Meet the Competitors of Holiday Baking Championship, Season 5

Lerome is the pastry chef at the Ritz-Carlton in Naples, FL with dreams of opening his own shop. One of his holiday traditions is constructing the Ritz-Carlton's life-size gingerbread house.

Originally from Toronto, Sherry is a home baker living in Connecticut. She's a mother of two, and her kids love her baking abilities, because sometimes it means there is cake for breakfast and dinner.

Jamie is an executive pastry chef in sunny California. Her favorite part of the holidays is making treats for people, including her caramel-apple cheesecake. She likes to take something traditional and turn it into something people can't even imagine.

Julia is a self-taught baker known for her holiday cookies. She wants to use the Holiday Baking winnings to build her business and visit her mother in Brazil.

Douglas is the baking and pastry instructor at Northshore Community College. He has a passion for teaching and for his family.

Dan runs and owns a pastry shop with his family. He's known to his sons as a "derd" — dad nerd.

Nolan is a pastry chef from a small town in Michigan. "I eat, I sleep, and I breathe pastry," he said. He is also no stranger to holiday celebrations: "I have never lost an ugly sweater contest."

Sarah loves the holidays so much that she refers to herself as a "Christmasholic." Originally from the Dominican Republic, she now runs her own bakery in Miami.

Originally from Jamaica, Chantal now runs her own bakery. She hopes to use the Holiday Baking prize to help grow her business.