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Gingerbread House Success Is Sweet

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 24, 2007

NEW PORT RICHEY - It's no easy undertaking, this building of gingerbread houses.

Debra Grice's kindergartners at Richey Elementary School recently demonstrated how icky-sticky the task can be.

There's an art, of course, to making castles, cottages, cobbled streets, country churches, airplanes, hot-air balloons, barns, shopping districts, neighborhoods and even Denver's Mile High Stadium and the Eiffel Tower. (See pictures at gingerbreadlane.com.)

The Web, that seemingly bottomless information mine, has gingerbread recipes, construction tips, photos, ready-to-buy patterns and houses to order. Here's a sampling:

BUILD A BETTER HOUSE: "The construction of your gingerbread house will closely follow the building concepts of a real house," says Peggy Trowbridge Filippone in the home cooking section of about.com. "Proper planning is essential. You can make the gingerbread ahead of time, making sure to let it thoroughly cool in a dry area before wrapping securely to store."

She offers these design and assembly tips:

•Cut the basic structure templates from poster board and test first by taping the pieces together.

•A plain box house isn't the only option. Virtually any shape is possible, from igloo to Victorian to farmhouse, to name a few.

•Prepare a base from a piece of plywood covered with foil, a large heavy platter or a baking tray.

•Maximum thickness for dough should be 3/8 inch. For houses larger than 6 inches square, use 1/4 -inch thickness. For smaller houses, use 1/8 inch. Weight-bearing walls should be slightly thicker.

•If the walls are getting a coat of icing, thin it with a few drops of water, then spread gently on the sides before assembling. Let it dry.

•Apply the "glue" icing using a pastry bag and let it sit for 30 minutes before actually assembling. This will help the pieces adhere better, resulting in a more stable structure.

•To apply candy decorations, dab a small amount of icing to the underside of the candy and hold it in place until it's set.

•Use dough scraps to roll out decorative cut-outs to be applied with icing glue. These cutouts can be impressed with designs before baking.

EASY-MAKE ICING: From among the dozens of online recipes, here's a simple one from gingerbreadlane.com. It requires three egg whites, 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar and a 16-ounce box of confectioner's powdered sugar.

After combining all ingredients in a large bowl, beat for seven minutes with an electric mixer until it's smooth and thick. A good test is when a knife blade drawn through the icing leaves a clean cut. Store in a tightly sealed container if it isn't being used right away.

DECORATING IS SWEET: Sticks of gum, chocolate bars, crackers, flat wafer candies and some cereals are good for making shutters, shingles and walkways, according to bettycrocker.com.

For window frames and panes, try sugar-coated gum squares or pretzel squares.

Doors can be fashioned from wafer cookies or pretzel, gum or cinnamon sticks.

Mixed nuts are ideal for stonework.

Landscape the home with rosemary sprigs anchored in gumdrops, upside-down ice cream cones and spearmint leaf-shaped gumdrops.

Sugar cubes and marshmallows stand in for snow and igloos.

Chopped multicolored ring-shaped hard candies can double as tree decorations and lights. For light poles and mailbox posts, try peppermint sticks anchored in gumdrops.

And for general decorating, choose from hard peppermint or cinnamon candies; candy-coated chocolate; red and black licorice bites, ropes and twists; chocolate, butterscotch and white baking chips; soft, chewy candies, such as Gummis; chocolate kisses; and flags on toothpicks.

MAKE IT LAST: "If you've created one of the seven architectural wonders of the Christmas world, you may not want to let it die a natural death," says ehow.com. "Here's how to preserve it for next year."

Basic materials are spray varnish or polyurethane, and sturdy boxes, preferably airtight.

•First, make repairs: missing candy or trim and broken porch railings, for instance.

•Remove unwanted decorative pieces and either throw them away or store separately.

•Put the gingerbread house in a warm room for at least 24 hours to dry out any lingering moisture.

•Place the dry house in a well-ventilated room and spray well with varnish. (Brush application likely will knock off a lot of candy.) Completely cover the house's interior - door frames and windows included - then do the outside.

•Allow the house to dry completely, then store it in a sturdy container in a dry place.

Compiled by Annette Mardis

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