Baker Hazel Ryan Sheehan at Stephens Green Dublin when TV3 launched its second series of the hugely successful The Great Irish Bake Off. The highly anticipated new series will be returning to Irish screens on Wednesday 21st May at 9pm on TV3, with 12 new passionate home bakers looking to test their skills to the limit as they battle it out to be crowned The Great Irish Bake Off's Best Amateur Baker 2014.

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Hazel Ryan Sheehan



AGE: 31

OCCUPATION: Pre School Teacher for Children with special needs

LOCATION: Corbally, Limerick

NATIONALITY: Irish

RELATIONSHIP STATUS: Married with two children

SIGNATURE BAKE: “Concessions Stand Cake” – chocolate & peanut butter cake with

chocolate buttercream frosting & caramel ganache topped with toffee

popcorn.



Mum of two, Hazel is extremely family orientated and has lived in her home town of Limerick all her life. she met her now husband, Mike, at the university and they have been together for ten years. They got married three years ago, they now have a one year old son, Oscar.



Hazel’s mum is a great baker, meaning that both Hazel and then Caitlin (Hazel’s daughter) grew up at her heels learning how to bake. Even now Hazel has strong memories of her mother’s baking, including helping her to make brown bread, apple tart and queen cakes. Her favourite memory is sitting with her brother and getting to spoon the raspberry onto the queen cakes.



Hazel has been baking all her life but it really took off for her when she moved in with her husband about five years ago. She realised that there was never anything nice in the house, like there had been in her parents’ house, so she started baking. Hazel bakes at least 3-4 times a week for her blog, but sometimes more. Pastry is Hazel’s weak point. She doesn’t have the patience, as she works full time and is a full time mum. She has tried filo, but failed miserably. She has a perfectionist streak in her, so she tries recipes over and over again until they are perfect. The most viewed post on her blog and the most requested cake she has made is her "Concessions Stand Cake": a chocolate, peanut butter cake, with a chocolate buttercream frosting, covered in a caramel ganache and topped with toffee popcorn. Hazel’s ultimate dream is for her blog to become a book and it is one of the main reasons she applied for the Bake Off. Hazel would describe herself as competitive so really does want to go far in the competition – she says she is there to win!