What a wonderfully gentle way to grip the nation (well, those of us that love cakes and the like!).
Every week we’ve shared the trials and delights of the amateur bakers – people like you and me – doing the most wonderful things while also making mistakes that we would all make…
My children have both thoroughly enjoyed the show too, catching up on iPlayer and keen to have a go themselves – excellent. This year’s Blue Peter contribution to Children in Need is to Bake a Difference so they are really excited about that too.
And the winner, Jo Wheatley, well what a thoroughly lovely lady, quietly getting on with it, obviously in awe of her competitors, yet her skill shone through and won in the end – that final array of goodies was indeed the winner – we all want to bake the same and feel that we actually can if we want to.
Then we’ve had the two master class programmes, which I was not sure about bothering with but it was definitely worth it, if only for the pie case tip (roll out onto the base – how obvious is that!) from Mary Berry. And to watch Paul Hollywood just getting stuck in was liberating for those of us also happy to just get on with it and get messy.
And there’s to be one other programme that revisits the previous series’ contestants and the winner – that will be a treat too. Whatever will we watch after that?
I thought it would be nice for fans to have a list of this year’s blogs – full of recipes and a great way to follow through with some of our favourites, perhaps:
And for those of you keen to join in, they are looking for Series 3 contestants already – you can apply here.
Me – I’m going to treat myself to my own bake off – a whole day in the kitchen baking all kinds of delights – comfortable favourites and a few new ideas, inspired by the show, in preparation for this year’s National Baking Week – how the nation will enjoy that! What did you think of the series and did it inspire you at all?
Babs
When Babs is not busy helping people to use WordPress for blogs and websites, she loves pottering in her kitchen or garden.
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You capture what can be the intimate nature of television + food so well in the piece, I think. Because baking can be really friendly.Lovely!
I’m not so sure in my kitchen, Lisa – I like to shoo everyone out, I’m ashamed to say. I am more tolerant of the children, but the husband has no place in my kitchen – he hates that, bless him!
And thank you – I loved the show so this was an easy post for me to write 🙂
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OUr whole family has enjoyed sitting down together to watch this programme. It seems to grab kids more than shows like Masterchef, perhaps because cakes and bakes are more appealing, or perhaps there is more fun to be had playing with the cold ingredients, mixing it all up, before popping it in the oven?
This year’s series has had a profound impact, we have started making our own bread (we have some dough rising right now) and yesterday after school my wife and youngest daughter made flapjacks – very tasty. We have also spent the recent week-ends making jams, quince jelly, freezing cooking apples, and as for chutney – green tomato, spiced onion, apple to name but a few. And tomorrow we are pickling pears.
And finally, I shall be trying my hand at making a birthday cake on Monday as a surprise for my wife. SO I think it is safe to say that we have enjoyed and been inspired by The Great British Bake Off.
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Wow, David! That is an impressive array of recipes! How lovely to share it, and yes, as well as my two wanting me to bake Sacher Tortes and the like, they do also want to join in and bake things themselves.
It is interesting that this show seems to inspire more than others – I think it’s because we can all bake many of the things they do, but on MasterChef that is more chefy, perhaps?
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I think you are right that baking is more accessible than cheffing.
David Long recently posted..71% of customer complaints on Twitter are totally ignored
During the winter we light up the wood-burner and bake masses of stuff in the oven. I’m going to study this programme for inspiration, so I can ‘wow’ Mrs. Bray with my baking finesse.
I agree with David, baking is more down to earth than cheffin’, but it’s still a thrill when your bread, or cakes, come out fine and not soggy in the middle. Mrs. Bray wouldn’t care for soggy cakes at all 🙁
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This is a great post. Many people will like this! I love baking in our house, sometimes this is our past time. Thank you for sharing this! Keep it up!