Christmas time has always been my favourite time of year. To me, Christmas is where I get to go all out in my holiday baking. This year is no exception, especially if I want to hit my goal of making 100 baked goods in 2022. As of this writing, I am at 77 so I really have to up my game this holiday season. I am hoping to find some inspiration from this holiday special.

Returning to the tent for some festive baking are season 2’s Mengling (who is probably my favourite GCBS baker of all-time), Season 4’s Mahathi, and Season 5’s Steve and Stephen. 

Signature Bake

The Bake: 18 x Appetizers as a holiday party platter (9 each of different flavours)

The Time: Two hours

What I would bake: I would probably do something based on some of my favurite dim sum dishes. One would be this deep fried crab claw served with a sweet Chili sauce and the other would be shrimp toasts but using a palmiers as a base. 

What the contestants baked and judges thoughts: 

Honestly, everyone’s appetizers sound so delicious that I am hungry just thinking about it. 

• Steve: Apps-olutely Festive Family Platter. The appetizers are a Gougères with seared apples and a potato latke with apples. Bruno said they are not dainty. Kyla said the latkes was cooked perfectly and liked the brisket. Bruno didn’t like the fresh tomatoes on the Gougères but still liked it.
• Mengling: Cheesy Christmas Platter. The appetizers are a cheesy tree crackers and Chili cheese dip and choux buns filled with caramelized onions and goat cheese. Bruno liked the crackers calling it very cheesy. Kyla liked it too with the cheese. Kyla liked the deep red of the choux and called it perfect for a holiday party. Bruno liked the combination of sweet and salty.
• Stephen: Nordic Canapes. The appetizers are bannock with seared elk and arctic char on top of a everything flavoured palmier. Bruno said the palmier was a bit doughy on the thicker ones but perfect on the thinner one. Kyla said the bannock is a must bake.
• Mahathi: Elegant Indian Street Food Platter. The appetizers are a potato-chickpea chaat tart and mango dosa tacos. Kyla said the tarts was perfectly baked and nice marriage of the spices. Bruno said the dosa dough was rich with good elasticity.

Technical Bake

The Bake: 20 Gefüllte Herzen

The Time: 2 hours and 15 minutes

How I would have fared: I was thinking of making this since the component don’t sound that complicated but I took a look at the recipe on the CBC website and it contains ingredients that I would probably never use again like the mixed peel. I was thinking of using jam from the grocery story but apparently the jam needs to be a specific texture. I really thinking I might do okay but it won’t look pretty. 

How the bakers did:

1. Steve:
2. Mengling:
3. Mahathi:
4. Stephen:

Showstopper

The Bake: Holiday Scene Cake that tells a story

The Time: 4 hours 

What I would bake: My scene cake would probably feature my family annual holiday street hockey game. I would top the cake with mini gingerbread houses that would surround the hockey game and have sugar cookie hockey players but the decoration would be jackets and toques. Surrounding the cake would be chocolate cars. The cake would be a german chocolate cake with a coconut vanilla buttercream.

What the contestants baked and judges thoughts: 

Once again, all the cakes sound delicious and could eat any of the four. 

• Steve: It’s a Wonderful Cake made with a gingerbread cake, tempered chocolate decor and cranberry jam and pecan filling. Both judges like the coins with their faces on it. Bruno and Kyla loved the gingerbread cake and the cranberry jam filling.
• Mengling: Chinese New Year Cake made with almond cake, coconut panna cotta, red cocoa cake collar. Bruno loved the red colour. Kyla noted the air bubbles in the collar. Bruno like the panna cotta. Bruno said the cake lacked texture but like the buttercream.
• Stephen: Icelandic Snow Globe Cake made with orange-citrus cake, mulled wine chocolate ganache, pine buttercream and a gingerbread reindeer. Kyla liked the pine cone and Bruno said it was like eating a healthy candy. Kyla liked the cake but Bruno said the ganache could have used some more aeration and Kyla said the cookie was soft. 
• Mahathi: Rooted in Two Traditions Cake made with chocolate cake, mulberry coconut frangipane, fondant bark, red wine poached pears and chocolate-rosemary buttercream. Bruno called the cake picture perfect and said the cake was moist. Kyla liked the addition of the mulberry. And Kyla liked the
  

  Winner of Season 3 of the Great Canadian Holiday Baking Show

  rosemary buttercream and the flavours kept on building on each other.

Up for Holiday Star Baker: They mentioned all of them and watching this episode, any of the four could win.   

Holiday Star Baker: Mahathi