Twhieswaereek...

Ican’t wait to sink into the new series of The Great British Bake Off when it kicks off on Tuesday night. Since it first aired 10 years ago, Bake Off has sparked a national obsession, with around five million of us regularly tuning in to watch the amateur bakers battle it out.

Bake Off fever has spilled over into our kitchens, too. So much so that the Office for National Statistics have just added baking trays to the basket of goods used to measure the rate of inflation.

When the show moved to Channel 4 two years ago, losing

Mary Berry and Mel and Sue, everyone feared the worst but the winning formula keeps us coming back for more.

On page 24 judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith discuss the phenomenal success of the show, but for me it’s simple – baking is like therapy.

With today’s frenetic society driving us into a stressed-out frenzy, it’s easy to see why people of all ages are turning to mindful pastimes such as baking to keep them sane.

I have been inspired to give it a bash myself, with mixed results.

A recent attempt at animal cupcakes was certainly a Showstopper, but not in a good way (see inset, because in this case a picture really is worth a thousand words).

Thankfully, my five-year-old son didn’t

seem to mind the fact they looked nothing like the ones he’d picked out from the recipe book. While some might see a dystopian nightmare played out through the medium of flour, he saw a plate of brightly coloured, sugary treats mummy magicked out of the oven.

And therein lies the beauty of baking with your children.

It’s a lovely way to de-stress while spending quality time with your little ones – and they won’t judge you on your soggy bottoms.