Gingerbread Contest 2009
Hello Gingerbread Friends including school classes and individuals,
It's that time of the year again – TreeFest and the Gingerbread Contest. . . time to get out your mixing bowls and imagination. This year's TreeFest dates are November 27, 28 and 29 and December 4, 5 and 6, 2009.
This year's theme is Farm and Country – farmhouse, barn, country cottage, log cabin – your imagination is your guide. The maximum size is 14 inches tall, wide and front to back. Materials should all be edible, using royal icing for the "glue." Your Gingerbread structure needs to be sturdy and must be placed on a simple base of plywood which can be no larger than 16 inches square. Your entry must include a card with your name, telephone and whether it is a private entry or an organization.
The Gingerbread structure must be delivered to the Caldwell Consistory in Bloomsburg Tuesday, November 24th between 1 pm and 6:00 pm or Wednesday 25th pm between 9 am and 4 pm. For rules, contest guidelines and recipe for royal icing, please contact me at 387-6849 or email nschott717@aol.com.
Prizes are awarded for 1st place $100, 2nd place $75 and 3rd place $50.
If you are planning to enter a Gingerbread structure please call or email me before November 9, 2009.
Happy Baking,
Nancy Schott
Tel 387-6849, email nschott717@aol.com 
Gingerbread Recipe
5 C all purpose flour
l tsp: Baking soda, salt, nutmeg, cloves
2 tsp: powdered ginger, cinnamon
Thoroughly blend these and set aside;
1 C Crisco (white) 1 C white sugar 1 1/4 C unsulphured molasses 2 beaten eggs (just beat by hand with fork.)
Melt shortening in large saucepan and add sugar, molasses and the eggs last when mixture is cooler. Add 4 C dry ingredients and mix well. Turn mixture onto lightly floured surface. Knead in remaining dry ingredients by hand. Add only a little more flour if necessary to make a firm dough. Dough can be colored with food coloring (few drops) to get a different look. It helps to let dough rest l hour, then roll onto lightly sprayed (Pam) flat surface cookie sheet (turn them over and use the bottoms.) Roll 1/8" thick uniformly with rolling pin and place pattern pieces on dough (helpful to lightly flour pattern pieces so you can remove them from dough easily.) Trim around pieces with sharp (paring) knife. Cut out any window or door openings at this time. Bake 300-325 (large pieces) 17-22 min checking for over-browning. Bake thinner, small pieces 10-12 min. but check for over-browning. To make sure your pieces are dry, you can return them to oven after trimming and bake longer on lower temps (this takes a little experimenting and isn't really necessary if the climate is dry.)Remove from oven, cool 5 min. before replacing patterns and trimming for exact size. Remove with spatula to wire racks for thorough cooling, then to waxed paper for 24-48 hours until you assemble house. The original recipe calls for baking at 350, and you may have to test your oven temp with a test piece. Do what works for you!! Unbaked dough can be stored in air-tight container and refrigerated (I've kept it 2 weeks but my houses are not eaten!)
When assembling houses, trim edges of your pieces at a 45 degree angle so they fit together nicely and make good corners... be gentle! This takes time and practice and sharp knife! Liberally coat large pretzels with icing to reinforce inner corners and bottom of the house pieces and hold them until icing sets firmly. Use a sturdy board, at least 1/4 in. plywood; "mdf" is nice. You'll want to cover your board with aluminum foil or similar product. Mark out the footprint of your house in advance and leave room for landscaping!You can melt Jolly Rancher candies on waxed paper in a microwave oven (observe carefully as they melt quickly - 2 sec.) and let those pieces harden into "stained glass" which you can "glue" with Royal icing onto the inner side of your windows to have the stained glass look. Use all yellow candies if you want the old fashioned look of evening light though old glass. You can light the inside of the house with one small Christmas tree bulb or night light bulb if you leave a small opening at the bottom of the back of the house for sliding in the bulb and cord. Those twinkling lights give an extra-special glow.
Royal Icing:
3 level Tbsp. meringue powder mix. (Wal-Mart) (use if it will be eaten as this product is processed and salmonella-free. You can also just use egg-whites if no one eats the concoction!) 4 C powdered sugar (approx. l lb.) 6 Tbsp. water. (for stiffer icing, use only 5 Tbsp. water.) For the look of shiny snow, add l tbsp Karo syrup. (I do this when I frost a roof or trim a tree.) If you use fresh egg whites, you will need to use only egg whites, pwdrd. sugar, and 1/2 tsp cream of tartar because the moisture is in egg whites and the processed egg white powder has cream of tartar in it! Beat the frosting mix for 7-10 min. and use immediately. It can be kept in air-tight bag in the refrigerator for 2 weeks. While you work with frosting, keep the bowl tightly covered until you need more as it dries fast and hard! You can color frosting; use only the paste colors, not liquid food coloring; paste colors are available at Wal-Mart. Use sparingly at first!