A new set of pastry chefs and home bakers are throwing on their aprons, getting their hands in the dough and taking on holiday-themed culinary challenges, but only one can win the grand prize of $50,000 and the title of Holiday Baking Champion.
Shawne Bryan — Miami
Originally from Anguilla, Shawne moved to America on his own, and after getting his degree in baking and pastry arts, Shawne worked his way up to becoming an executive pastry chef in Miami. He wants to take home the prize money and do something special for his moms: his birth mother, his godmother and his church mother.
Maddie Carlos — Anoka, Minn.
At just 21 years old, Maddie is already the owner of her own bakery in her home state of Minnesota. If Maddie takes home the grand prize, she'll be able to accomplish her next goal of opening a food truck and bringing her "sweets to the streets."
Amber Croom — Vail, Colo.
A few years ago, Amber was heading down a very different career path: engineering. She was attending school in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina hit, and she realized life was too short to not be doing something she loved. Now as a pastry chef for the last six years, Amber's hoping she can engineer herself the win.
Patti Curfman — Stayton, Ore.
Patti's neighbors are used to tasting her holiday baked goods. With over 16 years of baking experience under her apron, Patti uses her baking prowess to make sweet treats for her neighbors around the holidays, and she delivers them with a game of ding-dong-ditch!
Keli Fayard — Charlotte, N.C.
A mother to twin girls, Kelly was a chef in New York and Chicago before becoming an executive pastry chef in North Carolina. With $50,000 on the line, Kelly wants to bring home the grand prize and celebrate by taking her daughters to a Justin Bieber concert.
Matt Marotto — Guttenberg, N.J.
A self-described huge food geek, Matt is a pastry chef based in New York City. If Matt can bake his way to the end and take the cake, he'll use the prize money to buy his girlfriend an engagement ring and plan their wedding.
Jason Smith — Grayson, Ky.
A native of Kentucky, Jason is a self-taught baker with a bit of help from his aunts and his grandparents. Now an elementary school cafeteria manager, Jason's hoping to bring some Southern hospitality, and maybe a little moonshine, to the Holiday Baking Championship.
Cheryl Storms — Oakland, Calif.
As the "head baker, the owner, head janitor" of two bakeries in San Francisco, Cheryl likes to unwind by hoping on her Harley Davidson motor cycle and getting her "knees in the breeze." Cheryl is using inspiration from her childhood in Hawaii to try and outshine the other competitors.
Vincenzo Vaccaro — Astoria, N.Y.
After his dad opened their family bakery in 1987, Vincenzo basically "grew up in a bag of flour." Now as the owner and head baker of his own bakery, he's using his New York sensibility and his addictingly sweet recipes to try and take home the gold.
