Worm's World

Yeah for baking - I'm not live blogging it all this year - but when I can I'll be busy on for good 'ol #gbbo hashtag - along with the rest of the UK judging by how quickly it was trending last night. The Showstopper (Make 36 miniature british cakes) did cause me to ask: Trying to work out what constitutes a 'proper British cake' #GBBO — Nia Wearn (@Wormella) August 6, 2014 Which led to two brilliant answers: @Wormella a "proper English cake" is made of pie, gravy, rain, stiff upper lips & topped with a good helping of disgruntle #GBBO — Jennie Bailey (@WildWrites) August 6, 2014 & @Wormella shop bought passed off as homemade in a tupperware box — Richard Edwards (@RichEdwards1) August 6, 2014 The contestants did things like 4 tired Victorian sponges  and Lemon Drizzle cakes with pipettes of lemon stuff - as you do. I did however manage to work out who was being booted off after the first week, thats 4 series of GBBO watching skills there!

Signature Having only just got back into the swing of making big cakes, for CCC , this worries me less then it used to, but it still stresses me out. None of them really appeal though. Technical Challenge Angel cake, that looks terrifying - I know I don't have the patience for that kind of thing. I'm not even sure I've ever eaten it - it looks a faff. Show Stopper I also hate baking with chocolate - it fills me with dread. At least it gets this out of the way I suppose. not an easy one to start off, but I suppose by now everyone must know what is expected from GBBO and has to raise their game accordingly. Contestants It's still too early to get a grip on them - but some of them are emerging onto twitter: Beca (The Welsh one) - @BecaMurphLP Toby - (The one who got voted off) - @bake_down I can't remember the rest of the names so I'm sure they'll appear / form as people. 13 Is a bit too many to get to know at the start isn't it. Not surprised Toby was vote...

Wheeee! Season 4 is about to start ( Tuesday 20th August, 8pm on BBC Two ) I won't be live blogging it because it will clash with Zumba but I will be doing write ups again, or comments on - whatever they were last year ... Until it does start here are the Season 4 contestants - take from the official FB page Any thoughts on who might leave first? any one got any ideas of how I'll try and remember the names? It seems means to assign nicknames to them already...

Annoyingly, the winner has been spoiled for me, even though I had it on catch up to watch when I cam back from Poland - not by any of my friends, or from twitter for one, but buy the guardian online tv blog . Why they couldn't just leave off his name I'm not sure. Anyway - here it goes for the last time (unless there's a celebs GBBO this year) Contestants: All male Final, James, John & Brendan. I'm loving the slightly more indepth video bios on them all. Signature - can we all agree that that's a pasty - a big pasty, but they all look good. Technical Challenge -  OOh, fondant fancies, these are one of those things I feel are best left to Mr. Kipling. Wow, those really are super messy - bat least they are all impressively messy, and there's no where to hide on a glass cake stand. Show Stopper - These all sound fancy - I don't think I've ever eaten a chiffon cake. It's interesting watching this, I can see why John won. I also...

I'm a few days behind again, but I'm not 100% sure who left, I've an inkling. Contestants - Brendan, Danny, James and John are left. Brendan is still a little creepy, but I suspect he may be this years win. It will be well deserved, i just can't warm to him. Since when did John want his life to be a pastry based, isn't he studying law? Although I gather things like this are life changing. Signature - petit fours - small, exquisite, perfect, 3 baking elements I'm rubbish at. I don't even really like eating petit fours, I always get slightly bored with macaroons. No one makes 'proper' coconut macaroons any more do they? Gosh, Danny's look pretty though, but there does appears to be lots of hiding things under icing sugar. Technical Challenge - Frasier Cake - I don't think I've ever seen one, or eaten one. That all looks a nightmare to make.  Oh poor Danny, that doesn't look good. Even I held my breath when Brendan was moving his onto...

Contestants - joy, no twitter spoilers this time, I'm only a day behind. Well, I have an inkling of who may be star baker, but I'm not sure. I'm a bit lost now, bar Brendan, who I still think is a little creepy, I'd be quite happy for any of the remaining ones win. I'm rubbish at biscuits. Without fail they are under cooked, or over cooked, misshappen or rubbish. I like cookie cutters though. I don't even really like making them, I get bored md way through making them. Signature bakes - crackers, ooooh, interesting. I've made savoury cheesy biscuits, but never a cracker. This one of those things I'm pretty sure big machines make better then I can. I could however put together a cheese board to go with them. Technical challenge - tea cakes are mean, especially in that heat. I'm amazed Brendan has never made marshmallow before in all of his cooking escapades. Also, how did they used to make tea cakes without a silicone mould? Also, shouldn't tea ...

I'm really late posting this up Contestants Ok, there's 7 of them left. I now have favourites, the cheerful vicars wife, who I don't think will win, but she seem lovely.. I'm rooting for her and the student lads, John and James. Please let them do a show / book together. They defiantly seem all a bit more intense, I'm sure they weren't this tense at this point in previous competitions. I suspect Brendan is in the running to win, I hope not, but he's constant, unless he has a major melt down at some point. I'd really like Dannie to get star baker this week, I'm pretty sure she'd explode with happiness. I'm finding Brendan a bit creepy. Signature Bake - sponge puddings, I'd love to see someone use a microwave - which I have done. I've done steamed sponge pudding, but it's one of those things that sometimes its better out of a tin / microwave. They also make them in tiny individual portions which makes them great for work. I'm n...

Half way through already... Gosh, time goes quick.  This week, pies, mmm, pies. Contestants Ok, now I've found the official blog I've got a much better idea of who everyone is, and how to spell names., I'll go back and correct any misspellings. I'm slightly worried about Sarah-Jane. I'm pretty sure she won't win, but I think she's easily my favourite female baker.  I'm hoping Cathryn gets Star Baker. She seems lovely but she doesn't seem to be doing so well in fan adoration on twitter. That camp is firmly begin James & John. Mind you Ryan wasn't doing well either, but then he's messing with a Key Lime Pie, he doesn't deserve to stay - he looks amazed though. Ok, I can't tell now, but I'm pretty sure Manisha is done for.   Signature - fnarr, fnarr, 8inches long. I live with a veggie, and I think I've only attempted a mushroom Wellington once. I'm much more comfortable with a savoury roulade. I do love a salmon one, but ...

Right a round up of twitter accounts and other people's blog posts about this years Great British Bake Off -Feel free to add things I've missed in the comments BBC website Official site -  http://www.thegreatbritishbakeoff.co.uk/ The Guardian Great British Bake Off: which bakers are rising to the top?  - 7/09/12 Great British Bake Off: what do you make of the finalists? - 10/10/13 Twitter British Bake Off  ‏  @BritishBakeOff Paul Hollywood  ‏  @Hollywoodbaker James Morton  ‏  @bakingjames John Whaite  ‏  @flour_and_eggs Ryan Chong @RyanChongUk Cathryn Dresser @cat_dresser Sarah-Jane Willis @sj_willis Manisha Parmar @2000manisha Daniele Bryden @DannytheBaker Stuart Marston-Smith @StuMarstonSmith Brendan Lynch @brendanbakes Bake Off Owl  ‏  @gbbo_owl # GBBO

Contestants - it's amazing how they make anything to do with BrendAn sound like a euphemism 'gluten intolerant' this week. I still think the vicars wife - Sarah Jane is lovely but if she doesn't step up the game she won't win, but maybe I can see her in the top 3. I think Kathryn in in the running for the top 3 too, and the Scottish one with glasses.  I don't think Stuart is long for the competition, but I think Danni or Brendan are in the running for Star baker. It's also the first time I've heard people talk about having to beat a specific person to stay in the game. Signature - Tortes. I'm sometimes better at these then normal cakes, but I'm not sure about potato flour, but I imagine it will bring up whatever flavour you add to it.  I like the idea of a black forest torte. Not sure on a green tea one, but I've poached pears in tea (black and green) before now and it's worked so I'm hopeful for that one.  I'm not sure on passi...

Dammit, I saw a Gbbo spoiler on twitter, so I know who was booted out... But anyway, catching up.. Contestants Victoria is a little odd, I bet she's a member of the local WI, or maybe she thinks she's above them, I don't know, I'm sure she's lovely, but. Can't warm to her. I love the vicars wife, sarah jane, and her lucky Pastry knife. I'm finding Kathyrn a bit odd, I've seen people like that camping, and that shot of her in a gilet explains a lot. The lads are lovely, especially last weeks Star baker, maybe... Ok, here's my crib sheet for the identikit blokes: PE Teacher - Stuart Scottish one - James. the other one, umm, Peter... Challenges Signature - tart tatin, I've had hit and misses with these, I love the idea of a savoury one, never though of that, especially taken with the pear and blue cheese one. I have however made plenty of rough puff pastry - miles better then the frozen stuff, although that has its uses. There's a interesting m...

Week 2 GBBO Ok, it's week 2, I'm not watching this live, I'm a few days behind (it's Thursday) but I've not spoilers, just no community to snark with this week. The idea of 2 days of bread baking does not fill me with joy, much as I love eating it I don't care for making it. I did buy a bread makers when I was tipsy once in Asda (aah, 24hr super markets) but we freecycled it years ago when my beloved kenwood came on the scene, since we only ever used the machine to make pizza dough. I've long since relegated every type of bread making bar chappatis to Pete. He makes excellent pizza. Contestants I'm pretty sure there's people in this weeks episode they didn't even feature in the last one, like the bloke who collects recipes from magazines to cook with his son. He seems nice, but I've already forgotten his name.  I'm sure Brendan being called a 'keen gardener' is a euphemism, who goes through breads of the world as a project, that...