuits flavoured
0:21:40 > 0:21:43with ginger and usually served filled with whipped cream.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51Unlike the name suggests, not all recipes include brandy
0:21:51 > 0:21:53as an ingredient, including this one.
0:21:55 > 0:21:59Bakers are all given the same ingredients and a basic recipe.
0:21:59 > 0:22:01If they are to produce successful brandy snaps,
0:22:01 > 0:22:06they must use their baking knowledge to fill in the gaps.
0:22:07 > 0:22:11I chose brandy snaps because it's all about timing and precision.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14It's really accurate weighing, to start with.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17That's the most important thing.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20And it'll be very easy to see who has got it just right.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30The recipe requires butter, sugar, syrup,
0:22:30 > 0:22:35sifted flour with ground ginger, and finally, lemon juice.
0:22:39 > 0:22:43One of the things that they've got to concentrate on is dissolving the sugar,
0:22:43 > 0:22:46and you have to have patience to do it over a low heat,
0:22:46 > 0:22:48and you just do it with a wooden spoon
0:22:48 > 0:22:52so that you can feel no grit at the bottom of the pan.
0:22:52 > 0:22:56There's a danger that the mixture can burn or caramelise.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59Then they must take it off the heat and cool it for a moment,
0:22:59 > 0:23:02cos otherwise, if you add the flour it could go in lumpy.
0:23:02 > 0:23:04Then the little bit of lemon juice.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07I've never made these before, I'm well scared.
0:23:07 > 0:23:12I was talking to my mum this week and we were talking about what the technical challenge could be,
0:23:12 > 0:23:15and the first thing that she thought it could be is brandy snaps,
0:23:15 > 0:23:20and she said, "Just in case, just make sure you watch a video
0:23:20 > 0:23:23"or something of how to make them." And I didn't get round to it.
0:23:23 > 0:23:24So I'm a bit gutted.
0:23:26 > 0:23:32I went through Mary's baking bible and chose all the things that I had never made that looked difficult.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35And brandy snaps were the only one I managed to actually end up doing.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38I guessed right, so that's good.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41Ben's signature bake was not as well received as he'd hoped.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43I'm really disappointed, actually.
0:23:43 > 0:23:45Not going to over-think it.
0:23:45 > 0:23:50I'm just going to crack on with this and hopefully redeem myself somewhat.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54So how do you pick yourself up when you get news like that?
0:23:54 > 0:23:55With me I just get on with it.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58Whether I do well or not, I just get on with it.
0:23:58 > 0:23:59You are Teflon, Jason.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02- Never made a brandy snap before? - Never in my life.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05- Ever eaten a brandy snap before? - I don't think so.- No.
0:24:06 > 0:24:10Teaspoons of the mixture need to be spaced at least 10cm apart
0:24:10 > 0:24:13to avoid spreading into one another.
0:24:14 > 0:24:18"Place four portions of mixture on the Bake-O-Glide."
0:24:18 > 0:24:19How much is a portion?
0:24:19 > 0:24:21Oh, it's getting too complicated
0:24:21 > 0:24:22and I've only got an hour and a half!
0:24:24 > 0:24:2720 minutes in, and the first of the three batches of snaps
0:24:27 > 0:24:29go into the oven.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32I'm a bit concerned about the timings, cos it's a lot -
0:24:32 > 0:24:3424, when you can only get 4 on each.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37It's a lot of trays to get in. I need to get more trays going.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48With just half an hour left to go in the technical challenge,
0:24:48 > 0:24:52the batches of the brandy snaps are at their most critical stage.
0:24:52 > 0:24:57I think maybe burning them could be quite possible
0:24:57 > 0:24:58cos of the high sugar content.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00It's like when you make caramel.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03They bake in the oven for around about eight minutes, or until
0:25:03 > 0:25:06the mixture is well spread and dark golden.
0:25:09 > 0:25:15Jo is experiencing problems as her batch lacks colour and is still soft.
0:25:15 > 0:25:19I thought if I just followed the recipe, they'd be all right.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21If brandy snaps are over-cooked or undercooked,
0:25:21 > 0:25:24they will not curl properly.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26It's just not gone right today.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33Rob's found his own method of shaping the brandy snaps.
0:25:35 > 0:25:37Rob, what went wrong here, love?
0:25:37 > 0:25:40No, no, no. It's not what's gone wrong, it's...
0:25:40 > 0:25:42I'm cutting them out using a cutter.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44Oh. These are quite weenie.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48Mmm, I figure if they were all exactly the same size.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51And brandy snaps, kind of, are so sweet, though.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54- Yeah.- They're meant to be like a two-bite kind of thing.- Yeah.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59- I just think they look quite nice. - Yeah. No, absolutely.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04The hardest decision to make is when to start curling.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08You've got this little window of about a minute between them
0:26:08 > 0:26:12being soft enough to roll and too brittle.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19No, don't sink, don't sink.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21Need asbestos fingers.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25It's just very painful. It's almost like torture.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28SHE SIGHS
0:26:30 > 0:26:33It's so frustrating.
0:26:33 > 0:26:37Jo is still baffled that her brandy snaps looks nothing like they should.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40The strict time limit of the technical challenge
0:26:40 > 0:26:41leaves no room for error.
0:26:43 > 0:26:48Oh, what it might have been is my oven was on the wrong temperature.
0:26:50 > 0:26:52My oven was on defrost.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04I couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong.
0:27:04 > 0:27:08But I didn't think to look at the oven because, you know,
0:27:08 > 0:27:11I thought it would be on the right temperature.
0:27:11 > 0:27:15I really hope that I don't go home over such a stupid mistake.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20The final stage is filling the brandy snaps.
0:27:21 > 0:27:23Bakers, keep those nozzles piping.
0:27:23 > 0:27:25You've got ten minutes to go.
0:27:26 > 0:27:30But the snaps must be cooled first, or the cream will melt.
0:27:30 > 0:27:35Please, please, please. Where's the breeze when you want it?
0:27:36 > 0:27:39Oh, gosh, it's hard to fill, isn't it?
0:27:39 > 0:27:41Oh, no. Oh, oh, gosh.
0:27:41 > 0:27:42Oh, no.
0:27:42 > 0:27:43Don't do this to me.
0:27:51 > 0:27:53Aye-aye, Captain!
0:27:53 > 0:27:54SHE LAUGHS
0:27:56 > 0:27:58One minute to go, bakers.
0:27:58 > 0:28:00Please, God, let me finish.
0:28:02 > 0:28:03Nightmare.
0:28:14 > 0:28:18OK, that's time up, everyone. Time is up.
0:28:18 > 0:28:23If you'd like to bring your brandy snaps up and put it just behind the picture of yourself.
0:28:25 > 0:28:29The judging of the technical bake is unlike any other challenge.
0:28:30 > 0:28:33As Mary and Paul have seen nothing of the baking process,
0:28:33 > 0:28:35they won't know whose is whose.
0:28:37 > 0:28:40They come in all shapes and sizes, don't they?
0:28:40 > 0:28:43I want to see which one's got the best snap.
0:28:49 > 0:28:51Shall we start here, then, Mary?
0:28:51 > 0:28:54- They're nice and lacy. - It's very thick, though.
0:28:54 > 0:28:56I think they're too big - it's been slightly overdone.
0:28:56 > 0:28:59The colour's very dark.
0:28:59 > 0:29:03- These ones are a lot lighter. - They're all different sizes.
0:29:03 > 0:29:05Someone's been hiding things at the bottom.
0:29:05 > 0:29:07They don't snap.
0:29:07 > 0:29:09A brandy snap should snap.
0:29:09 > 0:29:11These are sort of cocktail-sized.
0:29:11 > 0:29:13Why are they so small?
0:29:13 > 0:29:16It's crisp, but it doesn't have that snap quality,
0:29:16 > 0:29:19- which is what you want.- It's too small for the amount of mixture.
0:29:19 > 0:29:23Very inconsistent. There's no consistency in colour. The flavour's OK.
0:29:23 > 0:29:25The flavour's OK and it's lovely and crisp.
0:29:25 > 0:29:27This is a mess.
0:29:28 > 0:29:31Something's gone wrong here.
0:29:31 > 0:29:33They're too pale.
0:29:33 > 0:29:34They're like rubber.
0:29:34 > 0:29:36These look rather nice.
0:29:36 > 0:29:38These look great, actually.
0:29:38 > 0:29:41We have to go to the bottom to see what's there.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44They're all consistent in their shape, aren't they?
0:29:44 > 0:29:45And it's got a good crunch.
0:29:45 > 0:29:48These are consistent in size.
0:29:48 > 0:29:50They're thin. They're crispy.
0:29:50 > 0:29:51Nice colour.
0:29:51 > 0:29:53Just a little bit under-whipped cream.
0:29:53 > 0:29:55They're all pretty much the same length.
0:29:57 > 0:29:59- Now we have to decide.- We do.
0:30:00 > 0:30:03Mary and Paul must rank all the brandy snaps
0:30:03 > 0:30:05from the worst to the best.
0:30:07 > 0:30:10OK. We've made our decisions,
0:30:10 > 0:30:15and the person in last place is this one.
0:30:15 > 0:30:19- Jo, basically it was under-cooked. - Yeah.- Mix went a bit wrong.
0:30:19 > 0:30:21You need to leave it in the oven longer.
0:30:21 > 0:30:25Well, I turned my oven on to defrost by accident.
0:30:25 > 0:30:27Ah, that doesn't help!
0:30:27 > 0:30:30And the next one in line at number seven is this one here.
0:30:33 > 0:30:35These are very tiny little people.
0:30:35 > 0:30:39I cut them out so that they were all exactly the same size.
0:30:39 > 0:30:43Well, that is an unnecessary occupation, really.
0:30:43 > 0:30:45And in sixth place is this one.
0:30:45 > 0:30:49- Me.- Very inconsistent. Some of them are soft. Some of them are crispy.
0:30:49 > 0:30:52- Some haven't been in the oven long enough.- And in fifth place...
0:30:54 > 0:30:57These are over-baked. They look lovely and lacy,
0:30:57 > 0:30:59but they were a bit hard.
0:30:59 > 0:31:02- And the next place is this one. Number four.- It's me.
0:31:02 > 0:31:05Janet, these aren't bad. They're a bit inconsistent with colour.
0:31:05 > 0:31:07You're right.
0:31:07 > 0:31:09And in third place...
0:31:10 > 0:31:13These are a beautiful, even shape.
0:31:13 > 0:31:16It was very tricky, actually, between first and second,
0:31:16 > 0:31:20but it was purely based on consistency of colour. Number two is this one.
0:31:22 > 0:31:26Mary-Anne, not bad. The cream wasn't whisked enough to sit inside.
0:31:26 > 0:31:28That leaves us with just one.
0:31:28 > 0:31:31And this is in first place. HE LAUGHS
0:31:31 > 0:31:36Baked to perfection. Beautifully lacy. What more could we ask?
0:31:37 > 0:31:39Well done, everyone.
0:31:44 > 0:31:49I was very shocked. I was really excited. Made my day. Especially from this morning,
0:31:49 > 0:31:53I don't know what happened there, but it's given me a boost of confidence.
0:31:56 > 0:32:00I do feel really gutted that I, you know, mucked up so ridiculously.
0:32:00 > 0:32:04I just feel like it's such a stupid thing to do.
0:32:04 > 0:32:09But I've just got to accept it, really, and, you know, move on.
0:32:16 > 0:32:19It's the final challenge of the biscuit week.
0:32:22 > 0:32:27This is their last opportunity to impress Mary and Paul.
0:32:27 > 0:32:30One baker will soon be hanging up their apron.
0:32:31 > 0:32:34So, Mary, Paul, who is in trouble?
0:32:34 > 0:32:37Well, I think Ben's in trouble.
0:32:37 > 0:32:39He made ginger biscuits.
0:32:39 > 0:32:43They were so strong of ginger, they were just overpowering.
0:32:43 > 0:32:44It was like a spice grenade, wasn't it?
0:32:44 > 0:32:49And also his brandy snaps. They were dark, over-baked.
0:32:49 > 0:32:51So he hasn't covered himself in glory.
0:32:51 > 0:32:56For me, Jo. Because Jo's biscuits were OK, but the lavender did not come through.
0:32:56 > 0:32:58Her brandy snaps were not good, either.
0:32:58 > 0:33:02Then you've got to bring in Yas.
0:33:02 > 0:33:06Yasmin's biscotti, for me, technically, too simple to make.
0:33:06 > 0:33:08It needed more pistachio.
0:33:10 > 0:33:15Bakers, this is your final bake. You're going to need to show your baking skills,
0:33:15 > 0:33:19but you're also going to have to unleash that creative side.
0:33:19 > 0:33:22Because it's the show-stopper challenge, and we're asking you
0:33:22 > 0:33:26to raise the bar and make a macaroon display, no less.
0:33:26 > 0:33:31The judges are going to be looking for three different flavours of macaroons,
0:33:31 > 0:33:34and also your flair at displaying them.
0:33:34 > 0:33:41You've got five hours to bake 120 macaroons, which will be sandwiched in 60 pairs.
0:33:41 > 0:33:45So there's no time to waste. Very best of luck. On your marks, get set...
0:33:45 > 0:33:46BOTH: Bake.
0:33:50 > 0:33:54Macaroons are notoriously difficult to make.
0:33:54 > 0:33:59There are four stages. Mixing, resting, baking and filling.
0:34:03 > 0:34:06Five hours seems like a long time for this bake,
0:34:06 > 0:34:10but in reality it's never a long time, I don't think.
0:34:11 > 0:34:15I'm looking for the best macaroons in this show-stopper.
0:34:15 > 0:34:19A smooth, glossy finish. A gooey centre.
0:34:19 > 0:34:23A nice crust on the outside. A great colour.
0:34:23 > 0:34:26And ultimately a fantastic flavour.
0:34:27 > 0:34:29Standard macaroon recipes use ground almonds
0:34:29 > 0:34:32together with egg whites and sugar.
0:34:35 > 0:34:40There are two different types of meringue used to make macaroons - French and Italian.
0:34:40 > 0:34:45The French method folds caster sugar into beaten egg whites, which must then rest before baking.
0:34:45 > 0:34:50The Italian way replaces caster sugar with a hot sugar syrup.
0:34:50 > 0:34:54It has to get to 118 degrees, so it's pretty important.
0:34:54 > 0:34:57It's to make sure the meringue's really stable.
0:34:57 > 0:35:01If it's not stable, the macaroons will drop. This is kind of the big...
0:35:01 > 0:35:04It's probably the most important bit apart from mixing.
0:35:04 > 0:35:07The heat of the molten sugar partly cooks the meringues,
0:35:07 > 0:35:10which means they require no resting time before baking.
0:35:12 > 0:35:15Personally, I'm not too keen on almonds and meringue,
0:35:15 > 0:35:18so it's not something that I've baked at all,
0:35:18 > 0:35:20until two weeks ago. Now, I've baked hundreds!
0:35:20 > 0:35:24Mary-Anne is making blackcurrant and mint,
0:35:24 > 0:35:28gooseberry and elderflower and hazelnut macaroons.
0:35:28 > 0:35:31She's following the Italian meringue method.
0:35:33 > 0:35:36I have tried both methods
0:35:36 > 0:35:39and I've found it difficult to judge with the French method
0:35:39 > 0:35:42when to stop stirring, because if you over-mix it,
0:35:42 > 0:35:47then it can't hold its shape and you end up just with a solid baking sheet of mixture.
0:35:49 > 0:35:52This is definitely the hardest one so far.
0:35:52 > 0:35:55After Jo's blunder with the oven temperature in the previous challenge,
0:35:55 > 0:35:58she now needs to keep her cool and focus.
0:35:58 > 0:36:01How are you?
0:36:01 > 0:36:04- Yes, I'm OK, thank you.- No stress?
0:36:04 > 0:36:08- I don't know about that! - Don't peak now. You've got five hours to build that stress!
0:36:08 > 0:36:12- How are you going to present it? - I'm doing them on a French flag.
0:36:12 > 0:36:14- You're doing a tricolour. - On a French flag?!- Yeah.
0:36:14 > 0:36:17- On the Great British Bake Off?- Yes. - Come on, we're friends!
0:36:17 > 0:36:21You need to forget that. It was a long time ago. Waterloo is well and truly forgotten.
0:36:21 > 0:36:27For both types of meringue, bakers need to be careful not to over-whisk the egg whites.
0:36:27 > 0:36:31If they do, the proteins in the eggs will separate from the water molecules,
0:36:31 > 0:36:35leaving them with a dry batter that's incapable of rising in the oven.
0:36:35 > 0:36:38And then they must carefully sieve the ground almonds
0:36:38 > 0:36:42before they add the colour and flavouring to ensure an even texture.
0:36:42 > 0:36:45The introduction of the flavour could make or break a macaroon.
0:36:45 > 0:36:49Too much, it'll break down the structural integrity of the macaroon,
0:36:49 > 0:36:51so it'll collapse. Too little, you get no flavour.
0:36:51 > 0:36:57Using essence or powdered flavouring is the best way to give the macaroon shells their taste.
0:36:58 > 0:37:01I practised about 300 macaroons on Thursday.
0:37:01 > 0:37:04You've got three different flavours to make.
0:37:04 > 0:37:08You've got to try and mix things as you're trying to bake other things
0:37:08 > 0:37:11and it's just a bit of a, kind of, nightmare.
0:37:11 > 0:37:13So we'll see how it goes.
0:37:13 > 0:37:19Ben has chosen the Italian meringue method to make his three flavours of macaroons.
0:37:19 > 0:37:23Chocolate almond sandwiched with white chocolate,
0:37:23 > 0:37:25raspberry and pine nut
0:37:25 > 0:37:28and a pistachio macaroon filled with chocolate.
0:37:28 > 0:37:32The graphic designer is in his element doing this.
0:37:32 > 0:37:35They won't be that pink. They will soften when the meringue goes in.
0:37:35 > 0:37:39I'm using pine nuts and almonds. Pine nuts have a lot of oil in them,
0:37:39 > 0:37:43so if you just pine nuts, the mixture goes very soft,
0:37:43 > 0:37:45and so you get odd-shaped macaroons.
0:37:45 > 0:37:49- I'm using almond as well to give it...- To stabilise it. - ..body as well.
0:37:49 > 0:37:53- Do you think the pine nuts will come through?- They should do.
0:37:53 > 0:37:58Macaroons generally are these dainty things in often quite unusual flavours.
0:37:58 > 0:38:01They're quite grown-up, and I thought, wouldn't it be lovely
0:38:01 > 0:38:07if I could introduce my son to the memories of my childhood chocolate bars?
0:38:07 > 0:38:11Holly is using cocoa powder to flavour all three macaroons.
0:38:11 > 0:38:16The fillings she's using are caramel, mint chocolate and chocolate orange.
0:38:16 > 0:38:20I made them for the first time this year. My son tried one.
0:38:20 > 0:38:22Absolutely loved them. He calls them "maca-oons".
0:38:25 > 0:38:32Once the macaroon batter is made, bakers need to pipe the mixture. Making them uniform in size is key.
0:38:35 > 0:38:37Yeah, I can pipe them.
0:38:37 > 0:38:39It's the baking where it all kicks off.
0:38:39 > 0:38:43It's really important that you create a volume to start with
0:38:43 > 0:38:45and then you knock it out.
0:38:54 > 0:38:58Hello, Holly, I saw you doing a very professional bang of the tray.
0:38:58 > 0:39:00You're got to be firm with it, haven't you?
0:39:00 > 0:39:04- You were disciplining those macaroons!- I was disciplining the macaroons, yeah.
0:39:04 > 0:39:09To create a smooth, shiny top, the batter should be left to rest for an hour,
0:39:09 > 0:39:12or until a skin has formed over the macaroon.
0:39:12 > 0:39:15Everything's so precise about this baking and I'm just not.
0:39:15 > 0:39:19I'm more of a bit of this and a bit of that, and everything has to be spot on.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22I just decided I'll do one batch at a time,
0:39:22 > 0:39:24otherwise I'll just confuse myself.
0:39:24 > 0:39:28Yasmin's making French meringue to create her three macaroons -
0:39:28 > 0:39:33lime sandwiched with chocolate ganache, coffee with walnuts
0:39:33 > 0:39:36and coconut with pineapple.
0:39:36 > 0:39:41It is really easy to lose track of what you're doing. I find it a daunting task, anyway.
0:39:41 > 0:39:44What did I just put in there?
0:39:44 > 0:39:46120, 120.
0:39:48 > 0:39:53- Yasmin has classic flavour combinations.- The flavours that she's got on there are great.
0:39:53 > 0:39:56She hasn't rested them for long. She hasn't knocked the air out.
0:39:56 > 0:39:59So you're going to get blown macaroons.
0:39:59 > 0:40:02Look at that perfect amount of mix. Hey, hey.
0:40:02 > 0:40:07Jason is being inventive with his mocktail-inspired recipe.
0:40:07 > 0:40:10He's chosen French meringue for his mojito,
0:40:10 > 0:40:12cranberry cooler
0:40:12 > 0:40:14and pina colada macaroons.
0:40:14 > 0:40:18I suppose it is odd, because I don't drink, but it's more the flavours that I'm going for.
0:40:18 > 0:40:23It's not going to be identical, because these are solid and the drinks are liquid.
0:40:23 > 0:40:25I really like playing around with flavours.
0:40:25 > 0:40:28And chocolate will go with a lot of strong, strong flavours.
0:40:28 > 0:40:32Ginger doesn't go with loads of things. It goes with chocolate.
0:40:32 > 0:40:35Huge flavours can be mixed with chocolate. It's incredible.
0:40:35 > 0:40:39Using French meringue, Rob's typically being adventurous with his flavours.
0:40:39 > 0:40:41He's making strawberry and lime,
0:40:41 > 0:40:45lemon and chocolate macaroons with a cardamom-flavoured filling.
0:40:45 > 0:40:49- Be careful with the cardamom. Don't go mad.- It's very strong.
0:40:49 > 0:40:53You don't want to have that almost numbing feeling in your mouth afterwards.
0:40:53 > 0:40:55You should be left with a sweet tang.
0:40:55 > 0:40:59Macaroon makers, this is your half time shout-out.
0:40:59 > 0:41:02You've got two and a half hours to go.
0:41:02 > 0:41:05With 120 perfect macaroons to produce...
0:41:05 > 0:41:06Nightmare.
0:41:06 > 0:41:09..time is against our bakers.
0:41:09 > 0:41:12Only the first batches are ready to bake.
0:41:12 > 0:41:17It's really hard to use an oven that isn't yours for something that's so temperamental.
0:41:17 > 0:41:22Cooking time can be anywhere from 12 to 18 minutes.
0:41:22 > 0:41:26It's always very nervous waiting for the first batch to come out and see what they look like.
0:41:26 > 0:41:30I'm hoping that these are going to just rise nicely,
0:41:30 > 0:41:34because I have done them before and they've cracked. So we'll just have to see.
0:41:34 > 0:41:39In as little as 60 seconds, a macaroon can go from flawless to failure.
0:41:42 > 0:41:47Whilst a plate of freshly-baked biscuits is definitely a cause for celebration,
0:41:47 > 0:41:53there was a time when the arrival of a biscuit was the sign of a much more fearful occasion.
0:41:55 > 0:41:59In Victorian times, funerals were incredibly grand affairs and could cost
0:41:59 > 0:42:02as much as £50,000 in today's money.
0:42:02 > 0:42:07By the mid-1800s, it was estimated that a quarter of the money in British banks
0:42:07 > 0:42:10had been put aside to pay for them.
0:42:10 > 0:42:13One essential expense was that of the funeral biscuit.
0:42:13 > 0:42:16Today, we don't associate biscuits with funerals.
0:42:16 > 0:42:20But, in the Victorian period, they were an essential element.
0:42:20 > 0:42:22Funeral biscuits came in three main varieties.
0:42:22 > 0:42:26Some were what we'd now recognise as ladies' fingers, or boudoir biscuits.
0:42:26 > 0:42:30There are others which are like a slab of thin sponge cake.
0:42:30 > 0:42:33And then the other kind, particularly from the Yorkshire Dales,
0:42:33 > 0:42:36was a shortcake which was flavoured with caraway.
0:42:36 > 0:42:38The first use of the biscuit was as an invitation.
0:42:38 > 0:42:42Instead of just expecting people to turn up, they had to be bidden.
0:42:42 > 0:42:47And you had a bidder. You went round with a basket with a cloth over the top with the biscuits in
0:42:47 > 0:42:50and they'd knock on the house door, pass you your biscuit
0:42:50 > 0:42:54and say you are bidden to the funeral of whoever it was,
0:42:54 > 0:42:57lifting at so and so and burying at so and so.
0:42:57 > 0:42:59To protect the fragile biscuits,
0:42:59 > 0:43:03they were wrapped individually in white paper and sealed with a black wax.
0:43:03 > 0:43:07They were often printed with traditional imagery and religious verse.
0:43:08 > 0:43:13Making funeral biscuits actually took quite a lot of effort.
0:43:13 > 0:43:15If you think about working
0:43:15 > 0:43:18in conditions where you had to sieve the flour,
0:43:18 > 0:43:23to actually break the sugar off a sugar cone and pound it up,
0:43:23 > 0:43:27if you had to make 100 funeral biscuits, it was quite a tall order.
0:43:27 > 0:43:29The caraway seeds would have been used for flavouring,
0:43:29 > 0:43:34and it's possible that, originally, the seeds symbolised some kind of rebirth.
0:43:36 > 0:43:40In comparison to modern shortbread, the recipe produced a very rich biscuit,
0:43:40 > 0:43:44as it required ten ounces of butter to every 12 ounces of flour.
0:43:44 > 0:43:48Once combined into a dough, equal parts were then separated and stamped
0:43:48 > 0:43:49using a traditional mould.
0:43:51 > 0:43:53This is actually a funeral biscuit mould.
0:43:53 > 0:43:57Moulds were always wooden. It was what they had available.
0:43:57 > 0:44:01And it's stamping the pattern on the top that really makes it a funeral biscuit.
0:44:02 > 0:44:08The production of funeral biscuits continued across Britain into the 20th century until 1940,
0:44:08 > 0:44:13when rationing tightened the belt of this Victorian tradition.
0:44:20 > 0:44:25It's a nail-biting moment for the bakers as the first batches of macaroons are coming out.
0:44:32 > 0:44:34I'm not happy with these ones.
0:44:34 > 0:44:38Same mix I use at home, completely different results in this oven.
0:44:38 > 0:44:40So they're just going to have to go on taste.
0:44:40 > 0:44:43Oh, my God!
0:44:43 > 0:44:47That says it all, doesn't it? Floor littered with remains.
0:44:50 > 0:44:52Oh, that's a relief!
0:44:52 > 0:44:59Jo is hoping her blueberry, coconut and strawberry macaroons will keep her in the competition.
0:44:59 > 0:45:02- How are you feeling?- Yeah, no, I feel OK. Yeah, I feel fine.
0:45:02 > 0:45:05How many macaroons do you reckon you've made in the last week?
0:45:05 > 0:45:10In the last week, I reckon I've made, no exaggeration, 500.
0:45:10 > 0:45:14- There's a lot of macaroons floating around Essex!- There is, yeah!
0:45:14 > 0:45:16Oh, those look really perfect.
0:45:16 > 0:45:18Yeah, they look pretty.
0:45:18 > 0:45:21I don't know if I can bear to look at them.
0:45:23 > 0:45:28- I have one macaroon, or six long macaroons. - SHE LAUGHS
0:45:28 > 0:45:31The French have a lot to answer for.
0:45:31 > 0:45:35I'll put the next ones in for sacrifice now.
0:45:35 > 0:45:38I just want them to be OK. I don't need them to be the best,
0:45:38 > 0:45:40but I don't want to look like an idiot, you know.
0:45:40 > 0:45:44A traditionalist, Janet is using French meringue
0:45:44 > 0:45:49to make her raspberry, blackcurrant and almond macaroons.
0:45:49 > 0:45:53Like her mother, she prefers baking wholesome, family food.
0:45:53 > 0:45:56She used to make coloured meringues when we were little,
0:45:56 > 0:45:59but, you know, like on Sundays she used to make a tray
0:45:59 > 0:46:03twice as big as that of apple pie looking like the Himalayas, you know.
0:46:03 > 0:46:06It wasn't sort of delicate baking she did at all.
0:46:10 > 0:46:14Ben's still having difficulties with his macaroon shells.
0:46:14 > 0:46:18There's nothing you can do when these things happen. Never give up.
0:46:18 > 0:46:22Carry on going. See what happens. You never know what's going to happen.
0:46:22 > 0:46:27- Last tray.- OK, that's 30 minutes remaining, bakers! 30 minutes.
0:46:27 > 0:46:28Start filling.
0:46:32 > 0:46:35Macaroons can be sandwiched with jam, ganache or buttercream.
0:46:35 > 0:46:38The finished product should be able to stand on its side
0:46:38 > 0:46:41and not lose its filling.
0:46:45 > 0:46:48I quite like it. It's almost therapeutic.
0:46:48 > 0:46:51You're just running through doing the same things, really.
0:46:53 > 0:46:56Yasmin's macaroons are all collapsing.
0:47:00 > 0:47:03- Anything I can do, Yasmin? - No. Thank you, though.
0:47:03 > 0:47:08What is it that's been so awful about it?
0:47:08 > 0:47:10Just not knowing. From start to finish,
0:47:10 > 0:47:13I really have no idea what they're supposed to be like,
0:47:13 > 0:47:15what the mixture's supposed to be like.
0:47:15 > 0:47:19Even the finished product, what it's supposed to be like.
0:47:22 > 0:47:26I didn't realise I'd get as emotional with baking,
0:47:26 > 0:47:30but I think it's such a big thing in my household,
0:47:30 > 0:47:32and throughout my life, I was brought up with baking.
0:47:32 > 0:47:38My mother taught me to bake and she would have just been so incredibly proud of me...
0:47:42 > 0:47:44..that I've gotten this far.
0:47:45 > 0:47:50You've come a long way to be here. You've beaten all those other hundreds of people.
0:47:50 > 0:47:52You've made it to the last eight.
0:47:52 > 0:47:55I don't want to blow it at the last minute by doing something stupid.
0:47:55 > 0:47:56That's what it is.
0:47:56 > 0:47:59If I go out because other people are so much better
0:47:59 > 0:48:02and I did everything I could,
0:48:02 > 0:48:08but I've done something majorly wrong, and, you know, I've got myself to blame, really.
0:48:08 > 0:48:13Don't be so hard on yourself. Serve 'em up. They're going to taste absolutely gorgeous.
0:48:13 > 0:48:18- Hopefully, they'll come through on taste.- You'll be fine. You'll be absolutely fine, my love.
0:48:18 > 0:48:22Yasmin is not the only baker who's finding macaroons a challenge.
0:48:22 > 0:48:26The mixture was looser because I added more liquid,
0:48:26 > 0:48:30because I thought I could get more flavour into the actual shells
0:48:30 > 0:48:35by adding elderflower cordial, and I did it before and it didn't work,
0:48:35 > 0:48:39so I'm not really sure why I did it this time thinking it would work. Maybe magic.
0:48:39 > 0:48:42OK, that's five minutes remaining.
0:48:50 > 0:48:52This, for me, is the best bit.
0:48:52 > 0:48:57You can bake something that's OK and present it in a way that people just don't expect
0:48:57 > 0:48:58and they go, "That's fantastic."
0:49:09 > 0:49:10Don't do that.
0:49:10 > 0:49:12With only minutes to spare,
0:49:12 > 0:49:17Mary-Anne still needs to pipe a whole batch of hazelnut macaroons.
0:49:17 > 0:49:20Please tell me somebody else is working
0:49:20 > 0:49:23and not all eyes are on me flapping around.
0:49:25 > 0:49:29I've gone past panic into that calm where, you know,
0:49:29 > 0:49:32the train is coming and I'm just going to let it hit me.
0:49:32 > 0:49:33That's one minute to go, bakers!
0:50:04 > 0:50:06Time up, everyone. Time up.
0:50:26 > 0:50:28There are no second chances.
0:50:28 > 0:50:32For one of these bakers it will be the last time they face the judges.
0:50:33 > 0:50:37- Overall we've had a few disasters, haven't we?- Yeah.
0:50:37 > 0:50:40- It's disintegrated when you've put it in the oven.- Yeah.
0:50:42 > 0:50:45The crunch is good. It's got a good flavour as well.
0:50:45 > 0:50:50You've got a little bit of a shine on that, but on the other two there is no shine at all.
0:50:50 > 0:50:53This one is over-baked a bit.
0:50:53 > 0:50:55Just too crisp.
0:50:59 > 0:51:01Let's try the... This is the pina colada?
0:51:01 > 0:51:02Yeah.
0:51:02 > 0:51:06It's nice and chewy in the middle.
0:51:06 > 0:51:09You've got the flavour coming through. It makes you smile.
0:51:09 > 0:51:12It tastes so good. You can taste the orange.
0:51:12 > 0:51:14Orange is lovely. And they look so pretty.
0:51:16 > 0:51:18Janet, look at that.
0:51:18 > 0:51:20- You see this big hole in there? - Yes, I do.
0:51:20 > 0:51:24And that means that it's very, very dry. This one looks better.
0:51:24 > 0:51:26- See the inside of that?- Excellent.
0:51:26 > 0:51:29And you see how gooey it is? And that one tastes nice as well.
0:51:29 > 0:51:31- Oh, good, I'm glad. - That's a better macaroon.
0:51:36 > 0:51:37Let's try again.
0:51:39 > 0:51:43Too wet, and it's gone straight into the macaroon
0:51:43 > 0:51:47and made it so soft and squidgy,
0:51:47 > 0:51:50but having said that, they're absolutely delicious.
0:51:54 > 0:51:55Nice and chewy.
0:51:55 > 0:51:59Crisp on top. This one's got a lovely consistency in the middle.
0:51:59 > 0:52:01This is just how a macaroon should be.
0:52:01 > 0:52:03Crisp on the outside,
0:52:03 > 0:52:04soft in the middle,
0:52:04 > 0:52:08and they do taste of strawberries. That's what they're meant to be of.
0:52:11 > 0:52:15- The presentation is unusual. - It looks very dishevelled.
0:52:18 > 0:52:20They're all different sizes.
0:52:20 > 0:52:21They're horrendous.
0:52:21 > 0:52:24The filling's fine. It's delicious.
0:52:24 > 0:52:28Again, the mixture's too dry. That's what's caused that.
0:52:28 > 0:52:31- A great big hole. Really dry. - The flavour's nice.
0:52:31 > 0:52:33This is the worst they've come out.
0:52:33 > 0:52:39I did 300 on Thursday, and not a problem. Not a problem.
0:52:39 > 0:52:43- And today...- It's a disaster. - ..it's all crashed.- It is a disaster.
0:52:48 > 0:52:50Visually they're great.
0:52:50 > 0:52:52And you have got a shine
0:52:52 > 0:52:55on pretty much all of them.
0:52:56 > 0:52:59Delicious. Scrummy, aren't they?
0:52:59 > 0:53:01The flavours are great. They look great.
0:53:01 > 0:53:03This is a very good batch.
0:53:03 > 0:53:09They are a little bit thin, but actually I think they're a very nice size.
0:53:13 > 0:53:17This looks very neat and shiny on top. It's so difficult to get that shine quite right.
0:53:17 > 0:53:19- Oh.- Have you got it?
0:53:20 > 0:53:23Too much cardamom. Far too much cardamom.
0:53:23 > 0:53:28The first taste you have is lots of chocolate, sweetness, heavenly joy.
0:53:28 > 0:53:30The last bit is leaving a dentist.
0:53:34 > 0:53:38Comments weren't as good as I expected.
0:53:38 > 0:53:40Chocolate and cardamom, I'll still stand by that.
0:53:40 > 0:53:44I had one afterwards, I don't think there was too much cardamom at all.
0:53:46 > 0:53:49There's winning to please the judges
0:53:49 > 0:53:51and there's winning to please yourself.
0:53:51 > 0:53:55So I can hold my head up high and say I did everything I wanted to do.
0:54:00 > 0:54:04I'm so scared. I think I have a 50/50 chance of staying in the competition.
0:54:04 > 0:54:09The judges must now assess the bakers' overall performance across the weekend.
0:54:09 > 0:54:12They will then decide who to send home,
0:54:12 > 0:54:16but first they need to choose who will become this week's star baker.
0:54:18 > 0:54:20For me I was really surprised that I have to say Jason,
0:54:20 > 0:54:25- although on the first day for me he was bottom of the biscuits. - His lebkuchen. Yeah.
0:54:25 > 0:54:26Since then he's got top, top.
0:54:26 > 0:54:29Mary-Anne was doing brilliantly.
0:54:29 > 0:54:31- A great day yesterday. - Didn't she just?
0:54:31 > 0:54:33But today has not been so good.
0:54:33 > 0:54:35- Anybody else in contention? - Yes. I mean Holly.
0:54:35 > 0:54:38I think she was up there with her brandy snap,
0:54:38 > 0:54:42and her biscuits were up there as well.
0:54:43 > 0:54:44If we look at those who are
0:54:44 > 0:54:47in real genuine danger of being sent home this week,
0:54:47 > 0:54:49who's in the relegation spot?
0:54:49 > 0:54:53- Ben.- Today his macaroons were a disaster. Admitted by himself.
0:54:53 > 0:54:56They were different sizes. Some of the flavours didn't work.
0:54:56 > 0:54:58And I was really rather disappointed,
0:54:58 > 0:55:00- because I thought he's a good baker. - Yes.
0:55:00 > 0:55:03Can I also throw in Yasmin as well?
0:55:03 > 0:55:06Her biscotti needed attention.
0:55:06 > 0:55:09She was certainly in the bottom half for the brandy snap,
0:55:09 > 0:55:11and then when you looked at the macaroons today,
0:55:11 > 0:55:15there were a couple of major disasters on there. It was a mess.
0:55:25 > 0:55:28Bakers, what a good few days it's been.
0:55:28 > 0:55:29We've seen frayed bottoms,
0:55:29 > 0:55:33cracked tops and overstuffed middles, and now it's the moment of truth.
0:55:35 > 0:55:38Mary and Paul have decided that this week
0:55:38 > 0:55:40there are going to be two people...
0:55:43 > 0:55:45..crowned star baker.
0:55:48 > 0:55:52Firstly, the person who's shown consistency
0:55:52 > 0:55:54and good taste across the Bake Off this time.
0:55:56 > 0:55:58That person is Holly.
0:55:58 > 0:56:00- Well done.- Well done, Holly.
0:56:02 > 0:56:07And secondly, rising like a phoenix
0:56:07 > 0:56:09from the ashes of his lebkuchen,
0:56:09 > 0:56:11- it's Jason.- Well done, Jason.
0:56:11 > 0:56:16Well done. Congratulations.
0:56:16 > 0:56:19Now comes a slightly more onerous task.
0:56:19 > 0:56:20You know what has to happen now.
0:56:23 > 0:56:28The judges agreed that this week just one person would leave us.
0:56:28 > 0:56:29And that person is...
0:56:33 > 0:56:35..Ben. Sorry, Ben.
0:56:38 > 0:56:41The rest of you, we shall see you next week when it all begins again.
0:56:50 > 0:56:52I'm just disappointed.
0:56:56 > 0:56:59He's had a pretty diabolical week.
0:56:59 > 0:57:02His macaroons were terrible. His ginger nuts were far too hot.
0:57:02 > 0:57:05He was fourth from bottom with the brandy snaps.
0:57:05 > 0:57:07They were too thick and too dark.
0:57:07 > 0:57:10It's sad, because in fact he'd done jolly well up until then.
0:57:10 > 0:57:15I am proud. And I know friends and family will be proud of me as well.
0:57:17 > 0:57:20I am going to enjoy being star baker,
0:57:20 > 0:57:23especially because it's a joint star baker this time.
0:57:23 > 0:57:27It's nicer because you share the victory with someone.
0:57:27 > 0:57:30My mum will be chuffed when I tell her I'm star baker again.
0:57:30 > 0:57:33Especially with all that's happened this particular weekend,
0:57:33 > 0:57:35she'll really be excited about it.
0:57:35 > 0:57:38I feel, phew.
0:57:38 > 0:57:40I'm quite relieved to still be in it
0:57:40 > 0:57:44but at the same time I'm now thinking about next week and getting stressed about that.
0:57:44 > 0:57:48Next time, the bakers take on pies...
0:57:48 > 0:57:52Your pastry is excellent. It's flaky. It's buttery.
0:57:52 > 0:57:56I'm actually not comfortable with any of this recipe.
0:57:56 > 0:58:00- ..showcasing their signature family pie...- The chicken is overcooked.
0:58:00 > 0:58:03You just can't taste anything. This is bland.
0:58:03 > 0:58:07...miniature pork pies in the technical challenge...
0:58:07 > 0:58:09There's something not right with the colour.
0:58:09 > 0:58:12I'm really worried about the time, I'll have to work really fast.
0:58:12 > 0:58:14..and show-stopping meringue pies.
0:58:14 > 0:58:18- I was really pleased with mine until I saw yours.- What a mess.
0:58:18 > 0:58:19I can't fault it.
0:58:19 > 0:58:22- But who will become the next star baker?- Bam.
0:58:22 > 0:58:25And whose Bake Off is about to end?
0:58:31 > 0:58:33Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:58:33 > 0:58:35Email subtitling@bbc.co.uk