Holiday Wars winner: Who won the ultimate holiday battle?

Holiday Wars finale was a sugary, winter wonderland. While everyone has their favorite Christmas character only one, like the Holiday Wars champion, can reign supreme.

Holiday cheer was everywhere on the Holiday Wars finale. With two teams looking to be crowned the ultimate holiday champion, only one team showcased the ultimate holiday display. Sometime those reindeer games caused chaos in the kitchen. Or, could it have been the mischief of little elves?

Throughout Holiday Wars, both Bah Hum Bakers and Ginger Snappers have had both ups and downs in this Food Network series. In the beginning, Ginger Snappers earned high praise for their detailed sculptures and expressive displays. Going into the finale, Bah Hum Bakers have been on a role with dynamic displays. Basically, it was anyone’s title to win.

Looking at the snowball fight challenge, the concept took a whimsical turn. Each team had to give the Abominable snowman a makeover. While bumbles bounce, these Abominable Snowmen were all about spreading the Christmas cheer.

Bah Hum Bakers took an interesting approach by hiding the body of the Abominable Snowman inside of a Christmas tree. This display definitely spread holiday cheer, not fear.

While they were smart in a few choices, the display was a little sloppy. The face was expressive, but it needed a few more details, like having a little hand sticking out to the side. With a little more precision, this idea would have really popped.

The Ginger Snappers went in a totally different direction with their Abominable Snow Woman. Although the antlers on the snow woman was a little controversial, the display was well done with all the little details in place.

It was interesting that the Ginger Snappers when in a totally different direction. The choice to go with a slightly different character could have back fired. Still, their execution of the theme really pushed them to the top.

Given the slight mis-steps of the Bah Hum Bakers and the precision of the Ginger Snappers, the Ginger Snappers won the snowball fight. While this win gave them an advantage, it didn’t necessarily guarantee them the win.

For the final challenge of Holiday Wars, the two teams had to create the most dynamic presentation of the whole competition. It was reindeer versus elves in the ultimate holiday battle. Which of Santa’s helpers would reign supreme?

While this theme needed to highlight friendly pranks and jokes, the key to winning was the movement in the design. Additionally, the judges would be looking for the teams to apply what they have learned throughout the season. Although the journey isn’t necessarily a component of winning, the teams do need to listen to the judges’ feedback.

The Bah Hum Bakers really went big in this challenge. The concept of characters sliding down a hill allowed them to really push the visuals. Although the snowball fight aspect seemed to get a little lost, the sense of movement was superb.

This display had so many little characters and each one had a lot of personality. Those little touches added to the authenticity of the display.

Given that the judges wanted to see a dynamic display, this theme really played into that idea. From the scarves moving in the breeze to the cool chill coming from the display, they team was smart with their choices.

Also, their tasting element was an interesting twist on a bonbon. The combination of rosemary, caramel and chocolate could have gone very, very wrong. Instead, the herbaceous notes of the rosemary paired well with the sweet flavors. It was a smart choice.

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Ginger Snappers relied on their strength in this final Holiday Wars display. The expressions of the characters, especially Santa, were perfection. Santa almost looked like a doll, definitely not obvious that it was fondant.

Their display featured holiday pranks gone array. While Santa was trying to stop the reindeer and elves from getting to chaotic, it was missing a few elements to push it over the top.

Between some elements being hidden to the positioning of the characters, those little details made a difference. It was unfortunate that those tiny elements out-shined the beautiful characters.

Additionally, it was disheartening to see one of the sugar glass windows crash. While the team found an amazing fix, it was hard to watch it shatter.

As for the Ginger Snappers tasting element, they took a very unique approach. The black garlic, dark chocolate cherry truffle was a very unusual flavor combination. While it doesn’t sound like it would work, it was a very spirited treat.

In the end, the judges put a bigger emphasis on movement and character placement. Given that idea, the Bah Hum Bakers were crowned the Holiday Wars champion.

Overall, this Food Network competition was a quite enjoyable, short season. While Halloween Wars will always be a top rate show, this seasonal Wars could spark some additional programming throughout the year. Foodies love watching these type of shows.

Was Holiday Wars the holiday treat that you enjoyed watching each week? Which display was your favorite one of the season?