Behold: a nearly 300-pound replica of our nation's most famous home! With working electric lights, chocolate furniture, a candy replica of the Kitchen Garden, a marzipan First Dog, Christmas trees made from blown sugar globes and a Santa Claus on the roof with reindeer, it's no wonder the First Lady reportedly called this gingerbread masterpiece "phenomenal".
12 Architectural & Appetizing Gingerbread Houses
From recreations of the White House to the Wonders of the World, today's gingerbread houses are both architecturally sound and finger-licking good.
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White House
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Frank Lloyd Wright
"Using 164 different pieces of gingerbread, 3 batches of hard candy, 12 square feet of gingerbread dough, 8 bags of sugar for the frosting, and over 40 sleeves of Smarties to make the dry stack stone", culinary artist Melonie Dreadon was able to recreate a miniature and delicious version Frank Lloyd Wright's chef d'oeuvre Fallingwater.
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Japanese Pagoda
Every year, the chefs at the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani create an edible spectacle for their guests. One year's theme— "Hawaii and the World"—featured gingerbread recreations of monuments like the Eiffel Tower, London's Tower Bridge, and this Japanese Pagoda. Yum!
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Mid-Century Modern Ranch
Single story. Clean lines. A sharp silhouette. This is mid-century modern architecture immortalized in gingerbread form. That is, until someone eats it.
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Classic Old Mill
The National Gingerbread House Competition, an annual tradition at The Grove Park Inn, awarded Lydia Gentry first prize in the child's division for this stunning mill. Chewing gum shingles and a chocolate rock gravel driveway are details that make this young gingerbread architect's work really stand out.
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Buckingham Palace
We couldn't brag about the gingerbread White House without showing its counterpart from across the pond. Feast your eyes on the gingerbread Buckingham Palace, complete with marshmallow Queen's Guard. Home to the British Royals since 1837; the Castle-I-Most-Want-to-Eat since 2012.
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Sphinx
This incredible, edible Sphinx was showcased at the NYC hotel Le Parker Meridien, which hosts a gingerbread auction for charity every year, made possible by "houses" donated from local bakeries. Sure, it's not technically a house... but a near-perfect recreation (in baked goods) of one of the world's great wonders? That's something we'll applaud any day.
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Disney
In case you needed another reason to fly south for the winter, Disney's Grand Floridian Resort celebrates the holiday season by showcasing its gingerbread house of epic proportions. This annual tradition calls for 800 pounds of flour, 1050 pounds of honey and 140 pints of egg whites, as well as at least a dozen pairs of hands to construct. Standing at 16 feet tall, it takes a crane to finish this masterpiece with a dusting of powdered sugar snow.
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Falkenstein Castle
King Ludwig II of Bavaria, a man who loved architectural splendor, was the driving force behind a real-life fairytale castle in the Alps. Sadly, his plans for a second, even more whimsical palace (to be named Falkenstein) were never executed... until now.
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Santa's Workshop
"Best in Show" at the Boston Christmas Festival was this impossibly intricate Santa's Workshop from the Wicked Goodies bakery. Over three feet tall, this large-and-in-charge construction comes complete with Christmas trees, snowmen, a reindeer stable, elves making candy toys, and even Santa himself relaxing by a jellybean fireplace.
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The Sea Ranch
This lovely but simple gingerbread cottage is built in the style of the famous second home community The Sea Ranch. A gum gable roof, simple porch with candy cigarette support beams, and melted butterscotch windows give this mountain cabin wintery charm.
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Historical Recreation
Taking first place at the King Arthur Flour gingerbread competition was this fantastic recreation of a historic gatehouse in Potsdam, NY. The edible high pitched gable roof and the delicate bell tower were executed to perfection—and it's no wonder with the artist's architectural background.
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For More...
If you're interested in more holiday how-to, consider:
How To: Make a Gingerbread House from Scratch
How To: Make a Pine Cone Garland
25 Insanely Easy to Make Holiday Ornaments
Flickr.com / jcelene
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