It's back - Great British Bake Off Series 6

Just as memories of season 5 fade so far into the past I am thinking of taking up with another heavily edited reality series, Bake Off comes bounding back into my life with Series 6 and twelve new contestants for me to fall in love with or at least love to loathe.

The BBC website has an introduction to the bakers. Sadly one of them will only be appearing on our screens tonight (meet the bakers).   We meet a few of the contestants.  I am instantly taken with Mat - who looks much like a sixth-former.  I have seen a few snippets online about Stu and his hat.  I have decided, based on no information at all, that it is a gimmick.  This is unfair, he didn't write the items about him, but it's Bake Off, you have to support someone and you have to have an anti-hero.

Mary and Paul are back as well.  Mary is perfect in pink, Paul's perma tan is lighting up the tent. Paul is quickly up to his usual tricks, undermining Nadiya with his eyebrows, which could almost have a show of their own.

Mat becomes even more my favourite, with his gin & tonic madeira cake.  Gin and cake - what could possibly go wrong?  Another recipe I like the look of is Tamal's pistachio and rose cake.  Dorret deems Paul strategically important, possibly a euphemism for patronising gimp.  I quite like Alvin's notion of putting figs in his madeira and the way he stands up to Paul.  Sandy is also unphased by comments from a jaffa with eyebrows.  Those two should go far (the contestants, not the eyebrows).   I still can't warm to Stu.  Paul is a sugar-crafting prison governor, an unusual combination.  

During the first judging session, Nadiya looks terrified but Mary is impressed.  Ugne's efforts didn't go down so well, neither did Sandy or Stu's.  Flora did well, Alvin's figs followed Paul's predictions, but the cake was good.  The term 'wallpaper paste' was used with Ian's efforts.  I instantly decided Ian was a city banker and was surprised to find out he is a travel photographer.  Mat's gin failed to win over the judges, but Tamal's creation worked well.  Dorret's candied peel wasn't up to Nadiya's standard neither was her cake.  Marie's candied peel worked well, and her cake was complimented - Paul even going so far as to call it a perfect cake.

The next challenge was walnut cake, thankfully without coffee - which I loathe.  I am firmly convinced that the BBC should send us all samples of a perfect version of each challenge to help us enjoy the series more, therefore it is important to me that all recipes are to my liking.  I am not too keen on the look of Mary's weird frosting, but the inside looks lovely.  I always kid myself I will try and bake these in the week - and never yet have.  Stu is breaking the rules - wearing a hat and rule breaking, he's a rebel and he'll never never be any good.  Alvin and caramel are not an item.  The meringue icing has whisked them all into a frenzy of confusion (it's Bake Off, bad jokes are a necessity).

The technical challenge judging begins.  Nadiya has just noticed her sides are uncovered and everyone else's are, that would make me throw up with fear, but she handles it well.  Mat's isn't as good as it looks.  The term grainy is being thrown around all over the place.  Ugne does well - and even had time for some sugar work.  Nadiya - naked sides and grainy.  Paul - neat but granular.  Nadiya is last, with Stu 11th.  Ugne takes first, closely followed by Alvin and Marie.   Nadiya is my new favourite 'I'm 12th and I'm OK with that .... of course I'm not'.  Marie and Flora are in the lead with the judges with Stu, Paul and Ian all in trouble.

Time for the showstopper, a black forest gateau.  Again I feel a sample is required.  Now the BBC aren't paying Clarkson's fees, there must be money for it.

Several of them are looking for a new spin on a classic. I think it is the first show and they should go for a perfect classic version rather than reinventing the chocolate wheel.  I struggle to bake anything but lemon drizzle cakes, but I eat a lot so I like to think I have considerable expertise when it comes to cake.  Having said that I like the idea of Nadiya's chocolate with chocolate and more chocolate.  I am not keen on Sandy's chocolate shortbread notion though.  The innuendo has begun, Mel starts talking of romping in Ian's forest.  Paul's cake looks fabulous on paper, as does Ugne's.  I love Sue's prison jokes, Paul is a bit less impressed - I can't see someone with no sense of humour lasting long on Bake Off.  I love Mat's honesty over using the thermometer "I don't know what I"m looking for, just seen everyone else do it".   Sandy is a bit free with the alcohol, always a good sign.

Dorret's cake needs the freezer - let's hope there is time for it to set.  They are all getting quite tense over the finishing touches.  Mel clearly likes her 'through your forests" joke and returns to it, it isn't that funny Mel, let it go.  Poor Dorret, her face says it all as she brings her cake out, I want her to be allowed to try again.  Thankfully Sue is on hand to support her.

The final judging session for this week:
Flora - huge cake - perfection, moist, works well, needs more alcohol.
Ugne - theatrical, good chocolate work, disappointing sponge though.
Marie - different presentation, simple but stunning, light sponge, lovely, wonderful taste - as classic as you can get (I told you so).
Alvin - looks modern, good flavours,
Mat -  fantastic looking cake, taste exceedingly good - well done Mat Kipling.
Paul - impressive chocolate work, good distinct layers, fantastic sponge.
Sandy - different idea with shortbread, Paul deems the piping '1970s' ... isn't that the idea?
Tamal - collared cake, great, and even a little bit special.
Stu - interesting, but no skills with chocolate, beetroot flavoured cake has the wrong texture.
Nadiya -contemporary and minimalist, wonderful shine, beautiful flavour,
Dorret - explains what happened, they are so nice to her.  The sponge is rubber though at the top, the bottom layers are ok.
Ian - totally different, shown many skills, good blend of flavours.

I would say it is between Stu and Dorret to go.  Several could be in top place.  Paul clearly already likes saying Flora's name.

The first star baker is Marie.  She won because she made a classic gateau - and who advocated sticking to classics in week 1 - me.  I don't know much, but I do know cake.

The first to go home is Stu - which I think is the right choice, although it was close with Dorret I suspect. I liked Stu more towards the end of the show, he got less cocky and more likeable, but sadly his baking became less likeable.  What a shame he just got one shot though, but I can't help being pleased for Dorret.

Ah Bake Off, how I have missed thee.  Episode One has lived up to all my expectations and I have discovered that blogging removes all desire to eat my way through the show.