S06.E11: The Final

[Athena]

Quote

Only three of the original twelve bakers remain. They've made it to the final. Over 27 challenges, they've worked their way through every baking discipline Mary and Paul have thrown at them - from cakes to bread, pastry to puddings, and biscuits to chocolate. Along the way they have tackled recipes from the 70s and 80s, they've gone back to the Victorian era, they've made gluten-free bread, strange meringue concoctions, incredible constructions out of biscuits, bread and choux... They have all survived, and now they face their last three challenges.

The signature challenge sees the finalists tackle enriched dough to create delicious filled iced buns. The technical requires them to conquer something they have all struggled with, and finally, for their last ever showstopper, they must make a classic British cake.

Mary and Paul expect nothing short of perfection. So who will hold their nerve? Who will be crowned winner of The Great British Bake Off 2015? On your marks, get set... bake!

[ceebee]

Iced buns?! Doesn't sound very exciting! I like the idea of them revisiting something they struggled with and a classic cake appeals to me too. (Sometimes the showstoppers stray into architecture and away from baking, I feel).

Go Nadiya!

Or Tamal! ;-)

And I won't even hate it (so-long-as-he's-brilliant) if it's Ian!

[sum]

Ha! I finished season two yesterday and 'Iced buns/Iced fingers' was the technical challenge of the semifinal of that season. All were said to taste great but looked a bit too amateurish unfortunately. I'm looking forward to finding out how these three finalists' look.

 

Two hours to go! 

 

Edit: Interesting. Mille-feuille was also the signature challenge of season 2 final.

Edited October 7, 2015 by sum

[ceebee]

I cried! Nadiya cried! Ian cried! Tamal cried! Heavens to Murgatroyd - even Mary cried!! A couple of laugh out loud moments in there too (...Are YOU happy, Paul??!)

All round fabulousness.

Edited October 7, 2015 by ceebee

[wlk68]

I've always been on Team Ian, right from the beginning. I know some people thought he came across as smug or a teacher's pet but I never saw it. He has a wry,  understated, self deprecating sense of humor that I quite like.

 

All that being said I also quite liked Tamal and thought Nadiya was a total sweetie pie who definitely deserved to win. I'm extremely happy for her. Add me to the list of people who got teary eyed.    

[halopub]

Yes!!!!

 

It cracked me up to see Nadiya's father jump up at the end. He was even more excited than her kids.

 

I wasn't a fan of their presentations but I'm really glad Tamal and Ian got to impress with their flavors at the end. For one to make a sticky toffee pudding into a cake and for one to make Paul's best carrot cake ever - impressive! Plus seeing Ian's teary frustration and nervous mistakes made him much relateable/likeable. It got him beyond what so many of us have perceived as an affectation.

 

 

 

 

[shandy]

What a satisfying finale. I was so pleased all the showstoppers turned out tasting good.  All three were so  different. Mary in tears, the greenest grass, the families all around, the incidental music, this show can reach for feels effortlessly. When Nadiya’s little boy said his mother never won anything before, I teared up, GBBO, are you trying to slay me?

 

And Tamal is wonderful with kids. Of course.  His friendship with Nadiya is great to watch, everything was so “nice” this episode I even warmed to Ian. 

 

Last season there was a core of bakers I loved (Kate, Chet, Martha) and a finale which felt a little empty – I can’t analyze why, although I was fine with Nancy winning. This season it seemed to take a whiles to get going, but the finale in particular  packed a great punch.

 

Now I need to forget all this to watch this season again with PBS come Downton time. And a season on Netflix too,  good times to be a fan.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Awwwww, what a great finale! I liked that no one outright failed or blew everyone else away so that it was still anyone's game.

 

I always assume that the challeges are chosen before the season begins so I wonder if the mille feuille challenge was already planned or if Paul decided to change to that one because all three of them hadn't done well at pastry before.

 

Loved seeing Nadiya, Tamal, and Ian hug before the results and then seeing Tamal cry afterward was great. Heh and of course he followed that up by saying she will be insufferable now. So cute to see him telling her kids that he will be coming over for dinner.

[Stinger97]

I caught the episode hours after it aired and somehow managed to inadvertently spoil myself re: Nadiya's win, and yet I still found it to be an incredibly satisfying finale. 

 

I was quite impressed with the look of Tamal's showstopper. Although it looked a bit messy and disheveled, it was clear that that was what Tamal was going for. The sugar web tying each of the tiers together was absolutely brilliant. It was also great to hear that the sticky toffee not-pudding cake tasted great. 

 

For me, Nadiya's showstopper was less impressive than Tamal's, but better than Ian's. I was impressed with her homemade fondant, handmade fondant roses, and perfectly baked tiers. Ian's carrot cake looked delicious, but I didn't think the presentation was what it needed to be for a final showstopper. Moreover, I didn't find the giant carrot spanning each of the tiers to be that original of an idea. 

 

I have found myself sad to say goodbye to the bakers at the end of each series, and this one is no different. I truly fell in love with watching Nadiya and Tamal bake, and I'll miss having them on my screen each week. Which is why I typically search out my favorite bakers on Twitter and start following them. I hope to hear big things from those two! 

[ceebee]

I have found myself sad to say goodbye to the bakers at the end of each series, and this one is no different. I truly fell in love with watching Nadiya and Tamal bake, and I'll miss having them on my screen each week. Which is why I typically search out my favorite bakers on Twitter and start following them. I hope to hear big things from those two!

Yes, I find myself missing the bakers afterwards and wanting more. (I could see Nadiya being invited to do some TV work).

Looking at tweets about the final, it seemed half the nation was in tears. Hee!

The GBBO Twitter account has some great pics and quotes on it.

It's been lovely to see how enthusiastically Nadiya's win has been received. Even the grottier end of the British press seems to be feeling the love.

Edited October 8, 2015 by ceebee

[Danny Franks]

It's been lovely to see how enthusiastically Nadiya's win has been received. Even the grottier end of the British press seems to be feeling the love.

 

Hmm. Not quite, Especially not at that cesspit of humanity that is the Daily Mail. Apparently this is the first time in five years that they haven't put the Bake Off winner on their cover. They didn't mention it until page seven. And when they did mention it? Oh boy, just don't look at the comments section. People can be so disgusting.

 

Anyway, I'm delighted that Nadiya won, and even my girlfriend admits that she deserved it more than Tamal, over the course of the series and based on last night's performance. She's just so good at this, and so plucky and resolute. She's the one who kept it together the best, while Ian was forgetting to put sugar in his dough and Tamal was first not setting his creme pat, then oversetting his toffee glaze stuff.

 

Her iced buns were pretty perfect looking, and apparently tasted great. The technical bake was the one that looked the most like the example Paul had. That pastry looked like an absolute bitch to deal with, by the way. Also, I'd much prefer a vanilla slice to one of those raspberry and cream things. And her showstopper was very professional looking too. Plus, even I like lemon drizzle cake, and I am not a cake fan.

 

Tamal's chinese village cake looked very cool, and very appropriate with Halloween coming up. Ian's was a bit plain looking, really. More cakes doesn't automatically make it better (which some might disagree with).

 

It seems that Paul likes it when the bakers give him a bit of stick back. He laughed when Nadiya asked him "are you happy, Paul?" and a couple of weeks ago he laughed when Flora admonished him that she wasn't going to deseed all her pomegranates for him. It makes me like him a bit more, despite his obvious favouritism, because being a dick and then being able to take it when people throw it back at you is much better than being a dick because you can get away with it.

[OnceSane]

Loved Tamal ribbing Nadiya and Nadiya sassing Paul, cracked me up!

Yay for Nadiya! And, yes, I totally cried. My son kept looking at me to make sure I was okay. I loved how well she did and that Tamal had a great day. Ian didn't do poorly, just not as well as the other two.

[Rinaldo]

That pastry looked like an absolute bitch to deal with, by the way. Also, I'd much prefer a vanilla slice to one of those raspberry and cream things. 

Maybe this belongs in the "differences in national terminology thread," but in the US, though "mille-feuille" remains the official bakers' term, our bakeries and restaurants more often call it a Napoleon. And it's utterly delicious. But I've never seen one with whole berries like that -- it must be hard to eat without shards flying everywhere (and as I've said in a recent thread, I don't really like fruit as part of a creamy dessert anyway; I'd rather just eat fruit by itself).

 

More usually in my experience it'll have smooth filling (crème pat, whipped cream, mousse, jam, ganache) between the layers) and 2 icings on top making a zigzag design. If a dessert buffet table has them (at a reception or brunch) I'll shamelessly go back for seconds and thirds.

 

I'm delighted for Nadiya. And I'm pleased that all 3 finalists met the last day with their very best efforts. Usually at least one (often someone hitherto the strongest) overreaches on the day and attempts something they can't quite carry out perfectly. Not this time. And what a lovely final trio in terms of interaction and mutual respect and skills and all-round likability.

[Athena]

Very satisfying finale. I agree that it was better than last year's too. I felt more emotionally connected to Nadiya who really was resolute and extremely passionate. As the series progressed, she became better and better. She also was more tenacious and wanted it more than ever. It was incredibly genuine.

I love that Nadiya and Tamal have such a great friendship too. I spent the first two challenges going, "Oh, Tamal." First with the creme pat and then not following the technical challenge instructions. Tamal: It's the finale technical!

I think they do set the challenges out before the series begins, but perhaps they have some "reserve" ones in hand and flexibility to change. I think it was clever to change and show how improved Nadiya and Ian were.

It was very sweet when they showed how absolutely overjoyed Nadiya's family was. I loved how her two little boys were crying as well. Nadiya's little girl looks just like her.

 

On 2015-10-08 at 2:50 PM, Danny Franks said:

It seems that Paul likes it when the bakers give him a bit of stick back. He laughed when Nadiya asked him "are you happy, Paul?" and a couple of weeks ago he laughed when Flora admonished him that she wasn't going to deseed all her pomegranates for him. It makes me like him a bit more, despite his obvious favouritism, because being a dick and then being able to take it when people throw it back at you is much better than being a dick because you can get away with it.

 

I think Paul is a bit of a good natured troll, and can take it as good as he gives it. When I read behind the scenes stuff,  it seems Sue and Mel give him a really hard time on set, but he takes it in course.

[ceebee]

Hmm. Not quite, Especially not at that cesspit of humanity that is the Daily Mail. Apparently this is the first time in five years that they haven't put the Bake Off winner on their cover. They didn't mention it until page seven. And when they did mention it? Oh boy, just don't look at the comments section. People can be so disgusting.

Disappointed to hear they buried the story inside. I never see the paper version as I wouldn't give them my money (and would be mortified if anyone spotted me leafing through the DM at the supermarket). I purposely went looking for their coverage online to see how they would follow the disgrace that was Amanda Platell's 'piece' last week and was pleasantly surprised at the positivity. (Unsurprised at what you say about the comments though. I'll not bother to look - I want to stay in my Bake Off happy place). Edited October 8, 2015 by ceebee

[Pallida]

After looking into the Platell reference, all I can say is well, uhh, I'm glad my country (USA) doesn't have a stranglehold on bigotry?  If this was an American reality show, I think it'd be possible that some eliminations were based on an arbitrary diversity quotient, but nothing on this show has led me to think anybody other than the "worst" (least best?) baker goes.

 

From what I've gathered, the contestants know all of the signature and showstopper briefs before the show begins.  I don't know that the technicals would have to be planned in advance.  I liked that they tested these three on pastry since it was a weakness for all of them.  

 

Aesthetically, I thought Ian's carrot was backwards.  I don't know why it bugged me so much that he had the point on the top tier and the base on the bottom tier.  And I wanted to flick the pansy off the big web on Tamal's otherwise wonderful showstopper.  Nadiya's marshmallow fondant sounded intriguing, especially since I've never liked the fondant I've tasted in the past.  I didn't find the look of her cakes especially attractive (for some reason, they made me think of Minions, even though the colors were very different).  I'd like some lemon drizzle cake now though!

[Rinaldo]

I didn't find the look of her cakes especially attractive (for some reason, they made me think of Minions, even though the colors were very different).  

It took me a second viewing of the final (which I was happily doing anyway) to realize her cakes were just the small white slabs at the top, and the whole cylindrical portion below was the decoration (fabric, jewelry) hanging down from the stands. So the cakes themselves were relatively simple-looking (though meticulously finished off, and apparently tasting ideal). I don't mean this as a criticism of her work, just a description, and in any case maybe everyone else saw that immediately.

Edited October 10, 2015 by Rinaldo

[Kostgard]

I'm so delighted Nadiya won. I agree that this season was more emotionally satisfying. When Nancy won last year, I was all "Oh, that's nice." But I was in tears for Nadiya (and how sweet was Mary Berry wiping away her tears for her). Her family is adorable. I loved how happy they all were.

Tamal is also adorable. I hope he and Nadiya really stay friends. But I knew the guy was going to biff it when he didn't follow the instructions in the technical. It was the TECHNICAL, Tamal! That's when following instructions is essential.

[BusyOctober]

I too am intrigued by Nadiya's fondant recipe.  I love the look of fondant on special occassion cakes but hate the taste.  Has anyone of you Baker enthusiasts tried making fondant this way?  Nadiya's seems so simple!

[Rinaldo]

Has anyone of you Baker enthusiasts tried making fondant this way?  Nadiya's seems so simple!

It does, and I was a bit surprised that the judges, exacting as they can be about techniques, were so impressed by it. I'm also surprised, after a time for reflection, that they didn't find it "cloyingly sweet" (a criticism I remember from previous competitions, especially when they dealt with American-style pies). I mean, marshmallows are awfully sweet to start with, and then to add icing sugar? Was there some other flavoring or essence to cut the sweetness?

 

Also on reflection, I find Tamal's final Showstopper more and more impressive, the more I think about it. He essentially invented a new kind of cake by merging two British favorites (sticky toffee pudding and fruitcake), and despite all the dangers that Paul and Mary foresaw, apparently did it with total success. Plus the elaborate and well-executed presentation, with the spun-sugar webbing and all.

 

If he had brought equal panache to all three of his final bakes, he surely would have been the winner. As it was, he biffed something important in both of the first two, and Nadiya, most deservingly, won. This was quite a final.

Edited October 9, 2015 by Rinaldo

[Cactus]

Didn't Paul mention that the fondant went well with the cake, which since it was lemon, it might have cut through the sweetness of the fondant.  On its own, I could see it being overwhelmingly sweet.

[Athena]

Didn't Paul mention that the fondant went well with the cake, which since it was lemon, it might have cut through the sweetness of the fondant.  On its own, I could see it being overwhelmingly sweet.

 

That's what I thought too. I think Mary and Nadiya prefer the tart taste for citrus. She probably did not put a lot of sugar in the cake itself and left the fondant be most of the sweetness.

 

I love lemon drizzle cake, but Tamal's bake showstopper may have been my favourite in the finale.

[Occasional Hope]

I thought Tamal's showstopper was the best because it was so inventive, but he was too far behind after the first two rounds.  Nadia's cake was very classy and professional looking, and after clearly winning the first two rounds I think she was the right winner overall.

[Rickster]

 

Also on reflection, I find Tamal's final Showstopper more and more impressive, the more I think about it. He essentially invented a new kind of cake by merging two British favorites (sticky toffee pudding and fruitcake), and despite all the dangers that Paul and Mary foresaw, apparently did it with total success. Plus the elaborate and well-executed presentation, with the spun-sugar webbing and all.

 

I agree about the originality of the cake, but I thought the spun sugar was a bit of a mess. I conceptually understood what he was aiming at, and think I have even seen the photos he referenced, but I don't think it had the appeal of a clean design.

I've seen three finals now and overall, I thought this was the best.

[Pallida]

Athena, do you happen to have a lemon drizzle cake recipe?  I found Mary Berry's recipe and to me, it seemed like a pretty tame citrus flavor.  Maybe I just like my citrus to be especially tart?

[Athena]

Athena, do you happen to have a lemon drizzle cake recipe?  I found Mary Berry's recipe and to me, it seemed like a pretty tame citrus flavor.  Maybe I just like my citrus to be especially tart?

 

No. I like lemon bakes, but I'm not always patient to make them. However, you could try Nadiya's recipe for her wedding cake. She used lemon drizzle, lemon curd, and lemon buttercream. For the drizzle and the curd, the sugar amount is about average or slightly below. I think the fact she had both those elements and the cake (7 lemons not including the lemon extract) balanced out her fondant.

 

I don't like fondant either so I haven't gotten around to trying marshmallow fondant.

[halopub]

I thought Tamal's showstopper was the best because it was so inventive, but he was too far behind after the first two rounds.  Nadia's cake was very classy and professional looking, and after clearly winning the first two rounds I think she was the right winner overall.

 

On Extraslice, Paul said that he and Mary knew Nadia had won as soon as they tasted her showstopper. Apparently there was no deliberation.

 

 

It was very sweet when they showed how absolutely overjoyed Nadiya's family was. I loved how her two little boys were crying as well. Nadiya's little girl looks just like her. 

 

 

I think Paul is a bit of a good natured troll, and can take it as good as he gives it. When I read behind the scenes stuff,  it seems Sue and Mel give him a really hard time on set, but he takes it in course.

 

Hilariously, Nadiya's mom told her that she thought Tamal's showstopper was better.

 

According to Tamal, Paul actually admitted to messing with him a bit by asking one of those leading questions during a challenge.

 

 

Aesthetically, I thought Ian's carrot was backwards.  I don't know why it bugged me so much that he had the point on the top tier and the base on the bottom tier.  And I wanted to flick the pansy off the big web on Tamal's otherwise wonderful showstopper. 

 

Ian's carrot reminded me of Salvadore Dali's melted clocks. For his part, Ian says he didn't think he could win with decoration so he upped the difficulty with quantity.

 

Three other highlights from the aftershow: a glowing Nadiya talking about not knowing how acrobatic her expressions are; Mary tearing up again, talking about Nadiya's win; and Tamal admitting that he had not intentionally left out the sponge bottom of his winning Charlotte Russe. He actually did not realize there was supposed to be one.

Edited October 10, 2015 by halopub

[micat]

I am so happy that Nadiya won. I loved the details on her showstopper - the gold edging on the roses was particularly beautiful. I wish I could have tasted it. In my experience fondant icing looks amazing but tastes pretty awful - llike nothing really. That fondant must have really been something. It was smart of her to use the marshmallows since I'm sure it saved her some time.

 

I am from the U.S., and I have to say the iced buns challenge caused some cognitive dissonance in me. In my experience, in the U.S., buns that are iced and filled with sweet stuff like that would normally be fried - in other words, they would be different forms of doughnuts. From looking at them, it really looked like they were filling hot dog buns, hamburger buns, and hoagie rolls with creme and jam - totally a weird thing to do! Of course, I know that they must have tasted much differently than those types of buns - but they looked exactly the same.

[ABay]

They really did. I couldn't get past the mental image of a hot dog roll with vanilla frosting. Ick. 

[Pallida]

While I would agree that Nadiya's reminded me of a hot dog in a bun, I thought the rest were like eclairs or cream puffs and had no dissonance.  I think I assumed the word "bun" just has a different meaning (like "biscuit") and mentally replaced it.  Unquestionably, I have that dissonance with "pie" and seeing meat pies though!

 

I don't actually know if they were making choux pastry.  Sometimes I like my ignorant happy world.

[Athena]

Buns can be sweet or neutral/savoury. In North America, buns are predominantly used for savoury things such as hot dogs and hamburgers. In other countries (not just the UK), they can be used for sweets as they were here. The type of buns in this challenge were not from choux pastry. The idea of these buns are similar to eclairs, but not with choux.

[Pallida]

You burst my ignorant bubble! Now I'm going to spend hours looking up worldly buns!

[ElectricBoogaloo]

If there is a Ranch 99 near you, they always have savory buns in the bakery and they're very inexpensive. They have all kinds of buns with different kinds of meat and they're around $2 so it's a cheap way to give them a try!

 

I think fondant is lovely to look at when used well but I dislike the taste so much that when I got married, I specifically requested a cake without any fondant. I have such mixed feelings about fondant because there are some gorgeous cakes with effects that can't be produced with regular frosting, and I appreciate it from an aesthetic point of view. And I know you can just peel the fondant off your piece of cake before eating it, but I was like nope, none of that fondant for my wedding! I would be really interested to taste Nadiya's marshmallow fondant though!

[shandy]

The Masterclasses are such a great end to the finale. Paul and Mary remind me so much of Jacques and Julia with their gentle mocking of each other undercut with obvious respect - and however grudging I have to admit Hollywood is clearly skilled!

[Rinaldo]

I also like the fact that, although Paul is the "professional" of the two, he very clearly admires what Mary does.

[7-Zark-7]

I was unhappy with Nadiya's win. In the beginning, she kept placing near the bottom in the technical challenges which drove me up a wall, but she did improve and went on to win at least 3 of them in the second half of the season. I think Ian performed better overall, and Tamal's showstopper impressed me more in the final round, but I guess they both sort of choked in the finale.  At least it wasn't as bad as Season 4 when both Ruby and Frances seriously screwed up and allowed style-over-substance Frances to walk away with the title.

Edited August 3, 2016 by 7-Zark-7

[Athena]

9 minutes ago, 7-Zark-7 said:

I was so unhappy with Nadiya's win. She kept placing near the bottom in the technical challenges. It shows that when she has days to plan recipes, she's great, but on the fly and with minimal instructions, she doesn't know what to do, which I think hampers her as a baker. Tamal would have been my pick.

While Nadiya placed bottom in the technicals for the first four episodes of the series, she was always in the top for the remainder of the series including being #1 in the technical four times (including the finale). I love Tamal and to be honest, it was a toss-up between the two of them who I adored more. However, Tamal did not bake as well as the winner in the last weekend and that has happened to finalists in the past.

[7-Zark-7]

9 minutes ago, Athena said:

While Nadiya placed bottom in the technicals for the first four episodes of the series, she was always in the top for the remainder of the series including being #1 in the technical four times (including the finale).

Yes, since it's been a few months since I've seen these, I checked on Wikipedia and edited my post before your comment.

Edited August 3, 2016 by 7-Zark-7

[Winter Rose]

I went into this rooting for Tamal because I feel like he was made the underdog, and I like the underdogs. But ultimately that didn't really matter because I honestly liked all three of them and I knew once I started watching, I'd want the person who looked like they were doing the best in the final to win it, and that was Nadiya. I didn't always agree with Star Baker, though I did agree with every elimination, but I just wanted to agree with the overall winner.

And however it looked going into the second day, I'm really glad all three of them had strong showstoppers. Although I think Ian's concept could've still been done with three cakes, I don't think he needed five, but it's fine either way.

I was also really enjoying Tamal and Nadiya's friendship this episode, but everyone was so pleasant to watch. I'm going to miss this charming little show but I eagerly await the next season.

[Primetimer]

And when an angel cries, we all cry.

View the full article

[MerBearHou]

What a lovely final.  It was a treat to see their family members -- so proud, so full of love and good humor.  I liked all 3 of the finalists so much and would have been delighted with any of them winning.  But Nadiya definitely had the best showing in all phases of the final so she rightfully won.  It was great seeing the eliminated bakers in the party outside the tent -- felt a little like seeing old friends -- I got so attached to these contestants!  Mary Berry choking back tears after Nadiya won -- so sweet.  I can't help but compare my feelings for this show, atmosphere, judges, hosts, finalists and winner vs. other cooking competition shows -- absolutely night and day.  Dear Ian, Tamal and Nadiya -- I wish them ALL the very best!!

[Amethyst]

That was a great finale.  I got spoiled on who won a few weeks ago, but seeing Nadiya actually win was still awesome.  

I'll have to rewatch because I missed the first half (thanks, Olympics!) but I thought Tamal's showstopper would have won, because while Nadiya's was gorgeous visually, Tamal's flavorings once again shocked Paul and Mary.  They clearly weren't expecting his sticky toffee cake to taste good, let alone be prepared properly.  Had he not messed up earlier, he could have won it all.

I thought Ian was sweet and quite genuine.  But I knew he was out once Mary commented on the simplicity of his showstopper.  The flavor would have had to been magnificent to make up for the simple appearance.  While it probably tasted great, it wasn't enough to win it all.

Again, Nadiya's cake was beautiful, and it sounded scrumptious.  I like fondant, and I love marshmallow.  I would have been tucking into that thing before they even announced the winner!

Congratulations to Nadiya.  Poor girl was so stunned, she couldn't even speak, just gesturing to her "trophy" and the flowers like "I actually won?"  Combined with her family seeing her win (her adorable kids!) and Mary of all people tearing up, it was a very sweet victory for Nadiya indeed.  Pun intended.

I almost want a spin off of Tamal and Nadiya hanging out, because those two are a great pair.  Lol at Tamal going to Nadiya's house.

Edited August 14, 2016 by Amethyst
Won, not One!

[AZChristian]

I will be very sad next Friday because the GBBS won't be on.  We loved every minute of every episode.  Well done, all!!!

[Zahdii]

The finale is online already!

THE GREAT BRITISH BAKING SHOW

Season 3, Episode 10: The Final

Only three of the original twelve bakers remain. They face off in the final challenges. In the final signature challenge, the bakers make 16 iced buns. In the technical, the judges use one of Paul’s recipes: the bakers must bake raspberry-flavoured mille-feuille in two hours. In the final Showstopper, the bakers are given four hours to make classic British cakes in a multi-layered presentation.

http://www.pbs.org/video/2365777877/

[GaT]

Congratulations Nadiyah! I realized that I would be OK with any of them winning, so at least I wasn't going to be disappointed. I thought the showstoppers were all great, but I was surprised they still had problems with the Napoleons. I also liked seeing their families, Nadiyah's husband is a pretty man, & her kids are adorable. 

When does the next season start?

[jumper sage]

3 hours ago, Winter Rose said:

I was also really enjoying Tamal and Nadiya's friendship this episode, but everyone was so pleasant to watch. I'm going to miss this charming little show but I eagerly await the next season.

Exactly!  I liked everyone on the show.  Even Paul with his incredible blue eyes.......damn it!

I haven't been commenting on this run because I knew who won by accident.  I watched the People's Couch with the brit kids and in the opening segment they showed Nadiya winning.  I also showed that most of the kids were split between Ian and Tamal.  What do kids know?  Nadiya took all three comps in the final.  It was nice that all three did well in the showstopper. 

[Enigma X]

 I just watched and am very happy for Nadiya. It was lovely seeing their families. 

Although Ian was my favorite, I can't be disappointed in whomever won. The one who did best won. 

[biakbiak]

Tamal talking to two of Nadiya's children promising he was going to come visit soon because she promised him was the best. They are all so awesome.

Edited August 13, 2016 by biakbiak

[zxy556575]

Congratulations to Nadiya ... on having such a gorge husband! Oh, and on her baking as well.

I cried through every family segment. I've always liked Ian and seeing his wife and kids sweetly filled in the picture of him, his house, and village. Tamal's sister relaying how she taught him to bake and tearing up from pride was also touching. The waterworks went into overdrive when Nadiya's father/FIL started jumping up and down with happiness.

As for the food, it looked so good that I actually went to the store and bought some lemon drizzle pound cake! A poor substitute no doubt but I ate it while rewatching the episode.

Thanks also to Mark Blankenship for his funny and heartfelt recaps.

Edited August 13, 2016 by lordonia

[Kohola3]

It is was delightful to see how supportive the final 3 were of each other.  I hate comparing this to American cooking shows but I can't help it.  They are just so different!  Maybe it's the fact that the Brits don't get anything monetary, must a medal and a bouquet.  But while they lost, Ian and Tamal seemed genuinely happy for Nadiya.  And watching Mary puddle up was adorable.  She clearly came to love Nadiya.

I was not spoiled but when the guys sort of blew the Signature and Technical, it was pretty clear that unless Nadiya crapped out on the Showstopper, she was in.

Because of her win, she was asked to bake Queen Elizabeth's birthday cake!  I bet her hands were shaking THAT day!