PLAY THE PIN THERESE!
Get out the Cadbury block, it’s a Kirsten Tibballs elimination challenge in the MasterChef kitchen.
Don’t be fooled by her sweet face and golden curls, this woman is about to set one of the most evil challenges in MasterChef history.
The world-class chocolatier reveals not one, but three hectic desserts that the contestants must make tonight and there’s not an ice cream or granita in sight. “It’s certainly achievable, but there’s a lot of technique involved,” she says with a cackle.
Remember when a croquembouche was the ultimate dessert challenge? Those were the days.
The contestants have three-and-a-half hours to replicate Kirsten’s ruby financier, Style Rebellion lollipop and Exotique mousse cake. The challenge will require the contestants to temper four different chocolates at once – get out the popcorn this is going to be wild.
Will there be chocolatears? #MasterChefAU
— Annabel Astbury 💯 (@AnnabelAstbury) May 11, 2021
To help them in their doomed culinary journey, Tibballs teaches them three techniques that they will need for each recipe – how to screenprint chocolate, how to create a swirled chocolate pattern, and how to create a chocolate lattice tube.
As it turns out, the screen printing is not all that difficult. Therese, Dan and Brent manage to nail their Exotique motifs, while Justin appears to be having some printer problems. In the end, he transfers the decals perfectly. The effect is just stunning which is why we’re adding screen printer to our list of top 10 must-have kitchen appliances for winter.
The swirled cake pops are not quite so simple. This time it’s Dan on struggle street as his cake pops topple one by one, in what is one of the saddest moments in television history.
I haven’t been this upset about a lollipop falling off the stick since I was four years old. #MasterChefAU
— Matt Stephens (@stephensmat) May 11, 2021
Just as shocking is the amount of chocolate that’s being wasted. We’d take one gallon of melted chocolate over three small cake pops any day.
I volunteer as tribute to eat all that leftover chocolate #MasterChefAU
— Lynn K. (@_lynnnnk) May 11, 2021
Meanwhile, Therese’s tempered chocolate begins to set before she can even use it, causing her pops to turn out lumpy and misshapen. Play the pin Therese!
Therese moves on to her financier. Her ruby chocolate lattice tube turns out too thick, while her peanut butter and jelly cream is just plain messy. Play the pin Therese.
After removing her Exotique cake from the blast chiller, Therese discovers she has applied her decal the wrong way and the pattern hasn’t transferred. With just minutes left on the clock, she also doesn’t have time to make her mirror glaze. PLAY THE GOD DAMN PIN THERESE! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? PLAY IT NOW! NOW! NOW! NOW!
sorry to my downstairs neighbour who can probably currently hear me yelling at Therese to play her pin #MasterChefAU
— ellen (@brutalkind) May 11, 2021
Jock starts counting down the final seconds and we cannot even watch. Therese asks the gantry, “should I play it?” Everyone shouts “YES!” Australia shouts “YES!” She doesn’t play it.
And that’s it, the challenge is over. It’s almost certain doom for this season’s dessert queen.
I wish I had the confidence of a contestant who messed up every single element and still thinks they can win #MasterChefAU
— leakelodeon (@Asamishair) May 11, 2021
Perhaps she doubted the capabilities of Brent, Justin and Dan, but as it turns out, all three plated up winning renditions of Tibball’s cursed challenge.
Andy you were an electrician back in the day. If anyone shouldn’t underestimate tradies it’s you dude. #MasterChefAU
— Basmah (@Laceeandlattes) May 11, 2021
The inevitable happens, Therese is sent home and she’s the only one that can’t believe it.
The rest of us spend the night with our face in a paper bag, until we’ve calmed down enough to go to bed.
So there you have it, an episode that will go down in MasterChef history, along with John’s white chocolate veloute and Cecilia’s parsnip tribute to her son Nathan.
Related recipes: 100 chocolate desserts that are always a good idea
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