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Gingerbread houses of the world
We believe baking brings people and communities together, hence we extended our gingerbread house and crafted a village. We've got the recipes and the templates and come bake with us!
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By Belinda So, China Squirrel
Image: This gingerbread bush shack is just the beginning. (China Squirrel)
The best gingerbread house on the block
Here at SBS HQ, we're mad bakers, so enjoy crafting and thinking about our #GingerbreadPeaceProject. We had four stipulations:
The houses must be edible As lavishly spectacular as a candy-cane and lolly-covered house looks, we wanted to create a house that you actually want to eat. We didn't want to have to buy bags and bags of lollies and chocolate, so we've kept the decorations simple, which means the flavour of our gingerbread is the star and isn't masked by sugariness.
You don't need a builder's licence to construct one The houses must be easy enough for adults and kids alike to assemble. We created our templates from scratch with the aim that all of the pieces fit on one A3-sized sheet of paper. You don't need a ruler and you don't need to measure dimensions. All you need to do is print out the template and use a pair of scissors to cut out the pieces.
You don't need to be a baker Our gingerbread dough recipe is sturdy enough to withhold handling and the weight of decorations but still decidedly dunkable in a cup of tea. Even if you're baking in humid weather, our gingerbread dough is still easy to work with. We've used royal icing as the "mortar" to glue the gingerbread houses. It's forgiving to work with - if you make a mistake, you can just pull the pieces apart or wipe them off. You will need to allow for plenty of time for the "mortar" to set and secure your house in place.
Bragging rights We're not show ponies, but we do like a bit of friendly competition. Co-opt family members and friends for a baking bonanza. May the best house win!
For those who are urbanites to the core, our gingerbread inner-city terrace houses celebrate city living. Our gingerbread jungle is where dreams are made. View the recipe .
Gingerbread city living Source: China Squirrel
Gingerbread city living template. Source: Sarah Hankinson
Photography, styling and food preparation by. Illustrated template by Sarah Hankinson from . Creative concept by Belinda So.
Make friends with anyone who owns a ute or truck. Our gingerbread truck celebrates our native ingredients - it's made from roasted wattleseed, which adds a coffee note to the biscuit. View the recipe .
Gingerbread ute Source: China Squirrel
Gingerbread ute template. Source: Sarah Hankinson
Photography, styling and food preparation by. Illustrated template by Sarah Hankinson from . Creative concept by Belinda So.
Pitch a tent in the outback under the Milky Way. Our gingerbread tent celebrates our native ingredients - it's flavoured with lemon myrtle - and the 'red' earth is made from crushed chocolate biscuits. View the recipe .
Gingerbread outback tent. Source: China Squirrel
Gingerbread outback tent template. Source: Sarah Hankinson
Photography, styling and food preparation by. Illustrated template by Sarah Hankinson from . Creative concept by Belinda So.
Hands up who needs a tranquil bush escape among the eucalypts? Our bush shack is just for you, complete with a chocolate chimney. Our gingerbread celebrates our native ingredients - it's flavoured with lemon myrtle. View the recipe .
Gingerbread bush shack. Source: China Squirrel
Gingerbread bush shack template Source: Sarah Hankinson
Photography, styling and food preparation by. Illustrated template by Sarah Hankinson from . Creative concept by Belinda So.
Our mosque is for those in the mood for hot nights, cool winds and a desert camel safari. We used gingerbread cake to create the domes and raw sugar as the sand. View the recipe .
Source: China Squirrel
Gingerbread mosque template Source: Sarah Hankinson
Photography, styling and food preparation by. Illustrated template by Sarah Hankinson from . Creative concept by Belinda So. Palm trees from .
Our pagoda is for those who want to swap speed for serenity. No wifi here, only chilling out with Mr Elephant. View the recipe .
Gingerbread pagoda Source: China Squirrel
Gingerbread pagoda template Source: Sarah Hankinson
Photography, styling and food preparation by. Illustrated template by Sarah Hankinson from . Creative concept by Belinda So. Tree from .
Our A-frame cabin in the woods is for those who want a quiet place by a log fire to contemplate and commune with critters. BYO marshmallows for toasting. View the recipe .
Source: China Squirrel
Source: China Squirrel
Photography, styling and food preparation by. Illustrated template by Sarah Hankinson from . Creative concept by Belinda So. Pine trees from .
Slap on the sunscreen, we're heading to the beach! It’s hot! There's a cool ocean breeze, bitchin' big surf, cruncher waves and a cheeky seagull squawking for the last hot chip! Our beach bungalow is for sun-seekers, who want to be footloose in the sand and have fun by the sea. View the recipe .
Source: China Squirrel
Gingerbread beach bungalow Source: China Squirrel
Photography, styling and food preparation by. Illustrated template by Sarah Hankinson from . Creative concept by Belinda So.
