Nadiya Hussein is your Bake Off champion for 2015! She might have come last in the first technical and first in the last technical but you cannot doubt the huge amount of talent Nadiya had amongst the many facial contortions that have been gif’d to hell and back. I am very happy, not only did…
Category: TV Show Reviews
My Thoughts on Chocolate Week
The semi-finals saw the tension rise like the soufflés in the Technical Challenge and a collapsed showstopper as well as the wrong baker eliminated for me! But we have our three finalists, Nadiya, Tamal and Ian! The Signature was a Chocolate Tart. Sounds simple enough except the pressure was on and none of the bakers…
My Thoughts on Patisserie Week
What do you get if you have a drunken nun with coffee and cream horns? No not The Vicar of Dibley, it’s Patisserie Week of Bake Off and the week that saw Paul leave the tent. Not the judge (although we do wish that was the case sometimes) but Paul the baker. The Signature was…
My Thoughts on Victorian Week
This week the tent went back in time to the Victorian era and was the week that my favourite, Mat, had to leave the tent (my support has now shifted to Nadiya!) and the week that Tamal was finally crowned Star Baker; I wonder if he managed to wear Ian’s ladyfinger crown? The Signature was…
My Thoughts on Pastry Week
Pastry Week of Bake Off is always my favourite because I love making pastry and I always get inspired by their bakes. Despite some foul smelling spices and a few soggy bottoms, it was Mat’s turn to be Star Baker and the tent said goodbye to Alvin. The Signature Challenge was a Frangipane Tart, a…
My Thoughts on Free From Week
5 weeks in and one thing was on everyone’s lips. No it wasn’t those gluten-free pittas, it was Ian. Could anyone take Ian’s Star Baker crown away from him? And more importantly what the hell is psyllium?! Before we start going into detail, can I just say I love the contestants on the show, they’re…
My Thoughts on Dessert Week
Dessert Week of Bake Off was full of wobble, French meringue, Swiss meringue and more wobble! There was enough wobble for Sandy to start wobbling out of the tent all the way back home and Ian to launch into unprecedented Bake Off heights as he stood on the apple and tarragon layer of his cheesecake…
My Thoughts on Bread Week
Bread Week was the best in Bake Off history; better than 8-strand plait in Series Three and even better than Paul the Psychic Octopus tribute loaf in Series Four. This week had one of the best Signatures by the cast and the single most impressive showstopper EVER. Let’s start with the (for me) controversial Signature…
My Thoughts on Biscuit Week
Biscuit Week was full of ups, downs, Mary and Paul’s teeth scattered across the tent with the crunchy biscotti, collapsed biscuit boxes and the remaining pastry crumbs from the arlettes. Yep that’s a pastry in Biscuit Week. But more controversy later… The signature challenge this week is Biscotti, a twice baked Italian biscuit. The bakers…
My Thoughts on Cake Week
Back from Hong Kong and I’ve caught up with Week One of GBBO and what a way to launch the series. The signature challenge was a Madeira cake and this simple yet delicious cake managed to challenge a few of the bakers. A distinctive crack and dome was the quality that the judges were looking…
GBBO 14 Episode 10 Review: The Final Week
So there we have it, Nancy Birtwhistle is the Champion of The Great British Bake Off. Best Bake: Nancy’s Red Windmill and Luis’ Village in Chocolate Signature Challenge: 24 Viennoiserie The traditional Danish pastries, which consist of either an enriched brioche-style bread dough or a laminated pastry, were the bakers’ first challenge of the Final. Taking normally…
GBBO 14 Episode 9 Review: Patisserie Week
What an amazing semi-final this week. Some of the trickiest challenges to date saw off one of the Bake Off’s flavour powerhouses in history. They faced Signature Baklavas (however you pronounce it), a Technical Schichttorte (a grilled German cake) and 24 Showstopping Entremets. Was there any favouritism from the judges this week however… find out…
GBBO 14 Episode 8 Review: Advanced Dough Week
The quarterfinal of the show did not disappoint with the bakers being tested with all manners of tricky enriched doughs. Chetna and Richard both had firsts ever on this week’s show and Nancy once again mesmerised with her use of technology. Find out my thoughts below. Eliminated: Martha My Elimination Prediction: Luis (see the rest of them…
GBBO 14 Episode 7 Review: Pastry Week
Mary and Paul had one of the toughest decisions in the history of Bake Off yet, having to choose between one to go in the best batch of bakers after facing Signature Savoury Parcels, a technical Kouign Amman (pronounced “Queen Amann”) and showstopping Eclairs. Eliminated: Kate My Elimination Prediction: Martha (see the rest of them here) Star…
GBBO 14 Episode 6 Review: European Cakes Week
Thanks to a huge selection of European accents, a phenomenal amount of sugar work in the showstopper and Mel and Sue being on top form, this has to be my favourite week thus far. But who went in this tricky and tense week Eliminated: Nobody My Elimination Prediction: Kate (see the rest of them here) Star Baker:…
Andrew in the Kitchen 