Game of Scones: How did Stacey do on Italian week?

Having escaped elimination by the skin of her teeth last week, Stacey was understandably anxious as the contestants took part in the first ever Italian week on the show.

The first challenge asked the bakers to make 18 Sicilian classical cannoli with three different fillings. Inspired by her favourite desserts, Stacey decided to produce custard and raspberry jam cannoli, lemon cheesecake and white chocolate cannoli and a tiramisu version. But while her flavours hit the mark, her cocoa infused pastry was criticised for being chewy, doughy and underdone.

Prue’s technical challenge called on the contestants to reproduce the perfect margherita pizza. While a seemingly simple task, Stacey’s version was slammed for being too thick, under seasoned and not very exciting to eat. She ranked in fourth place (of six remaining bakers).

The final job of the day was to make 24 sfogliatelle; shell shaped filled Italian pastries originating from Campania and billed as the most complex challenge ever set on Bake Off. Stacey decided to fill half of hers with orange, sultana and chocolate and the others with a praline cream and nuts, both lined with a choux pastry to help the puffiness of the finished product. However, the proof, quite literally, is in the pudding and hers sadly failed to wow the judges, with poor lamination and a runny, overfilled choux leaving her once again clinging on tentatively to her place in the tent.

Saved at least in part by the greater failings of a couple of her co-contestants, our Stacey returns to fight another week and we will be cheering her all the way.

You can watch this week’s episode of the Great British Bake Off here: https://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-great-british-bake-off/on-demand/66406-007