Get into the holiday spirit with a peek at these edible constructions
By Olivia Putnal Posted December 15, 2009 from WomansDay.com
You probably remember your first attempt at baking and decorating a gingerbread house as a kid. Or maybe you’re gearing up to try it this year with your own little ones. A favorite holiday tradition for some, building gingerbread houses is a competition for others. From the White House to Fenway Park, the pros have sculpted some of the most immaculate houses, mansions and other famous places using pounds of gingerbread and lots of candy. Take a look at these nine confectionery creations that would even make Hansel and Gretel jealous.
Molasses Mansion
Pat Kilkenny so loved this mansion made of gingerbread and molasses that he had to snap a photo while it was on display at the Cleveland Botanical Garden for the annual Holiday CircleFest. Built by Jeanne Menger, Joyce Braun, Christine McLaughlin and Susan Cyphers, the house was entered into the WinterShow gingerbread house competition. Photo courtesy of Pat Kilkenny via Flickr.com.
Fenway Park
The winners of the 2008 Boston Christmas Festival Gingerbread House Competition, David Topian, Angela Ernst and Brian Harper of Legal Sea Foods built this replica of the city’s beloved Fenway Park—home of the Red Sox—and earned both the “Best in Show” and the “Kids Choice” awards.Photo courtesy of The Boston Christmas Festival.
Row Houses
Barry Parsons found inspiration for this trio of Victorian-style row homes in his St. John’s, Newfoundland, neighborhood. Every year his family works together to build a gingerbread house, often spending 40 to 60 hours to complete it, then they donate the house to be raffled off at a local school fundraiser. Photo courtesy of Barry C. Parsons.
Bear’s House
Rebecca Russell specializes in gingerbread creations and cake toppers, among many other things. For this adorable “Bear House,” she used different shades of gingerbread, which Russell created by using different amounts of spices and molasses. Complete with bears made from gum paste and royal icing along with paw prints made from leftover gingerbread dough, the house is fit for Goldilocks! Photo courtesy of Rebecca Russell.
Winchester Mansion
One of the most famous tourist attractions in San Jose, California, the Winchester Mystery House—which is rumored to be haunted—displays this gingerbread replica of the house in its gift shop. The confectionery version took over 400 hours to construct, 84 cups of gingerbread, 34 cups of icing and 31 bags of candy for the lawn. Photo courtesy of Kelly Ness via Flickr.com.
Bronx Castle
Mother-daughter baking team Kaye and Liv Hansen from the Riviera Bakehouse in Ardsley, New York, put together this snow-covered castle for the 2007 Gingerbread Adventures exhibit at The New York Botanical Garden. The duo’s work has earned their bakery a placement in the “Best of Westchester” list by Westchester Magazine since 2003. Photo courtesy of Liv and Kaye Hansen.
Wooden Cottage
Complete with sheets of snow on the ground and a dinner table set for two inside, this gingerbread house truly looks like it is made out of wood. In actuality, the cottage is made from gingerbread, cookie mix and candy. The house, made by Patricia Howard of the Orlando area won the grand prize in the 2006 National Gingerbread Competition in Asheville, North Carolina. Photo courtesy ofThe Grove Park Inn.
Classic Victorian House
Another winner at the National Gingerbread Competition in Asheville, North Carolina, this festive home (and lighthouse!) looks as if real snow flurries have fallen on it. The house was presented in 2008 with a beautiful red roof made of red licorice sticks. Photo courtesy of The Grove Park Inn.
White House
No gingerbread house list would be complete without the most famous home in the nation. Former White House pastry chef Thaddeus DuBois created this annual gingerbread replica, which was on display in the State Dining Room during the holidays in 2005. Photo by Getty Images.
