Well we try each year to make something different for our Christmas treats. We are still trying to figure out some of our family traditions. This years "cookie" came about by accident. I had planned to play it safe and make sugar cookies. Chase's first grade class sent home a letter asking parents to donate candies and essentials for making gingerbread houses. Really they were graham cracker houses. Chase was sure to point that out to me whenever he saw the opportunity, he keeps me in line.
Well as we were picking out the candy to send to school with Chase the boys decided that we should make our own at home. I fear making gingerbread house's cause i can't make them stick together, I ended up with gingerbread flops every time I attempted to make them with one of my preschool classes. I really stress about making them. But yet how can I say no to those cute little faces. If you know me I am not afraid to get messy so that is not the issue. The issue for me was all the disappointed faces and the "why is mine not sticking together Miss Tonya?" I clearly did not know why they did not stick together. I had a bad experience with them and vowed never to do them again with children. I almost bought the gingerbread kit when they boys asked if they could make them at home this year. But my wallet and my "need to try again" attitude stopped me from buying it.
Well as it turned out, Miss "O" (Chase's teacher) needed parent volunteers to help assemble them. I thought sure I will go and help. I had a great time helping Chase's friends put theirs together. But the best part of the whole experience for me was that I learned the lost (to me anyway) art of making the right kind of icing for gingerbread houses. I had always just used cake frosting. Oh No There is a recipe out there for the best gingerbread icing, I mean this stuff is like edible glue. It truly is awesome. I am sure many of you are laughing right now but for me this was the answer to all my frustrations. Next year I am going to make an entire gingerbread village. I may even make it out of real gingerbread instead of graham crackers. I made real gingerbread cookies last year and they were yummy, totally easier to make than I thought. So armed with a recipe for edible glue and gingerbread I am going gingerbread house crazy next year.
Needless to say the boys had more fun eating the candy than actually getting it on the house but would you expect anything different from boys? I did manage to get a picture of each of the houses before they gobbled them up.
note: they have not fallen down!!! Yeah I love this icing.
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