shoulders moaning softly. ‘That is absolutely delicious – the flavour is sublime.’ She looked into the camera. ‘And to make up some words for the viewers, I think it is tinglingly citrusy. It is also perfect in appearance, the texture of the pastry is impeccable, as is the lemon custard – I simply cannot find fault with it.’
David nodded. ‘Yes,’ he said. ‘But Nicola did make a chocolate torte, using pastry and filling last week, and I would have liked her to show us a recipe using a different set of skills for the final. Although I have to agree it is simply perfection.’
David picked up a knife to cut Gemma’s lavender polenta cake but Jessica placed her hand on his arm. ‘Let’s look at the appearance before you cut into it,’ she said. ‘I think the outer covering of violet frosting could have been applied a little neater. Unless she was running out of time I would have liked her to take a little more care with the appearance.’
He laughed loudly into the camera. ‘Nah, it looks fine to me.’ He cut a large slice from the cake and handed a fork to Jessica.
They both tasted the cake and Jessica closed her eyes while she rolled the cake around her mouth then swallowed. ‘In my opinion the flavour profile wouldn’t meet everyone’s palate and for me the lavender is a tiny bit overpowering.’
‘Never!’ David argued. ‘The level of flavour is perfect. The texture is light and the concept is creative and bang on trend. And I think it’s very special.’
He gazed into the camera lens and gently teased Jessica. ‘You’re just an old-fashioned fuddy-duddy.’
Jessica drew her eyebrows together in consternation as David placed Simon’s white chocolate and raspberry bread and butter pudding in front of them both.
Swallowing a mouthful of pudding David said, ‘My one criticism with this bake is that Simon has used shop-bought bread which is not what the bake off is all about – he should have at least baked his own bread at home to make it look more rustic.’
Jessica folded her arms under her large bust and challenged him. ‘And was that explained to the contestants before the competition?
David blushed and cleared his throat. ‘I-I’m sure it was, Jessica,’ he said then lifted his shoulders. ‘And in my opinion although the bread and butter pudding does have a good chocolate flavour it’s not special enough for the final.’
‘Hmm,’ Jessica muttered. ‘I think the bread and butter pudding looks delightful and is a traditional bake with a modern twist by using the white chocolate and raspberries. There may be a few too many raspberries but they blend exceptionally well with the white chocolate.’
She stared resolutely at David. ‘My order of results for these three would be the Sicilian lemon tart is the best all-round bake on the table. And a tie for second place between the lavender cake and the bread and butter pudding. If I was absolutely pushed to split them I would give second place to the bread and butter pudding and third for the lavender.’
‘ NO , ’ David shouted in alarm. ‘That’s not right at all…’
Jessica leaned towards him and pursed her thin lips. ‘If you’re not going to take any notice of my opinion why on earth did you ask me to come along and judge?’
‘ CUT , ’ yelled the director. ‘We can’t have this arguing in front of the viewers. We’ll have to scrap that last little bit.’
David shook his head slowly, and anxiously stroked his chin. He apologised to Jessica, whose face was flushed and pinched. ‘Look, let’s go back to the beginning and taste them all again and try to find a compromise,’ he offered, to which she nodded her head in agreement.
***
While Simon and Gemma collapsed spent onto the settee in the hospitality room Nicola escaped into the toilet. She gasped in horror as she looked in the mirror and saw that under her eyes were black with smudged mascara, the foundation on her nose had collected into a
David nodded. ‘Yes,’ he said. ‘But Nicola did make a chocolate torte, using pastry and filling last week, and I would have liked her to show us a recipe using a different set of skills for the final. Although I have to agree it is simply perfection.’
David picked up a knife to cut Gemma’s lavender polenta cake but Jessica placed her hand on his arm. ‘Let’s look at the appearance before you cut into it,’ she said. ‘I think the outer covering of violet frosting could have been applied a little neater. Unless she was running out of time I would have liked her to take a little more care with the appearance.’
He laughed loudly into the camera. ‘Nah, it looks fine to me.’ He cut a large slice from the cake and handed a fork to Jessica.
They both tasted the cake and Jessica closed her eyes while she rolled the cake around her mouth then swallowed. ‘In my opinion the flavour profile wouldn’t meet everyone’s palate and for me the lavender is a tiny bit overpowering.’
‘Never!’ David argued. ‘The level of flavour is perfect. The texture is light and the concept is creative and bang on trend. And I think it’s very special.’
He gazed into the camera lens and gently teased Jessica. ‘You’re just an old-fashioned fuddy-duddy.’
Jessica drew her eyebrows together in consternation as David placed Simon’s white chocolate and raspberry bread and butter pudding in front of them both.
Swallowing a mouthful of pudding David said, ‘My one criticism with this bake is that Simon has used shop-bought bread which is not what the bake off is all about – he should have at least baked his own bread at home to make it look more rustic.’
Jessica folded her arms under her large bust and challenged him. ‘And was that explained to the contestants before the competition?
David blushed and cleared his throat. ‘I-I’m sure it was, Jessica,’ he said then lifted his shoulders. ‘And in my opinion although the bread and butter pudding does have a good chocolate flavour it’s not special enough for the final.’
‘Hmm,’ Jessica muttered. ‘I think the bread and butter pudding looks delightful and is a traditional bake with a modern twist by using the white chocolate and raspberries. There may be a few too many raspberries but they blend exceptionally well with the white chocolate.’
She stared resolutely at David. ‘My order of results for these three would be the Sicilian lemon tart is the best all-round bake on the table. And a tie for second place between the lavender cake and the bread and butter pudding. If I was absolutely pushed to split them I would give second place to the bread and butter pudding and third for the lavender.’
‘ NO , ’ David shouted in alarm. ‘That’s not right at all…’
Jessica leaned towards him and pursed her thin lips. ‘If you’re not going to take any notice of my opinion why on earth did you ask me to come along and judge?’
‘ CUT , ’ yelled the director. ‘We can’t have this arguing in front of the viewers. We’ll have to scrap that last little bit.’
David shook his head slowly, and anxiously stroked his chin. He apologised to Jessica, whose face was flushed and pinched. ‘Look, let’s go back to the beginning and taste them all again and try to find a compromise,’ he offered, to which she nodded her head in agreement.
***
While Simon and Gemma collapsed spent onto the settee in the hospitality room Nicola escaped into the toilet. She gasped in horror as she looked in the mirror and saw that under her eyes were black with smudged mascara, the foundation on her nose had collected into a
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