This is year #2 that I have attempted to make this Thomas Kinkade Inspired Gingerbread House.
It’s more of a winter log cabin really.
I would love to be snowed in there! I would just eat my way to freedom if I got cabin fever!
But seriously, I have always loved the Thomas Kinkade winter paintings so naturally I wanted to model my gingerbread house this way.
Last year I was just too pressed for time and that’s not a good thing when you need at least an entire day to pull off this project! (For me it took closer to 3 days total)
I actually started this house last week, since I had to design my own template.
So before you start anything: It’s scissors, rulers and construction paper time!
But aside from that, there is also the gingerbread dough making which I made a week in advance too; then the royal icing making, and well ~ you have to psych yourself up pretty hard to get ready to tackle the building of this gingerbread house!
Now I don’t want to scare you off from making one because they are loads of fun!
But my design was a bit ambitious so it really took patience and willpower to get this done while filming the entire thing!
Wow that was no small task! I hope the pictures and video do it justice since I was really happy with the final outcome!
The only thing that was a flop, and a disappointing one too~ was my dry ice filled chimney that should have been smoking away.
I was so excited to turn off the lights and see that thing smoking!
Darned Publix and their inferior dry ice!
Of course you do not have to do it they way I show you here! You can decorate yours the traditional way with M&M’s and candy canes and Hershey’s Kisses!
If you do opt for my Thomas Kinkade Inspired design though, it did require a few specialty items like Candy Jelly Rocks for the stonework and chimney, Frosted Mini Wheat thatched roof, the Wilton Stone & Wood Texture Mat, 2 sizes of pretzels for the stack of logs.
After all you will need firewood for that monstrous fireplace this Winter Log Cabin is boasting!
Tea light battery operated candles really made this house light up! hehehe and the sun-room with gelatin sheets for glass windows…..yeah….. I know! Awesome right!?
Then there is my silver & gold ball decorated Christmas tree, which could have been taller I know~ my grand sun-room could have accommodated a much larger tree!
Oh well. Next year!
GINGERBREAD HOUSE TEMPLATE CLICK HERE
- 2 Recipe Gingerbread Dough
- 2 Recipe Royal Icing
- Candy and other edibles for decor as you wish
Oooohhh how I love your gingerbread house. You mentioned in the video, that we can use your template, but I don`t seem to know where to find it?
And happy thanksgiving to you – we don`t have that tradition in Denmark, but it sounds sooo nice 🙂
HI Irene! thanks! I havent uploaded the PD yet! Yikes! Will do it today!
Hey Gretchen,
I know that I am my own worst critic when I get in the kitchen and create. But I think you need to step back from your most wonderful gingerbread house and appreciate the amazing work of art you have created.
I would be stoked if I made something so wonderful.
thanks Danny!
GRETCHEN HI
BEAUTIFUL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I LIKE THE GELITIN WINDOW IDEA…
Gretchen you did a fab job. Ok here’s my Q. When the cookie is left out on display , wouldn’t it be soft and mushy by the time you eat it. How do you keep it crisp.
Hi Thanks!! Well here’s the thing: When I lived in NJ- in the winter the cookies NEVER got soft because it was very cold and dry there. Here in Florida where it is super hot and humid, I did find the cookies to get slightly soft on the second day, Best way to avoid that (and it’s almost impossible) is to keep it covered and airtight- but how to do that when you want this on display!
Gretchen, Thomas would be proud ! What a tribute, to a man that had a incredible talent, from a lady that has incredible talent! Beautiful! God Bless….
First video of gingerbread house in my life n loved d concept..loved d house u made with all snow around.
Happy thanksgiving 🙂
Outstanding concept and design! This really shows a great deal of thought as well as talent. Beautiful work!! All the best to you and your family throughout the holiday season!
thankyou!!
Hi Gretchen
A bit off topic but i had a random question. I visit your blog several times a day but i just keep the site open on my computer and go through the recipes. Does that help you with the hits or should i type in the site and go through the home page each time? i hope the question made some sense.
Hi maria! WOW awesome to hear! thanks! LOL I get paid from ads from google 9as you can see I have them running on the right column and 1 with in the post) so each time you go to a new page that counts! thanks!
Oh perfect !
Hey Gretchen I’ve been following you for a few years now and love your tips and tricks. Thank you for sharing your world with us. I have a random question…have you ever heard of a cake called the Darkside of the moon? Apparently it is a chocolate cake soaked in coffee Liquor with chocolate mousse and chocolate ganache. I know you love chocolate! I’m from the Delaware and I hear this cake is popular in Jersey. My family has challenged me to make it for the holidays. And I’m always up for a challenge!
Hi thanks!! I feel like I have heard of this as a matter of fact, but I would have never been able to explain as you did. Funny though as I was just now writing my New Years Eve Special desserts list and Coffee Chocolate Mousse is part of it! Stay tuned!
Hi Gretchen,
I do hope that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and that someone made you something delicious for a change :).
I have never made a gingerbread house but have really always wanted to! I thought I would try this one as I was really impressed by the design and should I pull it off would make an incredible present for a friend of mine who adores gingerbread.
I clicked on the link for the template however, and the page wouldn’t load. The message came up that it was an old link. Could I please, please ask you to check it for me? I live in Prague and am not sure that, that may be the reason.
Take care
Anne
Hi Anne thanks for pointing that out here is the correct link
CLICK HERE
Hiya,
Thanks so much for the correct link 🙂
thanks for your patience!
Hi Gretchen,
First, I hope you and a wonderful Thanksgiving and I want to thank you for your suggestion how to make your cream cheese frosting a lemon cream cheese. Your suggestion worked perfectly…. just the right hint of lemon we were going for, and we are still marveling the perfect consistency of the frosting 3 days later!
Now we are moving on to trying to make a gingerbread house. A double batch of your dough is chilling in the fridge. We have a silicone gingerbread house mold. Can we press your dough into this, and if so, should we fill it to the rim and level it, or leave a little room for the dough to rise?
Excited to try more if your recipes!
Lisa
Thank you ! I did and I am so happy the lemon CC worked just as you planned!
Oh cool! This dough will rise and puff slightly so give it some room! I cant wait to see it! I hope you can post to my facebook page!
Thank you for sharing that delightful video. I really enjoyed it. I must admit I buy the gingerbread houses all boxed up and ready to assemble. There never seems to be enough time during the holidays to bake all the goodies I want to bake.
Merry Christmas
Hi Gretchen,
Thank you for your wonderful recipes. I have your fruit cake recipe but never got it right. Watching your videos first is always helpful. Please please can we have a Christmas fruit cake video.
Irene