From gingerbread houses to gingerbread people, the options are endless! Have you already been decorating gingerbread this year? Need inspiration, check out some tips and tricks below or at https://bit.ly/MFSEGingerbread911
A little gingerbread history...
It is believed gingerbread was first baked in Europe at the end of the 11th century
Nuremberg was recognized as the "Gingerbread Capital of the World" in the 1600s
Gingerbread figurines date back to the 15th century, and figural biscuit-making was practised in the 16th century
In the 17th century only professional gingerbread bakers were permitted to bake gingerbread except at Christmas and Easter, when anyone was allowed to bake it
The tradition of making decorated gingerbread houses started in Germany in the early 1800s
In 2013, a group in Bryan, Texas, USA, broke the Guinness World Record set the previous year for the largest gingerbread house, with a 2,520-square-foot (234 m2) edible-walled house in aid of a hospital trauma centre
Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUnRtGH7gmE
The Storebought Kit...
Starter kit:
1x cabin set (including structure, glue mix and candy)
1x Baking glue (ready to use)
1x Decor kit (including candy and red, green and white icing)
How to hack the kit?
Experiment with different food (for textures)
Decorate the structure as the pieces lay flat (better results), then assemble the masterpiece
POWDERED SUGAR!
Tips & tricks to make the process enjoyable:
Prep the work station beforehand with all the tools and supplies needed
Build your creation in a baking sheet (so you can move it elsewhere whenever you have to)
Keep the instructions from the package/box (just in case)
Manage expectations (of self and others in your family, especially if you are doing this activity with your kids)
Have fun!
Decorating with Kids...
If you buy a pre-assembled kit, check the day before to make sure it's not broken. Repair any broken pieces with icing, leaving for at least two hours before decorating.
Tips for getting set up
Have extra icing on hand - different colours
Use small dishes or cupcake liners for little fingers to easily grab candies
Use a rotating cake stand to easily spin the Gingerbread house
Have a range of tools available for icing
Down to the decorating:
Let kids take the lead on how they want to decorate - ours picked sides & negotiated candy trades
Icing - holes may need to be cut larger at the top for small people to squeeze the icing out
Candy cane pieces were sticky & not easy to work with
Larger jube jubes needed more icing & to be held in place for a few seconds longer to stick
Suggest taking breaks for littles or you may need to help finish
Embrace the chaos & have fun!
Tips for a successful (and fun) activity with a small human
Choose an easy enough project
Say YES to sugar! (feed those candy to your small human)
Offer alternatives to eat, such as cookies (to avoid meltdowns because they can't bite into that beautiful house you just finished...yet!)
Manage expectations. Your small human might be bored after 5 mins and it is OK!;-)
Sustainable Construction...
Minimize waste by giving a 2nd life to items in your possession. Here are some ideas:
Sturdy cardboard box (for the frame)
Beer caps and/or wine/Champagne corks
Buttons
Cotton balls
Baby ''Squeeze'' Pouch Caps
Outdoor Greenery
Liquid Chalk Pen
Any other arts & crafts material
NOTE: You will need a hot glue gun & glue sticks to make it work.
You can make and save decorations that look just like gingerbread houses using wooden bird houses, spray paint and joint compound! Check out the KWENDY HOME blog for instructions. https://thekwendyhome.com/blog/gingerbread-houses-diy
Recipes...
Sally's Gingerbread House Recipe and Tutorial https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/gingerbread-house/
Gluten Free Vegan Gingerbread House Recipe https://addictedtodates.com/vegan-gingerbread-house/
BEST Decoration ideas for your creation!
Air heads | Gingerbread men/trees to add to scene | Pretzels for a fence |
Andes Mints | Gingerbread shaped marshmallows | Rainbow nerds |
Any festive holiday candies! | Gum | Red & green licorice |
Candy Canes | Gumdrops | Red & green sour tape |
Candy Icicles and Bricks | Hershey’s Kisses | Red & green M&Ms |
Caramels | Holiday Hershey’s Hugs | Red and green spice drops |
Cereal | Hot Tamales | Red Hots |
Chocolate Bars | Icing decorations such as these snowflakes | Ribbon candy |
Chocolate chips | Jelly Beans | Seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, etc.) |
Chocolate Pretzels | Jimmies | Shredded Wheat |
Chocolate rocks | Kisses & Hugs | Sifted powdered sugar and cotton candy to look like snow |
Christmas Captain Crunch with tree shapes | Kit Kat Bars | Silver balls |
Christmas Sprinkles | Lifesavers | Skittles |
Cinnamon sticks | M&Ms | Smarties |
Coconut flakes for “snow” | Malt balls & chocolate covered Nuts | Snow frosting and confetti |
Colored frosting | Marshmallow snowmen | Sour straws |
Colored gumballs | Marshmallows | Spice drops and dots |
Colored sprinkles | Mini candy canes | Sprinkles |
Crackers | Mini chocolate chips | Sprinkles and dots |
Crystal like sprinkles for a special touch of snow | Mini cookies | Star shaped cookies |
Cut out fruit strips into shapes | Mini marshallows | Starburst |
Dots | Necco wafers | String licorice |
Dried fruits | Nerds | Sugar cone covered in frosting to make a tree |
Edible metallic beads/dragees (I use Sweetapolita | Nonpareils | Sugar free candies |
Edible glass candy | Nuts | Sweet tarts and those candy necklace candies |
Fresh fruit | Oreo cookies | Swirled red and white mints |
Fresh herbs | Peppermint swirl cookies | Teddy Grahams |
Fruit Loops and Crunch Berries | Peppermints | Tootsie roll for a chimney, pretzel squares for windows |
Fruit Rollups | Pirouettes | Tootsie fruit |
Fruit Strips | Popcorn | Twizzlers |
Gingerbread Cookies | Pretzel Sticks | Various sprinkles |
Gingerbread Man Decor | Pretzels | |
Complimentary Details...
We challenged some youth in Riga to create characters to add to their gingerbread houses!
Their recommendations...
Working with pretzels was not as easy as it looks. The pretzels break and can be frustrating.
Use fondant icing for decorative elements as it is workable like playdough.
Mini marshmallows hold together very well with glue.
Use high quality decorative gel for details. Be sure it is thick enough for precision work.
BEST tips!
Gingerbread is susceptible to moisture. If you try to make the house on a day when it is humid, the results will be more crumbly. The pieces will also be softer and won’t stand up to house making as well.
Unwrap the candies and have a sort of production line process going. Doing this helps to cut down on the time that it takes to make a gingerbread house.
The icing needs to set for at least a few hours and sometimes over night. If you plan to bake your gingerbread from scratch, you will need an extra day.
Making fallen snow!
The perfect gingerbread house has character. Nothing sets the scene for a winter scene more than fallen snow. Add the look of freshly fallen snow by using a sugar duster or small sieve to sprinkle the house with confectioner’s sugar.
A muffin tin is the perfect container to hold all the candy and toppings so they are handy when you need them.
To keep your frosting from going hard while you work, add a moist kitchen towel over the bowl as you work on the house.
Decorate the pieces first!
If you assemble the plain edges of the gingerbread house and allow it to set, it’s a little more awkward to decorate the sides, particularly the lower edges.
The frosting should be almost as thick as modelling clay or poster putty. If it is runny at all, the house will not stick together.
Shortening - DO NOT substitute butter. Butter can't give this gingerbread the sturdiness it has to have to hold up. Also, do not substitute coconut oil. You absolutely must use shortening.
Also….Gingerbread creations do not have to be just houses. Think outside the box. You can even make a cute gingerbread Train that would delight young kids (or those young at heart!).