My favourite episodes of The Great British Baking Show has always been the holiday editions. I just love seeing past bakers coming back to bake some festive cheer. So I was happy to see that The Great Canadian Baking Show is doing there second edition of this holiday favourite. Coming back to bake some holiday treats are season one’s Linda, season two’s Sachin and season three’s Colin and Jodie.

Signature Bake

The Bake: Festive Baking Tray. Bake favourite festive treats

The Time: 2 hour and 30 minutes

What I would bake: Where do I start with this. I love holiday baking. Here is what I would do. Chocolate crinkles and malted mint chocolate mini cakes topped with a mint glaze and crushed candy canes. 

What the contestants baked and judges thoughts:

I would eat everyone’s trays. Everyone’s desserts sounded so delicious.

• Sachin: Com in from the Cold Sweet Tray. The tray is made up of cookie mittens and Irish cream and coffee mousse cake with a chocolate mirror glaze. Bruno liked the shine on the glaze but noted some inconsistencies. Bruno did like the flvaour though. Bruno said the cookies had some inconsistent bake but liked the icing.
• Jodi: Festive Gingerbread Forest Treats. The tray is made up of Chocolate pine cone cookies and mini gingerbread cakes with eggnog mousse. Bruno wanted more chocolate for the cookies. Kyla noted the cake looked dry but Bruno said when combined with the mousse, ti gives a lift
• Colin: Sugar and Spice Goodie Tray. The tray is made up of hazelnut sandwich cookies and cinnamon spice cakes with cream cheese frosting and praline crunch. Bruno is disappointed over the lack of butter in the cake. Kyla liked the cream cheese frosting on the cake. Kyla liked the piping work on the cookies. Bruno liked the flavour of the cookies.
• Linda: ‘Tis the Season of Shortbread Tray. The tray is made up of white chocolate mousse shortbread tart and cranberry orange shortbread cookies. Bruno liked the cranberry cookies and Kyla says it melts in the mouth. Kyla liked the contrast of the pistachio in the tart and Bruno says it was like eating a cloud.

Technical Bake

The Bake: An Icelandic cake called a Vinarterta

The Time: 1 hour and 45 minutes

How I would have fared: I have never heard of this and had to Google how to spell it. It looks complicated to make. Making the prune jam and the seven biscuits looks complicated. I would probably come in last. Would I attempt to make this? Probably not because I am not found of making prune jam. 

How the bakers did:

1. Linda:
2. Jodi:
3. Colin:
4. Sachin:

Showstopper

The Bake: Choux Wreath

The Time: 4 hours

What I would bake: Peppermint cream choux wreath but the choux would be green and red in colour.

What the contestants baked and judges thoughts:

I am so eating Sachin’s wreath. So into his pastry creams. But I love the idea of Jodi’s savoury choux. All the flavours sound delicious and made me hungry. Linda’s wreath sounds good too. And so does Colin’s. 

• Sachin: Carolling at Christmas Wreath made with hot chocolate pastry cream and figgy pudding pastry cream. Kyla liked the pulled sugar ribbon. Bruno liked the two tone filling in his hot chocolate pastry cream and Kyla loved the flavour. Bruno called the figgy pastry cream original and Kyal said it tasted like a holiday bake shop.
• Jodi:Hors D’Oeuvres Wreath made with mushroom and cream cheese, spinach and ricotta and salmon mousse. For the spinach and ricotta Bruno said the dough was lacking salt. Both loved the mushroom and cream cheese one as well as the salmon mousse with Bruno grabbing seconds.
• Colin: Woodland Wreath with chai sugar cookies and choux filled with amaretto creme diplomat and pistachio creme diplomat. For teh pistachio one, Bruno saud the choux was under baked and the cream was runny but both liked the craquelin. Kyla wanted more amaretto for the other choux. 
• Linda: Holly Jolly Christmas Wreath with eggnog pastry cream and hazelnut mousse. Kyla called the presentation stunning. Bruno liked the puff on the choux. Burno noted the eggnog one wasn’t filled enough but Kyla loved the flvaour of the choux. Bruno liked the hazelnut flavour of her other choux.

If I had to guess who wins this it is a toss up between Sachin and Jodi. 

Holiday Star Baker:  Sachin