Host Jesse Palmer welcomes 12 talented bakers to Santa's Village, where Christmas preparations are in full swing, and assigns the competitors to two teams, The Reindeer Crew or The Elf Squad. In the first preheat challenge, the bakers create an "employee profile" dessert that illustrates what they love most during the holidays. Then, Santa wants the bakers to help him design stained glass for his office expansion, so they must make holiday stained-glass cakes. Judges Duff Goldman, Kardea Brown, and Molly Yeh decide the winner of the $1,000 Ghirardelli prize package, and one baker from the losing team is eliminated.

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It's staff appreciation week at Santa's Village, and to shine a spotlight on the hardworking heroes who keep Christmas running smoothly, host Jesse Palmer asks the baking teams to make peppermint holiday desserts to honor the unsung heroes of the Peppermint Dept. In the main heat, the bakers appreciate the seamstresses and tailors who keep Santa's fit fresh by making radical red velvet desserts. Judges Duff Goldman, Kardea Brown, and Molly Yeh choose the winner of the $1,000 Ghirardelli prize package, and each member of the winning team earns 30 minutes of time that they can use throughout the rest of the season. After one baker from the losing team is eliminated, both teams are dissolved - leaving every baker for themselves going forward.

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Snow globes are one of the most popular holiday gifts of all, and the elves at Santa's Village are terribly backed up. To help Santa boost output, host Jesse Palmer asks the 10 remaining bakers to create snow globe trifles and decorate the top with a personal holiday scene that depicts a holiday memory. Judges Duff Goldman, Kardea Brown, and Molly Yeh pick the winner to receive a $1,000 Ghirardelli prize package, and the least successful baker is eliminated.

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Santa wants to level up chocolate chip cookies, so host Jesse Palmer asks the nine remaining bakers to create amazing chocolate chip cookie holiday desserts using Ghirardelli chocolate chips. The best dessert is selected by judges Duff Goldman, Kardea Brown, and Molly Yeh to win a $1,000 prize package, along with Jesse's thanks for making him look good to the boss. The least successful baker is eliminated.

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There's a vending machine in the elf break room that needs something jollier than "healthy snacks," so host Jesse Palmer asks the bakers to fill the vending machine with exciting holiday snacks fit for hungry working elves. Then, in the main heat, a senior elf is retiring, and the bakers must create a farewell dessert that honors the elf's specific position in Santa's workshop, such as gift wrapper or reindeer stable hand. Each baker receives a different retiring elf's resume to interpret in dessert form. Guest judge Stephanie Boswell joins Duff Goldman and Kardea Brown to select the winner and send one baker home.

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Two tasty challenges, one never-before-seen advantage! For the preheat, Santa's Workshop is celebrating Hanukkah, and host Jesse Palmer asks the bakers to create a dessert featuring halva and decorate it for the Festival of Lights. The preheat winner will receive a one-on-one with their direct supervisor -- the judge of their choice! Then, the main heat is all about keeping the abominable snowman happy, so the bakers must include his favorite dessert component -- ice cream. Judges Duff Goldman, Kardea Brown, and Molly Yeh decide on the most successful frozen treat.

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In the semifinals, six bakers are facing three challenges to prove who belongs in the finale. For the preheat, host Jesse Palmer meets the bakers one-on-one in Santa's office to talk through a key skill or deficit they need to address in Santa's performance review desserts. In the merry mail heat, bakers must create surprise package desserts based on an ingredient inside a package and decorate it like a holiday gift. Finally, in the main heat, a human resources department sponsored snowball fight inspires snowball croquembouches decorated to represent different Santa's Workshop spaces like Mrs. Claus' kitchen, the reindeer barn, or the elf break room. Judges Duff Goldman, Kardea Brown, and Molly Yeh select the bakers who will move on to the finale.

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In the final steps to get Santa on his way to deliver gifts, the elves are grinding overtime and could really use a pick-me-up. In the preheat, host Jesse Palmer asks the bakers to create their best holiday coffee dessert to keep the elves caffeinated and focused. Then, it's all hands on deck to make loaded sleigh desserts filled with two tasty treats, and the least successful sleigh loader is eliminated. For the final bake of the season, the remaining four bakers take on Santa's workshop toy cakes that represent the most popular toys coming out of the workshop. Judges Duff Goldman, Kardea Brown, and Molly Yeh pick the best cake, and one talented baker walks away with $25,000 and the title of Holiday Baking Champion!

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