Great British Bake Off Christmas Masterclass - TV review

It is a craze that I never thought would grab me. In fact, before the last series of Great British Bake Off came into my life, baking was something I believed should be left to the marvellous mothers and professionals out there.

But then I came across Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry, the dynamic duo who have been credited with breathing fresh interest in baking throughout the UK.

Just a couple of months after the last series ended, the pair again hit our screens last night with the Great British Bake Off Christmas Masterclass.

And for once, there wasn't a soggy bottom in sight.

On the face of it, food writer Berry and strapping master baker Hollywood should get on like chalk and cheese. But as lovers of the show know only too well, they actually go together like turkey and stuffing.

For me, Hollywood has made baking interesting for the manly men among us.

He doesn't prance around the kitchen making it look difficult. In fact, he is quite the opposite. He almost make it looks easy.

Now, don't get me wrong. Clearly, creating magnificent mince pies and a panettone to be proud of is obviously difficult work. But Hollywood at least makes you want to give it a try, and that's what has hooked me.

Fans were treated last night to lots of shots of their silver-haired hero getting his hands dirty creating the perfect deep-filled mince pies and Italian panettone.

Viewers were also treated to pictures of handsome Hollywood dressed as Santa, something he has done for the children in the village where he lives for years.

Between them, Hollywood and Berry came up with six fruity recipes to get viewers in the festive mood.

Hollywood's mince pies left me reaching for a pen and paper and furiously taking down notes for my own post Christmas lunch attempt, while Mary's Christmas cake and Christmas pudding looked stunning, if almost impossible to replicate.

And Hollywood even came up with the perfect way to get rid of the Christmas leftovers – by creating Chelsea buns filled with cranberry, turkey and stuffing. Admittedly, it's not everyone's cup of tea but they certainly looked the part.

The on-screen connection between the pair has been vital to the success of the show, and it was there in abundance once again last night as they whipped up their tasty Christmas treats.

Hollywood was full of his cheeky banter while Berry, who has also become something of fashion icon, provided the mother-type voice of experience with her traditional approach to baking.

Many of the show's participants have gone on to start their own bakery-type businesses, and future stars will be born, I'm sure, as a result of further programmes.

I may not be quite ready to open my own business, but last night's show has only served to inspire me to pull on the pinny again over the festive period and give some of the recipes a whirl.

And if it all goes wrong, I can always ask my mother to help.

Shaun Jepson