Great British Bake Off

rubylady I added a recipe to the GN recipe section that doesn't have any added sugar or fat. Try this link:
www.gransnet.com/recipes/dish/6551-Fruit-cake-no-added-sugar-no-fat-recipe

She really had to go this week.

I'm joining a new book club next week and have offered to make cake. Only problem is that members are on diets so I said I will look for a low fat recipe. If anyone has one to hand, please would you be so kind as to let me have a sneaky look at it?

Never thought about vegans before - even though I am vegetarian. Sadly my sweet tooth has a blind spot with cakes, biscuits and desserts (not sweeties though) .

Now and then a contestant does do a veggie option, but the judges - especially Paul - are rarely impressed. I always think they are unfair at these times because they give comments that could apply plenty of other times too. It's like they're too set in their ways, which is a shame.

I love GBBO, but I have been thwarted by DD who is a strict vegan. It's possible to make very good cakes without eggs, milk or butter, but somehow it's just not so much fun.

Katie K Personally I don't think it's a show you can dip in and out of. Part of the enjoyment for me is following each contestant and seeing what kind of week they have - and how devilish the judges' are with the technical challenge. smileu

I have no interest in baking ( or cooking full stop tbh ), but I love TGBB.

I enjoy getting to know the contestants and the presenters are great , but most of all I love watching the process each contestant goes through to produce their offering. Yes, it goes wrong a lot, but the end result is often stunning - and mouth watering. I can appreciate the skills of others without feeling the need to have a go myself - never say never though and my DH is always surprised how much I know about baking or cooking. Bless those lessons at school and my lovely Mum's determination. Some things sunk in!

Regular cooking shows don't have the same appeal. Love the professional version of Masterchef too.

The taste of a Black Forest Gateau - drooling...

Oh good Margaret I love cake, it's just that I'm not struck on the way everything today is a competition.

I do love cake making but never make any as I am constantly dieting, I do feel that I am missing out on so much deliciousness.

I am sure I remember jing saying she makes a cake every Sunday. So wish I could without having absolutely no self control and munching away!

No you are not katy

I've tried to watch GBBO on a couple of occasions to see what all the fuss is about. On each occasion I found it very boring. I am in the minority of course

I love the 'Extra Slice' programme on Friday nights with Jo Brand....Good fun!

I felt the same, whitewave, I'm hoping I'll get a bit more enthused when there are fewer contestants still standing.

I suppose when we bake a cake we want something to put in front of our families. It doesn't have to be an experince. or a non-experience which is then called boring.
This attitude fostered by the BBC to make everything from cooking a bit of salmon to baking a cake into a competition with others is flawed. It would be better if the whole bunch of them would set up a buffet together and see how good that was and then invite some asylum seekers in to enjoy it. Then it would not be the waste of time and money that GBBO is.

Those who do not drink alchohol sometimes do not even want to touch it, I worked with an excellent chef who would ask someone else to measure it into sauces etc, and ask another chef to taste it.
I did find it a bit strange when first working with him to hear, 'F' can you get that bottle of Red and put half of it into that pot.
I learned a lot from him, perhaps by tasting for him.

I think that I must be a bit GBBO 'd out as was slightly bored last night which surprised me as I have always so enjoyed the programme?

Although I do not make BFG I would occasionally like to have a piece! But not a bought frozen one! We still like many things which could be called old fashioned - lemon meringue , crumbles of all varieties and things like bread and butter pudding. The older recipes tend to have ingredients which are easily available in most places. As to the comment about alcohol - we drink very little but I use a good bit in cooking - great flavours and the alcohol content goes during the cooking process leaving just the flavour - except for Christmas cakes when dosed regularly from the brandy bottle after cooking!!

I thought it was a strange choice as I assume a couple of the contestants probably do not use or drink alchohol, and surely one of the main ingredients is Kirsch.I suppose Cherry juice would do but not really traditional. Then again when they bake traditional stuff they seem to get told it is boring.
Wondering wether to watch now as the cat seems to have been let out of the bag regarding the winner perhaps ???

Very retro, Greyduster. Now does that mean it's out of fashion or in fashion? Same goes for prawn cocktail and such delicacies as chicken in the basket. The very thought of BFG puts a couple of pounds on me instantly.

Does anyone actually eat Black Forest gateau anymore? It seems to be one of those desserts that people seem to swerve as it is a bit, er, seventies? (Dons tin helmet and retreats behind sofa!)

My mistake. Having read it again she did say it looked as if she had put it in the freezer, not the fridge. I've never used gelatine so can't comment.

A cake that has been made with gently heated gelatine can be put in the freezer after it has set, for instance the left overs-if any! But it is never the same. I still think the gelatine was too hot. I have made this mistake myself and on the packet it always warns you.
I think that the heavy mess of chocolate was too heavy for the amount of gelatine she used. You don't need gelatine for a Black Forest chocolate cake.
I could give you the oringinal recipie but it would take half a page and takes a long time to make. DD1 makes a wonderful one and I wish for it every year for my birthday.

AS to the show. I couldn't watch it. Living in Germany near to the Black Forest where every BlackForest cake is baked to the old traditional recipie, both in Cafés and in private homes, I watched as they made various chocolate messes and was glad I did not have to eat a piece out of any of them. A BF cherry cake is always decorated after 24 hours. and has NO icing on it-only cream and shredded chocolate. And of course black cherries which ripen late in summer.
What they baked were gooey English chocolate cakes.
The man with the hat could not bake it was obvious from the beginning.

Nancy actually said in her breakdown of this years first episode that you can't put gelatine in the freezer. Would that make sense Margaret ?

I'm afraid Nancy has made a mistake here. Of course you can put gelatine based things in the fridge. The mistake was that the temperature of the gelatine liquid was too high. You have to careful about that. Then things will not set.
You can see that baking cakes does not always qualify you for writing a column on baking, better take somebody who has studied it.

Not heard that before Greyduster. I'm sure I have used gelatine and put things in the fridge. A common or garden packet of jelly has gelatine in it and that is always put in the fridge and sets perfectly well.