For the semifinals, host Jesse Palmer explores the reasons behind some great holiday traditions. Kwanzaa is around the corner, and one of the most traditional ingredients to cook with is plantains, so the bakers craft Kwanzaa plantain desserts. Then in a team heat, Carla Hall celebrates a centuries-old tradition by crafting ornaments, inspiring baking teams to make large-scale edible ornaments in Holiday Baking's first ever T’Ornament of Tastiness! Another ageless holiday tradition is putting up a Christmas tree, so for the main heat, the bakers create blitz puff pastry Christmas tree pull-aparts for judges Carla Hall, Duff Goldman and Nancy Fuller to tear into!

• Bobby Deen
• Lorraine Pascale
• Nancy Fuller