The Joy of a Gingerbread House EVERYTHINGYOU DIDN’T KNOWABOUT THIS HOLIDAY TRADITION
Of the many seasonal traditions that sweep our nation, few are as creative, delicious, and satisfying as building your very own gingerbread house. Whether you’re looking to create a simple table decoration or bake a tasty treat to nibble on, everyone can enjoy this holiday activity! The Origins of Gingerbread Ginger was first cultivated in ancient China, then traded into medieval Europe. There, Europeans incorporated it into culinary traditions and used it to bake cookies into elaborate shapes and works of art, including figures of animals and people. The gingerbread house first appeared in the early 19th century in Germany. Although historians don’t know an exact date, it’s speculated that it gained popularity around the same time that “Hansel and Gretel,” the popular fairy tale recorded by the Brothers Grimm, was published. The Largest Gingerbread House In 2013, the world record for the largest gingerbread house in the world was broken. The house, topping out at 21 feet and covering 2,520
square feet, was built by Traditions Golf Club in Bryan, Texas, to raise money for a local Level II trauma center. To construct the house, builders created a recipe that required 1,800 pounds of butter, 2,925 pounds of brown sugar, 7,200 eggs, 7,200 pounds of flour, 1,080 ounces of ground ginger, and a few additional ingredients. Build Your Own! While you don’t have to challenge yourself to beat the Guinness World Record, you can still have fun creating your very own gingerbread village. Starting your gingerbread house from scratch can be a fun activity for the whole family to enjoy. Give the kids a chance to mix the ingredients, roll out the dough, and set out plenty of candies and frostings to use, and remember to have fun!
If you’re looking for unique gingerbread house ideas, take a look at 20 gingerbread house ideas at TasteofHome.com/collection/ gingerbread-houses.
Take a Break!
Cranberry Gingerbread
INGREDIENTS •
1/2 cup canola oil, plus more for greasing
•
1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped 2 cups all-purpose flour
•
3/4 cup unsulphured molasses 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• • • • • •
2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda
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1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp ground cloves
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2 large eggs
DIRECTIONS: 1. Heat oven to 350 F. 2. Grease a loaf pan with canola oil. 3. In a large mixing bowl, mix 1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
1/2 tsp kosher salt
powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients until blended. 4. Scrape batter into loaf pan and bake for 50 minutes. 5. Transfer to a rack, let cool for 20 minutes, slice, and serve.
together 1/2 cup canola oil, molasses, brown sugar, eggs, ginger, and cranberries. In a separate bowl, sift and combine flour with baking
Inspired by Food & Wine Magazine
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