The Dazzle of Paul Hollywood

Yes, it's that time of year when all home bakers go into a frenzy about what to make for the holidays.ABC knows this and rolls out their annual baking show, The Great Holiday Baking Show, based on the UK's The Great British Baking Show. It even has that main attraction Paul Hollywood, he of the piercing blue eyes and stinging criticiques.

The show is on ABC every Thursday night , with two back to back hour long episodes starting at 9PM. Fans of the original will love this and it features bake loving Yanks from all corners of the country. There was even a priest, Father Kyle, who was sadly booted off Episode Two.Like the original every episode features a signature bake, a cake or cookie they might make for family and friends, a technical bake that features a challenging recipe from the judges and the final - a show stopper, something that would bring gasps if if were made at home. The judges in the past were Mary Berry and Johnny Iuzzini who returns this year with Hollywood. Paul Hollywood 's background is that of being the son of a baker who eventually owned a chain of bakeries in England. Paul, himself, became a baker, working at several five star hotels in the UK and on Cyprus. Iuzzini is also a pastry chef , from the Catskills region in New York State where he learned how to cook and bake as a child. He also attended the CIA, the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park where he specialized in Baking and Pastry Arts. The hosts are chef Ayesha Curry who has written several cookbooks and forer football player and media personality Anthony Adams,

The show lacks the wit and sparkle that the British version had under Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins. Ayesha and Anthony are likeable enough,  especially Anthony when 'he's cadging candied cherries off contestant Cindy Maliniak. They do add to the show especially when they interact with the bakers and are a nice foil to Paul's snark. Yesterdays episodes featured making naked cakes. which are layers cakes with just fillings and iced top layers.These  were pretty in their own messy ways,but I feel that British bakers would have handled the challenge better. The second hour featured everything yeasty. This is where the bakers got truly creative , especially with the first one which featured doughnuts . They reflected the contestants backgrounds. The episode's show stopper was a sweet bread with different fillings and decorations. Again the bakers became truly creative with flavors reflecting  Hector De Haro's Mexican heritage and Vallery Lomas' Louisiana's influenced King Cake, Hopefully upcoming episodes will feature more Christmassy  challenges like mince pies and cookies. They did have to recreate a log but it was more of a sponge cake.

Will the American holiday version  stand up to the British? Hopefully it will .It is entertaining and inspiring to home bakers , longing for a challenge