Well - I lied. It's just Sheldon again this week - Alison had a last minute conflict so, with that Sheldon tackles some more learning!

First, the bakes. Sheldon went back to the well for the chocolate chunk salted shortbreads he made a couple weeks back. This time it was for a purpose though. A wedding "cookie table". He was a nervous, these would be eaten by strangers and taken home by folks. He adjusted a few things to make enough cookies and the like... but the result was pretty good!

Then we get into learning - first - a couple of books Sheldon has picked up that get into some great information of the "why" when it comes for baking. Cooks Illustrated - The Science of Good Cooking, and then one Alison recommended - Bakewise, by Shirley Corriher. Very interesting and a great way to up the understanding of what impacts results. The both look to be full of incredible tips.

Now - the masterclass. Four things get tackled: Brattenburg, Tarte au Citron (lemon tart), Italian Focaccia, and the famous brandy snap.

We won't get into the nitty gritty here in the description, but for each we talk about some of Sheldon's learnings and reactions (sooooo much oil for the focaccia!) and most importantly the tips and tricks that Mary and Paul provide that will be valuable to anyone looking to try out these 4 technical challenges.

Next week (hopefully) we start American Bakeoff!!