The Great British Bake Off judge Paul Hollywood talks to TV Times magazine about his plans for Christmas... So tell us about your Christmas Masterclass... "It's Mary and me cooking our favourite festive recipes. Christmas is one of those times when everyone gets baking and we've got some foolproof recipes that everyone can try at home, which taste amazing." Such as? "We do classics from mince pies and Christmas puddings and cake, to classics with a twist, such as my turkey, stuffing and cranberry Chelsea buns. Not only do they taste delicious, they're also a fantastic way to use up those leftovers." What's your top tip for a great bake? "Follow the recipe. Weigh the ingredients accurately – it's the biggest mistake people make when baking. They think they can wing it and improvise here and there, but you need to master the basics first before you start playing with it." Is Christmas your favourite time for baking? "Oh yeah, by a mile. My son, Josh, loves baking with me and we make mince pies together every year. He adds whatever he wants, like mandarin and chopped apple, while I splash in cognac and make mine boozy! I really hope the programme encourages people to get their kids involved in baking. Kids and food – it's what Christmas is all about." Will it be turkey and all the trimmings in the Hollywood household? "Absolutely. Christmas dinner is the best meal in the world and I look forward to it for months. There can never be enough on my plate. I have to have pigs in blankets, my mother-in-law's stuffing – the works. And a great bottle of wine." Who cooks on the Big Day in your house? "The girls – my wife, mother-in-law and sister-in-law. It's nice to have the break. I do all the washing up!" What's the best Christmas you've ever had? "Recently, the first year that I didn't spend three days building Star Wars Lego! I actually managed to enjoy Christmas. Why Santa can't bring a fully made-up Lego set I don't know. The memory still haunts me... eight hours a day for three days building the Death Star!" What's your favourite family tradition? "Swapping presents around the Christmas tree. We live in a very old house – it's seen about 800 Christmases, our house – and I buy a fresh, 15ft tree every year to kick off Christmas. Then on Christmas Eve, with all our families over, the adults swap presents around the tree at 11.30pm, leaving us free to concentrate on the kids opening theirs the next morning. I love it." What's the best present you’ve ever had? "A Raleigh Chopper bike when I was a kid – my parents didn't see me all day!" What would you like from Santa this year? "An Aston Martin Vanquish would be nice. No, seriously, I'd like another 12 months like I've just had, more of the same please. 2012 has been such a great year for me and ...Bake Off. We've got Britain baking which is amazing and what I want to do now is take the country up a notch, take it to the next level. Those technical challenges are about to get harder! But let's all enjoy Christmas first." The Great British Bake Off Christmas Masterclass is on Tuesday December 18 at 8pm on BBC2.
