DreamLyrics™ Play-by-Post Forums Modern/Historical DUC: Durham University Campus DUC: Tuesday - Bake Off morning and evening Fun Disco

Everyone eventually emerges, grabs breakfast at the cafeteria and heads for the Bake Off competition which has been set up by Hilary and the two other organisers, Tom & Becky. They are waiting in the Domestic Science rooms for you to arrive. There is a big room with four cooking sections: work bench with small sink, various equipment, oven and a shel with ingredients. The larger part of the room has tiered seating so people could watch demonstrations.

Each of the four cooking stations has the name of one of the four universities on the front of the workbench. Reading left to right, it says Teeside, York. Durham, Newcastle. So there is a team from each. Each of the contestants are asked togather before their bench.

Teeside's team consists of Carla, Wendy and Natalie
Your team is Ian, Emma and Miranda.
Durham's team is Russel, Kath and Kayla.
Newcastle's team is Sarah, Tony and Ashley

Quite a few of the supporters and competitors have come along to watch and you recognise a number of them particularly Gordon & Linda who look much happier. You are pleased to see Mr Harding and Miss Beech, Ross & Beech, Janine & Penny are attending, presumably to support the York team.

Tom takes control explaining the set up whilst Hilary and Becky demonstrate the equipent, ingredients etc as he refers to them.

"Welcome all. Good to see you all. This is meant to be a bit of fun, so don't get two hung up on trying to achieve Michelin status." He chuckles. "Hopefully though by the end we will have some freshly baked treats to sample along with our tea and coffee at the end. This competition is in three rounds. All ingredients are provided and you can utilise any of the equipment on your benches. The first round challenge will be to bake a cake, any flavour, any decoration. Second round is a technical challenge which will be announced at the start of that round. And the Third round will be to make any kind of dessert. We will allow the contestants a few minutes to decide who will compete in each of the rounds. And I will be talking to each of the contestants about their plans as they cook. Applause is not only encouraged but mandated. You will have 45 minutes for the first round, 25 minutes for the second and an hour for the final round. Any questions?"

Ian

"Alright ladies. Who goes first? First round is a cake. Any suggestions?"

Miranda smiles at Emma & Ian.

"I don't mind taking the cake round if no-one else wants it. Probably my strength out of the three."

Emma

She nods. "That's fine with me. Ian, do you want technical or desserts?" Both had some fun opportunities to go with them. It would be fun to see what everyone came up with.

Miranda starts thinking hard about what she can do in the time. Getting a plan together in her head.

Levon

"Speed baking. This should be interesting. I wonder what they're gonna bake."

{Skye}

"More importantly - do we get to eat it if it is good?" She nudged Levon as they watched.

Emma

She grinned at her teammates, "Even if it is not good you need to cheer like it is the best thing you have ever eaten."

Ian

Ian laughs then turns to Emma. "I was thinking a Creme Bruele for dessert. Not sure what they'd require for a Technical competition. Except it might be best if you do that since I muddle my way through most recipes."

Emma

"Technical it is then!" Emma wondered what the technical part of the competition might be.

The teams have all decided who is doing what and the two competitors for rounds 2 and 3 are directed to some benches set to the side of the cooking area. Those competing in round 1 move to stand by their designated bench.

Miranda looks around to see who is in her round. To her right she recognises Natalie, one of the competitors from Teeside. Looking left, she doesn't recognise the girl there and then at the end is Sarah who she gives a little wave, receiving one in return. Turning towards her team and then to her York supporters, she gives a little closed fist victory sign, though she doesn't look as confident as her signal suggests.

In the audience a hush descends as Tom steps forward. Unsurprisingly the largest section of the audience is Durham's. Not only are they the home team but they also have a mascot on display. It is a large light brown cow with a name tag 'Duncan' hanging around its neck.

"Good luck contestants. You have 45 minutes. Let's bake!"

He clicks the stopwatch he is holding.

Firstly Miranda turns on the oven, then, she adds starts to reach for a number of ingredients. Weighing and adding butter and sugan to her mixing bowl. Whilst the machine slowly churns, she cracks two eggs into a cup and then weighs out some flour. She uis quite focused and does look as if she has done this before.

The other three girls also look organised.

Miranda adds the eggs letting them mix in and then adds the flour a little at a time. Still with the machine on a low setting, she takes two oranges, juicing them and adding athat to the mix, also grating in some zest. Greasing and flouring two small baking tins, she adds have of her mixture to each. Checking the oven which isn't quite there, she gets out a cutting board and sets out a sharp knife and the last two oranges. She also gets out another bowl and a large carton of cream.

Then in goes her cake, and she checks to make sure the oven door is closed properly. Her attention then turns back to her oranges ans she starts to cut small cresent sections carefully.

Levon
"Just a nibble for me later. I'm still scheduled to compete,' he said as he casually stroked Skye's silky hair.

Henri

It is a rough morning for him as he overdid drinking last night, again. Late to the cafeteria, he manages to eat some food along with some aspirin to try and take the edge off of his headache and hangover.
He smiles and waves towards Miranda and the York team as they start the bake challenge. He gets a sense that Miranda is not too happy with him at his excessive drinking last night. He can not remember much of it.

His gaze slowly lowers towards the floor as time moves on, his head in a slight bow while he decides to stay sober for the rest of their trip here.

Miranda is intent on her cake. Whilst it is in the oven, she prepares an orange & lemon cream for the middle and the top, whisking it to stiff peaks, and carefully cuts some orange pieces for decoration. She constantly moves to the oven to check on her cakes, enentually happy they have cooked.

Taking them out she leaves them for a moment and then turns them out onto a baking tray to cool. She goes to look for a suitably sized plate, returning to fan her cake halves until they have cooled, constantly checking the clock for time. A little ahead of when she might have liked, she adds the cream to the top of one then carefully lifts the second one on top, carefully letting it softly settle and then adds more of the cream to the top. Time is almost up as she quickly adds some pieces of orange.

Emma

Emma cheered at the final result. It looked absolutely amazing. "Miranda, that is a wonderful looking cake... " A look around at the other entries, "It's going to be hard for the judges, but I am sure that it's going your way."

{Skye}

She didn't really appreciate being "petted" by Levon and only allowed a few strokes before she tousled her hair a little. Skye hoped he'd get the hint - though she wasn't too annoyed with him. They had stolen away again after the night of partying. A drunken roll in the hay always made some things more forgivable.

Skye was a bit fascinated by watching the competition. She'd gone through a short phase of watching Iron Chef and shows like that - but it was different to be in person. So much to see in the background and not be limited by a camera. As Miranda finished up her cake, Skye clapped her encouragement along with the others. She also found herself a little hungrier than expected.

"Go Girl!"

Miranda too is encouraged and looks around at the others. She thinks she is in with a chance but it will depend on the tasting.

The three reps step forward.

"Now we are going to taste."

The move to each workspace and cut a small slice of each cake, then dividing it into three, each having a taste. After that they huddle for a few seconds, whispering to each other.

"All the cakes are good but the winner is Miranda for the York team!"

They applaud along with the other contestants. Miranda blushes but looks as pleased as punch.

"If the teams will continue to sit together, they can place their cakes on the shelf at the back for now. Can the first bakers clean their worktops and then swap with the technical round contestants."

There is a bit of shuffling around as this takes place.

"And now for the technical round. You have 25 minutes to produce a savoury omlette. It can have any filling. Good luck!"

Levon

He pulls back from Skye recognizing that she was no longer in a mood to be fondled like that. It was nothing but hey, such are things.

"Hey Miranda? Don't we get to taste the winner? You go!"

Emma

Omelette. Right. Emma waved at Miranda as she moved forward and scanned the ingredients. Okay, 25 minutes? The eggs would only take a few to cook, so the prep should be on the filling first. Looking around, she saw the basics, ham, sausage a variety of cheeses... and... ah... some smoked salmon. Okay, Emma knew what she was going to do, a Smoked Salmon and Crème Fraîche omelette.

That would make it stand out, she hoped, from the other entries. She got out the Gruyère and grated what should be enough... and began working quickly and methodically on the inside filling. Finely chopping the chives, dill, and prepping the Crème Fraîche.

She should have enough time... as long as things went smoothly.

When she finished she plated, using a small bit of Crème Fraîche to make a little design on the omelette. The omelette itself was simple, she was counting on the difference for the filling to set her apart more than the loveliness of the finished egg dish.

{Skye}

A big round of applause for Miranda winning, but then Skye leaned over to Leon. "Damn, I thought we'd get to try it too. Now I'm getting hungry." She laughed and then whistled for Emma. "Yay. Go Yorkies!"

By the time Emma completed her omelette, Skye was definitely hungry.

Henri

With the omelet's cooking, it is definitely making him hungry. He cheers Miranda on as she plates the food.

The aromas circulating the room are making everyone hungry but the judges had said there would be tastings after the heats.

The judges seem to be having more difficulty choosing this time. They are trying to decide between Emma's and Tony's.

Eventually they turn towards the audience.

"This round was close with Tony from Newcastle just edging ahead of Emma from York."

Tony's omlette was a mushroom and cheese flavour and did look and smell good.

Again time is allowed for a brief clear up and then the third round contestants are invited to their work stations for the last round - dessert!

"Right you all have an hour to make us the most delicious dessert. Good luck!"

Ian

Ian’s nervously stepped up to the stage. Wanting a lighter, airier dessert that could be prepared and chilled rapidly, he decided on a dark chocolate mousse. To bypass the traditional multi-hour wait, he leveraged the freezer's intense cold for a quick-chill step, setting the mousse in a fraction of the time without compromising its velvety texture.

Phase 1: The Salted Thyme Shortbread Shards

Ian prepared the shortbread first so it could bake and cool completely while the mousse was being chilled.

Cream the Base: In the bowl of his stand mixer, Ian beat ½ cup (1 stick) of softened unsalted butter with ⅓ cup of powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon of freshly chopped thyme leaves until light and fluffy.

Form the Dough: He sifted in 1 cup of all-purpose flour and ¼ teaspoon of fine sea salt, mixing on low speed just until a cohesive dough came together.

Roll and Chill: Rolling the dough between two sheets of parchment paper to an even ⅛-inch thickness, he slid it into the refrigerator for 15 minutes to firm up.

Bake: Ian preheated the oven to 350°F (175°C). He stripped off the top sheet of parchment, sprinkled the dough with ½ teaspoon of flaky sea salt (pressing it gently into the surface), and baked for 12 to 14 minutes until golden around the edges.

Shatter: Once cooled on a wire rack, he snapped the shortbread into angular, rustic shards.

Phase 2: The Fast-Set Chocolate Mousse

To ensure the mousse whipped up high and set rapidly, Ian made sure his chocolate base was smooth and his cream cold.

Melt the 70% Dark Chocolate: Over a double boiler set over barely simmering water, Ian gently melted 6 ounces of chopped bittersweet chocolate (60–70% cacao) with 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter and a pinch of fine salt. Once smooth and glossy, he removed it from heat to cool slightly until warm to the touch (around 105°F/40°C).

Whip the Cream: In a chilled bowl, Ian whipped 1 cup of heavy cream with 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar until soft peaks formed.

Whip the Whites: In another spotless bowl, he whipped 3 egg whites until soft peaks formed, then gradually added 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar, continuing to whip until stiff, glossy peaks held their shape.

Fold and Combine: Ian whisked one-third of the whipped cream into the melted chocolate to loosen the texture. Next, he gently folded in the egg whites using a rubber spatula until no white streaks remained, finishing by folding in the remaining whipped cream. The mixture was light, airy, and rich.

Flash-Set in the Freezer: Ian spooned or piped the mousse into individual glass coupes or ramekins. He arranged them on a chilled baking sheet and placed them directly into the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes. The high surface area and extreme cold flash-chilled the butter fat and cocoa butter, rapidly setting the mousse into a light, stable foam without ice crystals forming.

Phase 3: The Spiced Blackberry-Sumac Compote

While the mousse underwent its rapid freeze, Ian built the bright, tart fruit topping on the stovetop.

Simmer: In a small saucepan over medium heat, Ian combined 2 cups of fresh blackberries, 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of ground sumac, and a pinch of ground cinnamon.

Reduce: He used a spoon to crush half of the berries, releasing their juices. He simmered the mixture for 8 minutes until it thickened into a glossy, ruby syrup surrounding soft whole berries.

Finish: Off the heat, he stirred in an extra ½ teaspoon of ground sumac for a final burst of tartness, then set the compote aside to cool down to room temperature.

Phase 4: Plating and Assembly

Retrieve the Mousse: Ian checked the coupes in the freezer—after 20 minutes, the tops were set and firm to a gentle touch, with a cloud-like interior texture. He transferred them to the counter.

Spoon the Compote: He spooned a warm-to-room-temperature mound of the Spiced Blackberry-Sumac Compote directly over the chilled mousse, creating a vivid contrast against the dark cacao.

Garnish: Ian tucked a Salted Thyme Shortbread Shard upright into each serving, sprinkling a few delicate fresh thyme leaves over the compote before serving.

Ian carried the finished coupes of mousse to the table.

[OOC Might want a rethink. You only have 1 hour total so 4 hours setting time is out of the window! And Ian would be using dark chocolate in the UK. ]

Neptune: Nor mine!

{Skye}

She gave her friend a big hug as she returned to the group. "Aw hon. So close - but now I'm convinced that you are in charge of breakfast when we get back home." Skye gave her a big teasing smile.

Ian was next up - and his project took a bit longer -- so there was a lot more chatter within the group about the other contestants. Who they'd want to try and Skye had to ask where they were having the next real meal. Finally the incredible smells of Ian's dessert hit her and she leaned in. "Really -- when do we get to eat."

OOC: Entry altered to comply with the hour: New Recipe

[OOC: Ta ]

The three judges move along the work benches examining and tasting the desserts. Ian stands by his clocolate mousse with berry compot. To his right is Wendy from Teeside. She has made a strawberry cheesecake.

To his immediate left is Kayla, one of the female competitors from Durham who beat Sarah in the first round. She has made cannolis.

Finally completing the line up is Ashley from Newcastle, a competitor and part of Sarah & Tony's baking team. She had beaten Miranda in round 1. Her offering is lemon bars.


They have quite a discussion which seems to be between Ian's mousse and the strawberry cheesecake. Hilary steps forward. "And the win goes to the chocolate mousse, giving the York team two first places and a second which makes them the overall winners!"

She leads the applause. Meanwhile the other two judges have put out small plates and forks/spoons, moving all the food items to one table alongside them.

"Now we come to the best bit, sampling these delights. There is a coffee machine over there with a bowl of tokens. Help yourselves to tea, coffee or hot chocolate to accompany your choice of delight. York contingent we'd like you to come up and choose your preference. Please take sparingly and leave enough for everyone else."

Ian

Ian smiles triumphantly when they announce the winner. He looks to his teammates "Great job everyone. Thank you Emma for reminding me of the Compote."

He heads to the tables to get a few samples.

Miranda is beaming. She disn't win her martial arts round but at least they got a team win here.

"Great job everyone!"

Henri

He gives a big round of applause and a loud cheer to their team for winning the baking competition.

Walking over he will give Miranda an euthanasic hug, a more polite hug for Emma, and shakes Ian's hand as he says to each, "Congratulations!"

Emma

Emma hugs Henri back, a tight one. They nearly died together, no formality needed, and then hugged Miranda and Ian just as tightly. "way to go Ian!"

Miranda hugs Henri back, enjoying the feel of his arms around her. Makes her feel warm and safe. She smiles at him as he moves to Emma.

"Well that was good fun! I want to try some of Ian's and Emma's, maybe a little of each to leave some for the others? Way to go York!"

It is a good feeling being part of the winning team. She hopes both Skye and Levon get that opportunity in the heats. All in all this is fast becoming a favourite part of her life.