BRAND NEW Bake Off: Creme de la Creme

The Great British Bake Off is back with a brand new spin-off series featuring professional pastry chefs.

The 8-part series, Bake Off: Creme de la Creme, will see master patissiers bake it out against each other judged by Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge and three expert judges; Benoit Blin, chef patissier at Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons, entrepreneur and “Britain’s best pastry chef” Claire Clark and Cherish Finden executive pastry chef at The Langham.

The series starts on Tuesday 29 March on BBC Two. It’s will be all about the art of pastry – and we’ll be watching in awe, even if we won’t be able to replicate what we see at home. The ingredients, the equipment and the science behind the bakes will take these bakes to a level never seen before on the Bake Off we know and love.

For those brave enough to try this at home, there’s a book to accompany the series, also called Bake Off: Creme de la Creme, which promises to be a “masterclass in patisserie for the home cook”. It features the best of the contestants’ creations as well as advice form world renowned pastry chef Martin Chiffers.

To celebrate, judge Claire Clark has shared her mother’s shortbread recipe, which is richly buttery but with a lovely light crumb. That’s one that we can all make at home.