The 2012 Gingerbread House - The Snow Cottage

Has anybody seen the advert for John Lewis this Christmas??  I haven't meet a person yet who doesn't love it. Hubby and I love it so much that we had to try and include the snow couple in this year's gingerbread masterpiece.  For anybody outside of the UK you can see the ad below!



For this years house I went back to the very beginning of my gingerbread baking experience and used the recipe from the Gingerbread Architect cookbook, a fab little book that I would highly recommend for anyway with a keen interest in making gingerbread houses from scratch.  This dough does expand a wee bit on baking, even after sitting in the fridge for 30 mins prior to baking, but I can live with it.  Previous gingerbread dough recipes have resulted with far less pleasing results.

The Snow Couple

When all is said and done I am really pleased with the end results, its my best house yet!  That sounds really big headed of me, and that isn't the intention, but I think that gingerbread house baking ... and constructing ... and decorating, gets a bit easier the more practice you have at it.  Again, quite a big headed statement given that this is only the fourth house ever made in the Chocolate Teapot kitchen, not counting the mini cup sitting ones which really need to be made again!!

So, the 2012 Gingerbread House has some of the same features as last year;

• The 'Dangler-less' Nutcracker is still the Gingerbread House Keeper
• The stained-glass windows have again been made with thanks to leaves of gelatine cut to size
• The yard is filled with Christmas Tree meringues, which have been dipped in white chocolate this year to represent snow capped trees.

New for this year;

• The house pattern has been used from the Good Food Magazine, December 2012 issue.
• In keeping with the cottage theme, the roof has been created using shredded wheats - cranberry flavoured to be precise!  This was then covered with some thinly rolled fondant to look like snow.  If you look carefully you can see some freshly fallen snowflakes on the roof still ;0
• The snow couple are made from fondant too.  To make the Snowladies hat, scarf and mittens I coloured white fondant with red food paste.
• The shutters on the windows have been made with sticks of chewing gum cut to size.  Snowflake accents were glued on then the whole lot covered with more glue and edible glitter was then sprinkled over.
• The curvey path is made with silver sugar crystals I picked up at a cake supply shop.

Have you heard about the Gingerbread Link Up happening over at Turquoise Lemons?  If you have made a gingerbread house for Christmas then head over to link your construction up with all the other fantastically creative houses being made at this time of year ... that is where the Snow Cottage is headed right now.  This is a great idea being hosted by Kate from Turquoise Lemons, Jamie from Jaim's Kitchen and Jude from A Trifle Rushed, a fantastic idea ladies, thanks for taking the time to host this link up party.