Q&A with GBBO's Nadiya Hussain

Jalima

Nadiya I did enjoy watching you bake on GBBO, and particularly your wonderful facial expressions!!

DGS enjoys baking with mummy, but recipes have to be gluten-free in the main, as DD is coeliac.
Are there any gf recipes in your book? There was the occasional gf recipe on Bake Off, but not that many, and people who are coeliacs enjoy baking cakes with their DC and eating them too.

ps have you heard of banana flour? - apparently it doesn't taste of bananas!

All the recipes can be altered with like-for-like amounts of rice flour and gluten free flour.

Cleverblonde

Hi Nadiya,

Great to see your continued success post Bake Off. Whats your favourite recipe to make with your children?

We love making one pot dishes like an Irish stew but we also love making classics like Victoria sponges and carrot cakes.

tinatulip78

Have you religiously made homemade birthday cakes for your children every year? if not, when and why?

Not every year - we have had birthday pizzas, cookies and cakes. We mix it up each year.

sweir1

Have your grandparents passed you down an recipes?

The recipes that I cook that are traditional are the ones I have learnt from my grandma, mum and dad. These are recipes I have written down for my children.

Otter105

Hi Nadiya?

If you could only make one pudding for the rest of your life what would it be?

Jam roly poly

Grannyknot

Hi again, I have another question

And apologies in advance for asking a baker about sugar! But I have been reading an article in the Times Magazine where you write about making your own peanut butter, and you mention using agave syrup.

To impress my daughter-in-law Trying to do the right thing as a grandmother, I had bought agave syrup for baking but then a thread on these very forums put me right off it!

I have now bought a bottle of fruit syrup (from Lidl, made from apples, grapes and carob) which I hope will be the healthy option for sweetening.

Is it an ongoing battle with you as a mum and a baker of cakes to find healthy alternatives to sugar?

I tend not to use alternatives unless I am cooking for allergies or lifestyle of religious choices. I’m trying to teach my children that sugar is bad for you if you overindulge, but in moderation with exercise it’s totally fine

Cherrytree59

Hello Nadiya congratulations on your new book. It sounds a lovely idea.

Do you cook anything special for your Grandparents?.
I bet they have a few favourite Nadia recipes!.
Did you have a favourite food that your grandparents or parents would cook when you were a child?
Do have a comfort food that you go to when you feel sad or missing home?

One last question
will your grandparents be checking out Grandsnet?
They will be very welcome

My grandma only eats rice and curry so that’s something she is used to eating but she loves it when I make her cinnamon Arlettes. I love tripe and my mum cooks it really well. It’s my favourite thing to eat especially as it’s every now and then. Comfort food for me is a chicken potato curry with rice.

angiehoggett

I'd like to ask Nadiya if she has a secret for making Macarons, I always seem to end up with funny shapes and don't get the baking times correct.

Macarons are tricky and take practice. I would say don’t give up. I made macarons 11 times before I got them right and even now they can still go wrong.

jamielmdjs

i struggle with puff pastry - getting the perfect rise. Any tips?

Make sure to chill between each turn. If you don’t do this the butter melts into the dough and can prevent rise. I always make rough puff if I’m in a rush and that is a great way to get amazing pastry with less stress.

Dessallara

What desert looks difficult but is really easy to make?

Fondants look difficult but actually can be really easy if you take your time - you should get that gorgeous liquid centre.

cangran

Hi Nadiya

Do you have any suggestions for healthy food to tempt a very fussy 5 year old who'd live on snacks if he had his way?

I always encourage my children to join me in the kitchen and if your little one enjoys snacks why not take those snacks and see if they can be transformed into a meal?

silversand12

Love the sound of the book I found your use of spices on GBBO fascinating, especially when Paul was so sceptical and then they worked!

My question is what has your biggest baking disaster been?

I baked a liquid cake in a loose bottom tin…so I baked a cake in the bottom of the oven and the cake tin was empty!

Purpledaffodil

I loved watching The Chronicles of Nadiya. Bangladeshi village life was fascinating and I even enjoyed the Luton shots as I lived there for the first ten years of my married life. You made an interesting point about the concept of home. What did you miss most, apart from your family of course, when you were in Bangladesh?

Whenever I am in Bangladesh I always miss the feeling of carpet under my feet and my very clean bathroom.

Pittcity

I loved The first episode of The Chronicles of Nadiya and loved it. What a lovely family. Looking forward to next week.
My question stems from the latest Bake Off thread on Gransnet. We see Paul and Mary cutting a large slice of cake and trying a little. What happens to the rest?

The crew are like gannets, they inhale everything. Nothing gets thrown away.

mischief

Just finished watching The Chronicles of Nadiya and absolutely loved it on so many levels.

Which do you like best, the traditional receipes or one's that you have created.

Traditional recipes are the recipes that are dearest to me because they are recipes that I have learnt from my grandma and my mum. But the ones I have created are also important as they are the ones that tap into my creative side.

hdh74

Well done on all your success, much deserved. What has been the best thing that has happened to you since GBBO?

Baking the cake for the Queen

LullyDully

Well done with your well.deserved success. You have worked hard to conquer all your things that have held you back. I think you are a great role.model and possibly a new nations sweetheart. I would like to come to tea but will make do with your recipe.book.

I would make the pea and mint risotto and the zebra cake for dessert

KatyK

Hello Nadiya

This is a similar question to Auntieflo above. I am interested to know how your life has changed since winning Bake Off and would you say it has changed for the better. Also, are there any down sides to being famous?

I’m much busier now outside of home and my life has definitely changed for the better. I see the children less but we have struck a balance. When I’m not around Abdal is and when Abdal is at work I’m at home. Being in the public eye means I can’t go out for a pint of milk in my pyjamas like I used to

Auntieflo

Nadiya, I imagine that before all the 'hoo ha' created by winning Bake Off, that you were a private person. Now with your programme about India, what has all the subsequent publicity done to your home life?

Life is really busy and I spend a lot more time away from home but we have great balance and my husband and I make a great team.

mumofmadboys

What is your all time favourite cake? Good luck with your book!

My absolute favourite is carrot cake with walnuts

Glosgran

Hi Nadiya. You have stolen the nation's heart! It was great to see you 'in the flesh' (you are so tiny!) at the Gloucester Food Festival a few weeks ago. I'm not sure if anyone else has asked you this, but what do you think has led to your huge popularity with the media and the fact that you have become a TV celebrity in the past year with your own wonderful series, 'The Chronicles of Nadiya'. You have also been asked on a number of occasions to be a guest presenter on popular TV shows such as the 'One Show' and 'Loose Women'? None of the previous winners seem to have had anywhere near the level of success or media exposure that you have had and to be honest I can't even remember the names of many of them, even though I have been an avid fan of every GBBO series so far. I'm sure that you're not likely ever to be forgotten now and your face has become as well known as Mary Berry's. What's your secret?

I don’t know if there is a secret. All I can be is myself and that’s what I am doing and I am so honoured and privileged to have been so well received.

rubysong

How did you decide on the design of the cake you made for the Queen?

I wanted to go for something tall, bright and simple. The Queen always wears bright colours and that’s why I picked a bright purple. I made a lemon drizzle for Mary Berry so I figured let’s make an orange drizzle for the Queen.