At Glen Lake, gingerbread creations are both challenging and rewarding.

One of the colorful gingerbread homes that were created
by Glen Lake students last year.

Glen Lake High School students are going beyond what they remember from reading Hansel and Gretel and constructing gingerbread houses of their own for the holiday season.

Teacher Amy White’s two sections of life skills students are working on 11 structures, which upon completion will find homes in businesses and gathering places throughout the county and possibly Grand Traverse County.

“It involves a whole lot of planning,” said senior Corey Frost, who spoke on behalf of his partners in the group project. Other team members are junior Katie Drzezwiecki and sophomore Cody Carlson. “As a group you have to decide if the project is ‘doable’ and come to agreement on what you want to do.”

His group is making a break from the quaint traditional design and has decided to creatively reproduce the graveyard scene from The Nightmare Before Christmas, the dark holiday comedy by Tim Burton.

“We want something different. Some that will catch your eye,” he said. “It will have headstones and a central statue … and maybe a mausoleum on the side.”

Barbara Buchan, known for her love of instrumental music and participation in the band program, is carrying her enthusiasm over to her gingerbread project. With help from seniors Margaret Gillen and Brandon Pearson, their “musical” theme gingerbread structure may be going to Marshall Music in Traverse City.

“It’s a lot of fun. I’m learning a lot from it, but I was surprised at the amount of time it consumes,” she said.

The first gingerbread is thought to have been made by Catholic monks in Europe for special holidays and festivals. Crusaders returning to Europe from the Middle East brought back spices such as ginger and the monks formed it into cakes and molds. The Brothers Grimm fairy tale, Hansel and Gretel, introduced the gingerbread house, made with large slabs of the spicy material and decorated with sweets, which attracted the lost children to the villainous witch who planned to eat them.

White’s students are limited only by their own imagination when it comes to construction.

However, there are two standards that must be met. First, the structure must fit onto a 2 x 2-foot slab of wood. Secondly, all materials must be edible even though the yummy holiday masterpieces are for the eyes only — not tummies.

“They can’t be eaten,” White said, adding that the delivery form clearly states that the creation is not edible. “The royal frosting contains raw egg and must not be eaten.”

Based on design drawings, the teenagers determine the size and number of gingerbread slabs needed for construction. Then, they make and bake the spicy baked goods which will serve as the building blocks for the structure.

Timing is everything when it comes to the cakes. Too much time in the oven will make them brittle. Too little, and they won’t hold up. After cooling, the structure takes shape as students attach them with the special frosting made of powdered sugar and egg whites.

“It’s like mortar or glue,” Frost said.

Then … time to decorate. The students’ supply stockpile includes, but is not limited to: sugar cubes,
chocolate bars, gum, Starbursts and foil-wrapped candies that look like presents and marzipan, a confectionery paste made of almonds, sugar and eggs.

“They learn about baking, cake decorating and candy making,” said White, who is in her 15th year of the gingerbread project.

Students began baking the gingerbread this week with the completed projects to be delivered just prior to the holiday break.

“It’s a little daunting. I’m kind of nervous, “ Buchan said. “But, I think it’ll be OK.”

Click here to see more gingerbread houses. 

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 Favorite candies, snacks for decorating

Many popular snack food and candies can be used to help decorate a gingerbread house. Here are a few examples:
• Pretzel sticks— good for fences and log piles.
• Candy pebbles — chimney stones or accent on house, front or back.
• Licorice bites/twisted rope — bricks or lattice.
• Round-swirled red and white peppermint candies— accent around the house border, stack for fence post.
• Ice cream cones — cover in frosting for trees; turrets for house.
• Round cookies — whimsical accent or as wheels for a cart or as round window accent.
• Flat almonds, candy canes or other nuts — roofing materials.
• Shredded wheat — good for hay in a barnyard scene or roof material.
• Wafer cookies— build a porch, steps or walkway.
Others: gum drops, M & Ms, red hots, Chiclets, marshmallows, little candy fruits.

Gingerbread Recipe

Gingerbread Dough Recipe

6 cups flour
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups corn syrup
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup margarine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir the dry ingredients together in a larger bowl.

Combine corn syrup, sugar, and margarine in a Dutch oven. Stir constantly over medium heat until margarine is melted.

Stir dry ingredients in liquid gradually. Mix well using hands to mix as dough becomes stiff. Cool the dough until it is easy to handle. Roll the dough out to a 1/8-inch thickness. Using patterns provided, cut rolled out dough into the required shapes. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Check for air bubbles during baking and poke them with a sharp knife or a toothpick. when baking is done, slide gingerbread onto counter to cool. Make sure all pieces are lying flat. Check pattern and repeat if necessary.

Royal Icing Recipe

4 cups powdered sugar
3 egg whites at room temperature

Sift the powdered sugar to remove lumps. Place egg whites in a mixer bowl. Add sugar. When all of the sugar is incorporated, turn mixer on high and beat mixture until thick and very white. Mixture will hold a peak. This process should take 5 to 7 minutes. When finished, cover icing tightly with a damp cloth or plastic wrap as it dries very quickly and will form a crust.

To tint icing, use a small amount of color at a time. Paste food colors will not change the consistency of the icing as liquid colorings will. You only need to add a small amount to make a pastel color. For a quarter cup of icing, dip the tip of a toothpick into the color and then into the icing. Stir well. If you desire more color, dip again, gradually. For strong colors such as red, royal blue, and dark purple, you will need 1/8 teaspoon to 1/4 icing. Add more or less as you desire.

NOTE: If you plan to make several colors, a muffin tin makes a handy palett.