One of our favorite holiday traditions here at Sonnet Montessori is the making of gingerbread houses! During our annual Winter Solstice celebration, children and their families make milk carton gingerbread houses and for those inclined to explore their creative side at home, we have a gingerbread house contest!
Did you know that Nuremberg, Germany is the “Gingerbread Capital of the World” and that the art of gingerbread making is said to date back to the late 9th century? Apparently, in 17th century France and Germany, it was only during religious holidays that the masses could make their own gingerbread; all other times of the year it was left to the professional bakers! The tale of Hansel and Gretel popularized the confection in the 19th century and with emigration, the tradition expanded beyond Europe. The crisp gingerbread biscuits now used to frame edible houses are made from a concoction of sweetener, flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and cardamom.
Many families look forward to creating masterpieces and memories together, but even if it is a new experience for you, we hope you will make it part of your holiday season!
Gingerbread House Contest
If you’re a current enrolled Sonnet family, you’ll want to be sure to submit a photo of your masterpiece to your school director by December 28th for a chance to win TWO weeks of free tuition! Voting is open from December 28-January 3 and all entries will be posted to our social media accounts. Like and share your entry – the entry with the most reactions when voting closes on January 3rd will win!
All the inspirational photos of gingerbread houses in this blog are from prior years’ entries!
Gingerbread House Making Tips & Hacks
- Buy a kit at your local grocery store. Skip the muscle power, skill and time involved in making homemade gingerbread for your project. Buy a kit!
- “Glue” your gingerbread house together BEFORE your child starts their part of the project: plan ahead! It can take more than an hour for the “glue” to dry. You don’t want the walls caving in while your child decorates! Do yourself a favor and ensure the house is sturdy before you hand it off to your child to embellish.
Popular edible “glues” include royal icing, melted white chocolate or sugar syrup.
Hack: Consider using sugar syrup rather than the provided icing. Sugar syrup quickly hardens as it cools and can better secure the pieces of your gingerbread house together. To make sugar syrup, melt sugar on low heat on a stove, stirring constantly. When the sugar dissolves and has turned into liquid, turn off the heat and dip the edges of your gingerbread house in the syrup, then stick them together into desired shape. The syrup will be hot, so this is an “adults only” part of the assembly! The syrup will harden, so it’s best to have everything you need at hand and work quickly! - How You Assemble Matters! Start with gluing the sides to a sturdy base such as a foam board (cardboard may not be firm enough to support the weight of the gingerbread house). Allow to set before adding the roof and any remaining pieces. (Traditional weight cardboard may not be strong enough to hold the weight of the gingerbread house.)
- Decorate!It’s time for your children to unleash their creativity! They can pipe designs onto the gingerbread house with the provided icing, followed by adding edible décor.
Hack: if you need additional basic, white icing, consider purchasing “royal icing” mix from your local craft supply store – these mixes are easy to use, and usually require nothing but a couple of minutes, a hand mixer and a bit of water. - Set the scene! Shredded coconut can give the impression of snow. Flat, round edible wafers can give the effect of paving stones. Crushed graham crackers can give the appearance of gravel. Use your imagination! Blue icing or melting hard blue candies such as Jolly Ranchers can give the impression of water features.
- Hands Off! Allow the gingerbread house to dry; overnight is best.
- To eat it or not to eat it? Done feasting your eyes on your masterpiece and wondering if it’s safe to eat? The majority of people polled say gingerbread houses are decorative only, but to some, tasting their artwork is a must! If you’re planning on sampling your masterpiece, be sure to read the ingredients on your kit to ensure it is safe for ingestion; it’s best to eat a gingerbread house within a week of assembling. Consider draping a piece of plastic wrap over the house when it’s not on display to keep it dust free.
Happy Gingerbread House Making!
