Holiday Baking Championship Season 8 episode 5 recap: No more shortcuts

While one baker longs to unwrap the ultimate Food Network present, Holiday Baking Championship Season 8 episode 5 put one baker another step closer to the finale. Although it appears that a few favorites might be gaining confidence as the season progresses, one baker had a big stumble that no one saw coming. Could earning immunity not be all it is cracked up to be?

When Holiday Baking Championship Season 8 episode 5 opened, it was on the heels of Jody being the first baker ever to earn immunity in the Food Network challenge. While this accolade might have put a target on the Irishman’s back, the reality is that his impeccable dessert and bread in the last round pushed him to the top.

But, sometimes those high praises can cause a stumble. Although he could not be eliminated in this episode, the pressure of being on top can cause the cookie to crumble. At this point in the Holiday Baking Championship Season 8 competition, any little mistake can lead to a swift exit from the Food Network kitchen.

Which baker gifted a delicious olive oil cake on Holiday Baking Championship Season 8 episode 5?

As Hanukkah begins, the eight night celebration has a plethora of traditional treats on the table. While no one was frying latkes in this episode, the bakers were tasked with making olive oil cakes. With various flavor pairs and traditional Hanukkah décor, the desserts varied from shades of blue to a touch of gelt.

The biggest surprise in the pre-heat challenge was Jody’s mistakes. It seemed that he had plunged into the darkness of baking despair. His olive cake was a disaster and it was a good thing that he had immunity. It was clear that he would not earn immunity again.

The other cakes were relatively good. At this point in the competition, the middle of the road may not be good enough anymore. Even though the huge mistakes are starting to fade, these bakers need to do more to impress the judges. There is less of a chance to just skate through to the next round.

A few stand out items where Sabrina’s cake which actually had a candle that could be lit. Although her fig and hazelnut cake had a few issues, the judges should have given her more credit for the creative design.

With a phrase that has been heard often in Holiday Baking Championship Season 8, Adam won the pre-heat. His apple and walnut olive oil cake had the perfect combination of flavor and textures. Even his décor, with Star of David snowflakes, was a smart choice.

What was the Holiday Baking Championship Season 8 episode 5 pre-heat winner advantage?

For winning the pre-heat, Adam received a great advantage. In the Food Network’s version of a gift exchange, Adam was able to “steal” another baker’s required holiday dessert for the main heat.

Even though there seems to be a bro-mance between Adam and Jody, the pair were not feeling the love in the kitchen this week. Adam stole Jody’s fruitcake. Taking the traditional dessert from the Irishman seemed to have a flavor of game play.

As the bakers looked to re-imagine some classic holiday desserts, a few bakers seemed to grasp the challenge better than others. Plus, Adam’s decision to steal Jody’s fruitcake seems to tell everyone that it is time to push to the finale.

Just watching the bakers’ reactions as they unwrapped their “dessert” gifts seemed to predict the outcome. Although Marilyn seems perpetually happy, Jose was less than pleased with his decorated sugar cookies.

But, it was interesting that the bakers are still getting stumped with a few challenges. For example, Richard might have been challenging the tropical holiday, the judges thought that the tropical fruit didn’t capture the more traditional holiday flavors.

While there haven’t been too many difficult twists this season, this episode did seem to have the bakers off their game. By requiring the bakers to make an eggnog from scratch, that added element was the difference between top and bottom bakers. Sometimes the most dreaded holiday desserts is the one that you don’t know how to make.

Although many people assume that Jody and Adam will be battling till the end, another baker surprised everyone this week. Sabrina has been longing to break out of the middle and finally did this challenge.

Even if Duff Goldman thought that the whoopie pie was more of an ice cream sandwich, the reindeer looking dessert was a huge hit. The flavors excelled. And, her eggnog had Nancy Fuller cheering. Maybe it was a little extra “count” in that eggnog.

Still, Sabrina couldn’t knock Adam off the top spot. As seen with her “slow clap” when the announcement was made, it was clear that she was hoping to put a speed bump on this path to another win.

For earning the win in both the pre-heat and the main heat, Adam won immunity. By earning the last immunity of the season, he is poised to make the finale. But, as Jody learned this week, earning the top spot may not be the golden path to perfection.

Unfortunately, it was time for one baker to say adieu. Neomi saw her last bake. While her bread pudding was ok, it didn’t really change that classic dessert. If she had elevated it in some way, it could have been different.

But, using croissant and Turkish coffee cream isn’t enough at this stage in the competition. Plus, her eggnog was not successful. Although she might have never had eggnog, it is not an excuse.

Looking ahead, it might be hard for another baker to overtake Adam or Jody, Then again, earning immunity causes Jody to stumble, could there be a rocky road ahead for Adam too?