Last month I never got around to doing something that I had promised myself... and that was make my first ever Gingerbread house.
It's the traditional thing in Finland.. especially with the younger mums who have children.. to have a family event of making one.
OK, you can cheat.. you can actually buy a kit here.. which is exactly what I did.. and I STILL didn't find time to do it!
I also bought a kit for my gift at the pre Christmas party.. (see Pikkujoulu blog) and Sally, my fellow Brit friend in Sodankylä won that... I wonder if she managed to find time to make hers either?
So, finally, today on January 1st.. I thought that I would do it. It wasn't so hard to do. I'd looked on youtube for some video tips.. and most said that I would need a helpers hand to load the walls together, but I managed it alone.. with the help of a lot of icing/cement! LOL Unfortunately, I only had the one nozzle, which was a bit large.. and I guess if I were to do it again next year, then I would prefer to have a range of icing bags at the ready.. but it made a fun change from computer work! I doubt it will last long though, not in this house!
I used lots of icing as I wanted it to look really snowy! The icing is a little naughty as it also has some Limoneto de Sorrento in it.. yummy Lemon liquor and a little lemon juice too.
The sweets on the roof are from the UK, Parma Violets (which I love) and from Finland, Turkish Pepper Fireballs... which are kind of aniseed like - oh and a couple of mini slices of Taytelaku, which when cut looks like flowers. Its a gentle licorice sweet with different flavours of banana, strawberry or chocolate running inside the core...Oh yes, very yummy..but there are only a couple of those there.
We also have a friend staying with us for the week and Steve LOVES gingerbread! :D No sooner than I had the house compiled, he was after destroying it.... but maybe later tonight or tomorrow!
As I say, it is a popular pastime in Finland. This year in Rovaniemi there was also a competition for the best Gingerbread house. You can see all the applicants on the link below - but I've included the top three in this blog.. and another that caught my eye!
I think that I have a LONG way to go, before I could manage to design, bake and decorate a Gingerbread house myself, as well as these ones were done. They are all fantastic! I particularly love the winner. In the shape of a Kota (Lappish Teepee) with the noitarumpu magickal symbols on it.. so I heartily approve! Naturally, there had to be some gingerbread Reindeer too. Brilliant!
1st Place:
2nd Place:
3rd Place:
I am also amazed that this fantastic castle didn't get a placement!
Almost a shame to eat mine! Oh well.. thats ONE New Years Resolution that I won't bother making then! I will stick to my real one.. which is to practice more Finnish. A Gingerbread house in Finnish, is by the way, called Piparkakkutalo which is three words rolled into one Pipar/kakku/talo - which happens frequently in Finnish.
Onnellista Uutta Vuotta! Happy New Year!
http://www.visitrovaniemi.fi/VisitRovaniemi/In_English/Good_to_Know/Gingerbread_House_Competition.iw3
http://www.visitrovaniemi.fi/VisitRovaniemi/In_English/Good_to_Know/Gingerbread_House_Competition/Choose_your_favorite_Gingerbread_House
