An Ulster County artist will put his skills to the test in Food Network’s “Holiday Baking Championship,” airing tonight at 9 p.m.

Matt Maley has been building gingerbread houses since 2017 after visiting Mohonk Mountain House with his wife.

What You Need To Know

  • Matt Maley has been building gingerbread houses since 2017 after visiting Mohonk Mountain House with his wife

  • He says Food Network scouted him from photos of his past entries

  • He'll appear on "Holiday Baking Championship: Gingerbread Showdown" tonight

“It was during the display period of time for the gingerbread competition,” says Maley. “Then I found out what the prize was: The first prize was [a night’s] stay at Mohonk Mountain House. So I made it a point to win that, so my wife and I could have a couple of nights up at a fantastic hotel.”

He has been competing in the Hudson Valley Gingerbread Competition ever since, where he was discovered by scouts from Food Network. He says after they saw pictures of his past entries, they contacted him to audition for the show.

“At first I thought it was just spam, so I didn't respond. Then they got a follow-up message and then an email, and I thought ‘OK, well this is legit,’ ” says Maley.

The “Holiday Baking Championship: Gingerbread Showdown” requires contestants to work in pairs, a builder and a baker, so Maley contacted his college friend, Chelle Baldwin, and asked her to join him. The duo had 10 hours to assemble and decorate an elaborate 36-inch high, 4-foot-by-4-foot gingerbread diorama.

“The time limit was crazy,” Maley says. “You think 10 hours is enough time, but it really isn't … when you're running around, and literally, you're going from a kitchen where you can reach in and grab a pizza cutter … you’re working in a studio; there's literally a half acre to run to get certain pots and pans.”

He says while the show was fun, it was not without a little drama.

“Because of the parameters, everybody's under the same time limit, so everybody has like little disasters here and there,” says Maley.

Although everyone was in it to win it, Maley says good sportsmanship was also the name of the game.

He believes his experience and training as an artist working with different media gave him a little bit of an edge on his competitors.

Three expert judges will decide who wins $10,000 worth of prizes.