Undisputed food genius Heston Blumenthal graced the start of a new MasterChef week, stopping by the kitchen to set and judge a very special Invention Test. The contestants had to pick a core ingredient, after which Heston revealed what they’d need to pair it with in the dish: chocolate.

Julia’s Vegemite and White Chocolate Macarons were singled out for special praise, but it was her fellow dessert queen Kylie who truly blew away Blumenthal, winning the challenge with her Blue Cheese and Honey Ice-Cream Sundae.

Her unfortunate peers Andrew, Amina and Beau underwhelmed with their off-kilter creations, sending them into a dreaded Pressure Test. Welcoming patissier extraordinaire Vincent Gadan to the kitchen, it became clear that a dessert of epic proportions was on the cards, and so it proved. The contestants had to tackle an intimidatingly intricate Salted Praline Parfait - a hurdle too far for Pressure Test veteran Andrew, who was knocked out of the competition.

Invention Test winner Kylie finally had her chance to cook for Immunity on Wednesday, donning her chef’s whites to take on the towering Tomislav Martinovic. Bread was the core ingredient, as Kylie and assistant Mindy turned on the culinary style with dishes like a Burnt Caramel Panna Cotta, winning the challenge and claiming Kylie the season’s second Immunity Pin

Thursday’s Pop Up Restaurant Team Challenge stretched nerves to breaking point; while Kylie’s Red Team rose to the occasion – Julia’s Caramel Salted Parfait one particularly potent weapon in their arsenal – Audra’s Blue Team crumbled.

With two of the Blues headed for home after Thursday’s Elimination Challenge, the tension was already high, but the stress was ratcheted up a few notches by the presence of Marco Pierre White. Against expectations it was Andy who survived the final round cook off, denying Jules and hot title favourite Amina places in MasterChef 2012’s Top 10.

The remaining contestants then celebrated the end of another tough week by kicking back and absorbing the expertise on display in a MasterClass. Blue Eye Trevalla with Mussels and Beef Onion and Guinness Pie were dished up courtesy of Gary, while Matt Moran prepared a deliciously different  Cauliflower and White Chocolate Ice-Cream.