Great British Bake-off: The Final

[StrangerintheNight]

Just typed out a very excitable post only to find the previous thread, on which I was an avid lurker, had exceeded it's capacity. So if you don't mind, I'll start the overflow thread in the lead up to the Grand Final.

I have decided that I want Brendan to win. James is training in medicine and we need doctors. Brendan wants to go into retirement homes and make old people happy by baking with them.

I like to see people do well, and it'll be exciting to see who wins, but I don't like the way these competitions encourage viewers to take against some competitors against their personal favourite.

Someone further back on the thread mentioned a program following people doing the Master Patissier training. I'd love to see that - anyone know what it was called?

Not sure that first sentence makes sense, got distracted half way through...

well when it gets to this stage they'll all get their ambitions realised that's what I like about telly contests it doesn't REALLY matter who wins now does it?(ducks the flames from squoosh )

wintera as you said if you're going in for a telly contest you're deffo going to be scrutinised! And have comments negative and positive made publicly about you you have to have a thick skin !!

little Hi Yes it's not easy when you're on a diet to watch GBBO I think they should have a challenge to make a wheat free cake or loaf that'd get them! Paul Hollywood's in need! Yeah his eyes (swoon)

wing Yes! IMO it's been much harder for the contestants this time P.H. and M.B. said it at the beginning.

Oooo, I LOVE GBBO, makes me very tense, very hungry and very inspired all at once! I like James, and would happily beg him on bended knees let him cook a meal for me.

John is fab, and I just loved the idea of him and his architect partner sitting at home with a glass of wine making templates for his epic collesium (sp?). How anyone can be against gay marriage with that image in their head I don't know?

But for me, it's Brendan FTW! His is the food I would most like to steal and pass off as my own eat, plus I've had a soft spot for him since his disco dips were revealed!

PS i'd also love to know the name of the Master Patissiere programme.

On the subject of macarons they are soooo sugary here (in Fr.) that they put your teeth on edge. I did buy some organic ones which were amazingly good and not anywhere near as sweet, it's not nec. IMO.

I have never had a macaron. Ever.

When they started becoming fashionable a couple of years ago I thought people were referring to old school coconut macaroons that the Famous Five were always tucking into.

I'm clearly a cake pleb. I'll get my coat

Could someone post a link to Danny's blog please?

I agree about the nasty comments, not necessary.

What nasty comments flippinada?

Yes, what nasty comments?

Not on here, but there have been some very off colour comments on the FB page.

I de-liked because of it, despite my love of all things bake off.

Oh, that's horrible.

Why are people such twits?

Honestly, it's a show about baking cakes, how much more inoffensive could it be?!

I've never had a macaroon either. Or a whoopie pie (whatever happened to them?) or a cake pop .

I'll have a google and try and find the French Patissier thing.

Yes the nasty comments are not on here - someone wrote that Danny from GBBO had wrote on her blog that she had seen nasty comments about people from the show online. And apparently there has been some homophobic comments made on the GBBO Facebook page too.

That is horrible and there is no need for nastiness.

I too have never eaten a macaron but saw them for sale in M&S very expensive

Oh I've had a whoopie pie, they are very nice. I bought some from the Co-op store nearby. Think it was part of their Truly irresistible range. And I've had those posh macaroons as well, what are they called? There's a certain company that makes them . . Very posh I think. Got some once for my birthday. Not had a cake pop yet though but am open to offers lol!

It certainly must be a shock to the system to go from being your ordinary self, to suddenly realising that random people you've never met have strongly held opinions on you.

Imagine what it was like for poor Susan Boyle who went from unknown to global fame in literally 24 hours. My head would have popped.

Have remembered the name of those posh macaroons - Laduree. Very nice, with unusual flavours too.

Absolutely squoosh. I'd love to do something like GBBO, but the idea of being on tv -

I am going to be GUTTED when GBBO is over, it's such lovely comforting telly!

I'd be happy to see any of the final 3 win but think Brendan probably deserves to because he has made so few mistakes. I liked Jo from last year (and her book's good) but I thought a winner who'd screwed up in a previous episode by setting her oven to defrost (and made a few other fairly big screw-ups IIRC) was a bit of a shame. She was good, but the best baker in the UK? I'm not sure. That said I love James' instinctive feel for baking - he really 'gets' it, rather than just following recipes, that thing he did with the mousse this week was very clever. I like John a lot but he doesn't really deserve to be in the final as he's had a few near misses, would still be pleased to see him win though as he wants it so badly.

I met the luscious Mr H at the Cake and Bake Show the other week and can confirm he is just as attractive in real life - those eyes...

Exactly squoosh - that's why I could never do it. An old workmate of mine really wants to go on Come dine with me, personally I can't think of anything worse! Would hate it, not even the thousand pounds would be worth the hassle!

I wonder how Mrs H is coping with all these outpourings of lust for her husband.

James has been sitting med school exams, so I understand exactly why he's been a bit ad hoc when it comes to planning.

With more time to prepare and a bit of Brendan's discipline, he'd be pretty bloody fantastic. Now his exams are over, I have a feeling he might pull it out of the hat for the final. (plus - gorgeous knitwear - what's not to love?)

Laduree are the makers I think they're a patisserie in Paris they're very famous wintera when you're near a branch of Paul in Fr, and I think there's one or 2 in London try their macarons LOVELY the chocolate ones are TDF.

Why I remember feeling gutted when the last contest finished; they're doing a master workshop for 2 weeks afterwards.

Danny's blog is called bakingastherapy - post re nasty comments is called something like The Carpetbagging of GBBO. Some nice recipes, plus interesting the extent to which she winged it!