The tradition of baking gingerbread houses originated in Germany, but now these traditional wintry creations have become an international art form.
Making a pattern
Houses are made by baking flat gingerbread panels which are later assembled. Before starting to cook, make a cardboard pattern of the panels that will make up the house.
You can make a basic template ideal for beginners from the diagram on the foodnetwork.com website, or download more ornate templates (see box).
Older children can create their own unique designs. It's a good idea to test the feasibility of new ideas by first making up a cardboard version held together with glue. Remember that the size of each panel is limited by the size of your baking sheets. Gingerbread can be stored for up to a month in airtight containers or frozen, so you can make the panels of more complicated houses over several sessions.
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