GBBO week 5 – Danish pastries

I was going to title this blog post ‘Easy Danish pastries’ because the dough I used was a cross between a rough puff and an enriched dough, so it wasn’t as much hard work as it could have been … however, it wasn’t that easy either, so I thought it best not to mislead with […]

GBBO week 4 – Chinese style duck filled yorkie puds

For the first time batter has featured in the Great British Bake Off … and probably the last time as the news reaches us that the show is moving over to Channel 4 without Mel, Sue, or Mary Berry. Sad news, as whatever Bake Off becomes, it won’t be the same series we all fell […]

GBBO week 3 – plaited loaf: cheese, tomato and pesto couronne

The latest edition of Bake Off involved delicious bread – possibly one of my favourite things ever, but sadly something which  makes me fat: because once I start eating the stuff I literally cannot stop. Mmmmmm, lovely bread. Anyway, the options this week were chocolate bread, which sounds utterly amazing but there’s no way Andrew […]

GBBO week 2 – chocolate hazelnut (Nutella) viennese whirls

For the second week running my newborn son (well, he’s over a month old now – where has that time gone?!) has allowed me to 1) watch the Bake Off, 2) bake my week’s challenge, and 3) blog about the challenge. Now if only he’d allow me to have more than a 3 hour stretch […]

GBBO week 1 – apple and rum drizzle cake

It is August 2016 and the Great British Bake Off is back for another year. And not only that, the Great Bloggers Bake Off is also back, so I’ll be participating in Jenny’s challenge each week and making one of the Bake Off bakes. If you want to join in (you don’t have to be […]

GBBO week 10 (the final) – classic British cake: Raspberry Eton Mess Victoria Sponge

Although I am sad the Bake Off is over for another year, it’s been hard work baking goodies each week … and then eating them. My stomach is looking decidedly large, and I am hoping that without the obligation to bake each week I’ll be able to shed a few pounds. It has been delicious […]

GBBO challenge week 3: bread – soda bread and home-churned butter

I cannot start this post without commenting on Paul’s amazing lion bread sculpture. How impressive was that? I did briefly entertain the idea of making a bread sculpture of my own (obviously in the shape of a cat), but sometimes life is too short eh? Baguettes are something I would like to make one day, […]

GBBO challenge week 1 – Cake: Gin & Tonic madeira cake

I do love a bit of Bake Off, and Andrew even lets me watch it … although he only managed approximately 40 seconds of it before he stuck his earphones on. I genuinely don’t understand why he hates the show so much – it’s so relaxing to watch, and of course a great way to pick […]

GBBO challenge week 8 – doughnuts

Mmmmmmmm, doughnuts. Deep fried sweet dough, filled with jam and coated with sugar – delicious! Actually, I have never made doughnuts before – I always tend to shy away from anything which requires deep frying in case I accidentally set fire to myself or the kitchen – but I came across a recipe by Jo […]

GBBO 2014 challenge week 6 – salted caramel torte

Wow – time is really flying, and I am starting to get behind on my Bake Off challenges. I did actually make this little beauty the weekend after episode 6 aired, but have struggled to find the time to write it up. So week 6, if you don’t remember, was European week. In between Mel […]