MasterChef episode 17 recap: Pressure peaks for the amateur cooks

Got a sweet tooth? It’s dessert night, with world chocolatier Kristen Tibballs setting one of the most difficult challenges yet.

It was a Kirsten Tibballs elimination challenge in the MasterChef kitchen last night.

Don’t be fooled by her sweet face and golden curls, this woman set one of the most evil challenges in MasterChef history.

The world-class chocolatier revealed not one, but three hectic desserts that the contestants had to make and there wasn’t an ice cream or granita in sight. “It’s certainly achievable, but there’s a lot of technique involved,” she said with a cackle.

Kristen Tibballs set a very difficult challenge for the amateur cooks.

Remember when a croquembouche was the ultimate dessert challenge? Those were the days.

The contestants had three-and-a-half hours to replicate Kirsten’s ruby financier, Style Rebellion lollipop and Exotique mousse cake. The challenge required the contestants to temper four different chocolates at once.

Will there be chocolatears? #MasterChefAU

— Annabel Astbury 💯 (@AnnabelAstbury) May 11, 2021

To help them in their doomed culinary journey, Tibballs taught them three techniques that they needed for each recipe – how to screen print chocolate, how to create a swirled chocolate pattern, and how to create a chocolate lattice tube.

Contestants learnt various chocolate techniques

As it turns out, the screen printing is not all that difficult. Therese, Dan and Brent managed to nail their Exotique motifs, while Justin appeared to be having some printer problems. In the end, he transferred the decals perfectly. The effect was 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 were not quite so simple. Dan found himself on struggle street as his cake pops toppled one by one, in what was 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 was the amount of chocolate that was 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 set before she could even use it, which caused her pops to turn out lumpy and misshapen. Play the pin Therese.

Intricate deserts were on the cards on last night’s MasterChef.

Therese moved on to her financier. Her ruby chocolate lattice tube turned out too thick, while her peanut butter and jelly cream was just plain messy. Play the pin Therese.

After removing her Exotique cake from the blast chiller, Therese discovered she had applied her decal the wrong way and the pattern hadn’t transferred. With just minutes to go, she also didn’t have time to make her mirror glaze. PLAY THE GOD DAMN PIN THERESE! WHAT WERE YOU WAITING FOR? PLAY IT!

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 started counting down the final seconds and we couldn’t watch. Therese asked the gantry, “should I play it?” Everyone shouted “YES!” Australia shouted “YES!” She didn’t play it.

And that was it, the challenge was over. It was 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 happened, Therese was sent home and she was the only one that couldn’t believe it.

Therese was sent home on last night’s MasterChef

The rest of us spent the night with our face in a paper bag, until we 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 velouté and Cecilia’s parsnip tribute to her son Nathan.

Erina Starkey is restaurant and news editor for delicious.com.au and will be recapping all the action from the MasterChef kitchen.