The Great American Baking Show season 1

The first season of The Great American Baking Show, released under the title The Great Holiday Baking Show, premiered on ABC on November 30, 2015 as part of ABC's holiday programming schedule.[1] Six amateur bakers competed in twelve challenges throughout the competition for the title of America's best holiday baker.

The Great American Baking Show
Season 1
Starring
No. of episodes4
Release
Original networkABC
Original releaseNovember 30 (2015-11-30) –
December 21, 2015 (2015-12-21)
Season chronology
Next →
Season 2

This season was hosted by husband and wife duo Nia Vardalos and Ian Gomez. The judging panel consisted of original The Great British Bake Off judge Mary Berry and American pastry chef Johnny Iuzzini.[2] As with the British series, this season was filmed in Welford Park with slight holiday decorative modifications made in the set known as "The Tent".[3]

After four weeks of competition, Lauren Katz was crowned the winner with Nicole Silva and Tim Samson as runners-up.[3]

Bakers

edit
Baker Occupation Hometown
Ainslie Forsum Account manager Los Angeles, California
Eddie Downs Vocalist Chicago, Illinois
Grace Langan Hospital administrator Staten Island, New York
Lauren Katz Housewife Ashburn, Virginia
Nicole Silva Teacher Hampton, Georgia
Tim Samson Marketing director Wildwood, New Jersey

Results summary

edit
Elimination chart
Baker 1 2 3 4
Lauren SB WINNER
Nicole Runner-Up
Tim SB Runner-Up
Ainslie OUT
Eddie OUT
Grace OUT

Color Key:

  The baker continued to the next round.
  The baker was the week's Star Baker.
  The baker was one of the judges' favorite bakers that week, but did not win Star Baker.
  The baker was one of the judges' least favorite bakers that week, but was not eliminated.
  The baker was eliminated from the competition.
  The baker a season runner-up.
  The baker was the season winner.

Episodes

edit

Episode 1: Cookies

edit

For the first signature bake, the bakers were given two hours to make two unique batches of ten cookies, with one batch having icing. Later in the technical bake, bakers only had one hour to bake sixteen brandy snaps according to Mary Berry's recipe. The final bake of the week called the showstopper required bakers to bake a structured gingerbread with decorative designs and cookies around it within five hours.[4]

Color key:   Eliminated   Star Baker   Winner

Baker Signature
(Cookies)
Technical
(Brandy snaps)
Showstopper
(Gingerbread 3D scene)
Ainslie Linzer Cookies and Iced Orange and Cardamom Sugar Cookies 5th Gingerbread Beach House
Eddie Hot Chocolate Gingersnaps and Iced Brown Butter Spice Cookies 2nd Grandma's Gingerbread House
Grace Marble Butter Cookies and Iced Peppermint Candy Cookies 6th Gingerbread Hospital
Lauren Rugelach and Iced Tangerine-Chai Sugar Cookies 1st Gingerbread Pagoda
Nicole Iced Mint Chocolate Chip Santa Cookies and Christmas Breakfast Cookies 4th Gingerbread Eiffel Tower
Tim Czech Nut Cookies and Iced Sour Cream Sugar Cookies 3rd Gingerbread Carousel

Episode 2: Cake

edit

Festive holiday bakes continued in the tent as bakers had two hours to create a yule log sponge cake with a sweet filling of their choice. The technical bake was based on the recipe of Johnny Iuzzini's tiramisu cake with ladyfinger crisps. For the final showstopper bake, the bakers created a "Twelve Days of Christmas" fruitcake that revolved around one of the verses from the traditional Christmas carol.[5]

Baker Signature
(Yule log)
Technical
(Tiramisu)
Showstopper
("Twelve Days of Christmas" Fruitcake)
Ainslie Coffee & Cream Yule Log 1st Five Golden Rings Fruitcake
Eddie German Chocolate Yule Log 5th Two Turtle Doves Fruitcake
Lauren Traditional Chocolate Yule Log 2nd Three French Hens Fruitcake
Nicole Pumpkin Spice Yule Log 3rd Partridge in a Spiced Pear Tree Fruitcake
Tim Rosemary Almond Yule Log 4th Partridge in a Pear Tree Fruitcake

Episode 3: Pastry

edit

In the semifinals, the bakers created two batches of breakfast pastries with any holiday flavor of their choosing. The technical tested the skills of the remaining bakers in Mary Berry's Christmas fruit tart. For the final pastry bake, the bakers created a centerpiece made from cream puffs and pastry pieces for a spot in the final three.[6]

Baker Signature
(Breakfast pastries)
Technical
(Fruit tart)
Showstopper
(Pate a choux)
Ainslie Apple Butter Pinwheels and Raspberry Chocolate Twists 1st Butterscotch Cream Puff Stacked Present
Lauren Pumpkin Maple Spice Pastries and Cranberry-Orange Pastries 3rd Pâte À Choux Christmas Tree
Nicole Pumpkin Pops and Honeyed Fig Tarts 4th Pâte À Choux Reindeer
Tim Cranberry-Orange Danish Puffs and Rohlicky 2nd Chocolate Peppermint Reindeer Choux

Episode 4: Final

edit

The final three begun with the signature bake, a holiday pie, to be baked under two-and-a-half hours. The pie also had to be accompanied with a delectable sauce on the side. In the technical, the bakers baked a candy cane-shaped bread with delicate icing and fruit. The final showstopper of the season lasted five hours, as bakers built up to make a three-dimensional presents cake.[7]

Baker Signature
(Holiday pie)
Technical
(Candy cane bread)
Showstopper
(3D presents cake)
Lauren Bourbon-Raisin Caramel Apple Pie with Salted Caramel Sauce 1st Spumoni Surprise Cake
Nicole Sweet Potato Pie with Pecan Praline Sauce 3rd Nativity Surprise Cake
Tim Apple-Cranberry Pie with Maple Custard Sauce 2nd Holiday Lights Cake

Ratings

edit
Viewership and ratings per episode of The Great American Baking Show season 1
No. Title Air date Rating/share
(18–49)
Viewers
(millions)
Ref.
1 "Cookie Week" November 30, 2015 1.2/3 4.38 [8]
2 "Cake Week" December 7, 2015 0.9/3 3.72 [9]
3 "Pastry Week" December 14, 2015 0.9/3 3.33 [10]
4 "Final Week" December 21, 2015 1.1/4 4.46 [11]

References

edit
  1. ^ Kissell, Rick Kissell (October 20, 2015). "Charlie Brown, 'Toy Story' Specials Highlight ABC's Holiday Programming". Variety. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  2. ^ "Mary Berry joins US Bake Off special". BBC News. October 22, 2015. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  3. ^ a b Graham, Karen (December 7, 2015). "Ashburn woman competing on ABC's 'Great Holiday Baking Show'". Loudon Times-Mirror. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  4. ^ "The Great American Baking Show: Cookie Week - Season 1 Episode 01". ABC. November 30, 2015. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  5. ^ "The Great American Baking Show: Cake Week - Season 1 Episode 02". ABC. December 7, 2015. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  6. ^ "The Great American Baking Show: Pastry Week - Season 1 Episode 03". ABC. December 14, 2015. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  7. ^ "The Great American Baking Show: Final Week - Season 1 Episode 04". ABC. December 21, 2015. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  8. ^ Porter, Rick (December 2, 2015). "Monday final ratings: 'Superstore' adjusts down but still solid, 'Crazy Ex-Girlfriend' adjusts down". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on March 21, 2017. Retrieved October 16, 2017.
  9. ^ Porter, Rick (December 8, 2015). "Monday final ratings: 'Telenovela' adjusts up slightly, 'Christmas Light Fight' adjusts down". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on February 11, 2017. Retrieved October 16, 2017.
  10. ^ Porter, Rick (December 15, 2015). "Monday final ratings: 'Scorpion' and 'Jane the Virgin' adjust down". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved October 16, 2017.
  11. ^ Porter, Rick (December 22, 2015). "Monday final ratings: 'Great Christmas Light Fight' finale adjusts down". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on June 30, 2017. Retrieved October 16, 2017.