Edible Engineering

Test your architectural talents or begin your architectural career and make a gingerbread structure! All you need to do is design your structure ahead of time to determine the dimensions, bake your gingerbread structure and mix up your frosting glue. Add candy or other edible decorations to wow your friends and family. Please be sure to send me a photo!!!!

Gingerbread Recipe (from Fannie Farmer)- it is best to make the dough a day ahead for best results

1) Heat: 1 cup molasses

2) Add: 1/2 cup sugar, 6 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons milk

3) Let mixture cool to room temperature. This step is very important

4) Once the mixture is cooled add sifted: 4 cups flour, 1 teaspoon of: baking soda, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, powdered cloves & powdered ginger

5) Knead and hand- form to soften dough. Make sure dough is not too crumbly nor too sticky.

6) Cool dough in Saran wrap in the refrigerator for several hours (like overnight).

7) Flour a counter surface and roll out to a desired thickness.

8) Draw & cut out patterns on a piece of paper. I find opening up a paper grocery bag works well for larger sizes.

9) Place the outlines on the cookie dough and cut onto the dough.

10) Bake at 375 degrees around 8 minutes until the cookies are delicately brown

Frosting

1) Add: 3 egg whites to 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar.

2) Gradually add in 1 pound of powdered sugar while beating the mixture.

3) Beat mixture until it becomes stiff.

4) Add food coloring to color the building "glue".

Construction

1) Use string to tie pieces together and other supports while the "glue" dries.

2) After the structure has set for an hour or two and is solid you may begin decorating.

Below are a few of the yearly gingerbread structures made with my family:

2023 Tsungaru, Japan

Sister city to Bath ME. Peace pagoda, dragon, Buddha & Santa & koi pond.

2022 New Town Hall Hannover, Germany

We tripled the gingerbread recipe and doubled the icing recipe. 8 bags of candy.

2021 LLBean

We doubled the gingerbread recipe and doubled the icing recipe. Boot and lots of candy.

2020 Covid Quarantine Montage

Kept it simple (no eating party) with single gingerbread and the icing recipes.

Essential workers, Covid puppy, surgical face mask, colorful toilet paper, Maine shark attacks and of course Zoom conference calls.

2019 Aztec Sun Temple

We doubled the gingerbread recipe and doubled the icing recipe. Aztec god, 3- tiered temple and high priest. Constructed with 6 types of candy.

2018 Patten Free Library (Bath, ME)

We tripled the gingerbread recipe and doubled the icing recipe. Fountain with landscaping, candy cane gazebo and super- sloped tower roof. Constructed with 10 types of candy.

2017 Pirate Ship

We doubled the gingerbread recipe and doubled the icing recipe. Skull Island with lighthouse, mermaids floating in a candy sea, pirates with swords and peg legs. Some 13 types of candy used including the sail made of Fruit Roll Ups.

2016 DDG- 1000 (USS Zumwalt)

We tripled the gingerbread recipe & doubled the icing recipe. We used 7 different kinds of candy for the house. Included are the Bath Iron Works assembly building, crane with Christmas tree, docks, kayaker, sailboat, whale and shark.

2015 Mr. Nicholson's new home

We tripled the gingerbread recipe & doubled the icing recipe. We used 10 different kinds of candy for the house. Included are a snowman, deer, apple trees, smoking chimney and edible family members.

2014 Elsa's Castle from Frozen

We doubled the gingerbread recipe & tripled the icing recipe. We used 9 bags of candy for this beast. The castle sides needed a fourth side because they are not sturdy enough and want to snap off without supports. Included are Elsa on the balcony, Sven, Kristoff, Olaf and the Snow Monster. This was the year Phoebe stealthily crawled onto the table to start eating the castle.