Show five’s Pie Special proved the value of experience and resulted in the average age of the remaining bakers going up dramatically.
In the Signature Bake, the gang was asked to make a hearty family pie with either flaky or rough puff pastry.
Judge Paul Hollywood was bowled over by Holly’s Stilton, Potato and Caramelised Onion Pie with Flaky Pastry.
“You’ve nailed that taste,” he gushed, before adding to Holly’s delight: “I can’t fault it.”
Holly was so happy she confessed to feeling “a bit sick”.
Paul looked similarly peaky after tasting the results of the Technical Challenge – his own recipe for miniature pork pies with a hot water crust pastry.
He lambasted the pastry on several efforts for being “too thick” and was frequently disappointed by the scarcity of gelatine.
Janet’s effort was deemed the best, with Mary describing it as “homemade and inviting”.
After her first-place finish, Janet admitted that she’d “never made a pork pie and never intended to”. Maybe she should do them more often.
In the Showstopper Challenge, bakers were asked to make a meringue. Janet, riding high after her pork pie success, left Paul visibly stunned with her pie.
On tasting Janet’s meringue, Paul took a step back and looked lost for words. Was this a good or a bad sign?
Finally, he declared: “Janet, that is delicious… I am flabbergasted.”
It was no surprise when Grandmother Janet was named Star Baker for the first time, while the show’s two youngsters Rob and Jason were booted out.