Great British Bake Off finalist RUBY TANDOH talks to Jeananne Craig about her new cookbook Crumb

The philosophy student's bakes proved a hit in the tent, but she came under fire from viewers who accused her of flirting with judge Paul Hollywood and weeping her way to the final.

Even French chef Raymond Blanc waded in, reportedly appearing to accuse her of being too thin to appreciate good food.

Instead of burying her head in her mixing bowl, Tandoh fought back, taking on the Twitter detractors (even calling one a "bitter old witch"), landing herself a high-profile newspaper column, and writing her first cookbook, Crumb.

"Obviously, the general motto should always be 'just ignore it', but every now and again, someone's going to say something that's particularly unfair, and I don't think there's any harm in answering back," says the softly-spoken 22-year-old.

"It was really uncomfortable at the time, and it does kind of put a downer on some of the experience. But it's not scarred me for life."

As for the suggestion that Hollywood fancied her, the former model - who has tucked herself away in the quietest corner of a restaurant for our interview - laughs.

"I think it was purely paternal. The accusation that I was flirting, and the counter-accusation that he was fancying me, were both ridiculous and unfounded. It was quite funny in a way, because I found it so absurd..."

The recipes for Crumb, which "focus on flavour, not frippery", were tested in the North London flat she shares with three fellow students. She's just started her second year of a philosophy and history of art degree, having taken a year out to write the baking book.

"The kitchen's always grimy," Essex-born Tandoh confesses with a smile. "It doesn't matter how many times I clean it; it's like a magnet for grease."

Her debut features a mix of new flavours and old favourites, but you won't find any pictures of glittery pink cupcakes or sugary sweet cake pops (although there is a recipe for simply iced camomile and vanilla cupcake).

"I'm as big a fan of trashy, kitsch stuff as anyone, but when I'm baking, I don't want to go to those lengths," says Tandoh, who recently tweeted a snap of a hammer attacking a cupcake during National Cupcake Week.

"Obviously, there are things you can do to make [food] look nicer, and I'm all for that, within reason. But if you're spending longer on decoration than on the actual baking, then I think you're doing it wrong."

She intends to keep juggling baking and studying, and has already filled another notepad with recipes. As for Bake Off, she's still in touch with her fellow contestants, and has been tuning into the latest series.

"It's a lot more pleasant to watch now I'm not in it," she admits. "I feel a lot calmer."

Got the baking bug? Here's a recipe from Tandoh to try at home.

CHORIZO AND KALE FLATBREAD (Serves 2)

250g strong white flour

1tsp instant dried yeast

1/2tsp salt

175ml lukewarm water

5tbsp olive oil

100g chorizo, diced

125g kale or cavolo nero, stalks removed and finely shredded

Method

Combine the flour and yeast in a large bowl, stir in the salt and add the water, along with one tablespoon of the olive oil. Mix with your hands until well combined then tip out onto a clean surface and knead for 10 minutes, or until elastic and less sticky.

Let it rise for an hour or so; you're looking for it to double in size.

While waiting for the dough to rise, bring a pan of water to the boil and add the kale or cavolo nero. Boil for just one minute, then drain and run through with cold water. Once cool, gently press out any excess water from the greens.

Knead just under half of the kale into the risen dough. It'll be a little tricky, due to the residual moisture on the leaves, but there's no need to worry about it being perfect.

Preheat the oven to 190C/fan170C/gas mark 5.

Tip out the dough onto a floured surface, dust it with more flour and roll out to around 20cm in diameter.

Now you'll have to use your hands to stretch the dough the remaining distance: when held up by one edge, the rest of the dough should stretch downwards under its own weight. It will tend to shrink back a little as it rests, so just carry on stretching the dough until it's approximately 22 x 33cm after shrinkage.

Don't worry if some bits are a little thicker than others. Also, it's not a disaster if there are one or two holes in the bread - think of it as rustic.

Grease the bottom of a 22 x 33cm baking tray, Swiss roll tin or roasting dish with two tablespoons of the remaining olive oil and lay the dough down.

Let the bread prove at room temperature for 15 minutes then sprinkle over the remaining kale and then the chorizo. Gently pat the toppings down then dimple the dough using your fingertips. This is particularly useful here, as it helps to semi-embed some of the topping, securing it to the dough.

Let prove for a further five minutes, then drizzle over the final two tablespoons of olive oil and bake for 20 minutes.

Recipe courtesy of Crumb: The Baking Book by Ruby Tandoh, published by Chatto & Windus, priced £20. Available now.