The Week 8 Challenge was Gingerbread. We were looking for you to challenge yourselves and bake with your kids! I’ve a winner, the challenge for next week.

Again this week we had 5 entrants.  They were however all spectacular.

The winner this week was Karen Duffy by a vote of 2:1. Special mention goes to the runner-up, Miriam Slevin Griffin who baked a pink gingerbread house lit from the inside with LED lights. Karen baked some lovely even pieces of gingerbread and all the judges commented on the fun aspect and the detail in the decoration. Karen please email me directly with your address and telephone contact details so that I can arrange for the lovely people from Dr Oetker Baking Ireland to dispatch your prize (see below).

Here’s the usual collage of the best bits!

We had 2 bloggers enter this week and they were Sinéad Fox from Bumbles of Rice.  The judges loved your account of how a real kitchen works and how you got on with the boys. Well done.  Natasha Peters from the Velvet Moon Baker also blogged up a storm this week, not even in her own kitchen! I hope you’re enjoying your treats from last week.

There was 1 tweeter this week and that was the Baking Bachelor once again.  He went to great efforts to recreate a genuine Swiss Chalet along with shreddies cereal for tiles and curly wurly bars for fencing. I am beginning to wonder how much his workmates and neighbours are eating. Are his office working on sugar alone lately?

I just want to take this opportunity to thank the Judges for their work every week.  It’s not easy to have to judge so many varied entries and they don’t all come in photograph form to me.  I get entries by twitter, email and by blogpost.  While I do collate as many of them together as I can, the judges have to trawl through webpages and photographs and it’s not an easy job.  Frankly considering the amazing entries we get I’m glad I’m not a judge.

You should note that they are doing this entirely as volunteers, the judges have received nothing for their time other than my thanks.  Round of applause all around please!

I’m not 100% as to whether we will have a challenge next week as the series finishes on Tuesday, the day this week’s challenge ends, so bear with me and I’ll have a chat with the sponsors and see what they say.

This is a blog/tweet hop but is not restricted to bloggers or tweeters. In order to enter you must either tweet me ( @wholesomeIE ) using the hastag #GIrishBO your picture of the recipe of the week or email me your photo. If you’re a blogger or aren’t on twitter and wish to enter, please also email me wholesomecook(at)gmail(dot) com details of your blog so that I can link to your website and give you full credit.

Week 9 Challenge

I’ve had a long think about this week’s challenge.  I know that as the weeks go by the challenges are naturally going to get more difficult, in keeping with the tone of the series.  However not everybody has the time, space or ingredients to go all out every week.

Therefore this week I’d like you to make Choux Pastry.  I’d LOVE you to make either a Gateau St Honore like they made this week in the Great British Bake Off or a Paris-Brest in the shape of a bicycle, however we’ll accept profiteroles, eclairs and all other forms of choux as well.

Either way the judges will require the following shots of your choux pastry to see how you got on during the week (and no crude jokes please!): Top (before glazing/icing), Bottom (before glazing/icing) and side.

As you bake in the week ahead use the hashtag #GIrishBO for advice and any questions. Entries must be with me by 6pm on Tuesday at the latest.

Colette from Cakes, Bakes and Other Bits

MaggieG from Food Born And Bred

Patrick Lennon

Remember this is a bit of fun to challenge your baking skills. Don’t take it too seriously but do enjoy yourself and we are really looking forward to seeing your efforts this week!

Please note: This is not a sponsored blogpost.
My opinions are my own and I am not paid to give them.
Dr Oetker Baking Ireland are sponsoring a prize per week for the duration of the challenge.
This is for my readers only (I am exempting myself from being eligible for a prize) and I have received no payment or benefit in kind to arrange the competition.
The competition is open only to residents of the Republic of Ireland.
Your photographs remain your property and are only reproduced here for competition purposes.