In the capricious, sugar-spun universe of “Holiday Wars,” Christmas Eve gets a curious makeover. Santa’s taking a night off (don’t ask why, even the elves seem baffled), and it’s up to four teams of cake and sugar artists to conjure a replacement. This isn’t your typical stand-in gig; it requires sculpting entirely edible holiday icons. Yes, the main character in each team’s festive tableau must be 100% cake. Which iconic figure will seize the reins of Christmas Eve? Frosty? Rudolph? Mrs. Claus staging a coup? The possibilities are as boundless as a gingerbread architect’s imagination.
This week’s episode, “Santa’s Stand-In,” throws an extra eggnog-laced wrench into the works. Not only do these sugar-slinging savants have to build their central character out of cake, but said character must also incorporate a tasting element. Is it a gingerbread chimney stack stuffed with edible coal? A reindeer’s antler made of marzipan and peppermint bark? The judges, Shinmin Li and Kardea Brown, are famously discerning, and a poorly conceived flavor combination could send a team spiraling faster than a sugar plum off a candy cane cliff.
Host Jeff Mauro, likely with a twinkle in his eye and a festive pun at the ready, sets the challenge. The pressure is on, the kitchen is hot, and the sugar’s flying. One team will inevitably crumble under the Yuletide strain, facing elimination. Three teams will remain, their dreams of cake-based glory still intact. Will the tasting element prove a boon or a burden? Will the substitute Santas be jolly or jarring? Tune in to see if the results are a recipe for holiday cheer or a festive flop.
“Holiday Wars” airs Sundays at 9 PM on Food Network.
