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I want to build a gingerbread house. What are some good resources?

I love gingerbread houses, too, and since having children I can now fully dive into the fun every year without being critical of what it looks like. Some pastry chefs and enthusiasts really get into detail and I'm so amazed at the workmanship of these would-be architects and designers; some of the buildings look move-in ready for very fortunate gingerbread people.

The first place to look for resources is the library because, if you are lucky, you may find lots of books about gingerbread building without forking over an arm and a leg. Or maybe just one book in particular that is out of print: The Gingerbread Book by Steven Stellingwerf. Recipes, history, templates and examples, a great way to introduce yourself to gingerbread house construction (or maybe a carousel or gazebo). Do a search on Amazon.com and Ebay and you are inundated with kits, molds, books and more.

Below are some templates, recipes and such that I have found on the internet over time. The first section has files in .pdf, .ppt and .doc formats so that you can print them off and use the templates and have hard copies of the recipes and instructions. The rest are recipes, templates and info all about gingerbread houses. Take a look at them and experiment with the recipes to find the one that you like the best.

My tips:

These links accurate as of 11-29-06.

For download: Complete gingerbread projects with recipes, templates and more.

.pdf format, Powerpoint .ppt and Word .doc formats:

  1. Complete how to from King Arthur Flour: the basics, templates, recipes, pictures, and diagrams.
  2. Another complete how to from fashion-era.com: pictures, recipes, and the assembly of the house.
  3. From Bakersfield College, here is a recipe for gingerbread, suggestion for chocolate glue instead of meringue, template, plus other candy recipes.
  4. From Kendall College, how to make a cardboard gingerbread house, for kids to decorate.
  5. About.com guide for building gingerbread houses.
  6. Mr. Food and Recipelink.com: gingerbread house template, recipe and instructions.
  7. Martha Stewart Sugar Cube house (I know it's not gingerbread, but it's cute.)
  8. Powerpoint presentation on building a gingerbread house from the computer science student's page of BYU.

HTML:

  1. Tips and such from HGTV: links, recipes, pictures and tips.
  2. List of ingredients, pattern, recipes and assembly from Dinner Co-op.
  3. The annual gingerbread house from Good Housekeeping.
  4. From Texascooking.com, gingerbread house recipe and instructions.
  5. Gingerbread recipes, pictures, templates and examples.
  6. Betty Crocker's Haunted Gingerbread House.
  7. Craftown's recipe, instruction and link for template.
  8. Templates and recipe from foodnetwork.com.
  9. Family Fun's kid's first gingerbread house: info, recipes and assembly.
  10. Bon Appétit's gingerbread class on epicurious.com.
  11. Building a gingerbread house with pictures and recipes: kitchengifts.com.
  12. Necco wafer's gingerbread house recipe and instructions.
  13. Recipes, blueprints and templates to print, instructions and more: Gingerbread 101 from Celebrating-Christmas.com.
  14. Gingerbread house for kids made out of graham crackers, from Zoom tv
  15. From iparty.com, links for .pdf files for the recipe and instructions and the templates for a gingerbread house.
  16. Template, recipe and instructions for a house from Jamboree, a UK educational site.
  17. An ambitious haunted gingerbread house, using sugar dough.

Templates only:

pdf. format:

  1. C&H Sugar: A large gingerbread house: simple roof, sides and front/back, ready for cutout.
  2. Gingerbread house pattern from a professor at BYU.
  3. Bob Vila's Colonial Style Gingerbread House template.
  4. From FamilyFun, a gingerbread train template including engine, caboose, and coal and lumber cars.
  5. Taste of the South magazine's link to a gingerbread house template.

HTML:

  1. From StarChefs.com, .gif format templates to print out for templates.
  2. Many templates and patterns for unique houses from Frankysattic.com.
  3. Gingerbread house template from GingerbreadLane.com.
  4. Martha Stewart's gingerbread house template.
  5. Grainfields.com's template for a gingerbread house, in .jpg form.

Recipes only:

  1. All In One Bake Shop in Austin, Tx: recipe for gingerbread plus other sweets.
  2. Gingerbread men recipe.
  3. From GingerbreadLane.com, recipes for gingerbread, icing and instructions.

Other instructions, pictures, etc:

and html files:

  1. From C&H Sugar, construction tips for gingerbread houses.
  2. Putting the house together, from Mary Ellen and HGTV.
  3. If you are wanting to preserve it, tips for preserving yours from GingerbreadLane.com.
  4. Preserving and saving gingerbread houses from ehow.com.
  5. From Hotels.About.com, some gingerbread ideas pre and post construction.

 

Looking for inspiration? Go to Frankys Attic and look at the many examples.

Good luck and have fun....


 

Copyright © 2006 Beach Cuisine® Inc and Renee Shelton.