Graham Cracker Gingerbread House
By Keegan Crowley
Play with your food
Ginger-less Gingerbread House
If you’re craving a sugar binge, here’s an excuse to go wild and indulge in your favorite sweets as you create one of this season’s best holiday decorations. While walking in a winter wonderland may not be on your agenda, one good reason to leave your house is to grab the essentials to construct a Ginger-less Gingerbread House.
Don’t be skimpy with your candy selection, ‘cause there’s nothing better than a sugar high from leftover candy. Make sure you follow the frosting recipe exactly for the perfect glue to hold it together, but other than that let your creativity flow, lick your fingers, and maybe even start a gum drop fight with your fellow gingerbread architects.
Ingredients: For the house: Flat piece of cardboard 1 box Graham Crackers 1 small cup, such as a Dixie cup or measuring cup Candy canes Gum drops Peppermints Shaved coconut Whatever other candies your sweet tooth desires
For the frosting: 5 cups confectionery sugar 2-3 egg whites
1. Making the frosting: Combine 2 egg whites with confectionery sugar. Stir until there are stiff peaks of frosting and all the sugar is accumulated. If sugar is still powdery, add an additional egg yolk or 2 tbsp water. Combine just until consistency is even.
2. Constructing your mansion: Use the small cup for a support of the primary wall of your house. You may want four sides to your house, or more, but line them up first before you frost the edges and glue together. Frost the bottom edge and the sides one-by-one as you piece the walls together around the cup. Add additional frosting where necessary.
3. Break graham crackers into symmetrical triangles and piece together the roof in the same way you did for the walls. Fill the cracks with frosting.
4. From the top of each part of the roof, drizzle frosting enough for the roof to be covered as the frosting continues to drip down the sides. Cover the roof and sides with candy.
5. Around the house, spread frosting evenly, make shrubbery, igloos, cars, whatever you want! Sprinkle shaved coconut over the landscape for a fluffier snow effect.
6. Take pictures and upload to Facebook to show off your new candy-covered estate.
One of my favorite things...
Chocolate Hazelnut Hot Cocoa
Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens are cool, but I’ve got something better, especially when you’re snowed in on a wintery night. Ghirardelli makes a variety of delicious hot cocoa blends, but their best is the Chocolate Hazelnut Hot Cocoa. However, just adding water doesn’t complete this tasty drink. A candy cane or peppermint candy adds some holiday zest to the warm and rich chocolatey drink. Cozy up with your favorite mug and I’m sure it will give those snowflakes that stay on your nose and eyelashes some fierce competition on the “favorite things” list.
Check out more great "A Bite and a Sip" recipes here.