Dessert Masters Recap Episode 8: Two contestants sent home

It’s episode eight of Dessert Masters 2023 and in a festive twist, the contestants stepped into the kitchen to discover a Christmas wonderland.

Greeted by Mel Leong and Amaury Guichon, their excitement was heightened as Curtis Stone made a grand entrance, bearing a sack of presents.

Assuming the role of Santa, Curtis bestowed upon each contestant a fruit that must serve as a centrepiece in their Christmas-inspired creation.

With only two hours on the clock, the two least impressive dishes would send their makers home.

Mel Leong, Amaury Guichon and Curtis Stone. Dessert Masters, Ten

The Creations

Kay-Lene Tan

Kay-Lene received a gift of bananas and courageously ventured outside her comfort zone to bake a cake.

Despite a nail-biting moment when the cake teetered on the brink of collapse, Amaury praised her culinary masterpiece for beautifully capturing the spirit of Christmas, commending her exceptional speed and skill.

Curtis acknowledged the challenging task of incorporating bananas into a holiday dessert, appreciating the level of difficulty tackled by Kay-Lene.

Reynold Poernomo

Reynold was challenged to showcase passionfruit and began to create a Christmas bauble that called for a flawlessly crafted sugar glass sphere with the fate of his entire dish hinging on the success of this element.

Despite two failed attempts, the third emerged beautifully. He then proceeded to enrobe the sphere with a luscious coat of chocolate and commenced filling it with cream. However, the cream proved excessively thick, causing the sphere to split into two.

Not allowing his pride to cloud his judgment, in the final moments of the cook, he swiftly took off his Immunity Pin and retreated to the safety of the gantry.

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Andy Bowdy

Andy took on a grand undertaking with gifted strawberries, crafting a family-sized traditional trifle that encapsulated the true essence of Christmas. However, the challenge lay in the presentation, or rather lack thereof.

Amaury urged Andy to showcase mastery across multiple skill sets, yet Andy chose to adhere to the traditional trifle presentation.

Upon tasting, Mel observed that the dish exuded a festive aura, yet amidst the other desserts, Andy’s creation ranked among the lower tier.

Anna Polyviou

Anna aimed to showcase her tender side to the judges by crafting a trifle with a Greek twist, featuring luscious blackberries.

Despite its visually pleasing presentation and the judges’ appreciation for the olive oil sorbet’s flavour, the frozen gel aspect failed to impress any of them.

Furthermore, Anna’s lacklustre offering of a single champagne glass of dessert to be shared among the three judges fell short of their expectations for a generous and consistent dining experience.