Last week, it was clear who were the two front-runners. Will Aimee and Steve continue there run for dominance in the tent? Will Vincent join them or will another contender emerge.

Let us find out as we have our first ever “Celebration Week”.

Signature Bake

The Bake: 12 Special occasion eclairs with an impeccable design

The Time: 2 hours

What I would bake: A wedding tower of eclairs. A mix of chocolate and vanilla eclairs. 6 will have vanilla pastry cream and 6 will have chocolate pastry cream. The glaza witll be a chocolate and white chocolate ganache and have gold leafs and caramel strings.

What the contestants baked and judges thoughts:

The eclairs that I would love to try is Dougal’s

• Caron: Convocation Eclairs made with black sesame pastry cream and glazed with black sesame white chocolate ganache. Kyla calls it an unusal flavour that she doesn’t know if she likes it or not.
• Stephen: Ode to Mom Eclairs made with lychee pastry cream, ruby chocolate glaze and lychee pearls. Bruno calls it good and the lychee works.
• Aimee: Year of the Tiger Ecliars made with mandarin orange cream, craquelin and dark chocolate. Kyla calls it a burst of flavour in her mouth and Bruno calls it an orange ice cream treat.
• Dougal: Santa’s Jacket Eclairs made with Irish cream pastry cream and white chocolate ganache. Bruno doesn’t see the Christmas story and says there is too much alcohol in it.
• Alina: Engagement Eclairs made with rhubarb compote, Italian meringue, white chocolate ganache and tempered chocolate. Bruno likes the contrast of flavours.
• Amanda: Oh, Canada! Eclairs made with strawberry fruit caviar and ruby chocolate glaze. Bruno said it has good tartness from the rhubarb.
• Steve: Happy 21st Birthday Eclairs made with praline mousseline, candied oranges, and hazelnut spike candies. Kyla said his flavours made him happy.
• Vincent: Cherry Blossom Festival Eclairs made with cherry pastry cream, Amaretto Cherries and pink chocolate flowers. Bruno noted the eclairs were flat and said he could have been more generous with the cherry flavour/

Technical Bake

I once again didn’t make last week’s “Cookie Week” technical bake of pirouette cookies. But it wasn’t because I didn’t feel like baking. No. There is never a moment where I don’t feel like baking. This weekend, I had to bake to use up some ingredients that were about to expire. 

The Bake: Spider Mirror Glaze Cake

The Time: 2 hours and 30 minutes

How I would have fared: Not well at all. The mirror glaze is going to be difficult especially getting the spider web design. And I probably won’t make this because one of the ingredients is peanuts and peanut butter. I don’t bake with peanuts as my niece has a peanut allergy.

How the bakers did:

1. 

   1st in the Technical

   Stephen
2. Amanda
3. Alina
4. Steve
5. Caron
6. Dougal
7. Aimee
8. Vincent

Showstopper

The Bake: Meringue Wedding Centrepiece made with multiple types of meringue.

The Time: 4 hours

What I would bake: Strawberry lavender pavlova, chocolate macaron and vanilla meringue kisses.

What the contestants baked and judges thoughts:

I am intrigued by Caron’s and Steve’s centrepiece, the latter for the bacon and the former for the mint meringue. 

• Caron: Christmas Wedding Centrepiece made wit dark chocolate and cranberry macarons, mint meringue mushrooms and hojicha dacquoise.  Bruno thought the dacquoise lacked lightness and crunchiness. Bruno wished the jam had some contrast with the chocolate in the macarons.
• Stephen: Floral wedding Centrepiece made with rose pistachio marshmallows, chocolate orange, macarons and pomegranate sumac kisses. Bruno calls the look too busy and Kyla liked the addition of sumac in the kisses.
• Aimee: Butterfly Garden Wedding Centrepiece made with strawberry elderflower pavlova, blackberry macarons and lemon thyme marshmallows. Kyla liked the colour on the blackberry macarons but Bruno thought the filling was a bit sweet. Both loved the pavlova.
• Dougal: Winter Woodland Wedding Centrepiece made with cherry cashew marshmallows, cranberry meringue tarts and chocolate almond dacquoise. Kyla said the desserts were lost in the tree and Bruno said the tart shell is crumbly and missing toasted meringue.
• Alina:Tropical Wedding Centrepiece made with passionfruit macarons, coconut rosettes and lemon curd pavlova. Bruno didn’t like the passionfruit buttercream of the macarons and the lemon curd too sweet in the pavlova.
• Amanda: Ode to my Sister Wedding Centrepiece made with blueberry marshmallows, matcha and berry meringue kisses, espresso macaron and raspberry macaron cake. Bruno says the presentation belongs in a bakery window. Bruno liked the espresso macaron and likes the refreshing taste of the kisses.
• Steve: Campfire Wedding Centrepiece made with dacquoise, s’mores macarons and marshmallows. Bruno said the graham cracker was distracting in the macaron and he can’t taste the bacon in the dacquoise. 
• Vincent: Pretty in Pink Wedding Centrepiece made with salted Mayan chocolate macarons, pink peppercorn kisses and cashew dacquoise. Kyla calls the look clean, delicate and airy. Bruno like the chocolate flavour ad the hint of salt. Kyla liked the floral note in the kisses.

Up for Star Baker:  Amanda, Vincent and Aimee

In danger of going home: Caron, Stephen, Dougal

Star Baker: Vincent

Going Home: Caron

Quick Thoughts: Not happy that my hometown girl Caron is going home. I am not too surprised because she was skating on thin ice week after week. With his Star Baker win, Vincent has emerged as the person to go to the final three. Next week is bread week and I am looking forward to seeing what will be the bakes.