The Great American Baking Show Semi-Finals Recap: Patisserie Week

This week on The Great American Baking Show, the final three bakers said bonjour to three patisserie challenges in order to progress to the finals.

This week’s episode of The Great American Baking Show opened with Nia Vardalos speaking French, and that was enough for us all to figure out that this week would feature French baked goods. Welcome to patisserie week, and let’s recap.

To kick things off, Mary and Johnny assigned the last three bakers to make 24 petits fours, which are little cakes with filling and covered with fondant or icing. All three bakers made two types, so we suspect that was a requirement that just didn’t make it into the final cut of the episode. Everyone had two and a half hours.

Johnny informed us that they wanted “precision, precision, precision,” and yours truly was sad that he didn’t bother to even say it en francais. Mary Berry, being that she is Mary Berry, said that an “awful lot can go wrong”, which sounds like every other challenge on this show, but that’s why we’re not judging this show.

Stephanie decided to bake and cut a thicker cake, while Amanda and Jennie made thinner cakes. Then came the fondant-making, with Johnny looming in the corner just to add on some pressure.

Stephanie’s petits fours. Image is a still from The Great American Baking Show via ABC.

Signature Challenge Results

• Stephanie: Rosemary Olive Oil and Chocolate Hazelnut Petits Fours. Pass. “Very professional,” declared Mary, especially with the fondant on the side.
• Jennie: Honey Walnut and Lemon Kiwi Petits Fours. Pass-ish. The lemon one didn’t have enough filling, but the honey walnut was good.
• Amanda: Mother Daughter Tea Party Petits Fours. Pass. The lemon cucumber didn’t go over as well, but the peanut butter and jelly one earned praise from Johnny for how it didn’t hide its flavors.

For the Technical, Johnny threw a curveball at the bakers in the form of a deep fryer. Everyone had to make one dozen (twelve, not thirteen) crullers. That’s right: doughnut time. 90 minutes were given to make choux pastry, cool it, fry it, and then also make a glaze. Of course, Johnny failed to mention what temperature to fry the donuts at, which is serious business.

(It’s 375 degrees, by the way, for all you amateur doughnut makers out there.) People worried about the general shape of their crullers. To put a hole or not to put a hole in the center? That is the question.

Johnny’s crullers. Mmm, doughnuts. Still from the Great American Baking Show. Image via ABC.

Technical Challenge Results

• 3rd: Stephanie. No hole in the doughnuts, and some slightly undercooked ones as well.
• 2nd: Jennie. Her glaze was just too thick.
• 1st: Amanda. “How ’bout that then?” asked Mary, clearly pleased with the cruller experience.

In the pre-Showstopper discussion, Johnny and Mary admitted that Amanda probably had an edge on Jennie and Stephanie, but only a very slight one. As per usual, it comes down to the Showstopper.

With four hours of time, the bakers had to produce one large, “sharing size” mille-feuille, also known as the Napoleon. It’s layers of puff pastry with cream in between, and it’s fiendishly difficult. Both Mary and Johnny emphasized that the puff pastry is really the make-or-break component here.

During the consultation time, no one had to teach Mary any interesting flavors. However, there was another prime example of Johnny’s judging face.

Still from The Great American Baking Show. Image via ABC.

That’s his reaction to Jennie telling him she was just not going to worry about her sliced strawberries bleeding onto her pastry cream in between her layers of pastry. That is a face of judgment.

Amanda took on the extra task of making pear gelatin for one of her layers. Stephanie chose to caramelize bananas as her bonus component. Everyone also did some oven kneeling to make sure their puff pastry wasn’t too puffed up. Stephanie nearly had an accident with getting her pan out of the oven, but saved the day with some quick reflexes.

Showstopper Challenge Results

From the Great American Baking Show. Image via ABC.

• Stephanie: Banana Cream Pie Mille-Feuille. “Very appealing,” said Mary, who was also very much into the cinnamon puff pastry.
• Jennie: Strawberries and Cream Mille-Feuille. Great flavor, but it was underdone in the middle, and that’s never good.

Amanda’s mille-feuille. Image via The Great American Baking Show on ABC.

• Amanda: Blackberry and Pear Mille-Feuille. Apparently Johnny has never seen pear gelatin that green, though that color looks awfully familiar. Her flavors were missing.

Ultimately, Stephanie won the Star Baker award, with the Showstopper clearly pushing her over the top. Jennie ended up going home just short of the finals.

Next: Sherlock: Three Questions for The Lying Detective

The Great American Baking Show will air its season finale next week.