Beddall - The magic of gingerbread: 16 beautiful projects to make and eat

THE MAGIC OF GINGERBREAD Copyright 2016 by Catherine Beddall
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner
whatsoever without written permission from the publisher.
First edition 2016 Published by Peter Pauper Press, Inc.
202 Mamaroneck Avenue
White Plains, New York 10601
USA Designed by Catherine Beddall Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Beddall, Catherine, author.
Title: The magic of gingerbread : 16 beautiful projects to make and eat /written and photographed by Catherine Beddall.
Description: First edition. | White Plains, New York : Peter Pauper Press, Inc., 2016. | Includes bibliographical references.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016003632 | ISBN 9781441319807 (hardcover : alk. paper)
Subjects: LCSH: Gingerbread. | LCGFT: Cookbooks.
Classification: LCC TX771 .B38 2016 | DDC 641.86/54-dc23 LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2016003632 ISBN 978-1-4413-2390-3
Manufactured for Peter Pauper Press, Inc.
Printed in Hong Kong 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Visit us at www.peterpauper.com e-Books conversion by DigiConv Technologies This book is for my three favorite gingerbread people:
Tyler, Annabelle, and Sasha.

Thank you for all the
love and light you've given me. There's something magical about gingerbread. I love the entire process of creating a gingerbread house, from the initial stages of design and planning, to the first hint of that delicious aroma that fills the kitchen, to seeing it all coming together as a perfect little dream home. (Who wouldn't want to live in a house made of cookies and candy?) I wasn't always a gingerbread fanatic. I've spent most of my career as a graphic designer, decorating cakes as a part-time business, and only a few years ago made the switch to a full-time career in the pastry arts. It wasn't until I entered and won a local gingerbread house competition that I became totally, irreversibly hooked on creating these sweet little structures.

Working with gingerbread simply makes me happy in a way that no other form of edible art does. Why? I think it's a combination of a few different things. There's my love of baking, of courseI've loved to bake for as long as I can remember. Then there's the architectural elementwhile I don't profess to be an expert on architecture, I've always loved looking at all kinds of houses, both inside and out, and imagining what it would be like to live in them. I've also always been fascinated with the world of miniatures. To me, there's something magical about creating something in miniature, whether it be a house, or any other kind of structureit's a chance to design a perfect little snapshot in time, a place where the stresses of daily life don't exist.

A home away from home. Anyone can bake and decorate a gingerbread house. I know it might seem easier to buy one of the prefabricated boxed gingerbread house sets you can find at the grocery store around Christmastime. But if you're willing to invest a little bit of time and patience, the results of your handcrafted gingerbread creation will be so much more satisfyingand actually taste like a sweet, spicy cookie and not a chunk of dusty cardboard. I've included a wide array of projects in this book, ranging from easy to advanced. As well as houses, you'll find many fun designs such as cookie puzzles, a chess set, and even a gingerbread robot.

The simpler projects are just as beautiful and impressive as the more elaborate ones, and provide an excellent starting point for practicing the skills you'll need as you move on to more advanced projects. Make sure to take the time to read the instructions and explanations carefully, and you'll soon be on your way to creating some stunning showpieces. In my many, many hours spent testing gingerbread techniques in my own kitchen, I've learned what methods work best, and amassed tons of tips and tricks to help you create your very own masterpiece. I can't wait to share them with you! ~ CatherineWith surprisingly few tools and materials, you can create anything from the simplest cookies to the most elaborate gingerbread masterpieces. Over the next few pages, you'll find descriptions of the tools and materials I use, and the decorating supplies needed to complete the projects in this book.

Here's a list of all the tools and materials you need to create the projects in this book. Here's a list of all the tools and materials you need to create the projects in this book.

Please note: this list doesn't include basic baking tools. To make the gingerbread dough, you'll need a stand mixer or a sturdy hand mixer, a couple of mixing bowls, measuring cups and spoons, a sieve, and a rubber spatula. Cookie Sheet. Make sure it's completely flatolder cookie sheets tend to warp a bit, and it's important for gingerbread to bake completely flat. Large rolling pin. Any type of non-tapered, good quality rolling pin will do. Cooling rack. It's even more important that your cooling rack be completely flat, because once the gingerbread cools it hardens very quickly. Templates. Templates are shapes cut from any firm materialfoam core, cardboard, even thick construction paperthat are used as patterns for gingerbread pieces. Craft knife. I use my craft knife to cut templates out of foam core. Craft knife. I use my craft knife to cut templates out of foam core.

It's also very handy to cut candies in half as well as small shapes from fondant. Pencil and eraser. Used for drawing templates. Ruler. Also necessary for drawing templates. (A measurement conversion chart can be found for frequently used measurements in the book.) Piping tips. Piping tips are placed on the end of a pastry bag to create different piped designs. You'll need a small number of piping tips, mostly varying sizes of round, to create the designs in this book. Cookie cutters. The cookie cutters you'll need are all readily available online and where cake and cookie decorating supplies are sold. Cookie cutters. The cookie cutters you'll need are all readily available online and where cake and cookie decorating supplies are sold.