Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Gingerbread junkie

There are few things that make your apartment smell as delicious as baking gingerbread. An annual gingerbread house party is a serious tradition in my family, and we usually make giant houses using the custom cookie cutters designed by my stepfather.

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This year, due to time restraints, we scaled it back and used the Martha Stewart gingerbread house pattern. The houses are teeny tiny and cute. I used her dough recipe too, and I highly recommend it. Very spicy and it rolls out great. Just make sure you chill it well or you'll end up with a big sticky mess.

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We do not glue our houses together with royal frosting, because we are hardcore and we use caramelized sugar. That's right - boiling hot syrupy sugar, which will give you burns like you have never experienced. It is probably one of the strongest substances known to man. I think they would use it to build real houses except it is too dangerous. I wish I could find the picture of me from last year, holding our house upside down by one wall to demonstrate the sturdiness. Amazing. I won't even tell you how to do it, because I don't want to be responsible for your injuries.

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The houses all set up, with an excited child as a blur

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The decorating in progress

Of course, this means I knocked out my two biggest holiday traditions in one weekend. Do any of you lovely readers have fun traditions you participate in every year?

22 comments:

  1. you, lady, are insanely awesome and inspiring. i have never made gingerbread houses, but now i really want to. love this and the last post too!!!!!!

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  2. This is so fun...I used to make gingerbread houses with my grandparents, what lovely memories this evokes!! They look delicious : )
    Katie

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  3. Amazing! What a fun tradition!
    Our tradition is a lot more simple: after we decorate the tree, we turn off all the other lights, drink egg nog, admire our decorating skills, and make toasts.

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  4. just looking at these pictures makes my mouth water and i have to say, the tiny houses really were darling and much more manageable.

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  5. How cute! My family has always opted for the graham cracker route, but I've always wanted to try building a true gingerbread house

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  6. Wow, now that is my kind-a-junkie! Was that at your place, you brave woman. I love the black garbage bag flooring. Were you ever a teacher? You have such a gift!

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  7. These are so darling :) I'm impressed with the adhesive qualities of the frosting!

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  8. Wow, you all really do go all out! Decorating gingerbread houses is such a fun holiday tradition, I hope my family has time to do it this year. Our usual tradition is making peppermint hot cocoa while decorating the Christmas tree and watching It's a Wonderful Life or A Christmas Story on tv.

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  9. dear rachel, you are really amazing. :-)
    sandy

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  10. I attended one of your gingerbread house parties years ago. I can attest to your awesomeness! The hard candy windows were fascinating! I'm so glad you guys found a way to make it happen this year!

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  11. Holy Moses, I want to make gingerbread houses with you. This is crazy hardcore and I love it.

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  12. I can't believe you made ALL those houses - you are incredible. I am exhausted just thinking about it.

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  13. The houses are adorable and a great size. Isn't it great to have 2 parties in 1?!

    Did you make all of the houses before your friends arrived?

    One of the hardest things for me would be to keep the candy out of my mouth.

    Thanks for sharing. xoxo

    PS- how is your stepdad doing?

    You are very talented!

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  14. wow. that is amazing that you coudl pull that off. i buy the kits-but that looks easier then I would have imagined? maybe you just made it look easy?! I am so sad that I can not eat it(gluten free-here). Looks so yummy!!

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  15. Uh, wow. This looks like so much fun!

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  16. What fun! I love all the candies lined up on the table. Yum.

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  17. Oh my goodness! Look at the precision engineering! Simply amazing. Every year my fam does gingerbread houses too, and you can imagine how competitive it gets in a family of civil engineers! and of course as you might imagine, I'm more into the decorating than the construction ;)

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  18. Oh my goodness! Look at the precision engineering! Simply amazing. Every year my fam does gingerbread houses too, and you can imagine how competitive it gets in a family of civil engineers! and of course as you might imagine, I'm more into the decorating than the construction ;)

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  19. Oh, wow! Those are incredible. I can almost smell the gingerbread baking ( or wish I did!). My one attempt to make one of these was quite disastrous.

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  20. This looks so fun! I need to remember this for next year and host a gingerbread house decorating party myself!!

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