“Had I but a penny in the world, thou shouldst have it for gingerbread.” – William Shakespeare
Whether you are planning or entering a gingerbread contest, it’s a fun, sugary confection of an event. Here are some ways to get started.
Holding a Contest
If you are in charge of planning a gingerbread contest, here are a few tips. First, you will want to create age categories; for example, Children 3-6, 7-11 and 12-16, and Adults. Make the rules simple; they could include that the houses must be completely edible. Advertise your contest by doing an easy one-paragraph news release stating the entry deadline, age categories, and dates and times of the event. Decide if the contest will be judged or if people who come to see the houses can vote on their favorite. Award prizes in each category. Determine whether you will be raffling the houses or whether they will be returned to contestants.
Entering a Gingerbread Contest
There are gingerbread kits available in grocery stores at the holidays. If you are a beginner, the kit is a good way to start; it includes walls, icing, decorations and instructions. To be sure your house doesn’t look like all the others, though- go to a candy shop or store candy section and pick out some different types of candies to decorate your house (definitely include candy canes). Don’t just use candy… there are many types of cookies, nuts, and pretzels that will make your house unique. Also purchase some confectioners sugar; making it ‘snow’ all over your gingerbread scene hides a lot of mistakes and ties the look of the house together. Important Tip: let your newly constructed house ‘dry’ overnight before decorating it to avoid collapse!
Advanced Gingerbread 101
If you are ready to take it to the next level of gingerbread competition, start by making your house unique. Buy a few boxes of graham crackers and use these to create your house. Find an ‘inspiration’ building- a Victorian or Colonial or a church, and print a photo of it; it will help you design your ‘architecture’. Unique use of candy and other edible materials will be what sets your gingerbread house apart from the pack. Walk down the cookie, chips and pretzels and baking aisles at your grocery store and be creative with foods. Pretzel logs make great ‘woodpiles,’ Necco candies make adorable ‘roof tiles,’ and Hershey bar squares are perfect for doors and windows.
Going All the Way
There’s no limit to creativity in a gingerbread contest. Serious gingerbread contenders can try making completely different types of designs- a two or three story building, a barn, a train, Santa’s sleigh…there are endless possibilities of gingerbread architecture.
Other tricks of the trade include making ‘stained glass windows’ out of Fruit Roll-ups, outlining doors and windows with red shoelace licorice, using marshmallows for chimney smoke, Frosted shredded wheat cereal for rooftops, and Christmas Peeps snowmen and trees for accessories.
Most importantly, have fun!
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