Since this Hunt is remote and wouldn't allow for a "Send Ben Smith cookies" puzzle, we developed a virtual baking competition inspired by The Great British Bake Off. The first step is to solve the logic puzzle, which yields the following grid:
Place | Name | Dozen | Fantasy Biscuit | Flavor element |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Alvin | 1 | GORGONOS | Irish cream liqueur |
2 | Briony | 9 | FUDGE LEMBAS | Ginger |
3 | Jonathan | 3 | RUBIES | Nutella |
4 | Diana | 10 | GREMLINBROT | Orange zest |
5 | Candice | 1 | BASILISK SPINES | Rose water |
6 | Jason | 8 | WITCHY WILES | Espresso |
7 | Glenn | 6 | WOLVES | Scotch bonnet peppers |
8 | Crystelle | 16 | SUMMERHALL SUGAR CRINKLES | Elderflower cordial |
9 | Brendan | 12 | NIPHREDIL BOUQUETS | Almonds |
10 | Rosie | 5 | BAT BITES | Star anise |
11 | Lottie | 3 | ENTMOOT LEBKUCHEN | Ouzo |
12 | Liam | 8 | SERPENT STRIPES | Nectarines |
The grid provides two important clues: indexing the number of dozens into the cookie each baker made spells out GBBO BISCUITS to tell solvers they'll need information from The Great British Bake Off, and reading down the list of flavors spells IGNORE SEASONS as a hint that solving the rest of the puzzle will not involve diving deeper into episode number by season, etc.
The flavortext points to GBBO's technical challenges, in which using limited instructions, contestants must all make the same cookie as precisely as possible, to be judged in a blind taste test. Looking up the names of the bakers and determining which biscuit they made for their technical during Biscuit Week yields the following information (note that biscuit names match fantasy biscuit enumerations, providing additional confirmation solvers are on the right track):
Name | GBBO Biscuit Week Placement | Technical Biscuit |
---|---|---|
Alvin | 6 | ARLETTES |
Briony | 2 | WAGON WHEELS |
Jonathan | 1 | SCONES |
Diana | 7 | FLORENTINES |
Candice | 8 | VIENNESE WHIRLS |
Jason | 1 | BRANDY SNAPS |
Glenn | 2 | TUILES |
Crystelle | 10 | SANDWICHED JAMMY BISCUITS |
Brendan | 2 | CHOCOLATE TEACAKES |
Rosie | 5 | FIG ROLLS |
Lottie | 8 | COCONUT MACAROONS |
Liam | 7 | FORTUNE COOKIES |
Indexing the contestant's ranking in the technical challenge into the biscuit made during that technical challenge provides TASTEBUD HOME, and therefore the final answer TONGUE.