Something about a Christmas Gingerbread house releases my inner child. Could it be all the colorful and surgary candy I use to dress the house? Maybe it's the scent of ginger, cinnamon & molasses wafting through the house that makes me think I'm in a candy store. It could also be that I can create somehting whimsical and unrealistic for the sheer enjoyment of doing it and looking at it. Whatever it is, my inner child eagerly came out to play for the December 2009 Daring Bakers' challenge because we've made gingerbread houses this month!
The December 2009 Daring Bakers’ challenge was brought to you by Anna of Very Small Anna and Y of Lemonpi. They chose to challenge Daring Bakers’ everywhere to bake and assemble a gingerbread house from scratch. They chose recipes from Good Housekeeping and from The Great Scandinavian Baking Book as the challenge recipes.
I don't remember the first time I made a gingerbread house. I know by the time I was 14 years old, I was experienced enough to be able to make three houses in one Christmas (oh to be so young and energetic). Yes, that year I made one for our family, one for my best friend's mom, and one for my boyfriend. The boyfriend didn't last. My best friend is still around and now, I help her daughter Tristen make a gingerbread house each year (we've been doing it since she was 3 and she's 11 now). As Tristen gets older, she wants all creative control of her house (seems like she's taking after her "aunt" Kathy in this sense), so I haven't actually made my own gingerbread house for quite some time. Thanks to the Daring Bakers' I had a great excuse to create my own gingerbread house.
For this gingerbread house, I used the recipe from The Great Scandinavian Baking Book, which you can find here and here. (I adjusted the recipe by adding an egg for extra moisture, and replaced the water with dark molasses for color and scent.) I made my own forms, using manilla folders, then measured, cut, and taped the forms together to make sure the house would stand up. Something I do after a few house collapses.
I doubled the recipe for the gingerbread dough, as my house was a bit bigger than the model. This came in handy, as I had a mishap with one of the roof walls. After I had just "tiled" the roof with red icing, I dropped it and splattered it and the icing all over the floor. What a mess! But, the mess you make while making the house also helps to release your inner child.
It took a while to make, about 11 hours--which includes time to make the forms, mix, roll & bake the dough, assemble the house and decorate it. I tried to make it as childlike as possible and used a fair amount of candy and red, green and white royal icing to add more color. The gingerbread house fills our real house up with the scents of spices and sugary sweets as soon as you open the door. Thanks again Anna and Y for giving me an excuse to act like a child again.
Related Posts:
Christmas Baking Memories and Snowball Cookies
Italian Biscotti from Tuscany - Cantucci
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I love the traditional Christmas colors you decorated it with and especially that window on the end--love the shape! Beautiful house! :)
Posted by: Jill | December 27, 2009 at 06:36 PM
Cute!Have you ever seen coverage of the national gingerbread house competition? There are some incredible creations.
I used to make them using leftover Halloween candy!
Posted by: Paula Aiello | December 27, 2009 at 07:36 PM
Very nice! I love the colors you used :)
Posted by: chef_d | December 27, 2009 at 07:41 PM
Your house looks so professional! I love the colours and simplicity =D. Beautiful job!
Posted by: Lauren | December 27, 2009 at 09:29 PM
Beautiful!!! One of the best I've seen in this challenge, congrats!
Posted by: Miriam/The Winter Guest | December 28, 2009 at 02:46 AM
This is an absolutely adorable looking gingerbread house. It's obvious that you had put a lot of effort into this. I totally love the colors and decoration.
Posted by: jo | December 28, 2009 at 06:00 AM
Super cute, I love the bright bold colors!
Posted by: Christi | December 28, 2009 at 11:13 AM
awesome job piping!!!
Posted by: tia | December 28, 2009 at 10:52 PM
What an adorable gingerbread house! I've never had the patience and courage to build one of these yet. Congrats on a job well done :)
Posted by: Dhale | December 29, 2009 at 06:21 AM
Beautiful house and love all your pictures.
Posted by: Sarah G | December 29, 2009 at 08:23 AM
This is gorgeous, Kathy. Thank you for sharing it.
(I'm tempted to say things about how professional it looks but of course it looks professional! You're a professional!)
Posted by: Jill Silverman Hough | December 29, 2009 at 09:44 AM
What a pretty Gingerbread House, so very 'Christmassy'...nicely done! :)
Posted by: Namratha | December 29, 2009 at 04:37 PM
I just checked all the houses on Tastespotting. Yours is my favourite. So pretty and stunning colours.
Posted by: barbara | December 29, 2009 at 05:52 PM
One of the most clean and beautiful gingerbread houses in this challenge! I'm in awe of your perfect piping. I can't pipe a clean line to save my life. Well done and Happy New Year!
Posted by: Lisa | December 30, 2009 at 02:44 AM
the decorating detail is so professional looking, and i love the window treatments!
Posted by: Lan | December 30, 2009 at 02:07 PM
What can I say? All of the comments above is exactly what I would say about this delightful gingerbread house. Its simplicity is as elegant as the sophisticated ladies of the "flapper era" -- as in F. Scott Fitzgerald's movie "The Great Gatsby".
Posted by: Jozee Pizzurro | December 30, 2009 at 03:17 PM
It's beautiful Kath!
Posted by: Shannon | January 01, 2010 at 08:27 AM
Really clean lines and piping on your house. The colors are lovely too. Well done!
Posted by: Kelly | January 05, 2010 at 02:41 PM