What's your favorite Christmas tradition? Mine is setting up our Christmas Tree; hanging balls, ribbons and colorful blinking lights while holiday songs fill the air. It's my favorite childhood Christmas memory! The gifts under it and in my Christmas stocking were just an icing on the cake! :) This year, since I am away from home (again!), I couldn't build and decorate our artificial tree, but I got to experience another Christmas tradition for the first time! I built my own gingerbread house!
In Europe, it has been a tradition for families to build a gingerbread house days before Christmas. It is a Christmas decoration made by children using hard gingerbread as the house's walls and roof, white sugar icing as the snow, and variety of candies to make it just like the witch's house in the novel "Hansel and Gretel".
Bacolod Chk-N-BBQ House has an ongoing "Build Your Own Gingerbread House" event. It started last November 29 and will end on December 20, 2013. Gingerbread House Kits are available at the restaurant and the staff are always willing to assist first-timers like me!
I built my Gingerbread House right after we had another hearty inasal dinner. I received a box filled with hard gingerbread pieces, sugar icing in a plastic piping tube and candies. Since I'm not into baking, it wasn't just my first time to build one, it was actually my first time to use an icing tube! I stared at my kit and thought, "uh oh, I might create a disaster here!" But then, I took all the help I can get from the restaurant's staff. They gave me a step-by-step guide and placed a model house for me to follow.
I slowly and seriously assembled each part. They said I can display the house for a year, but that wasn't quite a part of my plan! The gingerbread smells so good, I had to stop myself from nibbling some of the parts while I was working on it! I knew, I'd eat my masterpiece the moment I got home! I even blurted out loud: "lagot sa akin to pag uwi". Hahah!
I was not able to make the snow-like-drippings on the roof. Blame it on the big hole that I made at the tip of the icing bag. Though my gingerbread house didn't look as good as the model house, I'm so happy with my edible artwork. This isn't a part of my Christmas tradition, but I'd love to do this year after year!
I was not able to make the snow-like-drippings on the roof. Blame it on the big hole that I made at the tip of the icing bag. Though my gingerbread house didn't look as good as the model house, I'm so happy with my edible artwork. This isn't a part of my Christmas tradition, but I'd love to do this year after year!
17 Blogger Comments
I wouldn't know that a novice like you built that gingerbread house coz it looks so perfect aready. Good job! :-)
ReplyDeleteWow, that's great to hear. :) Thanks Mich!
DeleteThis is so much fun to do! I did once a chocolate house and the end-result was really stunning especially when I added all the trimmings!
ReplyDeleteThe sugar icing makes it look really superb... and yummy. :)
DeleteOh gosh! It must be fun making it! I bet you would not want to eat it later right? Is there a way you can preserve it (like for centuries lol?)
ReplyDeleteHahaha! It's actually the other way around, Marie. I wanted to eat some of the parts while I was making it. I love gingerbread kasi (Speculoos and Lotus) :)
DeleteI think you had a great time creating yr own gingerbread house. Sana there's like that here. :)
ReplyDeleteI did! Sana nga meron dyan. The kids will love it. :)
DeleteReally? it can be displayed for a year? But I don't know if it will last that long especially if Matt is around. hehehe
ReplyDeleteallan (www.chemistdad.com)
Hehehe! Little Matt will love building and eating it for sure.
DeleteSuch a cool concept! Your house looks beautiful:)
ReplyDeleteGanda in fair! Hindi naman mukhang beginner! :D I've never tried building a gingerbread house. It looks so fun!
ReplyDeleteCute gingerbread house! What I enjoy most is putting up the belen (the nativity scene). :) And my dream is to one day build a Filipino Christmas village. :)
ReplyDeleteWow! That looks fun! Sana meron nga dito nyan.. I want to try making with my son.. hehehe
ReplyDeleteThat's so fun making your own gingerbread house. I haven't tried that as yet with the kids.
ReplyDeleteCute. For a first timer, you are good! So, did you eat it when you got home?
ReplyDeleteYou did a fantastic job of the gingerbread house... Now when do we come for tea and crumpets with the house for our final feast? :-)
ReplyDeleteEliz