Food, Great British Bakeoff, Recap, Series

The Great British Bake Off: Back to Basics

Previously on The Great British Bake Off: Richard the Builder, Nancy, and Luis killed it, overcame all the competition, and made it to the final.

We’re reminded of the three finalists’ awesomeness: Richard’s éclair stair and amazing biscuit pirate scene, Nancy’s beautiful first-challenge orange and chocolate cakes, Luis’s delicious looking filled bread and spicy dragon biscuit.

Mel, Sue, and the judges enter the tent to deliver the first challenge: Viennoiserie—an assortment of pastries such as pain au chocolat. They have to make two types. And they’re off!

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EditorBeeOctober 9, 2014Leave a comment

Food, Great British Bakeoff, Recap

The Great British Bake Off: Pretty Patisserie

Previously on The Great British Bake Off: We’ve had dough week, but then there was advanced dough week, which meant filled sweet breads and doughnuts. Once again, Richard rocked, while Martha’s overproved doughnuts sealed her fate.

Mel and Sue welcome us back for the semifinal. Semifinal already! They adopt strange fake French accents because it’s patisserie week.

Luis interviews that, at this point, the judges are going to be super critical. Unlike the total pussycats they’ve been up until now. Chetna can’t wait to get in and start baking this week. Nancy says that one side of her wouldn’t be too disappointed if she left now, having made it this far, while the other side is telling her to buck up and get to the final. Richard’s just trying to keep the momentum going.

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EditorBeeOctober 2, 20141 Comment

Food, Great British Bakeoff, Recap, Series

The Great British Bake Off: Mmmmm, Dooooooughnuts

Previously on the Great British Bakeoff: Pastry, pastry everywhere. Richard won star baker for the third time while Martha just managed to squeak by and Kate got sent home.

It’s the quarterfinals, folks! I really feel like this is anyone’s game. I think Nancy’s very likely to make it to the finals (unless she massively screws up this week), but as for the others, I feel like it could be anyone.

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EditorBeeSeptember 25, 20141 Comment

Food, Great British Bakeoff, Recap, Series

The Great British Bake Off: Get a Pieful

Previously on The Great British Bake Off: Some hateful producers forced the Bakewells to make ice cream-based desserts on the hottest day of the year with two freezers completely non-functional. Diana apparently took Iain’s dessert out of the freezer and just left it sitting out, which naturally turned it into a Lake Alaska (courtesy: Sue). In a fit of pique, Iain binned it and was unceremoniously sent off by Paul and Mary.

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EditorBeeSeptember 4, 2014Leave a comment

Great British Bakeoff, Recap, Series

The Great British Bakeoff: Burnout

Previously on Great British Bakeoff: The Bakewells went to France in pastry with canapés, Charlotte royale, and opera cakes. Beca was sent packing, while Kimberly took home Star Baker.

Finals! And man, has this been in the news a lot lately or what? Between Raymond Blanc maybe spilling the beans and Paul Hollywood allegedly fancying Ruby (though he claims Kim’s more to his taste), I feel like there’s a new story every day. Do they really need the extra hype?

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EditorBeeOctober 23, 2013Leave a comment

Great British Bakeoff, Recap, Series

Great British Bakeoff: I Choux, Choux, Choooux-se You

Previously on The Great British Bakeoff: Howard’s amazing looking peachy buns weren’t enough to keep him in the game, while Ruby’s whiny self-deprecation was rewarded with a scolding from Mary and the title of Star Baker for the week.

Sue and Mel start off by chatting about the seven deadly sins and how many of them we’ve already seen covered this series. All of them, it seems.

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EditorBeeOctober 2, 20131 Comment

Food, Great British Bakeoff, Recap, Series

The Great British Bakeoff: Let Them Eat Cake!

Awwww, yeah! It’s the Great British Bakeoff, everybody! I don’t know quite what it is about this particular cooking show, but I’m super hooked. Actually, I do think I know what it is. It’s just charming. People screw up, and they make some truly inspired stuff. The presenters aren’t too serious—they make lame jokes and laugh at their lameness, and we have Mary’s nice grandmotherly routine to balance out Paul’s tendency to sneer and be sarcastic. And you get the sense that there’s some actual support for the bakers, from each other and from Sue and Mel, which is a nice break from the cutthroat attitudes you see on most other cooking and baking shows. I can’t recall ever having seen a person on the show who was clearly cast to be the ‘villain’ character. It’s refreshing. Plus, I always learn something (actually, often several things) and get seriously inspired by the recipes. These people know their stuff. And the tent where they hold the thing is decorated rather adorably in a way that strikes me as so charmingly British. Not realistic British, British like out of a magazine, but still, cozy and a bit kitchy. Charming.

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EditorBeeAugust 21, 20132 Comments

Dessert, Recipes, Snacks

Ghoulish Goodies: Marshmallow Ghosts

I love making homemade marshmallows. For one thing, they’re fabulous. If you’ve only ever tried the store-bought kind, make these just once so you can taste the difference. Like night and day. For another thing, they’re a great example of kitchen alchemy, and since I’m a tiny bit of a closet science nerd, I love me some kitchen alchemy. It’s hard to believe that this … Continue reading Ghoulish Goodies: Marshmallow Ghosts