The first season of The Great American Baking Show, released under the title The Great Holiday Baking Show, premiered on ABC on November 30, 2015 as part of ABC's holiday programming schedule. Six amateur bakers competed in twelve challenges throughout the competition for the title of America's best holiday baker.
This season was hosted by husband and wife duo Nia Vardalos and Ian Gomez. The judging panel consisted of original The Great British Bake Off judge Mary Berry and American pastry chef Johnny Iuzzini. As with the British series, this season was filmed in Welford Park with slight holiday decorative modifications made in the set known as "The Tent".
After four weeks of competition, Lauren Katz was crowned the winner with Nicole Silva and Tim Samson as runners-up.
Bakers Baker Occupation Hometown Ainslie Forsum Account manager Los Angeles, California Eddie Downs Vocalist Chicago, Illinois Grace Langan Hospital administrator Staten Island, New York Lauren Katz Housewife Ashburn, Virginia Nicole Silva Teacher Hampton, Georgia Tim Samson Marketing director Wildwood, New Jersey
Results summary + Elimination chart Baker 1 2 3 4 Lauren SB WINNER Nicole Runner-Up Tim SB Runner-Up Ainslie OUT Eddie OUT GraceOUT
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Episodes Episode 1: Cookies For the first signature bake, the bakers were given two hours to make two unique batches of ten cookies, with one batch having icing. Later in the technical bake, bakers only had one hour to bake sixteen brandy snaps according to Mary Berry's recipe. The final bake of the week called the showstopper required bakers to bake a structured gingerbread with decorative designs and cookies around it within five hours.
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Baker Signature(Cookies) Technical(Brandy snaps) Showstopper(Gingerbread 3D scene) Ainslie Linzer Cookies and Iced Orange and Cardamom Sugar Cookies 5th Gingerbread Beach House Eddie Hot Chocolate Gingersnaps and Iced Brown Butter Spice Cookies 2nd Grandma's Gingerbread House Grace Marble Butter Cookies and Iced Peppermint Candy Cookies 6th Gingerbread Hospital Lauren Rugelach and Iced Tangerine-Chai Sugar Cookies 1st Gingerbread Pagoda Nicole Iced Mint Chocolate Chip Santa Cookies and Christmas Breakfast Cookies 4th Gingerbread Eiffel Tower Tim Czech Nut Cookies and Iced Sour Cream Sugar Cookies 3rd Gingerbread Carousel
Episode 2: Cake Festive holiday bakes continued in the tent as bakers had two hours to create a yule log sponge cake with a sweet filling of their choice. The technical bake was based on the recipe of Johnny Iuzzini's tiramisu cake with ladyfinger crisps. For the final showstopper bake, the bakers created a "Twelve Days of Christmas" fruitcake that revolved around one of the verses from the traditional Christmas carol.
Baker Signature(Yule log) Technical(Tiramisu) Showstopper("Twelve Days of Christmas" Fruitcake) Ainslie Coffee & Cream Yule Log 1st Five Golden Rings Fruitcake Eddie German Chocolate Yule Log 5th Two Turtle Doves Fruitcake Lauren Traditional Chocolate Yule Log 2nd Three French Hens Fruitcake Nicole Pumpkin Spice Yule Log 3rd Partridge in a Spiced Pear Tree Fruitcake Tim Rosemary Almond Yule Log 4th Partridge in a Pear Tree Fruitcake
Episode 3: Pastry In the semifinals, the bakers created two batches of breakfast pastries with any holiday flavor of their choosing. The technical tested the skills of the remaining bakers in Mary Berry's Christmas fruit tart. For the final pastry bake, the bakers created a centerpiece made from cream puffs and pastry pieces for a spot in the final three.
Baker Signature(Breakfast pastries) Technical(Fruit tart) Showstopper(Pate a choux) Ainslie Apple Butter Pinwheels and Raspberry Chocolate Twists 1st Butterscotch Cream Puff Stacked Present Lauren Pumpkin Maple Spice Pastries and Cranberry-Orange Pastries 3rd Pâte À Choux Christmas Tree Nicole Pumpkin Pops and Honeyed Fig Tarts 4th Pâte À Choux Reindeer Tim Cranberry-Orange Danish Puffs and Rohlicky 2nd Chocolate Peppermint Reindeer Choux
Episode 4: Final The final three begun with the signature bake, a holiday pie, to be baked under two-and-a-half hours. The pie also had to be accompanied with a delectable sauce on the side. In the technical, the bakers baked a candy cane-shaped bread with delicate icing and fruit. The final showstopper of the season lasted five hours, as bakers built up to make a three-dimensional presents cake.
Baker Signature(Holiday pie) Technical(Candy cane bread) Showstopper(3D presents cake) Lauren Bourbon-Raisin Caramel Apple Pie with Salted Caramel Sauce 1st Spumoni Surprise Cake Nicole Sweet Potato Pie with Pecan Praline Sauce 3rd Nativity Surprise Cake Tim Apple-Cranberry Pie with Maple Custard Sauce 2nd Holiday Lights Cake
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