CHRISTMAS RECIPES > GINGERBREAD HOUSE 101

Gingerbread House Landscaping Ideas

Trees and Bushes

Large green gum drops are well trimmed bushes, a row of them becomes a hedge. Cut them into smaller pieces to make shrubs, or stack them on top of each other for a topiary tree. Create larger fur trees by attaching small green gum drops to ice cream cones, or pipe green icing around ice cream cone trees. Trees can be also made by using the Christmas tree pattern on this page.

Ponds & Windows

To make frozen ponds or glass like windows, melt hard candies on foil covered baking sheets in the oven and let cool. Sugar candies melt when heated. Keep heating and they caramelize, creating the look of murky glass. For stain glass effect, crush colored hard candies and make little piles of three or more different colors right next to each other on the foil. As they melt, they will merge together. Use enough candy so that the finished puddle will be slightly larger than the window opening that needs the glass. When the glass cools, attach by heavily icing the inside of the window cutout and pressing the glass into place. Allow to dry before handling. On the pond... don't forget the swan!

Christmas Tree

Use this pattern to trace onto gingerbread dough, bake and cool. Cover with green icing and decorate with brightly colored candy, icing or candied fruits. Let dry, turn over, and decorate reverse side. When dry, slip the two halves together for a free standing tree. String lights around the tree by attaching small colored candies, silver dragges or colored frosting and black string licorice. Make chains by threading string licorice through colored cereal loops.

Flowers

Use frosting on green gum drop bushes. Attached flower shaped candies or kid cereals with little bits of frosting onto the green gum drop.

Garden Path

First lay down a path of frosting then press in the stones (mixed nuts, rock candy, broken crackers, etc.) or bricks (cut pieces of red licorice, red cinnamon candies, square crackers or cereal) into place.

Dirt

Use crushed crackers or cookies. Also using various colors of crushed crackers or cookies gives a gravel effect.

Fences

Use candy canes or pretzel sticks as posts or rails. Mini whole pretzels make great gates. Secure to base with frosting.

Snow

Use lots of frosting around and on top of the gingerbread house to create the look of winter. For just a light dusting of snow, sift powdered sugar over the house. If you do not have a sifter, shake a little powdered sugar through a strainer.

Icicles

Pipe white frosting through a large cake decorating tip or a large opening cut from a home made icing bag. Begin by piping just at the edge and drawing the tip slowly down to dangle over the roof. Let dry before adding more frosting if desired.