S07.E12: The Great Christmas Bake Off Part 1

[Athena]

Mary, Paul, Sue, and Mel together for the last time in the tent.

 

[sum]

Guess this is the best place to drop this in. 

The Great Christmas Bake Off: meet the bakers

Episode one: Christmas Day 
ALI - S4 (2013), CATHRYN - S3 (2012), NORMAN - S5 (2014), MARY-ANNE - S2 (2011)

Episode two: Boxing Day
HOWARD - S4 (2013), CHETNA - S5 (2014), JAMES - S3 (2012), JANET - S2 (2011)

A fairly interesting line-up, I think. I expected it'd consist of mostly finalists and winners. 

[halopub]

It was nice seeing Ali get the handshakes - I liked how he iced those paisley cookies.

[sum]

Back when Ali was on GBBO first time, I remember his ideas were often one of my favorites but he wasn't skillful/experienced enough to pull them off. From what I saw in the Class of 2013 episode, he had been spending quite a bit of time on baking. So it was fantastic to learn it paid off handsomely. Indeed he has improved greatly since then. Despite looking around a bit too much during the technical challenge most time he seemed to know what he was doing. But then why would you alter your plan so much on the spot? Baking a three-tier cake in four hours is already a daunting task, even if you had practiced it before. His four different sponges + mousse themselves weren't exactly simple to begin with. How to squander a great lead! That said, glad that he got a handshake and looked very much encouraged by the overall results, as he should.

Cathryn was as frantic as ever. One thing I always liked about her though was that despite all the mistakes and problems she doesn't get dispirited too easily. It was a shame she couldn't finish her showstopper, because the top two tiers looked pretty. Simple but effective. But then it was strange she sounds confused too often in the signature challenge. You'd think, as it's only a one-week competition, they'd be well prepared.

I said 'they' because of Norman. You were asked to make two different decorative biscuits for Christmas tree and somehow haven't thought through the designs? The one icing pattern he used was hardly the most complex, either. That is the Norman we knew though. :p

Before watching I've read some said Ali got robbed. But having seen Mary-Anne's showstopper I can't agree with them. Her signature earned two handshakes, plus Sue's immediate delighted look. Her cake required a lot of work and she realized all the bits beautifully. It looked intricate yet very neat. When they showed the cuts you almost could feel through the screen how heavenly they must be. Well done!

[mlp]

I was hoping Ali would get star baker but I have to say that Mary-Anne's showstopper looked marvelous.  That's the first time I ever saw a naked cake that I thought looked good enough to eat.  I love Norman but I was rather confident that he'd find some way to goof up.  :)

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Quote

Episode one: Christmas Day 

ALI - S4 (2013), CATHRYN - S3 (2012), NORMAN - S5 (2014), MARY-ANNE - S2 (2011)

Episode two: Boxing Day
HOWARD - S4 (2013), CHETNA - S5 (2014), JAMES - S3 (2012), JANET - S2 (2011)

A fairly interesting line-up, I think. I expected it'd consist of mostly finalists and winners.

As much as I would have liked seeing some of the other finalists again, I think it was nice to showcase some of the bakers who didn't last as long. And to be fair, the producers gave us two finalists as well as two bakers who finished fourth and just barely missed making the finals. I also really appreciate that they gave us bakers from a variety of seasons. Sometimes these types of specials end up with a lot of contestants from the same season, especially from the more recent seasons, which I dislike. My main disappointment was that there wasn't anyone from S1.

S2:
Mary-Anne - 3rd (finalist)
Janet - 4th

S3:
James - 3rd place (finalist)
Cathryn - 5th

S4:
Howard - 7th
Ali - 9th

S5:
Chetna - 4th
Norman - 7th

Norman was Norman, which was to be expected, but it was nice to see Ali get the handshake and so much praise for his work this time around.

I agree that Mary Anne's naked cake was a rare example of a naked cake that looked good. Often they look unfinished or messy, but hers looked great!

I'm glad that Cathryn got over her disappointment about not finishing her showstopper and said it was just a cake. Heh, I would have been having a hissyfit, so I always admire people who can let that stuff roll right off of them. It's a shame though because I thought her showstopper looked pretty good. I had to laugh when Mel and Sue ordered her to stop piping after they called time. I thought but you two are the ones who wasted a good two minutes of her time by insisting that she hug you so she should get a few extra seconds to make up for that!

Edited December 28, 2016 by ElectricBoogaloo

[qtpye]

Yeah, as much as I love Mel and Sue, some of their shenanigans do waste valuable time.

[BusyOctober]

Does anyone know where a US resident can watch Seasons 1-3?  I only have seen Season 4 and on, but after watching the 2 Christmas specials, I want to see the earlier shows! I have tried YouTube, but 9 times out of 10 I'm either blocked from viewing, or if I can find an old episode, the sound quality is so poor I can't watch.  Thanks!