Crikey this weekend if going to be hectic and somewhat time consuming.  I’m due to visit my parents again so I’m going to have to be very strict with my time. What with making fill pastry and grilling a cake it’s going to mean a few early mornings I think!

Signature Bake: Baklava (12 x 2 flavours)
Why do they have to start making things complicated of rate signature bake now?  I mean I know it s the semi final but 2 flavours of baklava is a bit ambitious. Hopefully last weeks adventures with the bread dough for the last weeks Povitica will help with the filo rolling.

Key points:

1. The syrup needs to bind together the filling making a sticky sweet delicacy.
2. To achieve a good thin filo pastry is to have a nice and stretchy dough.
3. Work quickly because the thinner you go the more fragile it gets, plus it starts to dry out and breaks.  Speed is of the essence.

I have made this once before, the rolled variety like the ones the once that Richard made, although mine was with walnuts.  This time I’m planning to do something with pistachios which is one of my favourites, I almost lost count the amount of pistachio gelato I had last week! I also have loads of flaked almonds in the cupboard so that will have to be the other flavour.

Technical Challenge: German Schichttorte
First things first, 20 layers! I say again 20 layers and all cooked under a grill!! I’ve never heard of a cake cooked under a grill so this is not only going to be new one not he taste buds but also my culinery skills. In theory this sounds like a bit of a pancake mix baked in fine layers to different colours.

Key points:

1. The grill needs to be high, it needs to watched closely to achieve the alternating colours throughout.
2. To achieve the wafer thin coloured layers it needs be grilled alternately for different times.
3. Make sure that every thing is cooled before pouring over the glaze.

This is the one that is going to take me the most time to bake and the most concentration draining me thinks!  Basically this is going to be German efficiency in cake form!

Showstopper Challenge: Entremets (12 x 2 flavours)
Fancy french fancies polished to perfection. Multi layered, with subtle flavours made with multiple textures and techniques! They need to be elegant, precise and beautiful small cakes. In a short it needs to be an edible work of art!

I’m glad that I don’t have to do these this weekend too, but that doesn’t mean I won’t be attempting these in the future!

My favourites this episode:

1. Richard, he is my favourite to win. I loved the look of his pistachio baklavas and once again his patterned sponge, genius.
2. Nancy, once again marching to the beat of her own drum and trying something new.  Muesli baklava, clever, and ganache covered entremets, simply brave.
3. Luis, in the words of Tom Aiken, his chocolate and cherry entremets were divine mix of ingredients.  He may have fell short on his signature bake but the technical was pristine.

Chetna was one of my favourites to win, and it after her failure in the technical I had a feeling that she would be going. Throughout the series she has been consistent with her flavours, and always managed to impress with combine the traditional with the new.

This weekends bake is certainly going to exercise the grey cells, if not gain me a few more grey hairs!