Flour Power

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Up and down the country, people are going bake sale crazy. -

All

Oh! -No way!

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So what happens when you take one business... I want to win.

laughing

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Add four competitive colleagues... -Just rude. -

women laughing

This is for the win.

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Cook at home on a high heat...

gasps

The oven's not on!

laughing

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Once boiling point is reached... That's what I've not put in it! I put white chocolate in it!

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Fold in a helping of critical judges... Shame to say, it is quite bland.

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And colleagues- It looks like it's something that's fallen out the ceiling.

all laughing

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Then add a dash of cake hungry crowd, and a sprinkle of nerves.

sighing

The result, one worthy winner. Today it's an international affair. I'm worried now, I'm worried now.

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As four colleagues do battle. Can you put sugar in the microwave?

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But whose cake will be top of the class? The winner... is...

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We're in Glasgow, one of Europe's most exciting and friendly cities. It's no surprise that Glasgow has a culturally diverse society as people from all over the world migrate here to call it their home. Our bake sale battle today is a multi-cultural medley as four colleagues from this language school try to out cook each other. Over 1000 students attend Live Language every year and since opening in 2002 they've taught 90 different nationalities.

speaking Arabic

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They offer courses in 18 languages, helping students to improve their studies and job prospects, learning everything from Chinese to Russian. The most popular, obviously, Japanese, Italian, and Spanish.

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The international workforce here love introducing each other to tasty treats from their homeland, so the school's often stuffed with sweet delights. First up is Arabic language teacher Ruba. Originally from Syria, she's a published poet and a keen cake maker. All the teachers, those who can bake, they bake here and we share the cakes. At least you have a cake from Japan, a cake from Lebanon, a cake from Syria, a cake from Europe. Different languages, different cultures, different cakes. Flour Power,

speaking Arabic

.

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Next up is the rookie cake maker of the contest. English teacher Marcus might be a favorite with the school's students but can he pull off an A grade cake? Um, I've been baking for three days now, I haven't baked since I was 12. What's this, guys? Se-se-se. I can't remember what I did, actually, I think it was scones. So today we're gonna talk about how to build up your vocabulary. Tatiana, she frightens me, not when it comes to baking, though, but she's good, she's practiced. It's gonna help. She's gonna make something traditional from Russia, I think it's her grandmother's recipe. Cheating a wee bit there, maybe.

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Student Services Administrator, Tatiana, has high hopes for her Russian hand-me-down recipe. Good morning, Live Language, Tatiana speaking. Baking, it's from my family. My grandmother was baking a lot and I grew up on her baking, so I have a very good memory about my granny.

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00. Nana, obviously, she's the Number One because we can see here every day at the coffee shop, she bakes every day so I think she will be the winner for sure.

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That's some accolade. School cafe manager, Lebanese Nana, loves to cook. To her, baking is an art. Who's next? My name is Nana, I am running the cafe. I cooking vegetarian food, sometimes they ask me to make some fast food. I do this, but I prefer to offer them the healthy food. Enjoy! I hope I will win and, because I... I will bake from my heart.

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Well, as they say, every day is a school day, but who do the language lot think will get top marks from our judges? What do you think about Ruba and Nana? I think the most experienced, Nana, of course. She is doing coffee shop, she's baking every day. We expect that we'll have something very nice from Tatiana. I think that Marcus, we'll be surprised to see him doing something different. All the time you asked him, "What are you going to do?", he said "Hmm, hmm, I'll see." I can read it in his eyes, he's doing something really, really, really good. I don't think I'm gonna win, I'll try my best. Do you think you're... do you think you could take this? Don't know, we will see. The best will win, will win at the end. -Cheers. -Oh!

laughing

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There's no time for cake testing, you've got to get cake making. With less than 24 hours until tomorrow's big charity bake sale, they need to don their aprons and dig out their wooden spoons.

Marcus

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I'm only doing it because my students said, "Marcus, you're rubbish at baking" so, I thought, I'll show them and I'll show I'll make Scotland proud, so I chose maybe one of the most historic monuments in Scotland, and I thought I'll make a chocolate Wallace.

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Now there's a phrase you don't often hear. Marcus has an ambitious plan to recreate the Wallace Monument in the form of a cake. He'll create his tower from sponge and then he'll use chocolate buttercream icing for the facade. Rookie Marcus starts making his sponge by creaming the butter and the sugar together. This is a passion of mine, I'm passionate about this. So, I do this all the time. I've done it for three days now, and it's just, it's very important to me. It's terribly important. It's just terrible.

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Oh, dear, mixture overboard. That's the three second rule, I'm not allowed to pick that up anymore, am I? -

laughing

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-

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Definitely not, Marcus. Confident cook Nana would not be impressed. Do you know, I feel that I will win because it's not cake, it's not cookies. Other people knows these kinds of sweet, but this one is completely different and healthy. Maybe I will win. I think I will win.

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Nana is hoping her traditional baklava will secure her the top spot. The sweet dessert is made with phyllo pastry, homemade syrup, and nuts. Before baking, she likes to have everything organized. This could take some time. While Nana continues to set up, over in Tatiana's kitchen, she's not alone. We're cooking together because we want to support each other. And we inspire each other. -Just to give a good- -Yes. Emotional support. -Yes, that's right. -

Tatiana laughing

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Are you sure it's not so you can spy on each other, ladies? I started baking with my grandmamma, that's why I'm doing her cake.

speaking Russian

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Tatiana is making a cake she named after her grandma Galina. To make this Russian shortbread cake, Tatiana will first make up her dough using butter, sugar, eggs, and flour. To help her dough rise, she's adding baking soda mixed with lemon juice. My mom was visiting me and we spoke about this competition. We passed through my grandma's recipe book and I found this recipe. -Ruba, how, how do you do? -I don't know- -Don't look, don't look! -Oh, no! Oh, I won't be stealing your ideas! You will steal it! Well, you will see later, don't look now.

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Well, she's bound to see what you're doing, you're sharing a kitchen. Ruba's big secret is a chocolate cake which she'll decorate with colorful treats. She starts by mixing eggs, flour, baking powder, and vanilla extract.

Ruba

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I think that this would be the best cake I ever made in my life. Don't you think that Marcus will surprise us?

Tatiana

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Oh yes, he promised to.

laughing

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He promised to, he's doing something very strange.

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That he is, Ruba. It's an ancient family recipe which I copied and pasted from BBC website on Monday.

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Beating eggs into his sponge mixture, Marcus is considering the competition. All the ladies are very thin, have you noticed that? Never trust a thin baker. Success!

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Nana has finally got herself prepared and is starting by blending together walnuts and her homemade syrup. We learn it from our grand-grand-grandfather and especially for the baklava. The orange flower essence and the rose water, when you add it for it, that gives a special taste and no one can find it in any supermarket. I have to make it.

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Back with the kitchen double act. While Tatiana continues kneading the shortbread dough for her Galina cake, Ruba is making her chocolate topping. So, now I'm going to cut that chocolate into pieces. This is the chocolate, I'm going to melt it and put it on the surface of the cake, the chocolate cake and be very careful not to burn it. Dough is resting now, we leave it for 10 minutes.

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Meanwhile, Marcus is starting to feel the pressure.

Marcus

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What makes a good cake? I've no idea. I don't know, somebody else's. Look at that. Really not important what it looks like now, because... I'll do-- I'll just cut it up when it's done. As long as it cooks.

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Yes, you don't want to be serving raw cake to our series judge Nichola Reith. Helping to run a successful baking business, she's become fluent in the language of deliciousness. -It needs to be really good. -

Callum

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Really good.

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And joining Nichola today, with his professional palate also at the ready, is local baker and cafe owner, Callum Bryce. I don't be overcritical of people, but... you've gotta be honest.

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Back with our cake making colleagues, Marcus' monumental sponges are going into the oven. Job done.

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While Tatiana is feeling a bit more confident. For the beginning I was very nervous but now I can see the consistency of my dough and I think I am okay. I think I am absolutely fine.

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Nana has added her syrup and nut mixture to her phyllo pastry, which she'll roll up tight, ready for baking. Okay, that's better, yes. Now, this is the way. I have to do this, I need to have this shape. Do you think that Marcus will be a tidy baker, Tatiana? I kind of doubt, I think in general, men are not very tidy people, sorry to say, so I think he will be doing a little bit of mess. But it's okay, it's fine.

Marcus

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This is artistic part. I've tried this a couple of times, I've not actually managed to do it properly yet. These are the wee turrets that are on top of the old Wallace Monument. I don't know if the other ones have got turrets, I've got 'em. I came up with this all by myself, I don't think anyone's ever done this before.

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There's probably a reason for that. Needs more time now. Um, more time, yeah. Just wait.

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Fully rested, Tatiana is now prepping her dough for the oven.

Tatiana

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It's, again, secrets from my grandma. She says this is the most important to do. Give a bit of air while the cake will be baking.

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Back with Nana and it's abracadabra baklava. That's my magic stick. I take it from the clothes hang, then to use it in my recipe, in my baklava. That's why, I can't find it in the supermarket then I have to find the other way, then I found it. This is magic stick. You don't know this. Makes beautiful baklava.

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I don't think Harry Potter's got anything to be worried about, but Marcus might have, as chopping up wafer cones is proving tricky. Victory, I'm gonna win this. Nana's gets food poisoning.

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Naughty. I wait until it becomes colder, then I put the chocolate sauce on it, then decorate it and just serve it.

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While Ruba's cake is baked, Tatiana is only just putting her shortbread into the oven.

Tatiana

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I think it should be there for 20 minutes, but my granny wrote until it's the color, it will look like a gold color. No minutes, no nothing. No, no, just follow your granny. Just in case I put a bit of, I put a timer, like at least 15 minutes, and then we will see.

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Nana's baklava is all rolled up and ready to cook, thanks to her magic stick.

Nana

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Now we finished. Hope they will like it and I hope that I will everything perfect to let the judge accepted me.

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Back with Marcus and he's testing his sponges to see if they're cooked through. They look a bit blonde, but I think that's all right.

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Next step, cut 'em up to create his monument. Hung, drawn and quartered, they say, yeah. Willy Wallace, like that. Halve it, quarter it, shove it up in the tower bridge and we got ourselves another escaped Scottish convict.

sniffing

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It's gonna be a beauty.

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While Ruba tops her cake, Tatiana's eyeing the oven. That's not gold color yet but it's raising, so I'm quite happy with the result. It's fine, I think it's good.

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But will it be enough to beat Nana? Last touch, cut and then ready to the oven. In the oven, 30 minutes, delicious baklava, we will have it.

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Nana and Ruba are nearly done, but Marcus and Tatiana will have to work into the night to get their cakes at tip-top shape for our judges.

speaking Arabic

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Good luck.

speaking Russian

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Good luck!

laughing

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I might not win, I might not. And if I don't I'll have a wee cry but then I'll get back on it, I'll get back on the saddle. Back on it and I'll hoist my monument up once again. Freedom!

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Hm, you might need to have a brave heart when you meet our judges, one of whom works locally and knows a damn fine piece of cake when he eats one. Today's local judge is 30 year old Callum who is the owner of this gluten-free bakery in Giffnock.

Callum

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Wild Flours started in 2013 and it was an idea, really, of my mother's who's been gluten-free for about 10 years, now. Mum used to go regularly to cafes, well now as a retired lady, and there was absolutely no provision of gluten-free. So, she thought should really do something about this, there should be more provision out there for gluten-free people. So mum said, "Why don't we, together, start a wee business, make a wee gluten-free bakery." So, from there we just jumped right in.

Ann

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I don't think very many mums get an opportunity to work with their sons or their daughters, so for me, it's been a lot of fun, a lot of hard work, a lot of ups and downs, but we've really enjoyed working together and we've had a lot of fun.

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Gluten is a name for proteins found in wheat, rye and barley. For people with a gluten intolerance, sweet treats could be off the menu but Callum and Ann have come up with some delicious solutions using their own unique gluten-free blend of flour made from rice flour, potato, and tapioca starch. So these are beignets, these are our specialty dish that we do. They're sort of a hot French fried donuts. They are best served just straight out of the fryer, covered in icing sugar. Done! For me, taste is always a lot more important then appearance. I've never been the best cake decorator, but I've always been the best flavor maker. So, for me, it's definitely taste but appearance, it means a lot to a lot of people.

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It's the morning of the bake sale and there's just time for final touches before boxing up and making their way to work.

Marcus

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I tell ya, baking, it's not a relaxing thing. "A piece of cake" is a very misleading idiomatic expression. Monument's fine, it's still standing. Ooh, yep. All there.

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Right, everyone is here, so let's reveal the scrumptious entries. In charge of uncovering his colleagues' cakes is Admin and IT Assistant, Glenn. First up, Nana's baklava.

gasp

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Wow!

laughing

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It's gorgeous! Very, very nice, very tasty, nice. Very good, very good. Thank you, thank you, I think.

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Nana's hoping her rich, sweet dessert will wow. Her phyllo pastry is held together with her homemade syrup and topped with crushed pistachios. Oh my goodness, I've never seen baklava so nice, I'm gonna eat it all. I'm gonna be sick.

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Hmm, nice. I want to have a spoon, just taste it. -

Nana laughing

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-Just now.

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I'm afraid you'll have to wait. Next stop is Ruba's chocolate cake. -

Tatiana

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Ruba! -You didn't expect, this is mine.

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Ruba's rich cake is topped with melted chocolate then decorated with a selection of tasty treats. -Very beautiful! -That's really beautiful. -Very beautiful. -I'm getting nervous now.

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Now for Marcus' Wallace Monument. -Ah!

gasping

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-Wow! -I know you did this! -Marcus, Marcus! -You surprise us! -This is it, you! -Well done. -

Tatiana laughing

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-Stilling standing! -Yeah, good.

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Marcus' ambitious tribute to the Wallace Monument has a sponge built base which has been covered with chocolate buttercream icing and has wafer cone turrets on the top. We expected you would do something to surprise us, but I didn't know that you will do it in this way. -Oh, yeah. -It's very nice. There was an accidental inspiration by the Leaning Tower of Pisa, I blame the taxi driver. He was ducking and diving there, but we got there.

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Finally, it's Tatiana's offering. -Oo, that's you, Tatiana? -Yeah!

laughing

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-A real beauty. -Yeah. As I promised, my granny cake.

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For her Galina cake, Tatiana followed her Russian grandma's recipe made with shortbread, a cream and three-berry jam filling, then covered with a short bread crumb, fresh berries, edible flowers and silver sugar balls. I can't wait to see what's inside. It's really nice and I like these balls, shiny balls on the top.

Marcus laughing

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Marcus! The school's hungry staff and students are ready to eat, so let the charity bake sale commence. Fellow colleagues have also cooked up some home bakes, but only our four competitors' offerings will be scrutinized by the judges. Our judges have the tough task of deciding who walks away with the Flour Power trophy. First up, Ruba's chocolate cake. We've got a cute chocolate cake here. Mm, very simple. -Well, let's try it. -Shall we, yeah. Icing's quite hard, first thought. Yeah, I think it's just set chocolate on top by the looks of it. Ooh, interesting. It's quite, quite a mouthful even though I just took a small fork full, it took a lot of work to get through. -Hard work.

laughing

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-Mm, mm-hmm.

laughing

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-It's quite chewy. -Mm-hmm. Not the best start.

Narrator

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Let's hope Tatiana's Galina cake gets a more favorable review. Grannies always have good recipes.

Callum

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Of course, yeah, yeah, yeah. So I've got high hopes for this. Oh, ooh! Ooh, so, ooh. -I was expecting a sponge, -Mm. but it's, like, more like a shortbread. Yeah, it's fooled us both. I quite like this! Yeah, no, um, as you can see, -I'm pretty... -

Nichola laughing

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pretty partial to it myself, yeah. This has been a real surprise and I've really enjoyed that surprise. Definitely, more like that.

Narrator

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Time for Marcus' replica of the Wallace Monument.

Callum

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A structural masterpiece, yes. -

laughing

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It was, indeed. -It really caught the eye as soon as you walked into the room, yeah. But it's advertised as a chocolate cake. Interesting to see if it's gonna be a white chocolate sponge or if it's just the frosting that's chocolate. Yeah, only one way to find out. Yeah, definitely. Yeah, it's a shame to say that it's quite bland. I think, perhaps, this person focused so much on the structural complexities of their cake--

Callum

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Yeah. That maybe they didn't give enough thought -to the flavors... -Flavors, yeah, yeah....of their icing, of their cake. Yeah, I agree, yeah, maybe a bit simple for me. Yeah.

Narrator

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Finally, it's the turn of the odds on favorite, Nana and her baklava. Looks good! -That's interesting. -Mm! -Very fragrant, like. -Mm, mm-hmm. I think the orange is almost verging on chemically, that maybe you accidentally ate a bit of your shower gel.

Callum laughing

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Appearance-wise I like the look of it. -If they had just taken the- -Toned it down a little bit. -orange blossom down- -Yeah. that could have been really excellent, but it just, it lets it down. Yeah, ever so slightly.

Narrator

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A mixed bag of reviews there from the judges, but who tickled their taste buds the most? Unsurprisingly, given that we're in a language school, lots of flavors from around the world. -Yup, some good, some not so. -

Nichola laughing

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Well, we've got to make our mind up!

Narrator

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That you do. Time to reveal who's top of the class and who will be taking home the fabulous Flour Power trophy. -Well done to these guys... -Thank you....for such amazing cakes and bakes. -Thank you. -Thank you. However, we had to choose a winner. And today... the winner... -here... in Glasgow, -

all laughing

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is... Tatiana! Ah!

all cheering

all applauding

Narrator

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So, there we have it, all thanks to Grandma Galina's recipe, Tatiana is crowned the champ. I feel a little bit devastated, to be honest with you, I don't know what went wrong there. I feel proud of her because I know she deserves to win.

Nichola

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We chose that today because we thought that the flavor was amazing, -we loved the texture of it,- -Yep. and just overall, we could see how much effort had gone into the whole thing and we just, we loved it. Thank you very much!

laughing

all applauding

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Thanks a lot, thank you. I just want to say, again, thank you very much to everybody. My colleagues, my family and friends, just thank you very much. -It's not an Oscar, you know. -

Tatiana laughing

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Calm it down a little bit.

Narrator

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As the winner, Tatiana is awarded a bonus of 200 pounds to put towards the company's chosen charity, meaning 329 pounds and 68 pence has been raised for the Syrian Network, Glasgow. It's a big surprise I'm the winner.

laughing

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Somehow I've managed to win, I don't know, just amazing. Thank you very much.