Holiday Baking Championship: Gingerbread Showdown season 2 episode 5 recap

Holiday Baking Championship: Gingerbread Showdown was back for episode 5 of season 2 and this week, it was all about The Nutcracker ballet! Ballerinas and soldiers and rats, oh my! The bakers had to make gingerbread showpieces inspired by the famous Christmas ballet.

The baker teams this week included Heather and Dena, Joe and Sean, and Barb and Nokee. But on top of making their very large gingerbread creations, they also had to make a nutty dessert.

But let’s talk about the gingerbread first! Barb and Nokee made a piece that was inspired by the Serenade of the Snowflakes and featured ballerinas, nutcrackers, and a gorgeous gingerbread Christmas tree.

Joe and Sean made a moving round stage that showed multiple scenes from The Nutcracker ballet. It was truly extraordinary what they got done in ten hours. And they were not as experienced as the other bakers.

Holiday Baking Championship was all about The Nutcracker this week

Heather and Dena made a spinning homage to the Kingdom of the Sweets. There were ballerinas, rats, and a gorgeous cupcake palace all on a decorative raised gingerbread stage. It was huge and fantastic.

Ok, on to the desserts! Barb and Nokee made a bourbon pecan pie. And while the pie looked great, the biggest shock of the show was when judge Kalen Allen announced that he had never had pecan pie and this was his first time trying it. Carla Hall could not believe it!

Heather and Dena made a bourbon brown butter pecan that the judges also loved and Joe and Sean made a pistachio cheesecake mousse. I would like five of those mousses, please!

The winner of the dessert baking challenge was Nokee with her bourbon pecan pie! But who won the overall competition and won the $10,000? That was Joe and Sean. This wasn’t really a surprise as their showpiece was absolutely magical. Not only did it show three different scenes from the ballet but all of it was incredibly well done.

Next week, three new teams of bakers will have to make gingerbread displays that show off different sporting events that might take place at the North Pole. They will also have to make a dessert with a “strong” ingredient.

What did you think of this week’s episode of Holiday Baking Championship: Gingerbread Showdown? Let us know in the comments below!