Bake Off The Professionals winning chefs at Landmark Hotel

The Channel 4 contest saw teams of professional pastry chefs battle it out in the kitchen over six weeks. Tasks including creating a 1920s-themed dessert trolley, building a 'pièce montée' out of choux buns, and modelling a mille-feuille on a musical icon.

Presented by comedian Ellie Taylor and former Bake Off contestant Liam Charles, the judges included Benoit Blin, Chef Pâtissier at Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, and top pastry chef Cherish Finden.

The winning duo in the pastry kitchen at The Landmark Hotel where they dream up delicious desserts and sweet treats (Image: The Landmark Hotel)

The winning team hailed from The Landmark Hotel on Marylebone Road with head pastry chef, Mauro Di Lieto, and pastry sous chef, Daniel Schevenels delighted to triumph over rival five star London hotels The Dorchester and St. James Court.

The duo spend their days dreaming up desserts and sweet treats for hotel guests - from wedding banquets to afternoon teas. To celebrate their success, they have put some of their winning bakes on the High Palms High Tea menu - notably a chocolate salted caramel mini Swiss roll, with banana crémeux and peanut butter, which wowed the judges.

Built in 1899, as the Grand Central Hotel this Victorian gem next to Marylebone Station is famous for its courtyard atrium, which originally allowed guests to be delivered inside in their horse drawn carriages. With the advent of the car, it became a palm-filled 'winter gardens,' and today the elegant airy space hosts a Champagne bar, restaurant and lounge.The Landmark is a Victorian railway hotel originally named the Grand Central (Image: Archant)

It's a short trip down to the basement pastry kitchen which is all gleaming stainless steel, with dough mixers, huge ovens and trays of erfect choux buns and or mini merengues busily baking.

Di Lieto hails from northern Italy, where his parents were ice-cream makers, but he says pastry offered a greater chance to flex his creative muscles than gelato. He shared the secret of his featherlight scones, which he makes with buttermilk and a good dash of baking powder, allowing the dough to rest before putting it through an industrial roller.

Cut the rounds straight into the dough - no twisting - then twice brush the top with egg yolk and rest before baking.The quartet of afternoon tea cakes are mini works of art (Image: The Landmark Hotel)

His Italian twist on the English scone is adding candied apricot and marzipan and serving with hazelnut chocolate spread. Each tiny pastry is a mini artwork, merengues brushed with white chocolate are filled with crème fraîche, raspberries and a dome of lemon then piped with raspberry cream on a special turntable.

A delicate ginger biscuit is topped with a chocolate dipped ball filled with cream cheese flavoured with pear and yuzu. And an almond choux is piped with vanilla custard and passion fruit with flourishes added including a flower, gold leaf or sprig of lemongrass.Head pastry chef, Mauro Di Lieto, and pastry sous chef, Daniel Schevenels of The Landmark Hotel on Marylebone Road with their Bake Off award (Image: The Landmark Hotel)

It's all utterly delicious and after having a go at some piping, it's way beyond most people's bake at home skills. The duo are now busy planning their Christmas offer, a pop up shop with filled croissant style pastries; think pistachio, chocolate and egg nog vanilla custard.

In the meantime High Palms High Tea at The Landmark costs £70 and includes tea, a selection of sandwiches (salmon, egg, coronation chicken, and cucumber) scones and four delicate pastries. Monday to Friday 3-5pm Saturday to Sunday 1-5pm.