A Gingerbread Christmas (2022) Movie Script
[instrumental music]
[music continues]
[indistinct chatter]
-Gingerbread loaf for Hazel!
-Oh. Yeah. Hi. Sorry.
Yeah, that's me. Oh. Thank you.
Have you had this loaf before?
It is so good.
-I don't do carbs.
-Oh, okay.
[woman] These days Mark Clemmons
is known in kitchens
across America
as the Cookie King of Chicago.
I have a very big announcement.
[woman] You do? Oh, tell us.
[Mark] I do.
As you know, every December
Chicago holds
the Christmas Bakeoff.
I have the pleasure of being
the judge
for this year's theme,
a gingerbread showdown.
[Woman] I love it!
[Mark] We are gonna have
edible works of art
that require originality
and an architectural precision.
I'm really happy to announce
that Clemmons Cookware
will be donating the prize
money to this year's winner,
a $100,000!
[woman] Hundred-thousand
dollars?
I'm-I'm so sorry. I'm sorry.
But that's, like,
an insane amount of money
for a baking competition,
right?
Oh, I don't work for the money.
I work
because I make people smile.
Oh, oh.
Yeah. Okay.
-[Ted] Are you nervous?
-I mean, a little.
It is my last day
as a consultant.
Starting next week,
hopefully your first day
as a brand-new
full-time architect.
Oh, I hope so.
Huh, I bet you're the smartest,
hardest-working consultant
they have there.
There's no way they're giving
that job to that ding-dong.
[laughs] Well, he's not
a ding-dong, dad.
He went to Harvard, which he has
told me numerous times.
[laughs] Don't get too wrapped
up in your fancy new job.
I still expect you back home
for Christmas.
Don't worry. I'll be there.
All right, I better head on in.
-I don't wanna be late.
-Love you, kid.
Love you, too, dad. I got this.
[instrumental music]
Sorry.
The main thing I'm worried about
is the clear story over here.
I suppose the arched ceiling
will need to be reinforced
by columns
to support the skylight.
What if we used
steel T-shaped columns
instead of reinforced concrete?
That would make it cheaper,
and plus,
it'll fit the design aesthetic
they're looking for.
You had me at cheaper.
Um...
We have enough time to change
the model before tomorrow?
Yeah, sure, it'll only take a
few hours with the 3-D printer.
Great.
Benjy-Boy, can you handle that?
Only if we can hit Annie's after
for Margarita Mondays.
-I'm taking a client.
-Good. All right, everyone.
That gives us two weeks to wrap
up everything before Christmas
and family time.
Let's hop to it.
Nice input today, Hazel.
-As always.
-Thank you, sir.
Actually, about that, I don't
mind changing the design myself.
I know Ben has been
super swamped lately,
and I secretly kind of love
using that 3-D printer.
-Hazel...
-And I can stay late again.
Just to make sure
everything is perfect.
I appreciate you
burning the midnight oil.
Believe me, your hard work
hasn't gone unnoticed,
but before you pull
another all-nighter
and sleep under your desk
again...
You scared the cleaning team,
by the way.
They're usually not so thorough.
You should know
I'm giving the job to Ben.
I'm sorry. If we could
hire you both, we would.
We just think that
Ben's a better fit for the team.
[Daryl] He plays well
with others.
And you are a fantastic
architect.
And when you undoubtedly
get hired by another firm,
they're gonna be lucky
to have you.
I'll, uh...
I'll, uh, leave you to it.
[instrumental music]
[indistinct chatter]
[door opens]
[music continues]
[cell phone dings]
[Hazel] It is so good
to see you, Nina.
[Nina] Oh, you, too, honey.
You know, when I said
I needed something sweet,
I figured we could just
pick something up.
I didn't mean for you
to bake for me.
Yeah, I got the impression
from your text
this called
for something homemade.
Yeah, you're not wrong.
-Everything okay?
-Oh, not really.
I got some pretty bad news
at work today.
I didn't get the job.
Oh, I'm sorry, honey. I know
how much you wanted that.
-Yeah.
-What happened?
Apparently, not being named
Benjy-Boy happened.
Well, thank heavens for that.
Fortunately,
I brought the big guns.
We got some double-fudge
brownie cupcakes
with some toasted
marshmallow frosting
and red and silver sprinkles.
Ah.
So this is a new recipe.
Add the salt.
Now...
be honest.
-Always.
-Mm-hmm.
Well, it looks amazing.
Mm...
Oh, my gosh, Nina,
this is incredible.
I wanna include them
in my next cookbook.
-Mm-hmm.
-And speaking of which...
-[Hazel gasps]
-Hot off the presses.
Oh, uh, wow!
"For the sake of the bake."
I love it.
I think you might wanna see
the dedication inside.
[instrumental music]
My mom would have loved this.
I hope so. You know, she was
the best baker I ever met.
[Nina] I can't believe
it's been two years.
Hey. When are you going
back home for Christmas?
I mean, now I don't know.
Okay, you know I take my role as
your godmother seriously, right?
I know.
Why not take an extended break
back home?
Yeah, I mean, I suppose I could
go help my dad with the bakery
during the Christmas rush.
What?
Nothing. Yeah, I'm sure
your dad would love that.
Yeah, I don't know. Maybe.
I haven't been back since...
Hey, I'll be there
visiting Shelby.
Mm.
Oh, okay, I'm sorry,
is that name
still banned from being spoken?
Ah, yes, and I will let you know
when that embargo has lifted.
Okay.
[instrumental music]
Snow falling down
I am not feeling blue
I wish you were around
To cuddle or two
Ooh ooh
Church bells are ringing
Ooh
[knocking on door]
Children are singing
The fire of the dawn
love I need you right now
-Hazelnut!
-It's me!
-What are you doing here?
-I just wanted to surprise you.
I-I wasn't expecting you
for a week-and-a-half.
Yeah, I just thought I'd come
a little bit early.
They must love you at work.
Oh, recently hired,
and already got vacation days.
Oh. No, honey.
You didn't get it?
Oh. Well, come in.
Don't just stand there.
And... Oh.
We'll, uh,
we'll talk all about it.
[instrumental music]
You okay?
Yeah, yeah. It's just, um...
It's been a while.
I know. Take your time.
I'll make some coffee.
-[Hazel] What is all that?
-Huh?
Oh, just some bookkeeping
I'm doing for the bakery.
And going through receipts.
One thing I learned is I took
one too many pedicures
this year.
Well, in fairness,
I've seen your feet.
I'd consider that
money well spent.
-Yeah.
-[laughs]
So how is everything doing, dad,
with the bakery?
[Ted] Oh, you know, not the same
without your mother.
But doing fine.
[instrumental music]
-[Ted] Dark roast okay?
-Uh-huh. Yeah.
Ah, let's chat,
I have a few choice words
I'd like to say
about Bloom City Design.
Actually, dad,
could we take a raincheck?
Being home
is just a little overwhelming.
Oh.
I-I mean, uh, yeah. Sure.
Maybe I could borrow the car,
just drive around town a little.
-Is that okay?
-Well, of course, Hazelnut. Uh.
-The starter is still finicky.
-Okay.
And the passenger window
is still sticky.
Okay. Anything else?
Crack up the tunes, 'cause
the stereo is still awesome!
Okay. Thanks, dad.
I'll be back by dinner, okay?
[instrumental music]
[indistinct song on stereo]
Just had to come by
Hurry up
you're just in time
Soon the bells hop
Christmas chimes
Time to get busy
[Hazel] Look at that line.
[indistinct song on stereo]
Empty.
And people fly to you
It is hard
You see-e-e
Sweet words to you
[James] Planning on paying
for that scone?
Oh. I'm sorry. Yeah,
I totally can. I'm just, I--
Are you
the Oak Park scone thief?
Yeah. Uh, police have a warrant
out for my arrest.
All right, FBI's most wanted,
I saw it
on Date Nightlast night.
Thought you'd be taller.
I'm Hazel, of Hazelnut Bakery.
I'm Ted's daughter.
Oh. Sorry.
Uh, I'm James, the new baker.
-You're a baker?
-Mm-hmm.
I didn't realize that was
such a dangerous line of work.
Did you enjoy that scone
you stole?
Mm, didn't steal it,
and if I'm being honest,
your presentation
could use a little work.
-Wow. Notes already. Okay.
-Hey.
I just call it like I see it.
But, yes,
that was a very delicious scone.
Oh.
Why is it so slow right now?
It's never this empty
around Christmas.
Might have something to do
with the new bakery
they opened up
across the street.
You saw the line, right?
That line
is for another bakery?
-Yup. Butter Up Bakes.
-Butter Up Bakes?
Yeah. Oh. Excuse me,
I've got something in the oven.
Oh, sorry. W... Uh, where did
you say that you baked before?
Oh, I didn't.
This is my first baking job.
Your-your dad hired me on as a
contractor
to do the renovations.
Renovations? What renovations?
-He didn't tell you? Oh!
-[oven beeping]
No, he most certainly did not!
[scatting]
What is going on here?
Perfection,
that's what's going on.
You should've heard
when they were doing renos
over at Butter Up Bakes.
Every day banging those...
-It was hell.
-Okay, this is a disaster.
That's why I'm fixing it,
I mean, your dad had me in
to fix one of the shelves,
it turns out they were all
about to collapse,
and the pantry was busted.
The stove needed new burner.
So two months later, here I am,
baking as well.
I had no idea
things were this serious.
Everything is in disrepair,
there's no foot traffic,
thanks to the new bakery
across the street.
We're behind on...
Hey, I'm-I'm part
of the solution.
Or I'm trying to be.
No, o-of-of course, I'm sorry.
It's just, this is bad.
This is really, really bad.
It's already hard enough
just being back here.
I've heard a lot about your mom.
Sounded like
she was an incredible woman.
She really was.
Now everything she's built
is just falling apart.
-Hi.
-Hey.
Hope you don't mind steaks
for dinner.
No. Wow, big guy's grilling.
I didn't even know
you could do that.
Ah, I just wanna expand
my repertoire
from bacon and eggs.
How was town?
Oh, uh, actually,
I went by the bakery.
-Oh?
-Also, I found this.
Uh-oh.
Dad, why didn't you tell me
things were this bad?
The last thing
your mother would want
is for you to put your dreams
on hold and shoulder this.
Plus, you had a new job
and everything.
I thought I could fix it.
[instrumental music]
[birds chirping on TV]
[crowd cheering on TV]
[instrumental music on TV]
I mean, look,
of the three cakes today,
for me, visually,
the cleanest cake was Joshua's.
[man on TV] Judges, this is it.
Bakers, you did not
make it easy for the judges.
But in the end,
only one baker
can win $50,000
and the title
of Holiday Baking Champion.
And that baker is...
Jennifer! Congratulations!
You are
the Holiday Baking Champion!
[Jennifer] I'm the Holiday
Baking Champion!
[indistinct chatter on TV]
[instrumental music]
-Dad!
-Steaks are a little over-done.
But with some steak sauce--
I think I know
how to save the bakery.
Uh, don't you wanna eat first?
Yes, yes, I'm starving.
I'll tell you my idea.
[instrumental music]
[James] Are you guys serious,
Ted?
Dead serious.
Hazel and I don't exactly
know each other.
And is either of us qualified
to enter a national contest
like that?
-Mm...
-I mean...
I told you this was a bad idea.
-I can do this alone, dad.
-Now hang on.
We all know how good
James' baking is.
-I had one scone.
-You said it was delicious.
And that scone
was just the beginning.
Oh. Well, at least he's humble.
Aren't these contests
super competitive?
-Would we even get in?
-Um, excuse me.
My mother was a legend
at the Christmas Bakeoff.
She won four times.
As soon as they hear
her daughter wants to enter,
they'll eat it up.
At least she's humble.
It's a $100,000, James.
Half of that will
save this bakery and your job.
The other half could be
a down payment on a house.
Okay, hold on a second, before
you go getting too excited,
Julia Child, I'm the one
who needs convincing here.
Meaning?
An audition.
[instrumental music]
Okay.
Oh, you gotta be kidding me.
Wha...
-Oh.
-Okay.
[music continues]
[music continues]
All right, what we have here
is a lemon-basil shortbread
with a raspberry royal icing.
-Interesting.
-Questionable.
I mean, especially 'cause
it's a Christmas cookie.
Well, I think they look great,
James.
-Thank you, Ted.
-Okay. Well, moment of truth.
Oh, wow. They're--
-Wow, it's amazing!
-Oh, great.
Full disclosure,
I make these a lot.
They're my daughter's favorite.
Oh, you have a daughter?
I sure do. Claire.
-She's incredible.
-Mm.
Well, as far as I'm concerned,
you passed with flying colors.
-Mm.
-[Ted] What do you think?
Mm...
James, welcome to the team.
Oh. I'm...
I don't know.
I had to go through
this whole song and dance
to prove myself to you?
I mean, what are
you bringing to the table?
Why should I do this with you?
You know, maybe I should just
join the competition alone.
Wow. I didn't know
you were such an opportunist.
-Hazel has a lot to offer.
-Thank you.
Oh. Like?
Well, I mean, you don't bake.
You work an office job.
-An office job as an architect.
-So?
She has a vision of how this
gingerbread house should be.
-Right?
-Oh.
[Ted] Y-you have a vision?
Well, not... not yet.
But, would you... Hold on.
I know how I want it
to make me feel.
Buildings aren't just
glass and cement to me.
They're art and craftsmanship.
A good design
takes a, a basic human need
and turns it into a symbol
of passion and ingenuity.
And I know that might seem silly
to think about these things
with respect
to a gingerbread house,
but if I could just capture
even a fraction of that
in an edible version,
then I feel like we would've
achieved something.
[instrumental music]
Yeah, yeah, let's do it.
[chuckling]
All right, you guys sure you
don't need an extra hand here?
I think we'll manage. You have
more important things to do.
-James, give me a ride home?
-You bet, Teddy-bear.
Okay. Um, I'm gonna come up
with some designs tonight.
Sounds good.
I'm gonna fix
that mis-matched tile
as soon as I'm done
with the rest of the renos.
Oh, that's okay. I like it.
See ya.
This Christmas
[indistinct chatter]
[instrumental music]
[Hazel] Nina?
[indistinct chatter]
-Okay.
-At dinner.
I'm gonna hold you to that.
Nina...
What are you doing here?
I'm about to buy a rhubarb tart.
-Okay.
-Oh, wait.
[instrumental music]
[indistinct chatter]
All right.
-This place is Shelby's?
-Uh... Mm...
W-why didn't you tell me that
your niece owns this bakery?
Now, I wanted to tell you, but
your father swore me to secrecy.
Yeah, he thought
you might worry.
And besides, you girls haven't
really talked since high school,
and I-I didn't wanna
stick my nose
into something
that wasn't my business.
-Wow.
-[Shelby] Hazel?
Hey, Shelby.
Uh, it's been a while.
Visiting for Christmas?
Yeah, yeah. I, um, I didn't
realize you still lived here.
Just moved back. Actually, um,
I was in Chicago for a bit.
Had a little bakery out there,
but rent was no joke.
So after we got married,
Rebecca and I decided
to try out here.
-Oh.
-Uh, Rebecca, this is Hazel.
Oh. Hi,
it's so nice to meet you.
Yeah, it's-it's great
to meet you.
I imagine
this must be a surprise,
considering all the boyfriends
I burned through in high school.
Well, one in particular
comes to mind.
Yeah, you know,
I've, I've processed that.
Well, that's-that's great.
I'm just trying to process where
all my mom's customers went.
I didn't choose this spot
to put the hurt
on your mom's bakery, Hazel.
You know
I always loved that place.
It's a funny way of showing it.
Don't blame me if the bakery
is struggling. Okay?
Your presentation needs work,
try switching things up
with some new recipes
once in a while.
Wow, Shelby knows everything
there is to know
about everything, huh?
I see not much has changed
since high school.
[instrumental music]
That was dramatic.
Everything okay over there?
[sighs]
I mean, y-yeah, fine.
I'm just having a really hard
time deciding on a design.
Oh. Hm.
Also, I, um, I stopped by
Butter Up Bakes
after I left this afternoon.
Met the new owner.
This calls
for your mother's secret weapon
whenever you were upset,
a good-old banana split.
You, um, you're upset I didn't
tell you it's Shelby's place.
You didn't just not tell me.
You told Nina
not to say anything.
I mean, dad, between this
and-and me finding out
about the bakery not doing well,
it feels like
you're keeping secrets.
And we don't do that
in this family.
Given your history with Shelby,
I thought it was for the best.
-Chocolate sauce?
-I deserve to know these things.
They affect me, too.
And-and, yes, be generous.
[sighs] I'm sorry
I didn't have a better excuse
than I was trying
to protect you,
but it's the best I've got.
-Whipped cream?
-Obviously.
We've had a rough
couple of years.
I didn't want to dump
anything else on you.
If you're still mad, I'm happy
to eat this on my own.
Oh, don't be ridiculous, dad.
I'm not that mad.
Your job is to find the
cheesiest Christmas movie on TV.
[Hazel] You got it.
[instrumental music]
[instrumental
"Joy To The World"]
-Good morning.
-Come right on in.
-Hi.
-Hi.
Hazel, this is my daughter,
Claire.
Nice to meet you. Hey,
thanks for helping your dad out.
-He pays me in cookies.
-Oh.
A shrewd businesswoman.
I like it.
-She's cute.
-Yeah, she sure is.
Hope you don't mind her
hanging around here.
My mom wasn't able
to babysit this morning.
Oh, are you kidding? No problem.
I pretty much grew up
in this place.
Yeah, comes with the territory
of being a single dad.
Watch out.
Her mom lives in the city,
but we split custody.
Luckily, we're still
good friends.
Mm.
Well, hey, listen, so I, um,
I did some initial designs.
They're still pretty rough,
but I thought I could show you,
and maybe
that might spark some ideas.
Okay.
Okay, so, um, this first one's
kind of this funky little house
and it has a river.
And I was thinking the river
could be made of frosting?
Mm-hmm.
Okay, well,
this next one is a castle
and, um,
it's got a moat around it,
which I thought was pretty cool.
Great.
-You're not even looking.
-I'm sorry.
I don't know if you realize, but
the bakery is open right now.
Um, a bakery
I'm actually running.
Whoa! Oh! That is the best
Danish I've ever had in my life.
Okay, let me get this straight,
so you have time to enjoy
your Danishes
and not look at my designs?
Look, if we're gonna
be teammates,
we're gonna have to communicate.
You can't just show up here
unannounced and expect me
to give you my undivided
attention. I'm busy.
Oh, yeah.
-Let's see.
-Okay.
-So, um, yeah, it's...
-Wow.
That's amazing, actually.
L-let me see the first one.
[Hazel] So...
Obviously, you're an artist.
I could never do this.
Thanks. I can do better.
And, listen, I'm sorry,
you're right.
I-I shouldn't have
just shown up here
without checking with you first.
Apology accepted.
Okay. Oh. Hey.
Uh, before you go, they're doing
a little meet-and-greet thing
for the contestants
in Chicago tonight.
Would you wanna come?
I know you have Claire and all--
-In.
-As in...
In, as in, yeah, I'm in.
We're teammates. Let's do it.
Oh, okay.
Hey, is he always like this?
-Pretty much.
-Huh.
-How's that cookie?
-It's good.
Good. Yeah.
[instrumental music]
Let let let
let's celebrate
Christmas in the sun
Ooh ooh ooh
Christmas in the sun
Ooh ooh ooh
Uh, sorry I'm late,
my, um, babysitter
took her sweet time coming over.
-You mean your mom?
-Yeah, I mean my mom.
Come on,
they've already started.
Um...
[guests applauding]
Fancy clothes, fancy hotel. We
might as well make an entrance.
[instrumental music]
[Mark] And while it's humbling
to be the host
of the best turnout in Chicago
Christmas Bakeoff history...
[man] Yes, you're my hero, Mark.
I love you!
...that only means
the competition this year
is gonna be that much steeper.
Now, you'll be judged
in four categories.
Overall appearance, creativity,
difficulty, craftsmanship.
-So don't hold back!
-[woman] No...
Now, I know everybody has
a lot of hard work ahead of 'em,
so let's have some fun.
Enjoy yourselves, guys.
[all cheering]
Whoo!
All right,
where should we start?
Should we do some recon
or sow the seeds of sabotage?
That's not a bad idea,
uh, the recon part.
-Sabotage is a terrible idea.
-Come on.
[Shelby] Mark.
[Mark] Hi.
Oh, great.
What?
Do you see the woman in red
over there?
[James] Yeah.
[Hazel] That's Shelby.
She and the woman next to her,
Rebecca,
own the bakery
across the street.
Well, well, well.
Maybe some sabotage is in order.
Can you please stop saying
sabotage?
-I can try.
-I believe you know my aunt.
-Nina Marsden?
-Yes, of course!
I've had the pleasure of baking
beside her a few times.
I'll tell you what, if that kind
of talent runs in the family,
I can't wait to see
the gingerbread house
you come up with.
-Um, thank you.
-Good luck.
-Ah, ah, ah...
-[Hazel sighs]
Shelby also happens to be
my former best friend
from high school,
so that's a fun little twist.
-Former?
-It's complicated.
[clears throat]
Alan and Doug Jameson.
Oh, probably already knew that.
Oh, uh, I didn't know that.
-Did you know that?
-I'm not f-familiar.
Well, anyway, nice to meet you.
It will be nice when you're
applauding our $100,000 win.
[Alan chuckles]
Are you related to Judy Stanley?
Yeah, yeah. I'm her daughter.
I thought so.
You look just like her.
Your mom was an amazing baker.
She was so nice to me
when I was first starting out.
I'm really glad to hear that.
Thank you for telling me.
It means a lot.
Yeah, you should. Yeah.
-What--
-I-I don't know...
They were certainly
an interesting pair.
-Uh-huh.
-Right.
-I'm Yasmin.
-Hi, nice to meet you.
I'm Hazel,
and this is my partner, James.
You two make
a very lovely couple.
-Oh! No, no, no, no.
-No! Not, not, uh...
She meant baking partner,
for the competition.
-Not, uh...
-Oh. Yeah. Sorry.
I didn't mean to assume.
My family just moved here
from Iran,
and things still get lost
in translation.
Oh, no, no, honest mistake.
Um, so how are you finding
Chicago so far?
-Um, very cold.
-Yeah.
But, uh,
it's been really wonderful.
We don't celebrate Christmas,
but the lights
and the decorations
are so beautiful.
Yeah. Do you have
any design ideas yet?
There's a beautiful mosque
where we grew up
that is very dear to us.
Oh, that's a lovely idea.
A gingerbread mosque?
I love that.
I can't imagine choosing
something else.
It's a place of joy
and community and faith.
From what I understand, that's
what Christmas is all about.
Um, how about you two?
-Oh, uh, well...
-Well...
We are still working on that.
Just pick a place
close to your heart,
and you can't go wrong.
Good luck.
She was sweet.
What are you cooking up
in there?
I was just thinking about
what Yasmin said.
I think I have an idea
for our design.
Do you wanna come check it out?
And leave me hangry here?
I mean, sure, we could stay
for the free appetizers,
or we could go get a jump
on the competition.
-Okay, yeah.
-[Hazel] Yes.
So what do you think?
[James] You wanna make
City Hall?
Well, sure,
to you it's just City Hall,
but to me
it's someplace special.
My mom used to bring me here
when I was growing up.
It was designed
by Eleanor Jenkins in 1897,
one of the first
recognized female architects.
And just look
at that clock tower.
This building is the reason
why I wanted to be an architect.
So?
Well, a good design
takes a basic human need
and turns it into a symbol
of passion and ingenuity.
I think it's perfect.
[instrumental music]
[Hazel] Well, I still need
to find a 3-D printer.
You know, I spent all morning
calling architecture firms
around Chicago,
I could not find one taker.
You know,
there's a small operation
in Oak Park you could try.
I think it's called
Lightbox M-Moder-Moderno.
-Lightbox Moderno.
-Okay. Thanks. I'll try 'em.
Did you, um, use
the ground cloves?
I thought we were supposed to be
working on our recipe.
Oh, and I have some designs
I wanna show you.
Look, I-I don't know how much
I can work on the competition
while also manning this bakery
and taking care of Claire
on my own.
I totally respect that.
And I've actually been
thinking about this.
We have a little over a week
to go and so much to accomplish.
I-I'm sorry to say, but I think
we should close the bakery
for now.
You wanna close the bakery now?
Dad, look around.
All of our foot traffic
is going to Shelby's bakery.
It's costing us more to make
things that nobody's buying.
Look, I know it doesn't feel
great to close the store,
especially at Christmas.
But this is Hail Mary time,
okay?
One week of meager sales
is not gonna save the bakery.
But if by closing it
buys us time
to focus on something that can,
then I think we should.
Hazelnut Bakery closed
for the holidays.
As much as it pains me
to say it, you might as well.
I think you're right.
It'll be okay, dad. You'll see.
I hope you're right.
It was an interesting call
to receive.
I've never heard
of anybody 3-D printing
a model of a gingerbread house.
Yeah, yeah. What can I say?
It's a life-goal met.
No, it's a, it's actually
for a competition.
Oh. Mm.
Hey, these offices
are pretty great.
Thank you.
How long have you guys
been here?
Actually, we just
got up and running,
and, you know, we're still
pretty small, but hopefully,
my ambition
will soon outgrow the space.
-I'm sure it will.
-Oh, thanks.
Uh, printer's
right through there.
-Right.
-Just out of curiosity...
Could I check out
what you're making?
-Yeah, sure.
-Oh, wow.
-City Hall.
-Yeah.
-I love this building. Huh.
-Me, too.
-Hm.
-Designed by Eleanor Jenkins...
[both] In 1897.
So I guess if I ever get
a call from a client
that's looking to build a house
in the woods made of candy,
you know, to capture children,
I'm gonna know who to call.
It's like fatten 'em up
and eat 'em, right?
-Whatever the client wants. Oh.
-Exactly.
Yeah, I'm sorry, that got weird.
I'll-I'll-I'll...
I'll go do my work now. Thank
you so much for the 3-D printer.
Mm, mm.
[instrumental music]
[printer whirring]
[door opens]
[door shuts]
Hey.
Oh, wow! Is that the, uh...
Well, that's amazing.
Huh. I'm impressed.
You're late.
Yeah, I was, I just
dropped off Claire at the pool
and ended up shooting some hoops
with some friends
and lost track of time.
You're late
because you were shooting hoops?
And lost track of time.
Is that an apology?
I... Yes.
Where are you going?
[Hazel] Field trip. You coming?
Yeah, I guess so.
[James] This kitchen is so cozy.
Yeah, make yourself at home.
Chocolate syrup? No.
No, that's gotta be wrong.
That would make the dough wet.
Well, not according to my mom.
Look, she says
don't add more than half a cup.
Who does this woman think
she is?
Okay, well, on that note,
field trip over.
We just got here.
Can't we have a cup of tea
or something?
Absolutely not. Come on.
Whoa, who made you boss?
Ah, you did, after you chose to
shoot some three-pointers
this morning.
Oh, I-I didn't shoot
any three-pointers this morning.
Yeah, I did shoot
some hook shots, though.
Well, a hook shot.
All right, take it easy,
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
-Let's go.
-I wish.
We're gonna try my mom's recipe.
[instrumental music]
[upbeat music]
Ah
-Should I turn it off?
-Yeah.
-Are you ready for this?
-Go for it.
Okay.
This is eating chocolate.
A little bit of that cream.
Wonderful. Not bad.
[music continues]
It sticks together.
Yeah, but is it edible?
That's the question.
-Moment of truth.
-Here goes nothing.
-Mm. Wow. That's really good.
-Mm-hm-hm..
Yeah, your mom's recipe
was spot-on.
-Mm-hmm.
-Glad I thought of using it.
[both chuckling]
Hey, what do you say we go grab
a hot-chocolate,
do some people-watching?
Yeah, that sounds really nice.
Great.
-Why are you staring at me?
-I'm not staring at you.
I'm just eating my gingerbread
looking in your direction.
That's staring.
Oak Park is so beautiful
at Christmas.
What's it like being back?
-It-it's nice.
-Mm.
-And hard.
-Okay.
The things I love the most
all remind me of my mom.
-Mm.
-Sorry, sorry to be a downer.
No, not at all. You-you wear
your heart on your sleeve.
-I really like it.
-Oh.
And how about you?
Is Christmas hard without her?
It's a little strange.
But I'm very grateful to be
spending it with Claire.
Mm.
How long were you two together?
Or we could talk about
something else, like, um...
What do you think the Bears'
post-season chances are?
Oh, I-I only follow cricket.
Yeah, really got into it
with your dad.
Oh. Um, I had no idea.
-D-do you understand the game?
-No, not a thing.
I pretend really well.
You know, we got together
right after college.
We were still figuring out
who we were.
And she's a great woman,
but somewhere along the way
we just grew apart.
Mm, well, she probably
couldn't handle the fact
that you're a better baker.
Yeah. That was the straw
that broke the camel's back.
No, we broke up
a couple of years ago.
I know two years
sounds like a long time...
No, it really doesn't.
But for whatever reason,
I haven't really wanted
to put myself
back out there yet.
Joy to the world
the Lord is come
Let Earth receive her King
Let every heart
prepare Him room
And heaven and nature sing
and heaven and nature sing
And heaven heaven
and nature sing
-Whoo!
-Good!
[indistinct chatter]
-Merry Christmas.
-Merry Christmas.
[instrumental music]
[Claire] It's so cool!
[Hazel] Isn't it?
Okay, architecture 101.
This first part of the wall
is called our cornerstone.
And that sits on the foundation,
which helps
evenly distribute the weight.
Mm. How long do we have
to do this for?
Um, only until tomorrow.
I'm kidding, we just need to get
these guys to stick together,
so they can stand up straight.
My dad said
this was your mom's bakery?
Yup, she opened it
a few years after I was born.
-And named it after me.
-My mom lives in the city.
Yeah, but you still see her
a lot, though, right?
Yeah, I split my time
between the two.
I love Chicago time with my mom.
And then I come back
to Oak Park to chill.
Sounds like a pretty good setup.
I have a great mom and dad, even
if they're not together still.
I feel lucky.
[Hazel] Okay, that should do it.
I think we can let go.
That went well.
I just don't understand
what happened.
I think, I think the sides
aren't straight,
so the edges aren't lining up.
I don't know.
Here, let me show you
how a real baker does it.
-Follow me in the kitchen.
-This will be interesting.
Watch and learn, ladies.
Watch and learn.
-Ah.
-[whirring]
[whirring]
-Yeah, that didn't work.
-No, it didn't.
All right, I've gotta go to
the store, grab some cardamom.
We could go
to the Christmas market.
Yeah, they sell
all kinds of stuff.
No, um, I mean, if you want to.
-In. Right, dad?
-Ah.
I've actually got a bunch
of things that I have to...
In. In.
[instrumental music]
-I'm out of here.
-Mm, all right.
Well, there she goes.
This orange roll is amazing.
Oh, my gosh, it's so good.
Mm, and this bourbon glaze
could give our windows
a really nice sheen.
-Mm, I'm into it.
-Okay.
-Speaking of windows...
-Mm-hmm?
I did notice that a few of 'em
at the bakery need repair.
Could you fix those with
your handy-dandy miter saw?
Okay, look, you'd be surprised
how much a well-wielded
miter saw can actually fix.
I'm the problem
in that scenario.
By the way, what's with that
mismatched tile at the bakery?
Oh, it's a long story,
but my mom did always say
that it reminded her
that what's different about us
is also what makes us special.
-Hm. That's nice.
-It's nice.
Oh! Hey, Yasmin!
Ah. Hazel! James!
-Nice to see you.
-You, too.
Hey, how's the mosque
coming along?
Mostly good,
but with a few setbacks.
The qubba's trickier to build
than I thought.
If it makes you feel any better,
we have had a few setbacks
of our own.
-Yeah.
-Good.
I don't want to suffer alone.
[Claire] Daddy, well, see this!
I feel like
Claire is about to guilt me
into buying her something, I'll
be right
back. Let me go see
what trouble I'm in.
-He's cute.
-Oh, no, uh, no.
This is strictly professional.
Yeah, I don't think
he's really interested
in seeing anyone right now,
anyway.
I-I mean, we aren't interested.
Yeah.
Plus, we live
in different cities.
Which is a moot point,
because there's absolutely
nothing going on between us.
All I said was that he was cute.
Yeah.
[instrumental music]
[music continues]
[indistinct chatter]
[woman] Hey, I'll text you.
Rebecca, I'm at the cutest park
right now.
They have absolutely everything.
You would love it.
Ah, let me call you back.
Hazel.
Shelby.
I saw you at the MacKinley Hotel
the other night.
You didn't say hi.
Oh, uh, yeah, that's 'cause
you were too busy
schmoozing with Mark Clemmons.
You really know how to just get
right in there, don't ya?
I can't apologize
for what I did in high school
for the rest of my life, Hazel.
You have to get over it.
Well, maybe
if you had apologized
for real for once, I would.
[sighs] I have to get back to
the bakery and help out Rebecca.
-Right, the bakery.
-Excuse me.
-Good luck in the competition.
-Thanks. You, too.
Hey, um...
That looks good.
Thanks. I'm gettin' there.
How you doing?
Fine, I guess.
Just ran into Shelby
at the market.
What's with you two? Seems like
she gets under your skin.
It's just stupid drama
from high school
that we never worked through.
Mm. You wanna talk about it?
[Hazel chuckles]
Uh, yeah, okay, um...
Well, we were best friends
growing up.
The best of friends.
And then we sort of
fell into different cliques
when we got into high school.
And then at prom,
she, um, stole my date.
-Brian Walker. Yeah.
-No way.
The boy I'd been in love with
since fifth grade.
-Sounds dreamy.
-Oh, he was.
-So dreamy.
-That's rough.
You never forget the day
that your best friend
stabs you in the back.
I bet. Well...
I have something that might make
you feel a little bit better.
Absolutely destroying Shelby
in the competition?
Yes. Also, come here.
Okay.
Ta-da! Now there's
two mismatched tiles.
One from your mom
and one for you.
[Hazel chuckles]
Wow.
It's really special.
-Thank you.
-You're welcome.
Now, shall we get
to that gingerbread?
Let's.
[upbeat music]
Here, look, it's perfect.
Yeah. Better, better.
-Mm, looks good.
-Yeah, it's the bottom edge.
Yeah, bottom edge,
so let's mark it here.
[instrumental "Deck The Halls"]
[Hazel] Oh, wow.
-There you go.
-Beautiful.
[music continues]
Oh, wow. Oh, thank you.
[indistinct chatter]
[indistinct chatter]
[Claire chuckles]
-Hold on, what's the joke?
-Don't worry about it.
[music continues]
[James] Oh, yes.
Great.
Hey
Gorgeous.
-Easy.
-Yup.
I got it.
Yes! Look at that!
[all sighing]
We did it. It looks amazing.
[Hazel] Yeah, and thanks to
James, not only is it sturdy...
-It tastes delicious.
-Do we get to eat it afterwards?
-Mm-hmm.
-Listen, seriously, Hazel.
I've baked a few things in my
life, nothing compares to this.
-This is you.
-Oh, come on, I mean...
Without your help,
it wouldn't taste half as good.
It is your architectural skill
that brought this to life.
-There's no question.
-Well, thank you.
But I couldn't have done it
without you.
I'm only happy
when you're in the room.
Hey, what do you guys think
about maybe doing
a little more work
on the clock tower?
I'd really love it if the hands
of the clock move somehow.
-That'd be so cool!
-I think so, too.
-And probably impossible.
-Oh, come on.
I wouldn't touch it.
It's perfect.
Hazel...
Okay, fine,
we'll leave it alone.
How about we get
some hot chocolate to celebrate?
-Yeah!
-That's a great idea.
[door opens]
Your mother would be so proud.
Well, she was proud anyway,
but seeing you bake like that...
We can't lose this place, dad.
[instrumental music]
[cell phone ringing]
-Hello?
-Hazel, it's Daryl Baxter.
Oh, uh, hi, sir, I-I'm sorry,
you just caught me off-guard
there for a second.
I'll bet you're wondering
why I'm calling you,
and, uh, so close to Christmas,
no less.
Uh, yeah,
I'd be lying if I said no.
[Daryl] Well,
let me cut to the chase.
I wanna be this kind of dude
who owns up to his mistakes.
And, uh, well, I made a big one.
I had two consultants to choose
from, and I chose wrong.
-You did?
-Ah.
Ben-uh-jamin
didn't quite work out.
Dropped the ball
with one of our biggest clients
and cost us the account.
Needless to say,
his position has opened up.
How would you like to start as
a full-time architect at Bloom
in the new year?
Did I lose you?
Uh, n-n-no. So-sorry, I'm here.
I... You want me
to work at Bloom?
Yuppers.
Wow. I...
I don't really know what to say.
It's always been my dream
to work there.
So is that a yupper?
Um, I am, of course, overjoyed
at the offer.
It's just, it's just a lot
to take in right now.
I can appreciate that.
Um, probably not the call
you were expecting.
Do you wanna sleep on it?
I thought I didn't work well
with others.
Did I say that?
You did.
Yeah. Hazel, you're who we want.
But we need to fill
this position,
so we can't hang around forever.
I understand,
and I promise to let you know
in a couple of days.
I just have something back home
that I need to finish.
[Hazel] Make sure I leave things
in good hands.
All right. All right, I guess.
Um, give me a call
when you've decided.
And, um, look forward
to hearing from you.
I will. A-and thank you, sir.
[instrumental music]
Hi.
I thought we agreed
you were gonna leave it.
Um, yeah, uh, there's been
a slight change of plans.
I spent all day trying to figure
out how to make the clock move.
Now, I know we can't make it
actually function,
but if I could just get
the hands to spin, that's...
Hey, did-did something happen
since I last saw you?
-Y-y-you seem a little--
-Stressed?
Uh, yeah, I was gonna say manic.
Huh.
Okay, look, I have a life
to get back to in New York.
The job of my dreams
is waiting for me.
And I can't go anywhere until
I am sure the bakery is safe.
My mother's legacy is at stake
here. Do you understand that?
-Yeah.
-Great.
But, um, we're also a team,
and that means
communicating things
to each other.
Hey, at the end of the day,
if it doesn't work out,
it's just a contest.
-"It's just a contest?"
-Mm-hmm.
Well, clearly,
this is far more important to me
than it is to you, and I really
wish I had known that--
-Hazel!
-No, just...
No, no, no, no, no.
[gasps]
Oh...
-Oh, my God.
-Um, we'll fix it.
What do you mean fix it?
It's ruined!
It took us a week to build this,
and-and now the contest
is tomorrow, there is no fix it!
-Just let me help you--
-No, you wanna help?
Just leave.
-What?
-Please, just-just go.
Oh...
No...
[knocking on door]
[Ted] Mind if I come in?
Enter at your own risk.
James filled me in.
I'm so sorry, sweetheart.
Yeah, me too.
Now because of me,
the bakery is gonna close.
Don't you think that
for one second.
It's my fault
the bakery's on its last legs.
I'm the one
who let it start slipping.
I'm the one
who didn't ask for help.
Hey, dad, come on.
-You were grieving.
-Well...
Don't be so hard on yourself.
And at least you were here,
doing your best. Where was I?
I was across the country, just
letting you carry all of this?
But you're here now.
Right.
It's just a store.
We'll always have our memories.
Do you remember when, um,
you and mom
would dance to Motown
after you closed up the shop?
Yeah, you-you guys thought
I was sleeping in the back,
but I would, uh,
I would watch you.
-You did?
-Yeah.
Well...
I'm just scared that
if we lose the bakery,
that last little piece of mom
I have still standing
is just gonna disappear.
Hazel, don't you worry
about your mom disappearing.
She's gonna be with us
for the rest of our lives,
bakery or not, hm.
Yeah.
Oh.
-I love you, dad.
-I love you, too.
And you didn't even get a photo
of your City Hall?
Uh, no.
You always take a photo
when you make something pretty.
Hey. Come on.
[both chuckling]
[Nina] As your mom
would always say,
"There's no problem too big
that can't be solved with cake."
Mm.
This is so delicious.
Is this a new recipe?
She made this?
If by she you mean Shelby,
then, yes.
I cannot believe that you
tricked me into eating something
from Hazelnut's
biggest competitor!
Look, if you girls can't eat
each other's baking,
then I feel sorry
for the both of you.
Hey, fair.
So, uh, you sure
there's nothing to be done
about that clock tower
inside there?
-It's in pieces.
-Mm.
And I'd have to do it by myself.
James, uh...
Well, let's just say
we're not exactly
on speaking terms right now.
You know,
if you really did need help,
we both know someone
who's available.
[instrumental music]
I don't understand
what this has to do with me.
Don't look at me,
this was your aunt's idea.
Okay, listen, I figured,
since you and Rebecca
had already finished,
that maybe you could
help Hazel salvage hers.
Why would I help her?
My biggest competition dropping
out only helps us.
[Nina] All right,
competition is a good thing.
It keeps you on your toes.
Besides, Oak Park is big enough
for two bakeries.
Nina, I know your heart
is in the right place,
but clearly,
this is not the answer.
Well, sure it is, if you just
stop being a couple of pinheads.
-[both] Oh, I'm not being--
-Okay, come on, you girls.
Come on. You were best friends.
And that is a luxury
because, as we all know,
my best friend
is no longer with us.
If that's not good enough
a reason, then how about this?
I helped you and Rebecca
open up that bakery
and I didn't ask for a dime
in return.
So guess what?
Now I have a cost,
and this is my fee.
Fine, but I'm doing it for you.
-Not her.
-Mm-hmm, okay.
Now, the contest is tomorrow,
so you girls have
all night to work.
Hazel...
You have never been a quitter,
so don't start now.
The sooner we start,
the sooner this can be over.
Let's go.
This is the recipe you're using?
Yeah, yeah, my partner...
Well, my ex-partner, James,
came up with it.
It's a variation
of my mom's recipe.
-James knows what he's doing.
-Yeah. Yeah, he does.
So are you gonna
start helping, or...
Yeah.
[Shelby] You know,
despite what you may think,
I have no desire
to see this bakery closed.
-Mm.
-I'm serious.
T-this place is an institution.
I used to love hanging out here
with your mom.
Yeah, those are some
of my favorite memories, too.
Hey, hey, careful.
Look, we might as well at least
try to talk about what happened.
So, where do we start?
I just don't understand why.
We used to be best friends,
and then--
It wasn't malicious, Hazel.
We just started hanging out
with different people.
You had your own friend group
that I wasn't a part of.
Yeah, they used to be
your friend group.
People change.
It was high school.
Yeah, fine.
But it's like I didn't even
exist to you anymore.
[sighs] I had my own secret
about who I was,
and hanging
with the popular kids
seemed like the best way
to hide it.
Okay, fair enough.
But what about prom?
I mean, you stole my date.
Here's what happened. Okay.
So I'm at prom, and Brian Walker
asked me to dance with him.
-He's the hottest guy at school.
-Oh, I remember.
-Yeah. The beaver swoop. Yeah.
-The beaver swoop.
Um, so everyone's looking at me,
and it felt weird if I said no
because I wanted everyone
to think I was straight.
Honestly, I had eyes
for Kim Wescott the whole night.
She was killing it
in that strapless dress.
Oh, she was, wasn't she?
Man, that collar bone, right?
Right.
Brian Walker really
didn't have much going for him
aside from those
dreamy good looks, did he?
Well, he did ditch the coolest
girl in school on prom night.
So, yeah.
I'd have to agree with you.
But it wasn't right for
me to dance with him.
And I'm sorry.
[instrumental music]
-Well, look at that.
-Hm?
Do you remember how Mr. Scarderi
would freak out
over our overdue library books?
Yes, and then after
he cooled down, he'd be like...
"Hey, girls, you reading
anything stimulating?"
Oh...
We shouldn't have waited
this long to talk.
-I missed you.
-I missed you, too.
I forgot how fun it was
just hanging out.
Mm.
I really am sorry, though,
about everything.
I should've called you
after your mom passed.
I wanted to,
but it had been so long.
And-and I know
that's not an excuse.
I-I can't make that up to you.
You're here now.
You know, I have to say,
under the circumstances...
it came out okay.
[Hazel] Yeah, I just
wish we had more time.
We could've really crushed it.
-We did the best we could.
-Yeah.
[Hazel] I might add
some more Christmas decorations.
[cell phone ringing]
-Just these.
-Pick one.
[James on voicemail] Hey, it's
James. Please leave a message.
Hi. Hi, James,
it's, uh, it's me.
Um...
I just wanted to say
I'm, I'm really sorry.
I'd really love to see you
at the competition today.
You're not gonna believe
what happened,
and I am dying to show you.
Also, I just really wanna talk.
Anyway, um, I hope
you'll think about coming.
It won't be the same
without you.
Okay. Bye.
[upbeat music]
Ba-ra-da da-ra da-da dub-da
Okay, okay, okay, okay.
-Hey, hey, hey.
-You ready?
I think I'm more scared to drive
than the first day
your mom and I brought you home
from the hospital.
Okay, in that case, keys.
[Hazel] Now, let's go win
this competition.
Ba-ra-da da-ra da-da dub-da
[Ted] You know, we would've
been here sooner
if you drove the speed limit.
Dad, precious cargo,
you think I'm gonna speed
with this thing in the car?
And that service elevator?
I've had less turbulence
at 30,000 feet.
-Seriously.
-Oh, that's a nice one.
-Yeah, that's not bad.
-Oh!
-Mm.
-[sighs]
Dad, I love you,
but if you do that again,
I will be making you
a gingerbread coffin.
Sorry.
Easy.
[indistinct chatter]
[music continues]
Ba-ra-da da-ra da-da dub-da
-Watch out, dad, watch out.
-Huh? What? Oh!
-Guys, that looks great!
-Hey-hey! Hi.
-[indistinct chatter]
-Thank you.
Hi! Can I have your name,
please?
Uh, yeah, it's Hazel Stanley.
Okay, Stanley.
You are table 1003,
in the front.
And I'd hurry, Mark's
getting ready to start soon.
-Okay, thanks.
-Uh-oh. Let's go.
-Right here, right here.
-People.
Ba-ra-da da-ra da-da dub-da
Take it easy.
-Yup.
-Yup, yup, yup.
-That's it.
-Oh.
I can't believe that went...
Hi.
Looks like
you patched things up?
I think so.
It's a start, anyway.
-Hm. Ready?
-Yeah.
-One, two, three.
-Ai.
[Ted grunting]
-Ha.
-Air-five, dad. Air-five.
-Hey, proud of you, kid.
-Thanks.
See you.
Hazel.
Oh, Yasmin!
-Hi.
-Hi. Here.
For good luck. It's one of
my favorite sweets back home.
Koloocheh.
I made some for everyone.
Oh, that's so nice.
Oh, wow,
that's really, really good.
I hope Mark feels the same. Most
of the mosque is made of it.
[Hazel] Oh, Yasmin,
it's incredible!
[Yasmin] Thank you. I can't
believe I finished it on time.
-Yours is beautiful as well.
-Aw, thanks.
[Hazel] I honestly can't believe
we pulled it off.
You and James must be proud.
Uh, where is he?
Yeah, I-I'm not even sure
if he's gonna make it, actually.
Oh, no, that's too bad. What's
the matter, John and Paul?
Couldn't keep the band together?
-Something like that, yeah.
-Ah.
Have you seen our masterpiece?
Yeah?
-Oh, it's...
-Exactly.
[Alan] It's supposed
to render one speechless.
-The clock, mm.
-Doug.
May I have your attention,
please?
It is my distinct pleasure
to welcome you all
to the 25th Annual
Christmas Bakeoff!
[all cheering]
Wow, I see a lot
of incredible teams here today.
Now, just a reminder, we'll have
the finalists in each category,
overall appearance, difficulty,
creativity and craftsmanship.
And then we will announce
our grand-prize winner.
We're about to start the judging
soon, if you could,
please vacate the room,
thank you very much.
[indistinct chatter]
[James] You fixed the clock.
Yeah, yeah, I had a little help.
-It looks great.
-Thanks.
I'm really glad you came.
We made this together.
James, I'm really, really sorry.
The other day
I took my own stuff out on you,
and it wasn't right.
Don't worry about it.
So, are we okay?
I put myself out there, um...
-And that was scary for me.
-I know.
But I-I realize that I actually
am ready for a partner.
Me, too.
But not someone
who pushes me away
when things get rough.
I think we made something
really beautiful here together.
Thanks for that.
[instrumental music]
The results are in! Please make
your way back to your tables.
[music continues]
[Mark] Wow, well, this was one
of the most difficult decisions
in my entire career, and
if you've ever seen Cookie Wars,
you know
that's saying something.
Okay, after careful
consideration,
here are the finalists.
For overall appearance,
it's For The Birds!
Yes, I knew it! I knew it!
I knew it!
For difficulty,
the Cinnamosque!
For creativity,
the Ginger Lime-brary!
-No. No.
-Yes. Yes, yes, yes!
Ah...
[Mark] Just one more spot,
folks.
In the category
of craftsmanship,
the winner is
Christmas At City Hall!
[cheering]
Now, for those of you
who may not be aware,
Hazel's mom, Judy, was a legend
here at Christmas Bakeoff.
She won four times.
[cheering]
Now, before I announce
the grand-prize winner,
would anyone like to say
anything about their experience?
[indistinct chatter]
Um, I'd like to say something.
[Mark] Wonderful!
Oh.
Um, hi, everyone.
I'm, I'm Hazel.
This piece is a tribute
to my mom, Judy Stanley.
She was an incredible baker
and a wonderful mom.
And she taught me that
with the right combination
of ingredients,
you can create anything.
But somewhere along the way,
I forgot that,
and I thought
I could do everything on my own.
And in the process,
I made people feel
like they were less special
to me than they really are.
And, um...
I'm not gonna do that anymore.
Thank you.
[cheering and applause]
Okay, the moment
we've all been waiting for.
The grand-prize winner of the
25th Annual Christmas Bakeoff
and recipient of $100,000 is...
Yasmin Guhl for her creation,
the Cinnamosque!
-[Yasmin] Thank you.
-Whoa!
[audience cheering]
Sorry we don't have better news
to send you back home with.
I'm not going back to New York.
What do, what do you mean?
What about your dream job?
I think I can realize
my dream here.
This is where I wanna be.
And I'm not trying to put
any pressure on you
or be presumptuous.
I know
I have some things to work on.
And you have Claire
and the bakery,
and you probably need time...
[instrumental music]
I don't need time.
I'm gonna go see Claire.
-I just..
-Gosh, ladies, it's incredible!
-Do you like it? Thank you.
-Wow.
You all should be really proud.
That was not easy.
-Thank you.
-Thanks.
You know, Shelby,
I was talking to your Aunt Nina,
and she was telling me
about your store.
And yours, too, Hazel.
So Yasmin's gonna be on my show
in a few days,
and I feel like
you guys should join her.
You know, two rival bakeries
across the street
from each other.
One's doing
traditional confections,
the other one's kind of
baking with the trends.
I feel like
it's a pretty cool story.
I'd... We'd be open to that.
You know what? Me, too.
Awesome. Well, listen, I'll have
my people reach out.
But seriously,
amazing job today.
-Thank you so much. Thanks.
-Congratulations.
I guess the rivalry is back on.
-Bring it.
-Mm.
It's Christmas time again
And as always
it feels the same
Hey, guys.
Tough break on the contest.
I know you poured your heart
into it.
-It's okay.
-You know...
I have a proposition for you.
Nina, I appreciate it,
but I am not taking your money.
Listen, I was talking
with my publisher today
and I mentioned this idea
for a new cookbook,
featuring the recipes
from a star baker
by the name of Judy Stanley.
Now, I figured, maybe her
daughter and her baking partner
could write it together,
seeing how
they're semifinalists
in a national competition.
-Mm, wow, uh...
-Oh! That's not it.
I also negotiated
a really nice advance.
-What? Okay.
-If you're interested.
I just figured it could help
the bakery stay afloat
until the new customers
start comin' in,
which I suspect
will be very soon.
Nina. Nina, Nina, Nina.
Wow.
So, what do you say?
I say you have yourself a deal.
Ah. That's what I like to hear.
Architects don't usually
turn down companies like Bloom.
Why did you turn them down,
if you don't mind me asking?
-They can't give me what I want.
-Which is?
To be here with the people
who are important to me.
And besides, they already
made it very clear before
that I am not the right fit.
And you know what?
They're right.
I belong at an innovative
woman-led company.
You know, I wouldn't be able
to match what Bloom's offering.
That's okay.
All right. Welcome aboard.
Let's build something beautiful
together.
Let's.
Under the
Happy New Year.
Cake pops.
Happy New Year, everyone.
More than the sky
and the stars
They shine so bright on you
on me and my baby
I love love more
than the sound of the ocean
Followin'
my dreams and emotions
And I'm glad
that you are mine
You're my baby
Hi. Hi. How are you?
Hi. Hi, nice to see you.
Hi, welcome. Welcome. Come on.
Thinkin' about
who's that some...
-I'll be right with you.
-That's okay.
[indistinct song on stereo]
-Hi.
-Hi.
Did you see that line out there?
It's a madhouse.
You're right on time.
Yeah, I'm grabbing an apron.
Oh, wow!
The kitchen looks amazing!
-You fixed the shelf.
-It's all coming together.
Gingerbread's up.
-My favorite.
-Mine, too.
-See you out there? Okay.
-I'm right behind you.
Enjoy.
Happy New Year, mom.
[instrumental music]
I can help. Who's next?
Fresh gingerbread's up.
Shala-la-la-la dinga-ling
Shala-la-la-la ding-dong
Shala-la-la-la dinga-ling
Can you hear
the sleigh-bells ringing
As he flies across the sky?
Only on this night
each year
He'll have gifts
for you and I
Through the snow and ice
he rides
And dressed up
in red and white
Making Christmas
like it used to be
Ooh aah
Santa Clause is comin'
Comin' to see you
Santa Clause is on his way
All the presents
in his sleigh
Ooh aah ooh aah
He knows that
you've been good all year
All your wishes
can come true
Santa's out
to work the magic
Something special
just for you
With his beard
all long and white
Down the chimney breast
tonight
Making Christmas
like it used to be
Aah ooh aah ooh aah
Chestnuts roasting
on the fire
[indistinct singing]
Hang your stocking
by the bed
Don't wake up
until he's left
In the morning you will see
Presents
by the Christmas tree
If you're good
it won't be long
Sing
this little Christmas song
[music continues]
Santa Clause is coming
Ding-dong
Coming to see you
Dinga-ling
Santa Clause is on his way
Ding-dong
All the presents
in his sleigh
Santa Clause is coming
Ding-dong
Coming to see you
Dinga-ling
Santa Clause is on his way
Ding-dong
All the presents
in his sleigh
Santa Clause is coming
Ding-dong
Coming to see you
Dinga-ling
Santa Clause is on his way
Ding-dong
All the presents
in his sleigh
Ooh aah ooh aah
Ooh aah ooh aah
[music continues]
[music continues]
[indistinct chatter]
-Gingerbread loaf for Hazel!
-Oh. Yeah. Hi. Sorry.
Yeah, that's me. Oh. Thank you.
Have you had this loaf before?
It is so good.
-I don't do carbs.
-Oh, okay.
[woman] These days Mark Clemmons
is known in kitchens
across America
as the Cookie King of Chicago.
I have a very big announcement.
[woman] You do? Oh, tell us.
[Mark] I do.
As you know, every December
Chicago holds
the Christmas Bakeoff.
I have the pleasure of being
the judge
for this year's theme,
a gingerbread showdown.
[Woman] I love it!
[Mark] We are gonna have
edible works of art
that require originality
and an architectural precision.
I'm really happy to announce
that Clemmons Cookware
will be donating the prize
money to this year's winner,
a $100,000!
[woman] Hundred-thousand
dollars?
I'm-I'm so sorry. I'm sorry.
But that's, like,
an insane amount of money
for a baking competition,
right?
Oh, I don't work for the money.
I work
because I make people smile.
Oh, oh.
Yeah. Okay.
-[Ted] Are you nervous?
-I mean, a little.
It is my last day
as a consultant.
Starting next week,
hopefully your first day
as a brand-new
full-time architect.
Oh, I hope so.
Huh, I bet you're the smartest,
hardest-working consultant
they have there.
There's no way they're giving
that job to that ding-dong.
[laughs] Well, he's not
a ding-dong, dad.
He went to Harvard, which he has
told me numerous times.
[laughs] Don't get too wrapped
up in your fancy new job.
I still expect you back home
for Christmas.
Don't worry. I'll be there.
All right, I better head on in.
-I don't wanna be late.
-Love you, kid.
Love you, too, dad. I got this.
[instrumental music]
Sorry.
The main thing I'm worried about
is the clear story over here.
I suppose the arched ceiling
will need to be reinforced
by columns
to support the skylight.
What if we used
steel T-shaped columns
instead of reinforced concrete?
That would make it cheaper,
and plus,
it'll fit the design aesthetic
they're looking for.
You had me at cheaper.
Um...
We have enough time to change
the model before tomorrow?
Yeah, sure, it'll only take a
few hours with the 3-D printer.
Great.
Benjy-Boy, can you handle that?
Only if we can hit Annie's after
for Margarita Mondays.
-I'm taking a client.
-Good. All right, everyone.
That gives us two weeks to wrap
up everything before Christmas
and family time.
Let's hop to it.
Nice input today, Hazel.
-As always.
-Thank you, sir.
Actually, about that, I don't
mind changing the design myself.
I know Ben has been
super swamped lately,
and I secretly kind of love
using that 3-D printer.
-Hazel...
-And I can stay late again.
Just to make sure
everything is perfect.
I appreciate you
burning the midnight oil.
Believe me, your hard work
hasn't gone unnoticed,
but before you pull
another all-nighter
and sleep under your desk
again...
You scared the cleaning team,
by the way.
They're usually not so thorough.
You should know
I'm giving the job to Ben.
I'm sorry. If we could
hire you both, we would.
We just think that
Ben's a better fit for the team.
[Daryl] He plays well
with others.
And you are a fantastic
architect.
And when you undoubtedly
get hired by another firm,
they're gonna be lucky
to have you.
I'll, uh...
I'll, uh, leave you to it.
[instrumental music]
[indistinct chatter]
[door opens]
[music continues]
[cell phone dings]
[Hazel] It is so good
to see you, Nina.
[Nina] Oh, you, too, honey.
You know, when I said
I needed something sweet,
I figured we could just
pick something up.
I didn't mean for you
to bake for me.
Yeah, I got the impression
from your text
this called
for something homemade.
Yeah, you're not wrong.
-Everything okay?
-Oh, not really.
I got some pretty bad news
at work today.
I didn't get the job.
Oh, I'm sorry, honey. I know
how much you wanted that.
-Yeah.
-What happened?
Apparently, not being named
Benjy-Boy happened.
Well, thank heavens for that.
Fortunately,
I brought the big guns.
We got some double-fudge
brownie cupcakes
with some toasted
marshmallow frosting
and red and silver sprinkles.
Ah.
So this is a new recipe.
Add the salt.
Now...
be honest.
-Always.
-Mm-hmm.
Well, it looks amazing.
Mm...
Oh, my gosh, Nina,
this is incredible.
I wanna include them
in my next cookbook.
-Mm-hmm.
-And speaking of which...
-[Hazel gasps]
-Hot off the presses.
Oh, uh, wow!
"For the sake of the bake."
I love it.
I think you might wanna see
the dedication inside.
[instrumental music]
My mom would have loved this.
I hope so. You know, she was
the best baker I ever met.
[Nina] I can't believe
it's been two years.
Hey. When are you going
back home for Christmas?
I mean, now I don't know.
Okay, you know I take my role as
your godmother seriously, right?
I know.
Why not take an extended break
back home?
Yeah, I mean, I suppose I could
go help my dad with the bakery
during the Christmas rush.
What?
Nothing. Yeah, I'm sure
your dad would love that.
Yeah, I don't know. Maybe.
I haven't been back since...
Hey, I'll be there
visiting Shelby.
Mm.
Oh, okay, I'm sorry,
is that name
still banned from being spoken?
Ah, yes, and I will let you know
when that embargo has lifted.
Okay.
[instrumental music]
Snow falling down
I am not feeling blue
I wish you were around
To cuddle or two
Ooh ooh
Church bells are ringing
Ooh
[knocking on door]
Children are singing
The fire of the dawn
love I need you right now
-Hazelnut!
-It's me!
-What are you doing here?
-I just wanted to surprise you.
I-I wasn't expecting you
for a week-and-a-half.
Yeah, I just thought I'd come
a little bit early.
They must love you at work.
Oh, recently hired,
and already got vacation days.
Oh. No, honey.
You didn't get it?
Oh. Well, come in.
Don't just stand there.
And... Oh.
We'll, uh,
we'll talk all about it.
[instrumental music]
You okay?
Yeah, yeah. It's just, um...
It's been a while.
I know. Take your time.
I'll make some coffee.
-[Hazel] What is all that?
-Huh?
Oh, just some bookkeeping
I'm doing for the bakery.
And going through receipts.
One thing I learned is I took
one too many pedicures
this year.
Well, in fairness,
I've seen your feet.
I'd consider that
money well spent.
-Yeah.
-[laughs]
So how is everything doing, dad,
with the bakery?
[Ted] Oh, you know, not the same
without your mother.
But doing fine.
[instrumental music]
-[Ted] Dark roast okay?
-Uh-huh. Yeah.
Ah, let's chat,
I have a few choice words
I'd like to say
about Bloom City Design.
Actually, dad,
could we take a raincheck?
Being home
is just a little overwhelming.
Oh.
I-I mean, uh, yeah. Sure.
Maybe I could borrow the car,
just drive around town a little.
-Is that okay?
-Well, of course, Hazelnut. Uh.
-The starter is still finicky.
-Okay.
And the passenger window
is still sticky.
Okay. Anything else?
Crack up the tunes, 'cause
the stereo is still awesome!
Okay. Thanks, dad.
I'll be back by dinner, okay?
[instrumental music]
[indistinct song on stereo]
Just had to come by
Hurry up
you're just in time
Soon the bells hop
Christmas chimes
Time to get busy
[Hazel] Look at that line.
[indistinct song on stereo]
Empty.
And people fly to you
It is hard
You see-e-e
Sweet words to you
[James] Planning on paying
for that scone?
Oh. I'm sorry. Yeah,
I totally can. I'm just, I--
Are you
the Oak Park scone thief?
Yeah. Uh, police have a warrant
out for my arrest.
All right, FBI's most wanted,
I saw it
on Date Nightlast night.
Thought you'd be taller.
I'm Hazel, of Hazelnut Bakery.
I'm Ted's daughter.
Oh. Sorry.
Uh, I'm James, the new baker.
-You're a baker?
-Mm-hmm.
I didn't realize that was
such a dangerous line of work.
Did you enjoy that scone
you stole?
Mm, didn't steal it,
and if I'm being honest,
your presentation
could use a little work.
-Wow. Notes already. Okay.
-Hey.
I just call it like I see it.
But, yes,
that was a very delicious scone.
Oh.
Why is it so slow right now?
It's never this empty
around Christmas.
Might have something to do
with the new bakery
they opened up
across the street.
You saw the line, right?
That line
is for another bakery?
-Yup. Butter Up Bakes.
-Butter Up Bakes?
Yeah. Oh. Excuse me,
I've got something in the oven.
Oh, sorry. W... Uh, where did
you say that you baked before?
Oh, I didn't.
This is my first baking job.
Your-your dad hired me on as a
contractor
to do the renovations.
Renovations? What renovations?
-He didn't tell you? Oh!
-[oven beeping]
No, he most certainly did not!
[scatting]
What is going on here?
Perfection,
that's what's going on.
You should've heard
when they were doing renos
over at Butter Up Bakes.
Every day banging those...
-It was hell.
-Okay, this is a disaster.
That's why I'm fixing it,
I mean, your dad had me in
to fix one of the shelves,
it turns out they were all
about to collapse,
and the pantry was busted.
The stove needed new burner.
So two months later, here I am,
baking as well.
I had no idea
things were this serious.
Everything is in disrepair,
there's no foot traffic,
thanks to the new bakery
across the street.
We're behind on...
Hey, I'm-I'm part
of the solution.
Or I'm trying to be.
No, o-of-of course, I'm sorry.
It's just, this is bad.
This is really, really bad.
It's already hard enough
just being back here.
I've heard a lot about your mom.
Sounded like
she was an incredible woman.
She really was.
Now everything she's built
is just falling apart.
-Hi.
-Hey.
Hope you don't mind steaks
for dinner.
No. Wow, big guy's grilling.
I didn't even know
you could do that.
Ah, I just wanna expand
my repertoire
from bacon and eggs.
How was town?
Oh, uh, actually,
I went by the bakery.
-Oh?
-Also, I found this.
Uh-oh.
Dad, why didn't you tell me
things were this bad?
The last thing
your mother would want
is for you to put your dreams
on hold and shoulder this.
Plus, you had a new job
and everything.
I thought I could fix it.
[instrumental music]
[birds chirping on TV]
[crowd cheering on TV]
[instrumental music on TV]
I mean, look,
of the three cakes today,
for me, visually,
the cleanest cake was Joshua's.
[man on TV] Judges, this is it.
Bakers, you did not
make it easy for the judges.
But in the end,
only one baker
can win $50,000
and the title
of Holiday Baking Champion.
And that baker is...
Jennifer! Congratulations!
You are
the Holiday Baking Champion!
[Jennifer] I'm the Holiday
Baking Champion!
[indistinct chatter on TV]
[instrumental music]
-Dad!
-Steaks are a little over-done.
But with some steak sauce--
I think I know
how to save the bakery.
Uh, don't you wanna eat first?
Yes, yes, I'm starving.
I'll tell you my idea.
[instrumental music]
[James] Are you guys serious,
Ted?
Dead serious.
Hazel and I don't exactly
know each other.
And is either of us qualified
to enter a national contest
like that?
-Mm...
-I mean...
I told you this was a bad idea.
-I can do this alone, dad.
-Now hang on.
We all know how good
James' baking is.
-I had one scone.
-You said it was delicious.
And that scone
was just the beginning.
Oh. Well, at least he's humble.
Aren't these contests
super competitive?
-Would we even get in?
-Um, excuse me.
My mother was a legend
at the Christmas Bakeoff.
She won four times.
As soon as they hear
her daughter wants to enter,
they'll eat it up.
At least she's humble.
It's a $100,000, James.
Half of that will
save this bakery and your job.
The other half could be
a down payment on a house.
Okay, hold on a second, before
you go getting too excited,
Julia Child, I'm the one
who needs convincing here.
Meaning?
An audition.
[instrumental music]
Okay.
Oh, you gotta be kidding me.
Wha...
-Oh.
-Okay.
[music continues]
[music continues]
All right, what we have here
is a lemon-basil shortbread
with a raspberry royal icing.
-Interesting.
-Questionable.
I mean, especially 'cause
it's a Christmas cookie.
Well, I think they look great,
James.
-Thank you, Ted.
-Okay. Well, moment of truth.
Oh, wow. They're--
-Wow, it's amazing!
-Oh, great.
Full disclosure,
I make these a lot.
They're my daughter's favorite.
Oh, you have a daughter?
I sure do. Claire.
-She's incredible.
-Mm.
Well, as far as I'm concerned,
you passed with flying colors.
-Mm.
-[Ted] What do you think?
Mm...
James, welcome to the team.
Oh. I'm...
I don't know.
I had to go through
this whole song and dance
to prove myself to you?
I mean, what are
you bringing to the table?
Why should I do this with you?
You know, maybe I should just
join the competition alone.
Wow. I didn't know
you were such an opportunist.
-Hazel has a lot to offer.
-Thank you.
Oh. Like?
Well, I mean, you don't bake.
You work an office job.
-An office job as an architect.
-So?
She has a vision of how this
gingerbread house should be.
-Right?
-Oh.
[Ted] Y-you have a vision?
Well, not... not yet.
But, would you... Hold on.
I know how I want it
to make me feel.
Buildings aren't just
glass and cement to me.
They're art and craftsmanship.
A good design
takes a, a basic human need
and turns it into a symbol
of passion and ingenuity.
And I know that might seem silly
to think about these things
with respect
to a gingerbread house,
but if I could just capture
even a fraction of that
in an edible version,
then I feel like we would've
achieved something.
[instrumental music]
Yeah, yeah, let's do it.
[chuckling]
All right, you guys sure you
don't need an extra hand here?
I think we'll manage. You have
more important things to do.
-James, give me a ride home?
-You bet, Teddy-bear.
Okay. Um, I'm gonna come up
with some designs tonight.
Sounds good.
I'm gonna fix
that mis-matched tile
as soon as I'm done
with the rest of the renos.
Oh, that's okay. I like it.
See ya.
This Christmas
[indistinct chatter]
[instrumental music]
[Hazel] Nina?
[indistinct chatter]
-Okay.
-At dinner.
I'm gonna hold you to that.
Nina...
What are you doing here?
I'm about to buy a rhubarb tart.
-Okay.
-Oh, wait.
[instrumental music]
[indistinct chatter]
All right.
-This place is Shelby's?
-Uh... Mm...
W-why didn't you tell me that
your niece owns this bakery?
Now, I wanted to tell you, but
your father swore me to secrecy.
Yeah, he thought
you might worry.
And besides, you girls haven't
really talked since high school,
and I-I didn't wanna
stick my nose
into something
that wasn't my business.
-Wow.
-[Shelby] Hazel?
Hey, Shelby.
Uh, it's been a while.
Visiting for Christmas?
Yeah, yeah. I, um, I didn't
realize you still lived here.
Just moved back. Actually, um,
I was in Chicago for a bit.
Had a little bakery out there,
but rent was no joke.
So after we got married,
Rebecca and I decided
to try out here.
-Oh.
-Uh, Rebecca, this is Hazel.
Oh. Hi,
it's so nice to meet you.
Yeah, it's-it's great
to meet you.
I imagine
this must be a surprise,
considering all the boyfriends
I burned through in high school.
Well, one in particular
comes to mind.
Yeah, you know,
I've, I've processed that.
Well, that's-that's great.
I'm just trying to process where
all my mom's customers went.
I didn't choose this spot
to put the hurt
on your mom's bakery, Hazel.
You know
I always loved that place.
It's a funny way of showing it.
Don't blame me if the bakery
is struggling. Okay?
Your presentation needs work,
try switching things up
with some new recipes
once in a while.
Wow, Shelby knows everything
there is to know
about everything, huh?
I see not much has changed
since high school.
[instrumental music]
That was dramatic.
Everything okay over there?
[sighs]
I mean, y-yeah, fine.
I'm just having a really hard
time deciding on a design.
Oh. Hm.
Also, I, um, I stopped by
Butter Up Bakes
after I left this afternoon.
Met the new owner.
This calls
for your mother's secret weapon
whenever you were upset,
a good-old banana split.
You, um, you're upset I didn't
tell you it's Shelby's place.
You didn't just not tell me.
You told Nina
not to say anything.
I mean, dad, between this
and-and me finding out
about the bakery not doing well,
it feels like
you're keeping secrets.
And we don't do that
in this family.
Given your history with Shelby,
I thought it was for the best.
-Chocolate sauce?
-I deserve to know these things.
They affect me, too.
And-and, yes, be generous.
[sighs] I'm sorry
I didn't have a better excuse
than I was trying
to protect you,
but it's the best I've got.
-Whipped cream?
-Obviously.
We've had a rough
couple of years.
I didn't want to dump
anything else on you.
If you're still mad, I'm happy
to eat this on my own.
Oh, don't be ridiculous, dad.
I'm not that mad.
Your job is to find the
cheesiest Christmas movie on TV.
[Hazel] You got it.
[instrumental music]
[instrumental
"Joy To The World"]
-Good morning.
-Come right on in.
-Hi.
-Hi.
Hazel, this is my daughter,
Claire.
Nice to meet you. Hey,
thanks for helping your dad out.
-He pays me in cookies.
-Oh.
A shrewd businesswoman.
I like it.
-She's cute.
-Yeah, she sure is.
Hope you don't mind her
hanging around here.
My mom wasn't able
to babysit this morning.
Oh, are you kidding? No problem.
I pretty much grew up
in this place.
Yeah, comes with the territory
of being a single dad.
Watch out.
Her mom lives in the city,
but we split custody.
Luckily, we're still
good friends.
Mm.
Well, hey, listen, so I, um,
I did some initial designs.
They're still pretty rough,
but I thought I could show you,
and maybe
that might spark some ideas.
Okay.
Okay, so, um, this first one's
kind of this funky little house
and it has a river.
And I was thinking the river
could be made of frosting?
Mm-hmm.
Okay, well,
this next one is a castle
and, um,
it's got a moat around it,
which I thought was pretty cool.
Great.
-You're not even looking.
-I'm sorry.
I don't know if you realize, but
the bakery is open right now.
Um, a bakery
I'm actually running.
Whoa! Oh! That is the best
Danish I've ever had in my life.
Okay, let me get this straight,
so you have time to enjoy
your Danishes
and not look at my designs?
Look, if we're gonna
be teammates,
we're gonna have to communicate.
You can't just show up here
unannounced and expect me
to give you my undivided
attention. I'm busy.
Oh, yeah.
-Let's see.
-Okay.
-So, um, yeah, it's...
-Wow.
That's amazing, actually.
L-let me see the first one.
[Hazel] So...
Obviously, you're an artist.
I could never do this.
Thanks. I can do better.
And, listen, I'm sorry,
you're right.
I-I shouldn't have
just shown up here
without checking with you first.
Apology accepted.
Okay. Oh. Hey.
Uh, before you go, they're doing
a little meet-and-greet thing
for the contestants
in Chicago tonight.
Would you wanna come?
I know you have Claire and all--
-In.
-As in...
In, as in, yeah, I'm in.
We're teammates. Let's do it.
Oh, okay.
Hey, is he always like this?
-Pretty much.
-Huh.
-How's that cookie?
-It's good.
Good. Yeah.
[instrumental music]
Let let let
let's celebrate
Christmas in the sun
Ooh ooh ooh
Christmas in the sun
Ooh ooh ooh
Uh, sorry I'm late,
my, um, babysitter
took her sweet time coming over.
-You mean your mom?
-Yeah, I mean my mom.
Come on,
they've already started.
Um...
[guests applauding]
Fancy clothes, fancy hotel. We
might as well make an entrance.
[instrumental music]
[Mark] And while it's humbling
to be the host
of the best turnout in Chicago
Christmas Bakeoff history...
[man] Yes, you're my hero, Mark.
I love you!
...that only means
the competition this year
is gonna be that much steeper.
Now, you'll be judged
in four categories.
Overall appearance, creativity,
difficulty, craftsmanship.
-So don't hold back!
-[woman] No...
Now, I know everybody has
a lot of hard work ahead of 'em,
so let's have some fun.
Enjoy yourselves, guys.
[all cheering]
Whoo!
All right,
where should we start?
Should we do some recon
or sow the seeds of sabotage?
That's not a bad idea,
uh, the recon part.
-Sabotage is a terrible idea.
-Come on.
[Shelby] Mark.
[Mark] Hi.
Oh, great.
What?
Do you see the woman in red
over there?
[James] Yeah.
[Hazel] That's Shelby.
She and the woman next to her,
Rebecca,
own the bakery
across the street.
Well, well, well.
Maybe some sabotage is in order.
Can you please stop saying
sabotage?
-I can try.
-I believe you know my aunt.
-Nina Marsden?
-Yes, of course!
I've had the pleasure of baking
beside her a few times.
I'll tell you what, if that kind
of talent runs in the family,
I can't wait to see
the gingerbread house
you come up with.
-Um, thank you.
-Good luck.
-Ah, ah, ah...
-[Hazel sighs]
Shelby also happens to be
my former best friend
from high school,
so that's a fun little twist.
-Former?
-It's complicated.
[clears throat]
Alan and Doug Jameson.
Oh, probably already knew that.
Oh, uh, I didn't know that.
-Did you know that?
-I'm not f-familiar.
Well, anyway, nice to meet you.
It will be nice when you're
applauding our $100,000 win.
[Alan chuckles]
Are you related to Judy Stanley?
Yeah, yeah. I'm her daughter.
I thought so.
You look just like her.
Your mom was an amazing baker.
She was so nice to me
when I was first starting out.
I'm really glad to hear that.
Thank you for telling me.
It means a lot.
Yeah, you should. Yeah.
-What--
-I-I don't know...
They were certainly
an interesting pair.
-Uh-huh.
-Right.
-I'm Yasmin.
-Hi, nice to meet you.
I'm Hazel,
and this is my partner, James.
You two make
a very lovely couple.
-Oh! No, no, no, no.
-No! Not, not, uh...
She meant baking partner,
for the competition.
-Not, uh...
-Oh. Yeah. Sorry.
I didn't mean to assume.
My family just moved here
from Iran,
and things still get lost
in translation.
Oh, no, no, honest mistake.
Um, so how are you finding
Chicago so far?
-Um, very cold.
-Yeah.
But, uh,
it's been really wonderful.
We don't celebrate Christmas,
but the lights
and the decorations
are so beautiful.
Yeah. Do you have
any design ideas yet?
There's a beautiful mosque
where we grew up
that is very dear to us.
Oh, that's a lovely idea.
A gingerbread mosque?
I love that.
I can't imagine choosing
something else.
It's a place of joy
and community and faith.
From what I understand, that's
what Christmas is all about.
Um, how about you two?
-Oh, uh, well...
-Well...
We are still working on that.
Just pick a place
close to your heart,
and you can't go wrong.
Good luck.
She was sweet.
What are you cooking up
in there?
I was just thinking about
what Yasmin said.
I think I have an idea
for our design.
Do you wanna come check it out?
And leave me hangry here?
I mean, sure, we could stay
for the free appetizers,
or we could go get a jump
on the competition.
-Okay, yeah.
-[Hazel] Yes.
So what do you think?
[James] You wanna make
City Hall?
Well, sure,
to you it's just City Hall,
but to me
it's someplace special.
My mom used to bring me here
when I was growing up.
It was designed
by Eleanor Jenkins in 1897,
one of the first
recognized female architects.
And just look
at that clock tower.
This building is the reason
why I wanted to be an architect.
So?
Well, a good design
takes a basic human need
and turns it into a symbol
of passion and ingenuity.
I think it's perfect.
[instrumental music]
[Hazel] Well, I still need
to find a 3-D printer.
You know, I spent all morning
calling architecture firms
around Chicago,
I could not find one taker.
You know,
there's a small operation
in Oak Park you could try.
I think it's called
Lightbox M-Moder-Moderno.
-Lightbox Moderno.
-Okay. Thanks. I'll try 'em.
Did you, um, use
the ground cloves?
I thought we were supposed to be
working on our recipe.
Oh, and I have some designs
I wanna show you.
Look, I-I don't know how much
I can work on the competition
while also manning this bakery
and taking care of Claire
on my own.
I totally respect that.
And I've actually been
thinking about this.
We have a little over a week
to go and so much to accomplish.
I-I'm sorry to say, but I think
we should close the bakery
for now.
You wanna close the bakery now?
Dad, look around.
All of our foot traffic
is going to Shelby's bakery.
It's costing us more to make
things that nobody's buying.
Look, I know it doesn't feel
great to close the store,
especially at Christmas.
But this is Hail Mary time,
okay?
One week of meager sales
is not gonna save the bakery.
But if by closing it
buys us time
to focus on something that can,
then I think we should.
Hazelnut Bakery closed
for the holidays.
As much as it pains me
to say it, you might as well.
I think you're right.
It'll be okay, dad. You'll see.
I hope you're right.
It was an interesting call
to receive.
I've never heard
of anybody 3-D printing
a model of a gingerbread house.
Yeah, yeah. What can I say?
It's a life-goal met.
No, it's a, it's actually
for a competition.
Oh. Mm.
Hey, these offices
are pretty great.
Thank you.
How long have you guys
been here?
Actually, we just
got up and running,
and, you know, we're still
pretty small, but hopefully,
my ambition
will soon outgrow the space.
-I'm sure it will.
-Oh, thanks.
Uh, printer's
right through there.
-Right.
-Just out of curiosity...
Could I check out
what you're making?
-Yeah, sure.
-Oh, wow.
-City Hall.
-Yeah.
-I love this building. Huh.
-Me, too.
-Hm.
-Designed by Eleanor Jenkins...
[both] In 1897.
So I guess if I ever get
a call from a client
that's looking to build a house
in the woods made of candy,
you know, to capture children,
I'm gonna know who to call.
It's like fatten 'em up
and eat 'em, right?
-Whatever the client wants. Oh.
-Exactly.
Yeah, I'm sorry, that got weird.
I'll-I'll-I'll...
I'll go do my work now. Thank
you so much for the 3-D printer.
Mm, mm.
[instrumental music]
[printer whirring]
[door opens]
[door shuts]
Hey.
Oh, wow! Is that the, uh...
Well, that's amazing.
Huh. I'm impressed.
You're late.
Yeah, I was, I just
dropped off Claire at the pool
and ended up shooting some hoops
with some friends
and lost track of time.
You're late
because you were shooting hoops?
And lost track of time.
Is that an apology?
I... Yes.
Where are you going?
[Hazel] Field trip. You coming?
Yeah, I guess so.
[James] This kitchen is so cozy.
Yeah, make yourself at home.
Chocolate syrup? No.
No, that's gotta be wrong.
That would make the dough wet.
Well, not according to my mom.
Look, she says
don't add more than half a cup.
Who does this woman think
she is?
Okay, well, on that note,
field trip over.
We just got here.
Can't we have a cup of tea
or something?
Absolutely not. Come on.
Whoa, who made you boss?
Ah, you did, after you chose to
shoot some three-pointers
this morning.
Oh, I-I didn't shoot
any three-pointers this morning.
Yeah, I did shoot
some hook shots, though.
Well, a hook shot.
All right, take it easy,
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
-Let's go.
-I wish.
We're gonna try my mom's recipe.
[instrumental music]
[upbeat music]
Ah
-Should I turn it off?
-Yeah.
-Are you ready for this?
-Go for it.
Okay.
This is eating chocolate.
A little bit of that cream.
Wonderful. Not bad.
[music continues]
It sticks together.
Yeah, but is it edible?
That's the question.
-Moment of truth.
-Here goes nothing.
-Mm. Wow. That's really good.
-Mm-hm-hm..
Yeah, your mom's recipe
was spot-on.
-Mm-hmm.
-Glad I thought of using it.
[both chuckling]
Hey, what do you say we go grab
a hot-chocolate,
do some people-watching?
Yeah, that sounds really nice.
Great.
-Why are you staring at me?
-I'm not staring at you.
I'm just eating my gingerbread
looking in your direction.
That's staring.
Oak Park is so beautiful
at Christmas.
What's it like being back?
-It-it's nice.
-Mm.
-And hard.
-Okay.
The things I love the most
all remind me of my mom.
-Mm.
-Sorry, sorry to be a downer.
No, not at all. You-you wear
your heart on your sleeve.
-I really like it.
-Oh.
And how about you?
Is Christmas hard without her?
It's a little strange.
But I'm very grateful to be
spending it with Claire.
Mm.
How long were you two together?
Or we could talk about
something else, like, um...
What do you think the Bears'
post-season chances are?
Oh, I-I only follow cricket.
Yeah, really got into it
with your dad.
Oh. Um, I had no idea.
-D-do you understand the game?
-No, not a thing.
I pretend really well.
You know, we got together
right after college.
We were still figuring out
who we were.
And she's a great woman,
but somewhere along the way
we just grew apart.
Mm, well, she probably
couldn't handle the fact
that you're a better baker.
Yeah. That was the straw
that broke the camel's back.
No, we broke up
a couple of years ago.
I know two years
sounds like a long time...
No, it really doesn't.
But for whatever reason,
I haven't really wanted
to put myself
back out there yet.
Joy to the world
the Lord is come
Let Earth receive her King
Let every heart
prepare Him room
And heaven and nature sing
and heaven and nature sing
And heaven heaven
and nature sing
-Whoo!
-Good!
[indistinct chatter]
-Merry Christmas.
-Merry Christmas.
[instrumental music]
[Claire] It's so cool!
[Hazel] Isn't it?
Okay, architecture 101.
This first part of the wall
is called our cornerstone.
And that sits on the foundation,
which helps
evenly distribute the weight.
Mm. How long do we have
to do this for?
Um, only until tomorrow.
I'm kidding, we just need to get
these guys to stick together,
so they can stand up straight.
My dad said
this was your mom's bakery?
Yup, she opened it
a few years after I was born.
-And named it after me.
-My mom lives in the city.
Yeah, but you still see her
a lot, though, right?
Yeah, I split my time
between the two.
I love Chicago time with my mom.
And then I come back
to Oak Park to chill.
Sounds like a pretty good setup.
I have a great mom and dad, even
if they're not together still.
I feel lucky.
[Hazel] Okay, that should do it.
I think we can let go.
That went well.
I just don't understand
what happened.
I think, I think the sides
aren't straight,
so the edges aren't lining up.
I don't know.
Here, let me show you
how a real baker does it.
-Follow me in the kitchen.
-This will be interesting.
Watch and learn, ladies.
Watch and learn.
-Ah.
-[whirring]
[whirring]
-Yeah, that didn't work.
-No, it didn't.
All right, I've gotta go to
the store, grab some cardamom.
We could go
to the Christmas market.
Yeah, they sell
all kinds of stuff.
No, um, I mean, if you want to.
-In. Right, dad?
-Ah.
I've actually got a bunch
of things that I have to...
In. In.
[instrumental music]
-I'm out of here.
-Mm, all right.
Well, there she goes.
This orange roll is amazing.
Oh, my gosh, it's so good.
Mm, and this bourbon glaze
could give our windows
a really nice sheen.
-Mm, I'm into it.
-Okay.
-Speaking of windows...
-Mm-hmm?
I did notice that a few of 'em
at the bakery need repair.
Could you fix those with
your handy-dandy miter saw?
Okay, look, you'd be surprised
how much a well-wielded
miter saw can actually fix.
I'm the problem
in that scenario.
By the way, what's with that
mismatched tile at the bakery?
Oh, it's a long story,
but my mom did always say
that it reminded her
that what's different about us
is also what makes us special.
-Hm. That's nice.
-It's nice.
Oh! Hey, Yasmin!
Ah. Hazel! James!
-Nice to see you.
-You, too.
Hey, how's the mosque
coming along?
Mostly good,
but with a few setbacks.
The qubba's trickier to build
than I thought.
If it makes you feel any better,
we have had a few setbacks
of our own.
-Yeah.
-Good.
I don't want to suffer alone.
[Claire] Daddy, well, see this!
I feel like
Claire is about to guilt me
into buying her something, I'll
be right
back. Let me go see
what trouble I'm in.
-He's cute.
-Oh, no, uh, no.
This is strictly professional.
Yeah, I don't think
he's really interested
in seeing anyone right now,
anyway.
I-I mean, we aren't interested.
Yeah.
Plus, we live
in different cities.
Which is a moot point,
because there's absolutely
nothing going on between us.
All I said was that he was cute.
Yeah.
[instrumental music]
[music continues]
[indistinct chatter]
[woman] Hey, I'll text you.
Rebecca, I'm at the cutest park
right now.
They have absolutely everything.
You would love it.
Ah, let me call you back.
Hazel.
Shelby.
I saw you at the MacKinley Hotel
the other night.
You didn't say hi.
Oh, uh, yeah, that's 'cause
you were too busy
schmoozing with Mark Clemmons.
You really know how to just get
right in there, don't ya?
I can't apologize
for what I did in high school
for the rest of my life, Hazel.
You have to get over it.
Well, maybe
if you had apologized
for real for once, I would.
[sighs] I have to get back to
the bakery and help out Rebecca.
-Right, the bakery.
-Excuse me.
-Good luck in the competition.
-Thanks. You, too.
Hey, um...
That looks good.
Thanks. I'm gettin' there.
How you doing?
Fine, I guess.
Just ran into Shelby
at the market.
What's with you two? Seems like
she gets under your skin.
It's just stupid drama
from high school
that we never worked through.
Mm. You wanna talk about it?
[Hazel chuckles]
Uh, yeah, okay, um...
Well, we were best friends
growing up.
The best of friends.
And then we sort of
fell into different cliques
when we got into high school.
And then at prom,
she, um, stole my date.
-Brian Walker. Yeah.
-No way.
The boy I'd been in love with
since fifth grade.
-Sounds dreamy.
-Oh, he was.
-So dreamy.
-That's rough.
You never forget the day
that your best friend
stabs you in the back.
I bet. Well...
I have something that might make
you feel a little bit better.
Absolutely destroying Shelby
in the competition?
Yes. Also, come here.
Okay.
Ta-da! Now there's
two mismatched tiles.
One from your mom
and one for you.
[Hazel chuckles]
Wow.
It's really special.
-Thank you.
-You're welcome.
Now, shall we get
to that gingerbread?
Let's.
[upbeat music]
Here, look, it's perfect.
Yeah. Better, better.
-Mm, looks good.
-Yeah, it's the bottom edge.
Yeah, bottom edge,
so let's mark it here.
[instrumental "Deck The Halls"]
[Hazel] Oh, wow.
-There you go.
-Beautiful.
[music continues]
Oh, wow. Oh, thank you.
[indistinct chatter]
[indistinct chatter]
[Claire chuckles]
-Hold on, what's the joke?
-Don't worry about it.
[music continues]
[James] Oh, yes.
Great.
Hey
Gorgeous.
-Easy.
-Yup.
I got it.
Yes! Look at that!
[all sighing]
We did it. It looks amazing.
[Hazel] Yeah, and thanks to
James, not only is it sturdy...
-It tastes delicious.
-Do we get to eat it afterwards?
-Mm-hmm.
-Listen, seriously, Hazel.
I've baked a few things in my
life, nothing compares to this.
-This is you.
-Oh, come on, I mean...
Without your help,
it wouldn't taste half as good.
It is your architectural skill
that brought this to life.
-There's no question.
-Well, thank you.
But I couldn't have done it
without you.
I'm only happy
when you're in the room.
Hey, what do you guys think
about maybe doing
a little more work
on the clock tower?
I'd really love it if the hands
of the clock move somehow.
-That'd be so cool!
-I think so, too.
-And probably impossible.
-Oh, come on.
I wouldn't touch it.
It's perfect.
Hazel...
Okay, fine,
we'll leave it alone.
How about we get
some hot chocolate to celebrate?
-Yeah!
-That's a great idea.
[door opens]
Your mother would be so proud.
Well, she was proud anyway,
but seeing you bake like that...
We can't lose this place, dad.
[instrumental music]
[cell phone ringing]
-Hello?
-Hazel, it's Daryl Baxter.
Oh, uh, hi, sir, I-I'm sorry,
you just caught me off-guard
there for a second.
I'll bet you're wondering
why I'm calling you,
and, uh, so close to Christmas,
no less.
Uh, yeah,
I'd be lying if I said no.
[Daryl] Well,
let me cut to the chase.
I wanna be this kind of dude
who owns up to his mistakes.
And, uh, well, I made a big one.
I had two consultants to choose
from, and I chose wrong.
-You did?
-Ah.
Ben-uh-jamin
didn't quite work out.
Dropped the ball
with one of our biggest clients
and cost us the account.
Needless to say,
his position has opened up.
How would you like to start as
a full-time architect at Bloom
in the new year?
Did I lose you?
Uh, n-n-no. So-sorry, I'm here.
I... You want me
to work at Bloom?
Yuppers.
Wow. I...
I don't really know what to say.
It's always been my dream
to work there.
So is that a yupper?
Um, I am, of course, overjoyed
at the offer.
It's just, it's just a lot
to take in right now.
I can appreciate that.
Um, probably not the call
you were expecting.
Do you wanna sleep on it?
I thought I didn't work well
with others.
Did I say that?
You did.
Yeah. Hazel, you're who we want.
But we need to fill
this position,
so we can't hang around forever.
I understand,
and I promise to let you know
in a couple of days.
I just have something back home
that I need to finish.
[Hazel] Make sure I leave things
in good hands.
All right. All right, I guess.
Um, give me a call
when you've decided.
And, um, look forward
to hearing from you.
I will. A-and thank you, sir.
[instrumental music]
Hi.
I thought we agreed
you were gonna leave it.
Um, yeah, uh, there's been
a slight change of plans.
I spent all day trying to figure
out how to make the clock move.
Now, I know we can't make it
actually function,
but if I could just get
the hands to spin, that's...
Hey, did-did something happen
since I last saw you?
-Y-y-you seem a little--
-Stressed?
Uh, yeah, I was gonna say manic.
Huh.
Okay, look, I have a life
to get back to in New York.
The job of my dreams
is waiting for me.
And I can't go anywhere until
I am sure the bakery is safe.
My mother's legacy is at stake
here. Do you understand that?
-Yeah.
-Great.
But, um, we're also a team,
and that means
communicating things
to each other.
Hey, at the end of the day,
if it doesn't work out,
it's just a contest.
-"It's just a contest?"
-Mm-hmm.
Well, clearly,
this is far more important to me
than it is to you, and I really
wish I had known that--
-Hazel!
-No, just...
No, no, no, no, no.
[gasps]
Oh...
-Oh, my God.
-Um, we'll fix it.
What do you mean fix it?
It's ruined!
It took us a week to build this,
and-and now the contest
is tomorrow, there is no fix it!
-Just let me help you--
-No, you wanna help?
Just leave.
-What?
-Please, just-just go.
Oh...
No...
[knocking on door]
[Ted] Mind if I come in?
Enter at your own risk.
James filled me in.
I'm so sorry, sweetheart.
Yeah, me too.
Now because of me,
the bakery is gonna close.
Don't you think that
for one second.
It's my fault
the bakery's on its last legs.
I'm the one
who let it start slipping.
I'm the one
who didn't ask for help.
Hey, dad, come on.
-You were grieving.
-Well...
Don't be so hard on yourself.
And at least you were here,
doing your best. Where was I?
I was across the country, just
letting you carry all of this?
But you're here now.
Right.
It's just a store.
We'll always have our memories.
Do you remember when, um,
you and mom
would dance to Motown
after you closed up the shop?
Yeah, you-you guys thought
I was sleeping in the back,
but I would, uh,
I would watch you.
-You did?
-Yeah.
Well...
I'm just scared that
if we lose the bakery,
that last little piece of mom
I have still standing
is just gonna disappear.
Hazel, don't you worry
about your mom disappearing.
She's gonna be with us
for the rest of our lives,
bakery or not, hm.
Yeah.
Oh.
-I love you, dad.
-I love you, too.
And you didn't even get a photo
of your City Hall?
Uh, no.
You always take a photo
when you make something pretty.
Hey. Come on.
[both chuckling]
[Nina] As your mom
would always say,
"There's no problem too big
that can't be solved with cake."
Mm.
This is so delicious.
Is this a new recipe?
She made this?
If by she you mean Shelby,
then, yes.
I cannot believe that you
tricked me into eating something
from Hazelnut's
biggest competitor!
Look, if you girls can't eat
each other's baking,
then I feel sorry
for the both of you.
Hey, fair.
So, uh, you sure
there's nothing to be done
about that clock tower
inside there?
-It's in pieces.
-Mm.
And I'd have to do it by myself.
James, uh...
Well, let's just say
we're not exactly
on speaking terms right now.
You know,
if you really did need help,
we both know someone
who's available.
[instrumental music]
I don't understand
what this has to do with me.
Don't look at me,
this was your aunt's idea.
Okay, listen, I figured,
since you and Rebecca
had already finished,
that maybe you could
help Hazel salvage hers.
Why would I help her?
My biggest competition dropping
out only helps us.
[Nina] All right,
competition is a good thing.
It keeps you on your toes.
Besides, Oak Park is big enough
for two bakeries.
Nina, I know your heart
is in the right place,
but clearly,
this is not the answer.
Well, sure it is, if you just
stop being a couple of pinheads.
-[both] Oh, I'm not being--
-Okay, come on, you girls.
Come on. You were best friends.
And that is a luxury
because, as we all know,
my best friend
is no longer with us.
If that's not good enough
a reason, then how about this?
I helped you and Rebecca
open up that bakery
and I didn't ask for a dime
in return.
So guess what?
Now I have a cost,
and this is my fee.
Fine, but I'm doing it for you.
-Not her.
-Mm-hmm, okay.
Now, the contest is tomorrow,
so you girls have
all night to work.
Hazel...
You have never been a quitter,
so don't start now.
The sooner we start,
the sooner this can be over.
Let's go.
This is the recipe you're using?
Yeah, yeah, my partner...
Well, my ex-partner, James,
came up with it.
It's a variation
of my mom's recipe.
-James knows what he's doing.
-Yeah. Yeah, he does.
So are you gonna
start helping, or...
Yeah.
[Shelby] You know,
despite what you may think,
I have no desire
to see this bakery closed.
-Mm.
-I'm serious.
T-this place is an institution.
I used to love hanging out here
with your mom.
Yeah, those are some
of my favorite memories, too.
Hey, hey, careful.
Look, we might as well at least
try to talk about what happened.
So, where do we start?
I just don't understand why.
We used to be best friends,
and then--
It wasn't malicious, Hazel.
We just started hanging out
with different people.
You had your own friend group
that I wasn't a part of.
Yeah, they used to be
your friend group.
People change.
It was high school.
Yeah, fine.
But it's like I didn't even
exist to you anymore.
[sighs] I had my own secret
about who I was,
and hanging
with the popular kids
seemed like the best way
to hide it.
Okay, fair enough.
But what about prom?
I mean, you stole my date.
Here's what happened. Okay.
So I'm at prom, and Brian Walker
asked me to dance with him.
-He's the hottest guy at school.
-Oh, I remember.
-Yeah. The beaver swoop. Yeah.
-The beaver swoop.
Um, so everyone's looking at me,
and it felt weird if I said no
because I wanted everyone
to think I was straight.
Honestly, I had eyes
for Kim Wescott the whole night.
She was killing it
in that strapless dress.
Oh, she was, wasn't she?
Man, that collar bone, right?
Right.
Brian Walker really
didn't have much going for him
aside from those
dreamy good looks, did he?
Well, he did ditch the coolest
girl in school on prom night.
So, yeah.
I'd have to agree with you.
But it wasn't right for
me to dance with him.
And I'm sorry.
[instrumental music]
-Well, look at that.
-Hm?
Do you remember how Mr. Scarderi
would freak out
over our overdue library books?
Yes, and then after
he cooled down, he'd be like...
"Hey, girls, you reading
anything stimulating?"
Oh...
We shouldn't have waited
this long to talk.
-I missed you.
-I missed you, too.
I forgot how fun it was
just hanging out.
Mm.
I really am sorry, though,
about everything.
I should've called you
after your mom passed.
I wanted to,
but it had been so long.
And-and I know
that's not an excuse.
I-I can't make that up to you.
You're here now.
You know, I have to say,
under the circumstances...
it came out okay.
[Hazel] Yeah, I just
wish we had more time.
We could've really crushed it.
-We did the best we could.
-Yeah.
[Hazel] I might add
some more Christmas decorations.
[cell phone ringing]
-Just these.
-Pick one.
[James on voicemail] Hey, it's
James. Please leave a message.
Hi. Hi, James,
it's, uh, it's me.
Um...
I just wanted to say
I'm, I'm really sorry.
I'd really love to see you
at the competition today.
You're not gonna believe
what happened,
and I am dying to show you.
Also, I just really wanna talk.
Anyway, um, I hope
you'll think about coming.
It won't be the same
without you.
Okay. Bye.
[upbeat music]
Ba-ra-da da-ra da-da dub-da
Okay, okay, okay, okay.
-Hey, hey, hey.
-You ready?
I think I'm more scared to drive
than the first day
your mom and I brought you home
from the hospital.
Okay, in that case, keys.
[Hazel] Now, let's go win
this competition.
Ba-ra-da da-ra da-da dub-da
[Ted] You know, we would've
been here sooner
if you drove the speed limit.
Dad, precious cargo,
you think I'm gonna speed
with this thing in the car?
And that service elevator?
I've had less turbulence
at 30,000 feet.
-Seriously.
-Oh, that's a nice one.
-Yeah, that's not bad.
-Oh!
-Mm.
-[sighs]
Dad, I love you,
but if you do that again,
I will be making you
a gingerbread coffin.
Sorry.
Easy.
[indistinct chatter]
[music continues]
Ba-ra-da da-ra da-da dub-da
-Watch out, dad, watch out.
-Huh? What? Oh!
-Guys, that looks great!
-Hey-hey! Hi.
-[indistinct chatter]
-Thank you.
Hi! Can I have your name,
please?
Uh, yeah, it's Hazel Stanley.
Okay, Stanley.
You are table 1003,
in the front.
And I'd hurry, Mark's
getting ready to start soon.
-Okay, thanks.
-Uh-oh. Let's go.
-Right here, right here.
-People.
Ba-ra-da da-ra da-da dub-da
Take it easy.
-Yup.
-Yup, yup, yup.
-That's it.
-Oh.
I can't believe that went...
Hi.
Looks like
you patched things up?
I think so.
It's a start, anyway.
-Hm. Ready?
-Yeah.
-One, two, three.
-Ai.
[Ted grunting]
-Ha.
-Air-five, dad. Air-five.
-Hey, proud of you, kid.
-Thanks.
See you.
Hazel.
Oh, Yasmin!
-Hi.
-Hi. Here.
For good luck. It's one of
my favorite sweets back home.
Koloocheh.
I made some for everyone.
Oh, that's so nice.
Oh, wow,
that's really, really good.
I hope Mark feels the same. Most
of the mosque is made of it.
[Hazel] Oh, Yasmin,
it's incredible!
[Yasmin] Thank you. I can't
believe I finished it on time.
-Yours is beautiful as well.
-Aw, thanks.
[Hazel] I honestly can't believe
we pulled it off.
You and James must be proud.
Uh, where is he?
Yeah, I-I'm not even sure
if he's gonna make it, actually.
Oh, no, that's too bad. What's
the matter, John and Paul?
Couldn't keep the band together?
-Something like that, yeah.
-Ah.
Have you seen our masterpiece?
Yeah?
-Oh, it's...
-Exactly.
[Alan] It's supposed
to render one speechless.
-The clock, mm.
-Doug.
May I have your attention,
please?
It is my distinct pleasure
to welcome you all
to the 25th Annual
Christmas Bakeoff!
[all cheering]
Wow, I see a lot
of incredible teams here today.
Now, just a reminder, we'll have
the finalists in each category,
overall appearance, difficulty,
creativity and craftsmanship.
And then we will announce
our grand-prize winner.
We're about to start the judging
soon, if you could,
please vacate the room,
thank you very much.
[indistinct chatter]
[James] You fixed the clock.
Yeah, yeah, I had a little help.
-It looks great.
-Thanks.
I'm really glad you came.
We made this together.
James, I'm really, really sorry.
The other day
I took my own stuff out on you,
and it wasn't right.
Don't worry about it.
So, are we okay?
I put myself out there, um...
-And that was scary for me.
-I know.
But I-I realize that I actually
am ready for a partner.
Me, too.
But not someone
who pushes me away
when things get rough.
I think we made something
really beautiful here together.
Thanks for that.
[instrumental music]
The results are in! Please make
your way back to your tables.
[music continues]
[Mark] Wow, well, this was one
of the most difficult decisions
in my entire career, and
if you've ever seen Cookie Wars,
you know
that's saying something.
Okay, after careful
consideration,
here are the finalists.
For overall appearance,
it's For The Birds!
Yes, I knew it! I knew it!
I knew it!
For difficulty,
the Cinnamosque!
For creativity,
the Ginger Lime-brary!
-No. No.
-Yes. Yes, yes, yes!
Ah...
[Mark] Just one more spot,
folks.
In the category
of craftsmanship,
the winner is
Christmas At City Hall!
[cheering]
Now, for those of you
who may not be aware,
Hazel's mom, Judy, was a legend
here at Christmas Bakeoff.
She won four times.
[cheering]
Now, before I announce
the grand-prize winner,
would anyone like to say
anything about their experience?
[indistinct chatter]
Um, I'd like to say something.
[Mark] Wonderful!
Oh.
Um, hi, everyone.
I'm, I'm Hazel.
This piece is a tribute
to my mom, Judy Stanley.
She was an incredible baker
and a wonderful mom.
And she taught me that
with the right combination
of ingredients,
you can create anything.
But somewhere along the way,
I forgot that,
and I thought
I could do everything on my own.
And in the process,
I made people feel
like they were less special
to me than they really are.
And, um...
I'm not gonna do that anymore.
Thank you.
[cheering and applause]
Okay, the moment
we've all been waiting for.
The grand-prize winner of the
25th Annual Christmas Bakeoff
and recipient of $100,000 is...
Yasmin Guhl for her creation,
the Cinnamosque!
-[Yasmin] Thank you.
-Whoa!
[audience cheering]
Sorry we don't have better news
to send you back home with.
I'm not going back to New York.
What do, what do you mean?
What about your dream job?
I think I can realize
my dream here.
This is where I wanna be.
And I'm not trying to put
any pressure on you
or be presumptuous.
I know
I have some things to work on.
And you have Claire
and the bakery,
and you probably need time...
[instrumental music]
I don't need time.
I'm gonna go see Claire.
-I just..
-Gosh, ladies, it's incredible!
-Do you like it? Thank you.
-Wow.
You all should be really proud.
That was not easy.
-Thank you.
-Thanks.
You know, Shelby,
I was talking to your Aunt Nina,
and she was telling me
about your store.
And yours, too, Hazel.
So Yasmin's gonna be on my show
in a few days,
and I feel like
you guys should join her.
You know, two rival bakeries
across the street
from each other.
One's doing
traditional confections,
the other one's kind of
baking with the trends.
I feel like
it's a pretty cool story.
I'd... We'd be open to that.
You know what? Me, too.
Awesome. Well, listen, I'll have
my people reach out.
But seriously,
amazing job today.
-Thank you so much. Thanks.
-Congratulations.
I guess the rivalry is back on.
-Bring it.
-Mm.
It's Christmas time again
And as always
it feels the same
Hey, guys.
Tough break on the contest.
I know you poured your heart
into it.
-It's okay.
-You know...
I have a proposition for you.
Nina, I appreciate it,
but I am not taking your money.
Listen, I was talking
with my publisher today
and I mentioned this idea
for a new cookbook,
featuring the recipes
from a star baker
by the name of Judy Stanley.
Now, I figured, maybe her
daughter and her baking partner
could write it together,
seeing how
they're semifinalists
in a national competition.
-Mm, wow, uh...
-Oh! That's not it.
I also negotiated
a really nice advance.
-What? Okay.
-If you're interested.
I just figured it could help
the bakery stay afloat
until the new customers
start comin' in,
which I suspect
will be very soon.
Nina. Nina, Nina, Nina.
Wow.
So, what do you say?
I say you have yourself a deal.
Ah. That's what I like to hear.
Architects don't usually
turn down companies like Bloom.
Why did you turn them down,
if you don't mind me asking?
-They can't give me what I want.
-Which is?
To be here with the people
who are important to me.
And besides, they already
made it very clear before
that I am not the right fit.
And you know what?
They're right.
I belong at an innovative
woman-led company.
You know, I wouldn't be able
to match what Bloom's offering.
That's okay.
All right. Welcome aboard.
Let's build something beautiful
together.
Let's.
Under the
Happy New Year.
Cake pops.
Happy New Year, everyone.
More than the sky
and the stars
They shine so bright on you
on me and my baby
I love love more
than the sound of the ocean
Followin'
my dreams and emotions
And I'm glad
that you are mine
You're my baby
Hi. Hi. How are you?
Hi. Hi, nice to see you.
Hi, welcome. Welcome. Come on.
Thinkin' about
who's that some...
-I'll be right with you.
-That's okay.
[indistinct song on stereo]
-Hi.
-Hi.
Did you see that line out there?
It's a madhouse.
You're right on time.
Yeah, I'm grabbing an apron.
Oh, wow!
The kitchen looks amazing!
-You fixed the shelf.
-It's all coming together.
Gingerbread's up.
-My favorite.
-Mine, too.
-See you out there? Okay.
-I'm right behind you.
Enjoy.
Happy New Year, mom.
[instrumental music]
I can help. Who's next?
Fresh gingerbread's up.
Shala-la-la-la dinga-ling
Shala-la-la-la ding-dong
Shala-la-la-la dinga-ling
Can you hear
the sleigh-bells ringing
As he flies across the sky?
Only on this night
each year
He'll have gifts
for you and I
Through the snow and ice
he rides
And dressed up
in red and white
Making Christmas
like it used to be
Ooh aah
Santa Clause is comin'
Comin' to see you
Santa Clause is on his way
All the presents
in his sleigh
Ooh aah ooh aah
He knows that
you've been good all year
All your wishes
can come true
Santa's out
to work the magic
Something special
just for you
With his beard
all long and white
Down the chimney breast
tonight
Making Christmas
like it used to be
Aah ooh aah ooh aah
Chestnuts roasting
on the fire
[indistinct singing]
Hang your stocking
by the bed
Don't wake up
until he's left
In the morning you will see
Presents
by the Christmas tree
If you're good
it won't be long
Sing
this little Christmas song
[music continues]
Santa Clause is coming
Ding-dong
Coming to see you
Dinga-ling
Santa Clause is on his way
Ding-dong
All the presents
in his sleigh
Santa Clause is coming
Ding-dong
Coming to see you
Dinga-ling
Santa Clause is on his way
Ding-dong
All the presents
in his sleigh
Santa Clause is coming
Ding-dong
Coming to see you
Dinga-ling
Santa Clause is on his way
Ding-dong
All the presents
in his sleigh
Ooh aah ooh aah
Ooh aah ooh aah
[music continues]