We Love Gingerbread Houses

Linus's creation
had an amazing
set of storylines

I think I never did post last year's gingerbread.  And, now that I think about it -- the year before.  Darn.  We love our annual gingerbread-making for the Waldorf Winter Faire, but it's such a busy time of the year, it's hard to get to that last step.  I'll start with 2015 (and see how many other years I can dig up). 

This year both kids went with kits.  Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't.  It all depends on what's driving their vision at the time. 2015 was about buckets of candy.

This is one of our very favorite family traditions.  We keep threatening to do it during the year, too.  The possibilities really open up when one leaves December and snow...

Sela's bears warm their
paws at the fire
after a nice skate

I like to try something new every year.

Gingerbread in an igloo pan (I KNEW

I needed it).  I made it the day before the auction and titled it "Tonight's Dessert."

I really hope they cut into it that night and enjoyed it!

The trees are ice cream cones with icing, the wreath is a spearmint gumdrop cut into small pieces, the light strings are licorice wheels from World Market.  I have no idea what those little colored balls are called -- they are personally delivered by my Gingerbread Organizer Extraordinaire friend every year.  A light dusting of powdered sugar -- I mean, snow -- finishes it off.

I tried the "grease & sugar" method for this cake -- turned out great!

Make & Listen Along with Simple Thing Notebook

I've been wanting to join Dawn for Make & Listen Along at Simple Things Notebook for ages.  Yesterday I finally made it happen!  (Christmas miracles, I tell you.  Christmas miracles.)

Three cheers for Dawn, for Christmas, for gingerbread, for creativity, for a cozy house on a cold day, for candles, and for Harry Connick, Jr.'s What A Night!

Cookie Building

 

The Christmas season just wouldn't be quite the same without our gingerbread creations. 

 

We tried some new things this year, and as you can see, we needed to be sure we had a nice, sturdy icing for it...

 

I found a fantastic recipe on about.com --

Beat together on high for 7-10 minutes: 1 lb. confectioner's sugar, 3 egg whites & 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar.

 

We use sealable plastic bags with a tiny bit of the corner snipped off as pastry bags.

Can you spot Santa Bear on the roof?
Teddy Bears sledding?
Bears caroling around the Christmas tree?

 

Away in a Gingerbread



To get all these cookies to stand up, I made paper templates for stands.  Using the cookie cutter height as my guide, I cut triangles and labeled them.  Some templates could be used for multiple cookies.  People got one stand each, animals got two.

I got better & better at it as I went along.  This was the winning combination -- so fast & easy once I figured it out!

 

Hold your cookie in the correct spot & pipe a line of icing where the base of the stands will go.   

Remove the cookie and pipe icing where stands will touch the back of the cookie, as well as on the bottom of the cookie, where it will touch your plate.

Place your cookie in front of the piped lines on your plate.

Place a plain, uniced stand on the plate & against the cookie.

Repeat with the second stand.

 

Voila!

This icing recipe made it very sturdy once it dried.

It's definitely the one we'll use next year.

(And, now I'll know where to find it, too.  My gift from me, to me.)

Happy creating!

Lights and Display Contest

S and I set out to make our gingerbread houses for the Camellia Waldorf Winter Faire, organized by my amazing friend.  Charged to make something "different from the box," I was inspired by my children.  After all, L's name was suggested by big sis after watching "A Charlie Brown Christmas" during a queasy first few months of pregnancy.  He's a very sweet guy & there are others with the name, too... it stuck.

I was hopeful about my beginning...

Feeling good after light mist from

spray bottle left over from scorching 1st birthday party helped my "roof" to stick.

Phew.

Ok...  This looks like Snoopy's doghouse.  Now for the show.

Feeling good!

Ta-daaaa!

View from behind - I had to include because

I just love the lights!

S's gingerbread cottage is the third from the left, on the cake stand.

You really should come check out the show and silent auction next year.

Really, you should enter a gingerbread creation!

Sky's the limit...

Kids create their own at the gingerbread workshop at the Faire.

S's sweet (hee-hee) cottage.

What fun!

Counting my blessings... and gingerbreads

'Tis the season for gingerbread!

Waldorf Winter Faire Gingerbread (Streng Brothers?)

Whoville Gingerbread (won in a silent auction)


Gingerbread House a la Sela & Dafna!

(Smells & tastes as good as it looks)

Light Cruise Gingerbread Village on Eastern Avenue

Surprisingly Delicious Gingerbread in a Box

... and Shopping Gingerbread

Warm wishes for a sweet & joyful holiday!