The first episode of Season 2 of Koekedoor, the reality show on kykNET which started baking on Thursday evening, awarded one of its two prizes to its only male contestant out of the total of ten amateur bakers. The episode was unique in being longer, in having included five special guests, and in not having eliminated any contestants.

Koekedoor was filmed by Homebrew Films at Twee Jonge Gezellen in Tulbagh, and will be broadcast on kykNET (channel 144) over 13 weeks, on Thursday evenings at 20h30.

The ten Finalists are a mixed bag of ardent bakers:

#.  Wessels van Vuuren: a bailiff clerk as well as waiter who loves to bake, but said that he has no one to try his baking as his friends are all eating gluten-free or are Banting! From Simonstown, having returned from a number of years in the UK. Sourdough baking is his favorite.

#.  Kanya Hunt: a dietitian and wedding cake baker. In the episode she said that she loves baking, saying it is ‘moerse lekker‘.

#.  Suretha du Toit: in Melville she co-owns the Koljander home bake shop. She particularly enjoys baking cheese scones, sweet potato cakes, and date coconut biscuits.

#.  Tara Balie: is from George, running her own baking and catering company.

#.  Martie Lamprecht:  a retired nurse from Bloemfontein. She has been baking for 40 years. She loves baking layered cakes, koeksisters, and melktert.

#.  Wilandi Esterhuysen: an architect from Port Elizabeth who loves to bake chocolate brownies and cinnamon rings in particular.. She said that Koekedoor is very competitive.

#.  Corli Botha: learnt fine baking when she lived in France with her rugby-playing husband. Her Black Forest cake is particularly popular.

#.  Elmarie Ward: runs a canteen at Sasol. Her signature baking is cheesecake.

#.  Anja Bands: is a farm wife, but also runs a baking business Mmmmacarons, and is particularly well-known for her macaroons. She said in the episode that she has been ‘drifting on the sea‘, and wants to rediscover herself by participating in the baking competition.

#.  Sanet Eigelaar: from Saldanha, runs her own coffee shop Cup of Cake. Loves using Pinotage in cupcakes, Buchu in lemon cake, and Rooibos in everything! She was described as a perfectionist, who is precise in her ingredient measurements.

To the first episode, which was an extra long one at 90 minutes so that viewers could get to know the contestants better, had been invited five special guests: Rolene Strauss, our beautiful former Miss World; the Afrikaans hip hop icon and Pasella presenter HemelBesem; singer Annelie van Rooyen; longest-standing SA TV presenter Riaan Cruywagen; and kykNET  ‘glam guru‘ presenter Hannon.

The task for the first episode was to bake a Sweet and a Savoury dish of each of the special guests, in teams of two. Each of the special guests had brought a special Sweet and Savoury recipe with them, and the baked dishes were reminiscent of their childhood. Two sets of each of the ten dishes were prepared, to be evaluated by the three Koekedoor judges Elizabeth Cloete, Mari-Louise Guy, and Tiaan Langenegger.

The treats which were baked were the following:

#   Riaan Cruywagen: sausage rolls, and cinnamon snaps with a granadilla, banana, and caramel filling

#   Annelie van Rooyen:  Marmite cake, and crescents.

#   Rolene Strauss:  lemon meringue tarts, and savoury Parmesan eclairs stuffed with a biltong filling and topped with cheese

#   Hannon: Tannie Hannah’s savory tarts, and koesisters in a rose syrup

#   HemelBesem:  Flying ‘Ystervarkies‘ (lamingtons), smoked salmon rolls, and cheese bacon and onion spirals.

The top three Savoury and top three Sweet bakers were announced:

#   In the Sweet baking category: Corli won this category with her lemon meringue tarts, and her prize is a Kenwood mixer. Her two runners-up were Wessels and Suretha.

#   In the Savoury baking category: Wessels won with his sausage rolls in the category, and was happy in winning a Kenwood mixer too. The other top bakers were Anja and Wilandi.

The themes for the following twelve episodes will be inspired by the catwalk, the park, music lessons, kitchen teas, the Christmas tree, and old recipe books. Various levels of baking prowess will be tested in the forthcoming episodes. In the first episode Mozart’s ‘Eine kleine Nachtmusik‘ was a perfect pairing! The longer first episode succeeded in allowing one to get to know the ten contestants!

The Koekedoor Season 2 winner wins a car, R200000 in cash, and other prizes. A Koekedoor baking recipe book will be published by Human & Rousseau at the conclusion of Season 2.

Koekedoor, kykNET, channel 144 on DStv. Thursdays 20h30 – 21h30. www.kyknet.dstv.com Twitter: @Koekedoor  Main photograph by Myburgh du Plessis.

Chris von Ulmenstein, WhaleTales Blog: www.whalecottage.com/blog  Tel 082 55 11 323 Twitter:@WhaleCottage  Facebook:  click here Instagram: @Chris_Ulmenstein