Holiday Wars Season 2 winner made the ultimate comeback

In the final winter wonderland display, the Holiday Wars Season 2 winner rang the wedding bells.

The North Pole cheered for the Holiday Wars Season 2 winner. After a season filled with ups, downs, victory and defeat, the holiday Food Network show saved the best for last. Which holiday baking team walked away with $25,000?

For many Food Network fans, Holiday Wars Season 2 has been a little up and down. While the changes to the format were liked by some, others missed the “wars” aspect of the holiday baking competition. Although teams had to sit out a round and there was an elimination, some people would have preferred to see a more traditional competition aspect.

In this Holiday Wars Season 2 finale, four teams began the competition, but only three teams competed for the $25,000 prize. For the first round, the teams had to create a five-tier cake that represented each member of the team.

While the majority of designs were impressive, one team missed the mark. The Rebelves only had a four- tier cake. Although their cake was pretty and better than another team, the cake did not meet the requirements. Therefore, the Rebelves were eliminated and did not compete in the finale.

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Like previous challenges, the teams had to incorporate the pre-heat cake into the Holiday Wars finale display. This little twist to Holiday Wars Season 2 has caused some teams to get flustered. While a design might be great for one challenge, it does take a keen eye (or extra time to re-make an element) to use it again.

Also, the teams had a tasting element, but this component doesn’t seem to weigh heavily on the judges’ decisions. In the Holiday Wars Season 2 finale, the tasting element had to combine two popular holiday treats and marry them into one holiday dessert. It is a simple idea that many home baker could try.

Looking at the finale three teams, Mistle Toasters, Hashtag Elfies and Blizzardly Bakers, the concepts were all different. More importantly, the teams focused on their strength. From strong characters to heartwarming stories, these holiday displays did bring the holiday cheer.

Based on the judges’ comments, they wanted a holiday display that conveyed nostalgia, holiday warmth and the merriment of the season. Overall, the teams’ displays were the most impressive of the season.

Hashtag Elfies made a snowman wedding. While the judges questioned the characters’ sizes and a few cover-ups, the display was quite impressive.

Additionally, their tasting element was probably the best bite of the day. The stout cake with glaze received the best reviews of all the testing elements. It was clear that Matt is an impressive pastry chef.

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For Mistle Toasters, they were lucky to be in the finale because the judges were not impressed with their pre-heat tier cake. But, they choose to re-make that cake for this display and it helped. Unfortunately, their tasting element was a miss with under-cooked poached pears.

But, Mistle Toasters captured what the judges wanted in a Holiday Wars finale piece. The piece evoked emotion. From a little whimsy thanks to the narwhal to holiday nostalgia from the color palate, it was the holiday display that instantly brought a smile. Even though there were mis-steps, this holiday display won the judges’ hearts.

Lastly, the Blizzardly Bakers had the most delightful characters, which has been their strength all season. Although this scene was about the penguins getting married, the mischievous elves seemed to steal the show.

Additionally, their black forest bouche noel was an interesting twist. Although there were a few technical issues, the idea was great.

In the end, the Holiday Wars Season 2 winner was the Mistle Toasters. This decision was probably the most unlikely outcome. After a poor first round and the tasting element mis-step, it seemed that Hashtag Elfies had it in the bag. Then again, Food Network always likes a good comeback story.

Did you agree with the Holiday Wars Season 2 winner decision? Which team would have earned your vote?