A Date With The Bake: Recent Episodes
Kimberly and Katie
The Great British bakers of Series 11 have switched off their ovens, wiped down their work stations and hung up their aprons as the tempered chocolate sets on another season. Matty walks away the unlikely champion and forgets a very important proposal in all the excitement! Its been a season full of (ooooh) controversial decisions from Paul and Prue, but also comedic gold with the fabulous Alison Hammond joining Noel as the co-Hostess cupcake with the mostest! As for Kimberly, Katie and Jake: after all the lardy cakes are rightly tossed into the bin forever and the dusting sugar has settled… they just happy for their teams and wish them all well deserved success moving forward in their confectionary journeys! Tiers and Cheers to another great season and on your mark… GET SET…A DATE WITH THE BAAAAAAAAAKE!
Only four distinguished bakers enter the Bake-Off tent this week to participate in the persnickety Patisserie themed SEMI-FINAL! Jake and Katie have two bakers on their respective teams and Kimberly has left the chat this week to protest. (Just kidding! She will be back for the Final). And while some bakers are able to display their immense pastry skills to their full effect, a few are a little rough and ready when it comes to the fiddly fancies. And the final insult occurs as EVERYONE’s favorite baker is given the Paul Hollywood desert boot out of the tent. Mistakes were made, a travesty has occurred and we are expecting outrage from the British public and the American anglophiles who enjoy this delightful franchise. So get your tissues ready and ON YOUR MARK…GET SET…A DATE WITH THE BAKE!
In the final weeks, bakers in the Great British Baking Show tent are tasked with a new set of bakes that fail to leave most in a “Party” mood. Especially when one of the challenges is Paul Hollywood’s all time, absolute, hands down, undisputed, most FAVORITE treat of all time. Oh, and of course, like McDonalds he has made “millions” of the savory snack. Meanwhile, Kimberly has lost another member of her team, Katie is concerned with the trajectory of her remaining bakers and Jake appears to have been destined to win since the lucky mixing bowl created team Bake and Destroy. But, it can all turnovers in the upcoming semi-finals so temper that excitement for now and On Your Mark…Get Set…A DATE WITH THE BAKE!
The teams are really thinning out in the Bake Off tent. But a thin consistency is not a bad thing as the name of the game this week is syrups, caramels and air light meringues. Dessert Week always presents certain challenges for the bakers and for Kimberly, Katie and Jake as well who are forced to watch a favorite baker make their untimely exit. Prue and Paul’s judging appears to be at odds with K,K & J and it’s tough to gauge who exactly will be emerging from this competition clutching the cake plate of glory. So get those stodgy pudds down ‘ya and ON YOUR MARK…GET SET…A DATE WITH THE BAKE!
It’s a Date with the Bake 2 for 1 special! Double the episodes means double the star bakers, but TRIPLE the bakers making their sad exit from the yummiest tent in England. Pastry Week is a classic and a must for showing the bakers’ skills with a flakey crust. However, the Great British Baking Show has a long history of choosing more problematic themes for the bakes of the week. And Botanical Week may not feel controversial, but it certainly evoked a reaction from Kimberly, Katie and Jake. Most of whom agree that this theme can leaf and never come back again. This double stacked episode means you have enough time to chill a floating island or proof a big cob loaf, so get those tins greased and ON YOUR MARK… GET SET… A DATE WITH THE BAKE!
It’s chocolate as far as the eye can see in the Bake Off tent! Some peoples ultimate dream, but for our bakers the finicky sweet can be a huge problem. Striving for the right consistency, taste, shine – it’s enough to melt a few nerves! Jake has to watch one of his bakers truffles off the the sick bay for some of the challenges. And while the teams remain unchanged for this week… the bittersweet aftertaste is fast approaching as TWO bakers will bid adieu next week! It’s gonna be a cocoa finish so On your mark… Get set…. A DATE WITH THE BAKE!
Bread dread, anyone? While Kimberly, Katie and Jake are loafing around, the ten remaining bakers are sweating their dough balls off in the Bake Off tent during the much anticipated BREAD WEEK! And as if they kneaded more stress, starchy Paul Hollywood is ever watching over these bakes in particular. And while most bakers are able to Prueve themselves as carb connoisseurs, there are a few who fall to the bottom of the basket. A beloved favorite forager is in trouble and Katie and Jake are in sour(dough) spirits about it. But another tent favorite is consistently rising to the top! Enough with the Plait-itudes … on your mark… get set… A DATE WITH THE BAKE!
Week two in the Bake Off tent and the eleven bakers are out to prove who is the smartest of smart cookies! Kimberly, Jake and Katie root on their teams in the biscuit showdown. And while one early favorite is the custard creme of the crop, there is another favorite who crumbles under the pressure of Paul Hollywood’s icing, or rather, icey stare. Who will be getting the cookie cut? Put away that piping bag and find out with A DATE WITH THE BAKE!
The ovens are warmed, the tent is open and 12 piping hot new contestants enter the ultimate competition of all things baked! The GREAT BRITISH BAKING SHOW has returned to deliciously delight and series 11 is off to the refrigerators! Kimberly, Katie and Jake have their 4 baker teams, chosen at random by the magic mixing bowl! Kimberly’s “Jam and the Challah-Grahams” consists of Amos, Dana, Saku and Rowen. Katie random draft for “The Tammy Faye Bakkers” includes Abbi, Cristy, Dan and Matty. And Jake hopes to proove his team “Bake and Destroy” is the strongest with Josh, Keith, Nicky and Tasha. Who will come out of gate swinging in the Cake Week premiere? Join us to find out! Batter Up and on your mark…get set… A DATE WITH THE BAKE!
Another season of The Great British Baking Show has come to an end and while our three finalists did their best, there was a clear front runner who’s unique flavors and designs stood above the rest! However, the final challenges of series 10 may have left a little to be desired. Baker for Life! (Team Jake) struggled to get his technical to really GEL, The Tammy Faye Baker (Team Katie) may have missed an un-BEE-lievable opportunity and Team jdSm (Team Kimberly) had to FACE some hard truths in the Showstopper. But when all the flour settled, Kimberly, Katie and Jake are all in agreement that while the finale offerings may have been a little underbaked the chosen winner did plenty throughout the season to prove herself a true champion. Congratulations to the incredibly talented winner! And thank you all for joining us for a truly epic teams edition of A DATE WITH THE BAKE: Baking One for the Team!
It’s the semifinals of The Great British Baking Show and four lonely bakers remain to face the challenges of pastry desserts…again…because Pastry Week just happened. Unfortunately, the flaky confections happen to be one baker’s Achilles high heel, and one of the biggest personalities to grace the Bake Off tent is heading off to spread his … Continue reading The Great British Baking Show S.10 – Patisserie Week →
Thank the baking gods that Pastry week is finally here in The Great British Baking Show so that Katie can stop going on long winded diatribes about it! It’s here. And it’s rough (puff). The challenges prove to be mildly traumatic for the bakers, mildly disappointing for the judges and a complicated range of emotions … Continue reading The Great British Baking Show S.10 – Pastry Week →
It’s the halfway mark and as the Great British Baking Show tent loses its filling, so to speak, the remaining bakers need to perfect a filling of their own. It’s Custard Week! Team Kimberly is down to one MVP who is really picking up steam in the competition. Team Katie is holding at two bakers, … Continue reading The Great British Baking Show S.10 – Custard Week →
Ghosts, goblins, ghouls and one extra scary rogue astronaut have descended upon the Bake Off tent to create bakes to die for in The Great British Bake Off’s first ever Halloween Week! But it’s not all about simply creating eerie-sistable good treats this time, it’s also about figuring out the trick to getting flavors and … Continue reading The Great British Baking Show S.10 – Halloween Week →
Alone on a dessert island our 8 remaining bakers have to bake their way back to civilization one delicious pudding at a time. Not really, but we are halfway through series 10 of The Great British Baking Show and half of our beloved bakers have already been voted off the (floating) island! Team Kimberly, Team … Continue reading The Great British Baking Show S.10 – Dessert Week →
The Great British Baking Show takes a hiatus from is regularly scheduled baking and tries to bring some multi-culturalism into the tent with a new International week called Mexican Week! It’s a lively romp from beginning to end with everyone getting into the south of the border spirit and producing interesting takes on classic Mexican … Continue reading The Great British Baking Show S.10 – Mexican Week →
Yeasterday… all our troubles seemed so far away. But now its Bread Week in the bake off tent for the Great British Baking Show and every baker’s buns are on the line! Team Kimberly, Team Katie and Team Jake try to “prove” their worth. And while a few really desperately “knead” improvement, one baker “rises” … Continue reading The Great British Baking Show S.10 – Bread Week →
Aaaaaaand their off!! New bakers are in the tent and Kimberly, Katie and Jake are ready to cheer on their teams. Kimberly’s team JDSM has highs and lows with a Hollywood handshake and a young baker sent home early. Katie’s team The Tammy Faye Bakers has the exact same journey except Katie still has some … Continue reading The Great British Baking Show S.10 – Cake Week/Biscuit Week →
It’s a new year… a new tent… and 12 shiny new best of British bakers are going to try their luck over the next 10 weeks to become the new Great British Baking Show Champion! And those aren’t the only new ingredients in the mixer. This year A Date with The Bake is trying something … Continue reading The Great British Baking Show S.10 – Choosing the Teams →
It may be March, but we are still not even a quarter of the way into 2022. That means it isn’t too late to take a peek back into the Bake Off tent and see who has valiantly returned to face the steely judges once again. Well… one steely judge. The Great New Year Bake … Continue reading The Great New Year Baking Show- Season 4 →
It’s been a fantastic season of The Great British Baking Show, but now let the true hand wringing, oven watching and sweat mixed with tears BEGIN! It’s the grand finale and it all comes down to these final bakes for Chigs, Crystelle and Giuseppe! The final showstopper is the Mad Hatter’s tea party, will any … Continue reading The Great British Baking Show S.9 – The Final →
It’s almost the end and the final four bakers file into a near empty Bake Off tent to bake for their lives. Not really their lives, but with the stress levels of Kimberly, Katie and Jake watching this week you would feel like it is. It’s a notoriously complicated and finicky theme that will stretch … Continue reading The Great British Baking Show S.9 – Patissiere Week →
It’s the quarter finals in the Great British Bake Off tent and the bakers certainly aren’t free from much. There’s enough stress, tears, hopes and fears to go around. And that goes double for Kimberly, Katie and Jake. It’s a dairy free signature challenge, a meat free technical, a gluten free showstopper and a those … Continue reading The Great British Baking Show S.9 – Free From Week →
Caramel is sticky sweet/ Jurgin and ‘Seppe will be hard to beat! This rhyme might be bad but not as bad caramel that just refuses to cooperate. The bakers have dwindled to half their original number and the pressure is on as this sugary ingredient is notoriously hard to work with. The signature is all … Continue reading The Great British Baking Show S.9 – Caramel Week →
The bakers return to the tent and Kimberly, Katie and Jake return to their microphones for the dreaded pastry week of The Great British Bake Off. It’s known to be complicated, finicky, temperature sensitive and no we aren’t talking about Paul Hollywood’s mood swings. But this week brings some surprises with its challenges and a … Continue reading The Great British Baking Show S.9 – Pastry Week →
Yes, Fraulein it is ze German Week and the bakers are shaking and quaking in their das boots. Well, except for one. Jurgin’s homeland is on the table and the pressure is on to see who can beat the resident Deutsche. It’s fanciful biscuits, cakes with names that no mortal can properly pronounce and a … Continue reading The Great British Baking Show S.9 – German Week →
It’s all desserts all the time! It is a baking show after all so wouldn’t that mean every week is dessert week? Not here folks. In the tent desserts are fussy and complicated and have sauces and collars and require short/long setting times. Its cracking eggs, cracking meringues and some downright good craic as bakers … Continue reading The Great British Baking Show S.9 – Dessert Week →
The dreaded bread week is upon us and the Series 9 bakers are ready to bust their buns! Some rise to the occasion and some just aren’t loafing it as much as they hoped. But Date with Bake Jake is back after feeling pretty crumby so Kimberly and Katie are ready for his take on … Continue reading The Great British Baking Show S.9 – Bread Week →
It’s Season 9 of THE GREAT BRITISH BAKE OFF and a dozen bakers enter the tent of triumph and trifles to compete for the ultimate conversation starter. A giant cake plate which means they are the best amateur baker in Britain. But before the glory of the cake plate can even be considered the bakers … Continue reading The Great British Baking Show S.9 – Cake Week/Biscuit Week →
Hold on to your cookies for some seriously good craic as the cast of the hilarious series DERRY GIRLS are taking over the tent for the New Years Bake Off! Paul and Prue have every right to be worried about testing the offerings from these inexperienced bakers, but the only stomach aches caused from these … Continue reading The Great Festive Baking Show S.3 – Derry Girls Edition →
It’s that time of year when cheer and joy fills the air… but this is 2020. So this year we need more than cheer, we need a good dose of Christmas Bake Off hilarity and hijinks and most importantly Paul Hollywood and Prue scale models dancing wildly next to a gingerbread tower! Four past year’s … Continue reading The Great Christmas Baking Show- Season 3 →
The time has come. The three bakers that have made it through the ganache gauntlet to reach the finale of The Great British Bake Off have entered the tent for the last time. Dave, Laura and Peter are baking their hearts out to try to win the elusive Bake Off Trophy and the official love … Continue reading Great British Bake Off/Show S.8 – The Final →
It’s the SEMI FINAL of the Great British Bake Off Season 8 and the last 4 bakers have to compete in some of the toughest challenges yet. It’s the always delicate and difficult Patisserie week where the bakes are likely to be dainty, detailed and often French (so you know its going to be hard). … Continue reading Great British Bake Off/Show S.8 – Patisserie Week →
In the grand tradition of the Great British Bake Off it’s the return of the frighteningly general Dessert Week! Wherein the bakes can be downright confusing or very familiar or sometimes a little bit scary all in the same week. Kimberly and Jake are on their own this week, which may be a good thing … Continue reading Great British Bake Off/Show S.8 – Dessert Week →
Gag me with a spoon full of cookie dough- It’s 80’s week for the Great British Bake off! As our original bakers dozen gets smaller and smaller the remaining bakers are livin’ on a prayer as they attempt to pour some extra sugar on their donuty confections. Temperatures soar in the tent and in the … Continue reading Great British Bake Off/Show S.8 – 80’s Week →
This week the bakers head back to the Great British Bake off tent for what will prove to be a somewhat difficult but HIGHLY controversial Japanese week! Will it be Kowai or Kawaii? Is the theme a matcha made in heaven? Which of the bakers has the steamiest buns? Kimberly, Katie and Jake will be … Continue reading Great British Bake Off/Show S.8 – Japanese Week →
Other than the Great British Bake Off’s infamous bread week, which always seems to separate the wheat from the chaff, the week that seems to show which bakers are really the crème (de pat) of the crème is PASTRY WEEK. Kimberly and Katie introduce Jake to the world of rough puff, short crust, soggy bottoms … Continue reading Great British Bake Off/Show S.8 – Pastry Week →
The bakers are facing a daunting task this week in the Great British Bake off tent… no its not croquembouche time yet, no 60 perfectly equal macarons, no creme brulee with a perfect crack…. its BROWNIES. Who would have thought the seemingly simple tray bake would be the downfall of all the talented contestants this … Continue reading Great British Bake Off/Show S.8 – Chocolate Week →
Bake Off Bread Week is a grainular tour de force and the bakers are coming into the tent with buns a blazin! Kimberly, Katie and Jake are discussing the nitty and the sometimes unintentionally gritty details of the challenges. Surprises abound as two as yet unsung bakers shoot to the top of the food pyramid … Continue reading Great British Bake Off/Show S.8 – Bread Week →
Week 2 of The Great British Bake Off season 8 is upon us and its Biscuit Week! Also known in the US as Cookie Time! The bakers lost a great flavor-filled competitor from the tent last week and a tiny fly during the technical challenge managed to turn the whole competition pineapple upside down. But … Continue reading Great British Bake Off/Show S.8 – Biscuit Week →
Last week Kimberly and Katie discussed in detail the latest competitors to come into the baking tent and this week its time to talk Technical and Showstopper challenges of the premiere! And this year GBBO isn’t the only one to switch up delightful hosts. K & K are hoping to up their own delightful factor … Continue reading Great British Bake Off/Show S.8 – Cake Week Conclusion →
2020 may have changed a lot of things in our lives. But the one thing, the one thing that still brings pure joy and happiness to us all from across the pond is The Great British Bake Off! And friends, it could not be more kneaded! Its time to pre-heat those ovens, strap on those … Continue reading Great British Bake Off/Show S.8 Meet the Bakers →
Back to the tent for the first time in…2019? Oh, well. Seems we are getting this episode a little after the fact, but it’s well worth the wait as four favorites return to show off their baking skills in a New Yearstravaganza of sugar! Kate, Tamal, Steven and former Bake Off winner Candice (Candeece?) are … Continue reading Great British Bake Off/Show: Festive 2019 →
Happy Holidays and Happy Christmas to us all. The Great British Bake Off is back with it’s Holiday episodes. Returning to the tent are 4 past competitors who will attempt to win over Paul and Prue one last time as they create baking Christmasterpieces! K & K are ready for a walk down memory lane … Continue reading Great British Bake Off/ Show: Christmas 2019 →
It’s time to finally untie the aprons and switch those ovens to off. We have reached the end of another season of The Great British Bake Off. As usual it was filled with laughs- provided chiefly by Noel and Sandy (and many dirty winks for us at home), tears – provided most by Kimberly as … Continue reading Great British Bake Off/Show 7: Semi Final and Final Bakesgravaganza →
This episode may be late, but unfortunately there has been a tragedy…One of the personal sort, and the other of the international scandalous sort. Yes. Henry has left the tent. K & K have lots of feelings about rough puff and full puff and what actually constitutes a US vs. UK pie. But what this … Continue reading Great British Bake Off/Show 7: Pastry Week →
Festival Week for the bakers means more fringe, more exposed buns and more drama than poor Kimberly’s heart can take! We get a Hollywood Handshake for the ages, a “home-made” Prue put-down that is so very cringe and one of the most difficult showstoppers to grace the tent. K & K learn how to spell … Continue reading Great British Bake Off/Show 7: Festival Week →
This episode may be late, but this week, the bakers in the tent are watching their clocks ever carefully, and doing A LOT of maths! Kimberly and Katie may not be ready for all that jelly (insert groan and eye roll here) after last week’s judging upset. However, they are still ready to discuss the … Continue reading Great British Bake Off/Show 7: Dessert Week →
The results have left us speechless. Well, not really because when it comes the Bake-off there is always something to discuss. But the Roaring 20’s week have left us feeling like we just got a custard pie of our own right in the face. Who is still baking their way to glory and who is … Continue reading Great British Bake Off/Show 7: Roaring 20’s Week →
Like, don’t have a cow, man! The bakers are back in the tent for Week 4 and Kimberly and Katie are here to discuss the best and worst dairy themed bakes of the weekend, as well as the stomach churning final decision that leaves all the bakers in a state of shock. As we reach … Continue reading Great British Bake Off/Show 7: Dairy Week →
This weeks episode is carbo-loaded full of all things bread! A few of our bakers are rising to the challenge and a few really go a rye. There are a lot of hot crossed puns and one particularly hot button issue (cheesegate) while Paul Hollywood, the bread king, keeps a particularly watchful eye on the … Continue reading Great British Bake Off/Show 7: Bread Week →
Last weeks judging and sudden DAN-parture may have left you with a bad taste in your mouth don’t toss those cookies yet! It’s time for biscuit week and the Bakers are ready to pull out all the stops to keep that crunch, snap, soft, (insert texture adjective of your choice here) that will impress the … Continue reading Great British Bake Off/Show 7: Biscuit Week →
Welcome to the first installment of A Date with The Bake! Kimberly and Katie are ready to delve into the sticky (toffee pudding) underbelly of the UK’s most famous competition baking show. Ok, maybe not so much investigative reporting as gabbing and reviewing the first week of one of our favorite shows- The Great British … Continue reading Great British Bake Off/Show 7: Cake Week →