Where is she? I can't even find her.
Ah, there you are.
I know it's heavy but that's all they had.
No, we can't return it, and besides, it's probably
all sweaty now anyway.
It is not sweaty, actually, Liam.
And this is not how I wanted to be introduced.
Hi, I'm Ellie Taylor. I'm Liam Charles.
BOTH: And welcome to Bake Off: The Professionals.
Right, now that's done, pop that on and let's go.
That cost me 100 quid, that did.
Hang on, is this your idea? Seriously, the...
Oh, great, now I'm stuck in the door.
A grown woman, dressed as a cake, stuck in a door.
I'm a professional, Liam. I have a mortgage!
The Professional bakers are back.
Trying to look glamorous.
Brand-new teams from every corner of the globe...
Run, Annie, run.
..will battle it out in Britain's ultimate patisserie competition.
Perfection - that's what they're looking for, isn't it?
Each week, they'll be creating hundreds of stunning desserts...
Are you on a sugar high? Off my face.
..mind-boggling illusion cakes...
Go, go, go, go.
..and surprise secret recipes...
No idea.
..before transforming delicately sculpted sugar and chocolate...
I should've been a bricklayer.
..into jaw-dropping showpieces.
I tried to make it a little bit sexy.
Each creation will be judged by the illustrious Cherish Finden...
This year it will be tough, it will be hot.
..and Benoit Blin.
It's all about being the best pastry chef you can be, so shine BRIGHT.
Those who impress...
Ba-da-boom for you guys.
..will keep their place.
I don't know where to start, it's all so wrong.
Those who fall short...
BLEEP
..will have to leave the competition.
Behind, behind.
But which team will rise to the occasion...
You guys are mad.
..showcase their skills...
Go, baby, go. ..and push their creativity...
Let's move her. ..to new heights?
Be careful, be careful, be careful.
As they fight to be crowned the next winners...
One team, one dream.
..of Bake Off: The Professionals.
Oh!
I just hope it stays up.
It's got to collapse, for sure.
Oh, my God.
CLATTERING
That's not a noise that I like.
Nail-biting.
LIAM: Our first six teams in this year's Bake Off: The Professionals
are about to face two patisserie challenges...
OK, we've got this.
To actually be here is just amazing.
This is the highlight of our careers so far.
..after which Benoit and Cherish will rank them.
We want to get to the final and showcase what we can do.
And whoever is in last place will have to leave the competition.
Good morning, chefs.
Huge congratulations on making it to
the Bake Off: The Professionals kitchen.
But before we kick off, please welcome my new co-host,
Ellie Taylor.
Hello. Thank you, Liam. You're welcome.
Do you know, I'm actually pretty chuffed I've made it to
the kitchen as well? It's a flipping maze out there, isn't it?
Anyway, as per last year, the judges have decided
to kick things off with a secret challenge.
Chefs, for your first secret challenge, we want you
to make 36 identical, individual opera aux fruits.
But, crucially, all we are giving you is a recipe
which is so basic it looks a little bit like
a glorified ingredient list.
We also want you to make a chocolate amenity.
An amenity is a sophisticated chocolate sculpture.
The design is up to you, but it must reflect you as a team.
Chefs, you have three hours
to complete your secret recipe challenge.
Good luck, and your time starts now.
Go, go, go, go, go, go. I'll get the recipe out.
The teams have been given all the ingredients
and equipment they'll need to make their chocolate amenity...
..and 36 opera aux fruits.
Opera with fruits.
Starting fruity - why not? It's a little slice.
Need to be so defined.
Defined layers, much like my dress.
That's the only reason I got the job - because I had the dress.
OK we've got this. Yeah. Let's do it. OK, great.
We are so excited to be back in this kitchen.
We've got six more new teams.
They should all have a clear picture of opera aux fruits.
We can do this. Yeah. We can absolutely do this. It's fine.
For the secret challenge,
they need to use their experience, their instinct.
Chefs, show me how skilful you are.
Perfection - that's what they're looking for, isn't it, to be fair?
First is the cremeux.
One is the lemon, and one is the blackcurrant.
The joconde sponge has to be light, aerated, and it has to be moist.
And the final touch - the glaze.
It needs to be so precise and identical
and when I tuck into it, ooh, va-va-voom, I melt.
Morning, chefs. Morning.
Good morning, chefs. Looking confident.
HE LAUGHS
Have you done the opera aux fruits before?
Yeah, so actually quite a lot.
I've not done it for a long time.
Er, the recipe's fairly familiar with.
Can we talk now about the amenity?
So the idea is that we have, er, a base.
Ring going upwards, rose in the middle.
We're going to do some little butterflies piped.
OK, in what way does that represent you guys?
So, we're a bit flamboyant.
You know, the roses and the butterflies I put...
Where are you from? Oh, I'm from Bolton.
We're all flamboyant up there.
Andy and Raf met on a skiing holiday four years ago,
when they bonded over their love of patisserie.
And they still hit the slopes together whenever they can.
How do you ski and look sexy?
It's all in the hips.
HE LAUGHS
But, up until now, they've never joined forces in the kitchen.
Whoa!
Andrew, did you always want to work in food?
Er, yeah. So, from a young age, I loved food
and cooking with my nan. What kind of things would you make
with your nan? We'd make things like jam tarts, the simple stuff.
Oh, yes! You know for like when my grandad got home from work
and things like that. Lovely, yeah. Do you still make jam tarts?
No. Yeah, I can't imagine what Cherish's face would be
if you presented her with a jam tart.
Be a lot easier than this, wouldn't it? It would be!
This seems like a lot of effort. It really does.
With three layers of joconde
and almond sponge cake to bake and cool...
Let's whip some eggs.
..and three layers of cremeux to make and set...
Confident, pretty confident.
..the teams will have to race to get their operatic elements
ready to assemble as quickly as possible.
You need to just really hurry up now. Yeah, I'm going, I'm going.
But Italian-born Nicoletta is confident their opera cake
will hit the high note.
Oh, my God, I've done so many operas in my life.
Really comfortable with it, to be honest.
And the chocolate amenities, we're making a radio
because we love listening to music.
Yeah, we always listen to music in the kitchen.
It's the first thing that we do when we start cooking together.
We switch the radio on and we just dance.
If they're not dancing, Nicoletta
and Georgina can be found practising mindfulness
at the latest craze, puppy yoga.
THEY LAUGH
Are you trying to bring your sort of mindfulness here today?
Yes, we breathe in, we breathe out.
And do you come from a family of chefs?
Actually, my father,
my sister, most of my family, they're all dentists.
Dentists?! Yes, I know. Oh, my gosh. You're the one turning
all the teeth black. I'm the one giving them clients. That's what I said.
This is a racket you've got going on! I love it. Yes.
Unlike Nicoletta and Georgina... Normally, you've got
the method beside it. So a lot of memory jogging.
..not everyone's opera will be so well rehearsed.
It's stuff we've done before, but not lately.
But, I'm sure we can deliver.
He may not be an opera buff,
but Martyn is no stranger to the stage.
I know you're expecting Harry Styles, but you've got me instead.
Since giving up musical theatre eight years ago for
a life in the pastry kitchen, he's been creating new recipes
with commis chef Jenny, including
the wedding cake Martyn made for his big day.
So for our amenity, we're going to do two interlinking hearts
because I've just been married myself. Aw. About three months now.
And Jenny has just got engaged, as well, at Christmas.
Congratulations. Thank you. That's me out of the window, then.
He doesn't have to know.
Wedding bells are also on the horizon for another of our chefs.
ELLIE: Margo, you're getting married?
Yes. Hopefully, July. And what are the outfits?
It's a Viking dress. Yeah, my Viking dress. Viking?
Getting married as a Viking. Yeah, I just need a herd of wolves.
OK. Do you need a helmet with horns on, as well?
I do. I feel like I do. Ah. They would be epic wedding photos.
When she's not planning her wedding with partner Sophie,
Margo from Poland loves to join Ally and dog Pepper for
a kick-about at their local London pitch.
That was a good one. That was a really good one.
Can I have one of the big chocolate chips? It's my first day in the kitchen,
so I don't know what is allowed. I don't see why not.
Yes! This is sort of why I took the job.
Don't take the whole jar, please. No, I won't. Well... Or will I?
LIAM :If the chefs are to achieve pitch-perfect opera cakes,
they'll need to get their cremeux layers made as quickly as possible.
I'm going to get the blackcurrant one in thermal.
Doing it over a bain-marie will take a lot longer.
If they are to have enough time to set them to a perfect consistency...
It's called a cremeux for a reason,
because it has a cream like consistency. Good morning.
Hello, chefs. How are we doing? All good, good, all good.
It's so nice to have you on the show, Dharma.
We used to work together before. Oh, really? Yes.
OK, good. But that doesn't mean that I'll be easy on you.
No, no, no.
Dharma likes to join compatriot, team leader
and self-confessed fashionista Mayank on his shopping trips.
I'm not sitting on that. I'll see you. I'll go to the place. I'm not sitting on this at all.
Is that what you do when you're not cooking? I'm always shopping, I'm attending fashion shows,
I'm meeting people from fashion. That's what I do.
Oh, my gosh. What do you think of my outfit, then?
Love it. Love it, love it, love it, as Cherish will say it.
Are you happy with this, Raf? Beautiful. Look at that.
With the cremeux made and ready for the freezer, attention turns
to the sponges. Joconde is almost ready, baba.
Well done. The teams have been given the exact amount of ingredients
to make three layers of sponge.
So, basically, you have to weight out equally
the whole amount. So we're going for 600g a tray,
cos our mix was 1,800.
But if they haven't weighed out correctly...
We made four - if just one goes wrong.
..the sponges won't be the correct size and thickness.
How many layers are we looking for? Three layers.
So you have three layers of joconde sponge?
We couldn't get enough for
the last layer, so I just put half.
So now you've got two and a half. Yeah.
Are we going to get 36 pieces? I hope so. Yeah, we should.
OK.
Annie, originally from Malaysia,
and Subin, from South Korea, have worked together in London for
the past nine months. But their close friendship
and creativity extends far beyond the pastry kitchen.
I feel like back to school. Like art class.
It looks fine, but I will see after it comes out from the oven, I guess.
I was thinking about time calls - about trying something different to make them my own,
cos it's my first day. So I was thinking... SHOUTS: Chefs!
You are halfway...
# Throoooough! #
OK, just trying it out.
Now it's going in.
LIAM: If creating 36 opera aux fruits wasn't challenging enough...
These are so thin.
..the teams must also construct their chocolate amenities.
I'm going to start the chocolate rose, if that's all right.? Yeah, you go for it.
A chocolate amenity is a sophisticated chocolate sculpture
often given to a VIP hotel guest.
Have you made many amenities in your life?
There's always somebody wanting something put into
a bedroom that we've, uh, as pastry chefs got to create on the fly.
Blimey, I didn't know you were so involved in things in the bedroom.
Crikey. On this occasion, we want that amenity
to represent each individual team in this competition.
Goodness, I don't think I've been this stressed making chocolate.
We're doing an amenity on London based,
because London is a vibe, right?
So Dharma's doing the Shard and this is London Eye.
I'm making the boxes where you sit and drink.
We are doing a crazy representation of my garden, which is
a place where we spend a lot of time together.
This is the giant heart. Give it a nice, shiny finish.
OK, well, this is hilarious. It is what it is.
Time to make a box so the judge can like open it
and then they see the rose.
Oh! It's very thin.
I have a bad feeling it's going to break.
Chefs, my tummy is rumbling, which means you have one hour to go.
Let's go, yeah? LIAM: Is that how you tell the time?
Yeah, don't you? Tummy rumble, one hour. Small belch - 30 minutes.
Ally, the sponge is looking good.
LIAM: With the sponges baked... Perfect.
..the chefs need to brush the tops with a light coating of lemon syrup.
This is the base of our opera. It looks great,
it smells great. I'm happy, Georgina's happy.
We're smiling. Everything is OK.
But oversoak... Extra syrup on that bit.
..and the soggy joconde won't hold its shape.
Going to brush the tops now and then flip it over.
Then, we'll brush the bottom, as well.
However, one team have a different problem to solve first...
I need at least 42.
..turning two and a half layers into three.
Annie, Subin. Hello. Hi.
How's it going? Not so great.
Oh, lo, lo, lo. What's happened?
We just made a mistake about the sponge - about the size. Sure.
In the middle part, we don't have enough, so we're going to use the left-over to like cover it up.
So we just need to make sure that we have enough sponge -
that's the main thing.
Good luck, chefs. Thank you.
So we're just building the opera now.
Ooh, look at these colours.
Which will go into the fridge to set
and then we can cut, portion and finish off.
ELLIE: The teams need to move quickly if they're to give their
operas sufficient setting time.
OK, we can do it. Need to just really hurry up now.
But working with such delicate layers of joconde...
Is it going to slide off? No. Right.
Let's think about this. ..Is not something that can be rushed.
This is the most nerve-racking sponge layering I've done in my life.
Where we've soaked it earlier on, it's obviously become very sticky.
So we've had to slightly
cut it to fit the frame.
But I'm sure that the end result will still be
the portion sizes that Cherish wants.
I think we're a little bit behind because of the sponge.
We've got this.
Once the final thin layer of white chocolate glaze goes on...
Not a lot, not a lot, not a lot. Thin layer.
Have you put a bit of colouring in? A little bit. A little bit. We don't want it to be neon.
..the operas can finally hit the freezers for
the all-important setting stage.
So if we can split them down,
give them a bit of space like that.
It should circulate the air a little bit better.
Just need to move a bit faster.
I just want to pour it, like, all on top.
I'm losing my patience.
Chefs, you have 30 minutes left.
Just need to glaze it now.
While Annie and Subin must wait for their glaze to set...
My operas are nearly ready to cut. Let's do it.
..the rest of the operas are ready for their final act.
So, Dharma, 30 minutes left. Cut it, cut it.
Cherish and Benoit are expecting 36 immaculate operas
with a flawless definition to each layer.
Worked a treat I think. Whether it's enough or not,
we're going to find out.
And on top of all that... Keep wetting that knife. Yeah, yeah.
..they must be identical in size and shape.
So 30 divided by six is five, isn't it?
And that means calculating correctly is crucial.
Oh, my God this is really stressful. Breathe.
This is the bit where everyone watching at home is like, "What cakes do we have in
"the cupboard and why do I only have fruit?"
Oh, I like those middle ones. Oh, I'll take those slices all day long.
We get 36 of them!
But Martyn and Jenny's thick glaze...
I'm really struggling with this. ..isn't making the cut.
The glaze on the top's really quite firm.
So any pressure on it squeezes the filling out.
It cracks the top and that's what we are experiencing now.
And Martyn's decided to fight fire with fire.
Let's heat it up a bit.
Drastic times call for drastic measures.
Nah, it's not going to do that, either.
Ten minutes left, chefs.
OK, we need to speed up. Are we OK?
Yeah, it looks fine. I just want a cleaner cut.
Just chopping them, Jen, do you want to start writing.
We're writing "opera" so that, on top of our opera, we just pop
it on like a garnish.
BLEEP. Have you spelt it wrong? It's the Brazilian version.
Keep writing "opera", keep writing "opera". Can't, cos it's not working.
Your rose is on. Yeah, you should have the box but it keeps breaking.
How long do we have? Chefs, you have one minute left.
OK, I'm going to write "opera" right now.
Raspberry. Get them on there and then let's go. Yeah.
Quick, quick, quick, quick.
You've got it, you've got this, Oh, my God.
Insane writing.
So not happy. No, I know.
Can't believe we didn't manage to write "opera" on top. Come on.
Chefs, your time is up,
please step away from your opera aux fruits.
Well. Well done mate. Sweaty.
Well done, mate. Told you we'd be fine.
Everybody else's has got stuff on.
Yeah, I know. And ours just looks BLEEP.
The teams now face the judgment of Benoit and Cherish
for the very first time.
Right. Here we go.
Nicoletta and Georgina, from Meraki Baking Studio,
please come forward.
OK, chef, thank you for coming to the judging table.
36 opera aux fruit.
There is one or two there that look
the way I will have pictured that dessert to be.
If you had only managed all 36 the same, I would have said you would have done a great job.
Your chocolate amenity.
I was so excited when you said about the radio.
I was like, "Saturday Night Fever, now."
But the execution - it could have been better.
Shall we?
Well, for me I enjoyed it. Very much.
Sponge - perfect texture. All the cremeux set.
What I really like is your glaze on the top. When I cut it through,
I have no effort - that is a good sign.
If only you would have
executed a little bit quicker, you would've smashed everything.
Thank you very much. Thank you.
Well, we've got, believe it or not, 36 opera slices.
Because I was far from believing
that you could actually achieve that with the amount of sponge
you had earlier on. We can see there is a lot of hiccups here and there.
Opera is not being written on the cake.
And you can see over here it's slipping away.
That tells me that the cremeux is not properly cooked, as well.
Coming to the chocolate amenity - this is the bare minimum.
It's unfinished, it's a shame.
OK, let's see if it's actually tasting quite nice.
I think one thing that really bugged me is the oversoaking.
Can you see it - all the syrup oozing out?
I'm lacking the texture of a beautiful opera slice.
Sorry, guys.
I wish you had a little bit of a colour in your glaze
in order to have a better contrast with the writing on it.
Well, looking at your chocolate amenity,
I actually quite like it. It looks very ancient.
It is a beautiful piece.
The sponge is actually quite moist. It eats very nicely.
The glaze on top is too thick, but what I had, I enjoyed.
ALL: Thank you.
I can see that your slice is actually well set,
because they're all very perfectly cut. So well done for that.
There is also the little amenity.
The overall presentation - I like the idea.
I wish there was a bigger rose here.
It kind of is compacted on itself.
The thickness of the glaze - the way it should be.
The sponge is beautifully done.
Good stuff. Is that what you say up there, no?
We'll take it. You'll take it? OK.
Nice one, chefs. Thank you.
When you were telling me about the Shard,
the London Eye, I get all so excited.
But it needed to have a little bit of a finesse.
The opera - the visual is not tidy.
It's not neat enough for this level of the competition.
In terms of the flavour profile. I think we've got what we've asked
for. Now in terms of the texture - hm-hm.
The sponge was so thin, everything is soft in there. Thank you, guys.
Chef, it all go pear-shaped. Isn't it? Yeah.
I don't know where to start. It's all so wrong.
The definition is not there.
The layering is not there.
Now this is where I struggle, also.
That little amenity, which is supposed to sing love,
love, love - it's not even neatly done.
This is weak, we are talking weak, at the minute.
Can I not taste it? No, you have to.
I'm afraid to say you have the worst opera.
That's all you need to know and it's a fact.
One bad day in the kitchen, we can survive.
Two... HE WHISTLES
..make it difficult OK. Thank you, guys.
Thank you. See you later.
Thank you, chefs.
Wasn't our best effort. Yeah. Um...
By any stretch of the imagination.
We felt like the judging didn't go too bad. Overall. pretty well. Yeah.
Everything they said, basically, was something that I had in mind that
I did. So, yeah, lesson learned.
Ahead of tomorrow's showpiece challenge, the teams have
a golden hour in which to make, cast and set any elements overnight.
So new series, new teams, new co-host. Hmm. What do you think you've learnt about the teams?
We know they all need to get a flipping move on. It's a competition.
We have to put them through their paces from the get-go.
Actually, some teams have managed pretty close
to what we were expecting. Nicoletta and Georgina -
if it wasn't for the writing to be the same everywhere, they would have been really, really good.
Andrew and Raf, I thought they were pretty good, as well.
They're very comfortable in the kitchen.
And then we have Annie and Subin. Soggy sponge.
They just crumble with time management, as well.
And then we have Martyn and Jenny.
Oh, la la la la la. Well, shall we say, uh,
they've made their life very difficult ahead of tomorrow.
They'll have to pull it out of the bag tomorrow. Oh, beyond that.
Their opera slices weren't singing at all.
Nice one, Liam. No, they weren't.
LIAM: Just one challenge remains before Cherish
and Benoit decide which team will claim first place
and who will have to leave the competition.
Feeling good right now. Yes.
Good morning, chefs, for your first showpiece challenge, you'll be asked
to take a ordinary pudding and turn it into something extraordinary.
And, today, it's one of my faves - Banoffee pie. So "Benoit-fee".
Benoit-fee. Tell us what. Wow, thank you, Liam.
Chefs, today, we are expecting you to transform
the simple dessert of banana, caramel,
cream and pastry or biscuit base,
and improve the three key elements -
the taste, the look and the texture.
Chef, you must also produce enough to serve 24.
Then you need to incorporate your dessert into
the showpiece sculpture so beautiful, it stuns me into silence.
Stun Cherish into silence? You are having an absolute giraffe.
Can't be done. But, chefs, you've already had one hour to prepare.
You now have a further four hours.
Best of luck. Your time starts now.
Banoffee pie's one of those desserts that,
er, everybody knows, so there's no escaping it
and getting away from it. It's just a case of elevating it
to something different. If we don't nail it, we're not back next week,
so it's all or nothing.
I'm well chuffed with this. I absolutely love banoffee.
With a biccy bottom. It has to be a biccy bottom. What? What's a biccy bottom?
What's a biccy bottom? A biscuit bottom. Biccy bottom.
It's what the cool kids call it. Stick with us, guys.
# Biccy biccy bottom Biccy biccy bottom
# Biccy biccy bottom Biccy, biccy. #
So I'm starting the caramel and that's the base of our dessert,
so that's the first thing that needs to be done.
There is no banoffee pie without a proper, good, silky, gooey toffee.
And the whipped cream. Ha-ha!
As much as you want.
However, I need to see the hero - banana, banana, banana!
We will find out also what our teams are made of when it comes to
the showpiece. What type of skills they can bring to this competition.
It needs to be fun, it needs to be colourful.
Chefs, please do not play it safe or you will be going home.
Good morning, ladies. ALL: Good morning.
Banoffee pie. Yes. Have you been inspired?
So we've been inspired by Carmen Miranda,
a South American-Portuguese performer. She was really famous
for wearing a banana hat. It will be little bananas
that we will place on top of her head.
Nicoletta and Georgina's ode to this glamorous icon will be adorned
with chocolate vines and showgirl fans.
They're enhancing their individual banoffee desserts
with a rum banana compote,
caramel sponge and a malted-milk mousse.
I think this challenge will be intriguing, because, yesterday, you make radio. Yeah.
And today you make something that you like that you can dance around when you make it, as well.
Exactly. So there'll be a bit of samba to go with it?
Er, well... We can do that in the background.
Yes, we can go for a dance. I'm sure you would love that.
LIAM: And Nicoletta and Georgina aren't the only chefs going bananas with their banoffee.
Oh, my God do they have our same moulds? Oh, do they? Yeah.
Tell us about your banoffee pie.
We don't want to divulge too much information.
It's total interaction. You're going to have
to do lots of different pieces to put the dish together yourselves.
Well, to be honest, after last night it has be some form of risk
to be taken in order to see if we can keep you in this competition.
LIAM: In an ambitious bid to impress the judges after
a disappointing first day, Martyn and Jenny's salted caramel
jelly-filled bananas will need to be plucked from the branches of their chocolate tree.
Before being finished off with salted caramel sap
and chocolate tiffin and toffee-crunch soil.
Jenny, I hear you go by another name, which is the Deaf Chef.
Yeah, the Deaf Chef, that's me.
I lost my hearing when I was a teenager
and I thought, "No point crying over it, can't change it,
"can't get it back. Might as well roll with it. "
You wear hearing aids? Yes. Do you ever, if Martyn's wanging on a bit,
do you ever...?
I was tempted to take the batteries out yesterday.
For the judging!
I was like, "I don't want to hear this. I don't want to hear this."
Also hoping to bounce back from a bad first challenge...
Our showpiece will be a tree.
..Annie and Subin are counting on home advantage to score
with their attempt at a banana tree.
So we get the idea from my country, Malaysia.
I literally can pick the bananas from the streets,
so we don't really actually need to buy from the market.
Not only do they hope to create a realistic
and colourful showpiece, Annie and Subin want to add
some authentic Asian flavour.
So their banoffee desserts will feature yuzu caramel,
which they'll pair with a banana and rum compote.
Yuzu is our, like, favourite ingredient, because it tastes...
It's like sourness that goes well with sweetness.
And it's like incorporating desserts that are good together.
Because after drinking, I always go for ice cream before going home.
So, for me, having booze and dessert is very important.
I'm making a double batch of salted caramel.
LIAM: While the teams need to ensure they've included all
the key components of a banoffee pie...
The main dessert will be made of malted milk powder mousse.
We really want to enhance the caramel nutty flavour.
..they also need to transform and elevate it...
We're both Asian, we love spices. So we have spiced up our sponge.
We've spiced up our sable. We've spiced up our caramel.
..without overshadowing the star of the show - the banana.
It's a banana mousse.
I thought we'd done a good job because we both liked it
and we both don't like bananas, so...
But Andy and Raf aren't holding back.
We're using lime. Lime? We think it's a great concoction.
Banoffee pie's traditionally very sweet.
So if you do have that lime, it sort of cuts through all the sweetness, I guess. Yeah.
Unless we take it too far and then...
Turns out to be a key lime pie.
Could be, yeah.
As well as adding a punch of citrus, Andy
and Raf are transforming their banoffee desserts into bright,
delicate flowers encased in chocolate pastry,
which they'll serve atop a three- platformed showpiece surrounded by
a host of greedy-looking primates.
We'd just bought an ornament and then
made the silicon moulds from an ornament.
The shape's come out really nice. We're happy with that, I think.
ELLIE: And they're not the only ones monkeying about today.
When you hear, the first time, bananas,
what comes in my mind is monkeys. So we're making
a little monkey factory where they're producing bananas.
Mayank and Dharma's hand-sculpted monkeys will be playfully employed
manufacturing a bunch of sharing desserts layered
with fresh banana, spicy sponge and caramelised chocolate mousse.
Are you going to sculpt the monkey? Yeah. By hand? Build them?
Yeah. OK.
Big skills. You've done things like that quite a lot in your career,
have you not? Yes.
So you're confident today? Yeah, I know what I'm doing.
LIAM: While every other showpiece features bananas,
Margo and Ally have set sail on a very different course.
So we are building a pirate shipwreck.
But why? I really love pirates, and Margo couldn't say no to me.
Their elaborate 17th century pirate ship will be carrying a treasure
of gold bullion-shaped banoffee desserts containing banana bavarois
and a rum caramel insert.
I have to say that's a giant egg. Have you gone bananas, guys?
It will look like a pirate ship when we're done with it. You sure?
Absolutely.
Chefs, you're already halfway through, which is bananas!
We're building our first bananas.
I hope ours are different to the other guys.
LIAM: As well as exquisite banoffee flavours...
You happy with banana compote, Raf? Yeah, yeah. It's nice.
..Benoit and Cherish are expecting perfectly balanced textures.
How did you elevate the bar?
We've added coffee into our biscuit base. The whole thing together is really sweet,
so the coffee kind of balances it with the bitterness.
And as with their showpiece...
The mousse has got chunks of banana in there.
..Martyn and Jenny aren't playing it safe.
We thought we'd give another bit of texture.
So they'll either love it or they'll hate it, cos it's not smooth.
That's just a risk that we've got to take, I think.
ELLIE: Before the desserts can be glazed and decorated...
Backs. ..they need to be frozen solid.
I forgot how many layers I have in my dessert.
While Mayank and Dharma's large sharing desserts will need even longer to set...
They need to chill in like five minutes. I just hope it sets.
..Annie and Subin... The banana compote is not freezing.
Haven't even begun assembling theirs.
The banana compote, it has to hold its shape inside
the mousse, so I'm going to put back into the blast.
The banoffee desserts aren't the only potential banana skins
for our chefs. Sorry guys, behind you, sorry behind you.
They still need to construct their immense centrepieces.
Look away now, kids.
Hello, hello, hello. What are you doing?!
We're doing some drilling, which is part of the construction.
Nothing screams sort of fine, refined delicate patisserie
like a power tool.
Absolutely. LAUGHS: I've got the power.
LIAM: The chefs must treat their chocolate stands with the utmost care.
It's quite A nerve-racking moment.
Having set their largest pieces overnight...
How, do you? Oh! Lay it down, lay it down.
..Any breakages now...
There's a risk of everything going wrong at every stage until we get it built.
..And there won't be time to remake them.
It's a extremely stiff mould And very, very big.
But Margo and Ally's pirate ship...
Thanks.
..may have already hit the rocks.
Careful. It's well cracked, like, this whole side. I know,
but I need to release it. Why is it the first time... I don't know.
..this is doing this?
I really don't know. It's just cracking everywhere.
Mate, is she going to be in bits? Yeah.
I just need to get her out.
The chefs have just 90 minutes remaining
to complete their banoffee showpieces.
Now that's stuck.
But Margo and Ally's stuck pirate ship could sink their chances at
finishing in time. Try that.
No. Not yet. I just need to get her out.
Think I heard the pop.
She's released now.
BOTH: Hey!
OK awesome. So we're just going to brush
the chocolate on again, cos there is a couple of cracks.
You can fix it all. It will be just fine. It has to be.
LIAM: And they're not the only ones trying to salvage a sticky situation.
Banana compote, it's a bit sloppy
but I'm going to just cut the size that I need.
With their inserts set,
Subin can finally begin assembling their banoffee desserts.
I just need to finish faster.
Chefs, you have one hour remaining.
We've got an hour now to assemble. We can do it, mate. Of course we can.
Yeah. There. Yeah, yeah. We are just starting
to build our showpiece. Moment of truth.
Make sure we can get it standing - that's the main issue.
I've drilled, I've got my branches in.
The bananas will be hanging off the tree in bunches.
Hopefully.
CHERISH: Martyn and Jenny. Yesterday was pretty bad for them,
so, today, the take a lot of risk with an interactive showpiece.
That's going to be a bit fragile, potentially.
We have nothing to lose and everything to gain. We ain't going home today.
Nicoletta and Georgina.
Looks gorgeous.
I am seeing a very sexy lady torso.
This is embarrassing, isn't it?
Clearly you've been spying at me in the shower again.
And here I am. Let's go. Two, three.
Margo and Ally. Is the boat going to
be bring in anything to this challenge?
Just check we're in, we're level.
They need to go a little faster, I think to be comfortable and deliver what they want. Hmm.
Annie and Subin. Yeah, entremets. I'm actually quite
concerned it's not in the freezer yet.
Yeah, so it might not be set, is that what you're saying? It might not set in time.
We have broken it a couple of times, at this point.
Just make sure you don't knock the side, please. I will.
Thank you. Well, shiver my timbers, that looks amazing.
CHEFS: Thank you.
Please come round here, so I can high five you. Oh.
Please come round here so we can celebrate.
We don't high five or celebrate anywhere near the boat, just in case. No,
you're not allowed to high five near the boat.
I know you hate me, but please don't burn my fingers.
Chefs, you have 30 minutes left.
Let's move her. Yeah. We can do this. Let's do it.
Stop, stop, stop.
Keep him straight, keep him straight. Yeah. Push, push, push, push. Push, push.
Got it.
OK, very gentle. Yeah, happy?
OK, yeah. I'm moving on to the dessert.
They are smooth, they're coming out clean.
They are frozen all the way through.
Come on, babies.
This bit broke. And when it comes to their banoffee, Annie and Subin
have an even bigger problem.
I'm not sure if it's set yet.
I'm going to put back into the blast.
And it's not only the dessert.
The branch - a bit too thin,
so it started breaking.
If I worry too much, I will start to be like so shaky.
So we're just about to dip the tops,
which is the pollen for the flower.
No, no, no, no. OK? I lost a banana.
We need to dip this,
stamp it and, then, finishing touches.
Ooh, oh, oh, oh,
please don't drop, please don't drop.
Chefs, you have 15 minutes left.
15 minutes. I can finish this.
Put this on their plate and then leave that one.
Oh, my God, what if the bananas all slide and fall off?
Cos they're sliding off as we speak.
What are they doing? It's not holding.
It's cos they're too cold.
It's a bit sloppy, but I don't think we have that much time now.
Chefs, you have one minute to go.
Sorry my piping is going crazy.
Calm, calm, calm down, calm down.
Oh.
Ah. BLEEP.
We'll just have to put them on as best we can.
One left. One left?
It's all right, just put 'em back on.
That's it. Done.
Chefs, time's up.
That's the end of the challenge. Well done.
Happy? Yeah.
I hope the banana doesn't fall down.
LIAM: Six banoffee pie showpieces now face the judgment
of Cherish and Benoit.
Chef, there is a lot of fun.
the little detail that you put in really brings your showpiece
to life. And I can't wait to taste your dessert.
So we have a chocolate sucret filled with caramel, banana and lime
and then the dome on the top, the pollen, is fresh banana
and lime compote.
There is a great deal of potential to be a lovely dessert here.
Unfortunately, there are a few mistakes.
Poom! Here comes the lime. It just killed my palate.
What I want is the banana. Banana is the hero.
I like the fact that the texture of the cream is light
and flavoursome, with a little bit of toffeeness to it.
Yes, we were in the world of banoffee pie.
Elevated to something a bit different. OK.
Thank you. Thank you, chefs.
Good showpiece, overall. It looks nice.
Too much lime.
Well, it's good news. I love your showpiece
because it us a showpiece. It's colourful, I love the characters.
They are definitely cheeky monkeys.
Would you please take us through your creation?
There's a spicy sable at the bottom, then there's a banana caramel
and it's encased in all-white-chocolate caramelised mousse.
Chef I really, really like the sponge that you put in.
It's so flavoursome. Oh, my word.
I feel the caramel element a lot.
It's a little sweet. A little too sweet.
But there is one missing element here -
it's the banana element.
See you later, chefs.
Well, I really, really, really thought I would not like this.
And I do. I like it.
When I actually look closer, there is only one technique that
I can see, which is moulding.
But, overall, I think it's a very good effort.
So what have we got inside?
On the bottom, we have a coffee biscuit, then we've got
a bavarois and cream with banana,
and you've got an insert in the middle that is caramel.
It is really good news.
I've got everything about the banoffee pie here - and more.
Cos the little coffee, yes, this is working.
Good job. CHEFS: Thank you. Stop smiling, go.
Well, I'm a bit disappointed, guys.
Carmen Miranda is famous for the hat.
Where is the hat?
It's a pile of bananas on top.
Because you used the mould, the shape is there,
but you could have done more to it.
A little bit of air brushing. Dots of brown.
Then it looks more realistic.
Our bananas are made of toasted milk and malt mousse,
caramel sponge and a caramelised banana and rum compote.
I love the textures. I've got the sponge.
It's moist. Whoa! That's actually bang-on for me.
See you later. Thank you. Thank you very much.
Technically, there is quite a bit of skill on display.
But how I wish you'd inject a little bit more colour.
I can see that there's a lot of problem with your pudding, as well.
BENOIT CHUCKLES I'll take a nice one.
So we've got chocolate sable, yuzu caramel,
vanilla mousse and then, inside, we have the banana compote
with the rum.
This works for me.
Wow. Banana. Hee-ha!
Yuzu - just enough. I love it.
Overall, I think it's a really nice piece of cake,
but you need to revisit your recipe.
There is a lot of water that you did not control
that's leaking out from the cake. What a shame.
Thank you very much.
My heart. I cannot breathe.
Well, for me I don't see
a banana tree, cos you didn't do enough work for it
to be technically and beautifully presented.
We wanted to be interactive,
so you can cut a banana off the tree
and take some of the salted caramel sap
and then finish it off with the crumb at the bottom.
Oh, my God that is fun.
Thank you very much.
A little bit of everything.
Yeah, that's to represent the tart case.
Inside, we've got a caramelised banana mousse,
a salted caramel jelly running through the centre.
Though, it's lovely to eat it's very toffee-like.
I wish the banana was more prominent.
The mousse itself is very claggy -
don't have the lightness that I'm looking for.
But good effort though. I thought that was brilliant idea. Thank you.
CHEFS: Thank you. Thanks for your hard work. See you later.
So the idea was there, just the execution.
Cherish and Benoit will now rank the teams based on their performance
across both challenges.
The team in last place will have to leave the competition.
I think it's very playful, it's really fun.
We had a decent first challenge and then a really good showpiece.
Hopefully, we've done enough.
Simple techniques here, but it's a complete showpiece.
That was just so intense. It was really intense. Yeah.
It would mean the world to get the first place.
Looking at the showpiece, it's actually a bit incomplete.
They seem to really like our dessert.
I mean, some of it was falling down, but we managed.
Good job.
BENOIT: Hmm. Technically, it's basic. But, you know,. when you go
and pick up your own banana, that's quite fun, is it?
Even though we couldn't hang all the bananas as we wanted,
I was proud of what we put together.
So let's hope it's done the business.
LIAM: Cherish and Benoit have made their decision.
The judges thought there was a very high standard
and it was incredibly close between the top three teams.
But the team in first place is...
Andrew and Raf from Harwoods Patisserie,
you're through to the next round of the competition.
ELLIE: Margo and Ally are second.
Nicoletta and Georgina are third
and Mayank and Dharma are fourth.
Which means the two teams left are Annie and Subin
from the Dorchester,
and Martyn and Jenny.
Now, after much deliberation, Cherish and Benoit have decided that
the team leaving the competition today will be...
..Martyn and Jenny.
To the rest of the teams, congratulations,
you are through to the next round.
I was expecting it after yesterday, I'm not going to lie.
Our downfall was probably yesterday with
the mystery challenge.
But I'm so proud of what we've done.
I'm so sorry. Thank you.
We might even put that opera cake on our afternoon tea - just to
show people we can actually make it. Um...
You can't be at the bottom again. Yes. So, a little bit more.
We thought we were going home.
Can't believe it. Yeah. You need to see our face one more time.
Congratulations. OK?
Winning, winning. Very close, uh?
Woo-hoo-hoo! We came second. Feels amazing.
Shocks. Yeah. Yeah, so unexpected.
Next challenge, hopefully, we can do just as well.
There's only one way down, though, isn't there?
Next time... One team, one dream.
..the teams reimagine the classic tart.
And turn it into something tart-ish.
Beautiful, stunning.
And go mad for science in the showpiece...
Oh, I like it. Frankenstein.
..building towering piece montees.
Don't move, don't move. Who will get top marks?
Mad, totally.
Do I like it? Yes.
And who will get shocked? Ow!
It's going to collapse, for sure. As their hopes of progressing fade.
We have F word.
Subtitles by Red Bee Media