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Great British Bake Off (Includes Spoilers)


baby.giraffe

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Very enjoyable (and I love what BBC2 are doing with all the '2' cakes .. makes me want to make one .. though .. no mould :()
There were some seriously messy cakes .. especially in the last challenge .. they looked better when cut into but most of them were sloppy in decoration .. thought the squirrel cake was genius though. I didn't like the look of the Angel Food cakes .. not even Mary's .. cakes shouldn't be that colour should they? :D
Nerves were frazzled .. so many cut fingers. I suppose it's first week jitters.
Nice to see it back (but it makes me so hungry :D) .. love Mel & Sue  :)

Sad to see Toby go as emotionally I'd bought into him :D .. learning from mum, and now she's gone, baking for dad etc. Ruby seemed a bit morose .. I know she was nervous but at one point she looked as if she might kick the fridge :D. Glad Ali got through as I like his enthusiasm.


I haven't got a favourite yet :D

Edited by poppyshake
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Not a bad start to the series - I was a bit worried that everyone would be too good, as it's become so popular now and I think contestants are much more prepared for what to expect, and how to impress, but thankfully, there were a few who had the weekend from baking hell, and it made it more interesting.  I have a couple of early favourites, but I'm going to hold off judgement for a couple more weeks yet (I've spoiler tagged them in case any one hasn't seen this weeks programme yet, as I've revealed the star baker):

 

My favourites so far are Beca, Kimberley and Lucy, and I think Rob, this weeks star baker is going to be technically very good.

 

I'd never even heard of Angel Food Cake before, and like you, Kay, it didn't appeal to me.  In fact, I can't say that many of the bakes stood out as ones I would want to bake myself - the only one I was definitely intrigued by was the grapefruit sandwich cake.  Still, Mel and Sue were on top form as usual, and I was impressed by the star baker of the week, and had to agree with the baker who left.

 

Inspiration has struck, and I'm off to bake a cake of my own - although nothing as challenging as any of the showstoppers! :D

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I had totally missed this was coming back on Tuesday and only found out when my friend asked me if I've seen it - thank goodness for iplayer! :D

 

I thought the cakes looked awesome for the first show - especially the sandwich cakes- makes me want to bake again! (I seem to bake more in the autumn / winter anyway so it's probably coming up to baking season for me) might have to give the grapefruit one a go!

 

I can decide on any favourites yet, but I did think the wrong person was sent off, although, said person did put salt in the cake instead of sugar...

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I can decide on any favourites yet, but I did think the wrong person was sent off, although, said person did put salt in the cake instead of sugar...

 

But then so did John Whaite last year, and he ended up winning! :)

Edited by chesilbeach
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lol - very true.. it mustbe hard judging someone on their first efforts - you never really know how much is spoilt by nerves etc. it's a shame. maybe it would have been an idea to have noone leave in the first episode and then base the decision on the first two or something.

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But then so did John Whaite last year, and he ended up winning! :)

Luckily for John he'd already proved his worth and also he had a good showstopper that day I think .. to do it on your first week almost guarantees the boot :D It would be nice in a way if they didn't eliminate anyone on the first week but eliminated two on second week because it would give them a chance to settle .. though I would need at least six weeks to settle :blush2:  I too was interested in the grapefruit sandwich cake Claire .. I never would have thought of using it. Thanks for the link :)

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I was just looking at all the cookbooks written by former contestants (there may be more .. I'm not sure) .. they've done well haven't they? :) I've got a few of the Bake Off cookbooks as well as well as numerous ones of Mary's. I haven't got any of Paul's yet because I'm not good at bread making and don't think I have the aptitude for it.

I wonder which of these current contestants will bring a cookbook out? .. I think Frances definitely will.

 

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Tonights programme was good and there were some lovely loaves/breadsticks etc .. very creative. Bit surprised Kimberley didn't get star baker .. that last loaf of Ruby's must have been exceptional (I liked the sound of the white choc chips in it :).

 

Not surprised that Lucy went .. she had a shocker and she just didn't try hard enough in that last challenge. If you keep it simple it's got to taste fantastic and clearly it didn't wow anybody.

Rob's hilarious .. his octopus looked a bit of a mess but I like his wacky ideas. I quite like Frances's creativity .. she's very clever .. but was a bit taken aback when voiceover lady said that she has to come up with a concept for everything she bakes .. that sounds like hard work.

They're a likeable bunch .. I think Kimberley is the stand out competitor but it's early days.

 

I agree on both counts about Kimberley, although I like that she's not top or bottom yet, as I think it's a bit rearly to be *too* stand out good, and I hoping she's there for the long run! :D

 

Not at all surprised by the person who left as this week, I thought they didn't try hard enough, although perhaps they'd had a bad week at home and not been able to put enough practise time in and were hoping they could get by with baking simply but well, and it just backfired on them.

 

I'm not sure about Frances. I find the whole "concept" thing a bit too much like showing off. I know at the moment her baking seems to be living up to the presentation, but I think if she has the slightest slip up, Paul will be on her for worry too much about the looks and not the bake.

 

I still like Beca despite the fact she had a shocker this week, and it was nice to see Ali and Ruby conquering their nerves and doing much better this week. I find Mark too loud and if I was baking near him, I'd be muttering under my breath for him to shut up and gritting my teeth an awful lot. :irked:

 

I follow a few of the previous contestants on Twitter, and Mary-Anne from series two was saying last night that she thinks Christine is doing a great job but not getting much focus on her at the moment, so I wonder if that means she's in for the long run, and the producers are giving more time to those who are either outstanding or are going in the early weeks? Maybe that's just me being cynical. :giggle2:

Edited by chesilbeach
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I follow a few of the previous contestants on Twitter, and Mary-Anne from series two was saying last night that she thinks Christine is doing a great job but not getting much focus on her at the moment, so I wonder if that means she's in for the long run, and the producers are giving more time to those who are either outstanding or are going in the early weeks? Maybe that's just me being cynical. :giggle2:

I thought that about Kimberley week one .. hardly any focus on her and I just had a sneaking suspicion that might be because they wanted to distract attention from a future finalist :D Might be totally mistaken of course. I wonder if they gave Star Baker to Ruby because she did so well compared to the total meltdown last week? .. it seemed a bit odd and wasn't particularly well received on fb but then .. none of us tasted her showstopping bread and it really does come down to that last challenge. I'm glad for her that she pulled it back together ( :giggle2: .. bit of a bread pun) especially as she has a love of bread making etc.

 

I agree about Frances .. I think she's talented but her concepts might start getting on my nerves soon .. (nobody likes a smart a*se :D)

 

I really like Ali and am glad that he had a good week despite not really liking bread making .. Beca is nice too .. I think she will be ok. I also like Christine but am not quite sure yet about Deborah .. or Mark (they are free from the poppyshake curse ;))

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I caught a little bit of this, this week. I loved the breadsticks made into matches, complete with oversized box!

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The bread sticks where really interesting this week.  I've never attempted to make them before but I got a few ideas and may give them a go.

 

This is the problem with cookery programmes!  I get all these crazy ideas and actually think I can make them.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Thought the Bake Off was good last week, and the right person went although I did really like them, but they just weren't good enough this week.  

 

I'm a bit disappointed with it that it was yet another predominantly sweet week again, I'd like to see some more savoury challenges for the bakers, and this week coming up is biscuits and tray bakes, so that's also going to be another sugary confection.  I can't find any more info about future programmes, so don't know what else is coming up later in the series, and will just have to keep my fingers crossed.  

 

I noticed that it also says there are sixteen episodes in the series, but the competition is only 10 weeks as far as I know, so I'm hoping for some extra programmes included an update on how previous contestants are doing, Masterclasses from Paul and Mary on the technical bakes, and maybe some Christmas specials like the brilliant Easter special earlier this year.

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I think we need to come to some agreement about spoilers etc because we're not really able to chat about it freely enough. Even if you put the losing contestant in spoiler tags .. the rest of your post about who did well and who got star baker etc would indicate who was still in anyway .. and it's all a bit cloak and dagger .. mentioning people but trying not to mention them (I think I've probably not been very good at this :blush2:)

Are there people coming to the thread that don't already know the results? (I know you have chalie but I think you're happy to know the outcome etc?). I don't generally come unless I've watched but if I did I would expect to read the results etc.

Could we perhaps have a cut-off point? (say give it 24 hours after results announced before chatting about the episode) or perhaps we could just write SPOILER BEWARE!! and then it's easy to avert your eyes from it.

I don't mean to be a killjoy or anything .. I'd just like to discuss the progs thoroughly and I don't think we can do that as it stands.

 

Anyway .. I will write SPOILER BEWARE!! even though I'm not going to disclose who went this week or last .. because I want to chat a little bit about the others. Dessert week was good and I was very chuffed for Christine to get SB .. her trifle looked amazing. I'm not sure if I am a trifle purist ... I quite like jelly in mine :blush2: I felt very sorry for Deborah over the stolen custard debacle .. it must be easy to pick up the wrong bowl when you're putting them in the same place to cool and I know that would have mortified me almost to death so can understand that she got wobbly afterwards. Ruby's desert island sponge looked really effective .. don't know if it's something I could be bothered to try at home but it did look wow. Was glad Beca did well .. those tiny macaroons on her petit fours looked amazing. I don't even like the sound or the thought of Iles Flottantes so felt really sorry for them having to make them.

This week the custard tarts almost all looked hopeless .. I always think these challenges are a bit mean because they barely give them enough time to bake and cool them etc .. they're always trying to handle things or ice thing when they're too warm. Also making your own filo pastry is a killer (I would imagine :giggle:) .. even Mary says she buys hers in so I'm amazed they got anything good out of it. Kimberley's pie sounded gorgeous and I'm very happy she got SB .. I think she's a talent .. she doesn't seem to flap and that's key. I was particularly sad however to see this weeks contestant go because I thought he/she really bought something to the programme.

Having a raging sweet tooth I'm quite happy with the programmes so far but it will be nice to see some more savoury bakes .. though quite a few used savoury fillings in their show showstoppers this week.

 

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Do you think it would be worth asking a mod to change the title of the thread to "Great British Bake Off (includes spoilers)?  That way you enter at your own peril.

That's a good idea Claire :) .. the red writing is a bit of a distraction :giggle: 

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Now we can discuss openly without worrying about spoilers, I'm going to go into a bit more detail! :D

 

I was sorry to see Ali go, as I think he was a lovely chap, but I do think he was a bit behind the others in most challenges, so perhaps it was right for him to go.

 

Kimberley continues to impress, and she's would be my choice for best baker so far, although I still feel we aren't seeing much of her, so I'm hoping that means she'll be around for a while yet, but was chuffed to see her get Star Baker this week.  My favourite is still Beca, as I think she comes across well on screen, but I think she needs to step up her game to stay in the competition until the end.  

 

Ruby continues to impress after the disastrous first week she had, but I wish they'd use some different footage other than her sat on the floor with her uni books!  Rob, on the other hand, seems to be doing the opposite, and after a great first week, he's been a bit hit and miss since then, and suffers a bit from the same problem as Frances (to a lesser degree) of style over substance at times.

 

And at last, I was pleased to see the judges warn Frances about style over substance, as I've always thought it was just showing off rather than improving the bake, which after all, is what the competition is all about.  I wouldn't mind the additional props occasionally for the showstoppers, but to use them almost all the time is getting on my nerves. :irked:

 

Christine had a poorer week this week, but I think it's just a blip, as she seems to generally know what she's doing, and I think she's quietly just getting on with it.  Glenn and Howard look to be the weakest left, although mainly through inconsistency rather than poor baking, but I like Glenn as he's got a great sense of fun.

 

Favourite moment of the week had to be Mel and Sue helping Howard remove his pie from the tin, with Glenn and Beca in the background mirroring each other hiding behind their hands and gasping in horror! :giggle2:

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Quite a good week I thought. Kimberley didn't do as well as normal .. hopefully that's a good thing in that it will make her more determined and focused etc. It's nice that Ruby is doing well but her general sulkiness drives me up the wall .. she's probably not really sulking but listening to her depresses me :D Beca is much more my cup of tea. I like Glen too because he's cheery .. he didn't mind too much that they called his bake 'grotesque' :o Frances is not going to let it go is she? .. her bakes always look nice (and I liked the sound of the banoffee millionaire's shortbread) but I still think she thinks of the concept before the bake. I didn't laugh when her tower collapsed because .. I'm not that mean :blush2: .. but you just hope she learns eventually to chuck her concepts in the bin and think about her flavours (though obviously the showstopper is the right place for a concept .. it's what she tries for the signature challenge that drives me mad). 

Those tuiles looked fiendishly difficult .. the stuff of culinary nightmares. I've never attempted anything so delicate and I'm sure mine would have been too thick and un-snappy :D 

I was so glad Christine got star baker again :smile: .. I like her and her style of baking. It was time for Rob to go .. I thought he was lucky last week to escape and his bakes have looked increasingly shoddy. Howard's an odd one but I'm rather warming to him .. he's like John Whaite in about thirty years time (though perhaps not quite as handsome :D) and is probably the only contestant likely to bring an 'oh my giddy aunt' back into the proceedings :D  

 

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Oops, forgot to post my thoughts on last weeks show! Better do that before the new episode tonight, so here goes ...

 

Totally agree with you about Kimberley, Kay, I think it's been a bit of a wake up call for her, and she'll come back stronger this week. Ruby's pessimism makes me chuckle, to be honest, although I can understand why others might find it annoying.  Howard seems to be scraping through each week, and I wonder if he'll be one of those that manages to do that and still make it to the final?  

 

I really do want Frances to stop with the pfaffing around and just get on with the bake - she did come closest to that with the banoffee millionaire's shortbread, but still overthinking it too much, just bake!  I didn't really get Rob's dalek biscuit tower either - where were the biscuits?  And edible glue sounds revolting.

 

Glen and Beca are definitely my favourites to watch for entertainment - their little discussion about the dried raspberry topping for the macaroons just shows that it's possible to make friends in competition, and the little finger point at each other as they walked away just tickled me. :giggle2:  I was pleased to see Glen doing better this week, and I actually had my fingers crossed that he might just make star baker this week, but in the end Christine did deserve it more, and she continues with sensible but impressive bakes each week, and I think her years of experience pay dividends in the technical bakes.

 

Sweet dough tonight - something I've never attempted myself ... at least not yet! :D

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  • 3 weeks later...

Was sorry to see Glen go last week :(

 

I'm not sure what to make of this week? I must admit to feeling a bit sorry for Frances .. yes she does over-complicate things but it's as if Paul & Mary can't quite forgive her for putting so much effort into the concept of her bakes (so they are looking for problems in other words) .. she seems to have to work harder to convince them than say Ruby, who can do no wrong. Similarly I think they're pretty harsh on Beca too.

Yes Ruby came top in the technical challenge but her bread was probably the worst in the room .. especially when it came to presentation .. it didn't look very challenging .. just a simple loaf shape which would have been okay if it had tasted good but it didn't apparently .. but Paul & Mary seemed to over-stress the good things about it and gloss over the rest. Similarly I didn't think her showstopper looked all that good but no mention was made of the fact that it was a bit sloppy in presentation (and I wouldn't want to come across that many poppy seeds when eating cake). Obviously taste is all important but I don't think anyone was good enough for star baker this week .. and definitely not Ruby.

Ruby drives me nuts with her 'oh .. don't look at it .. it's rubbish' routine .. I'm not convinced by it .. anyway I much prefer Beca's attitude and general up-beatness. I like Kimberley too .. Paul said her loaf was dry but I'm sure Mary made some comment about the ham being moist?? .. not sure what's going on there. Frances probably made my favourite bake of the day which was the chelsea bun loaf .. it looked spectacular and tasted good apparently but there was still criticism from Paul which made it almost seem like, in his opinion, Ruby had cooked a better loaf?? I find myself siding with her more because they keep digging .. like she shouldn't have made things look so pretty?? I liked the look of both Kimberley's and Beca's showstoppers .. it's a shame that in Beca's case .. it didn't taste of anything apparently.

 

It wasn't Christine's week :(

 

It is looking like a foregone conclusion to me .. I don't mind if that turns out to be fair but will it be? I can't stand The Daily Mail but this article summed up some of what I was thinking.

I hope Beca and Kimberley in particular can pull it together and have a great bake off next week :)

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.. it's probably just me .. even Ruby's cardigan annoys me :D Ruby has a sort of moany and dreary voice (though she's beautiful when she smiles) and the cardi does a sort of visual interpretation of it. I've never seen a cardi look so dejected  :D 

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.. it's probably just me .. even Ruby's cardigan annoys me :D Ruby has a sort of moany and dreary voice (though she's beautiful when she smiles) and the cardi does a sort of visual interpretation of it. I've never seen a cardi look so dejected  :D 

 

Right on poppyshakes! :D 

I love Ruby's dress style, but the moaning and dreary voice is grating on me. It's every week now.

 

I suspect that Paul and Mary have fallen under the spell of Ruby's self deprecating routine. They seem to view Ruby in a different light (a pinky sepia, to me) than the other contestants.

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