Christmastime is gingerbread season in my house! (Did you see me on the Food Network Holiday Gingerbread Showdown [1]?) My oldest daughter's school orchestra, along with the choir and drama department, hosted a fundraiser madrigal dinner this past weekend, and I was asked if I might make a gingerbread castle for the event. Um, heck yeah! I love fun new gingerbread projects!
The end of the year and quarter at school gets crowded. So many performances, rehearsals for the performances, end-of-year projjects, PLUS it's high season for me as a blogger and gingerbread nut. One of those activities and performances was a madrigal dinner fundraiser put on my my daughter's school. The orchestra director asked if I might be willing to make a gingerbread castle to display at the dinner and auction off as a fundraiser, and of course I said "yes!" It's hard to pass up an opportunity for a fun project like this, as busy as I am.
Ond oh my goodness, did things get busy. I kept having to put out fires until the evening before the dinner. I started baking at 8:30 the night before the fundraiser. Finished at 5am.
But you know, when I'm in the zone and creating and making gingerbread, I hardly notice the time and don't feel tired at all. Now the next day--then I felt tired. ;-) But while I was creating? Sheer creativity and flow.
I didn't want the gingerbread castle to be exactly realistic, but I also didn't necessarily want it to be candy-cutesy with lollipop trees and candy cane forests. I found my balance with textured gingerbread baked with brick impressions and royal icing embellishments.
I used the gingerbread cobblestone technique [2] I developed a few years ago to create the bath to the door of the castle.
Royal icing and red sprinkles [3] made charming garlands that festooned the castle.
The evergreen Christmas trees outside the castle were were decorated for Christmas too, of course.
I modified the castle design I made for the Food Network gingerbread challenge to be a second tier to this gingerbread castle.
I used a basketweave tip [4] and royal icing to make the shingles for the turrets on the top level of the castle. This technique bears some exploration, I think. It could be amazing!
Is there any finer sweet treat at Christmastime than a gingerbread house (or castle?)