Intro

The December 2009 Daring Bakers’ challenge was brought to you by Anna of Very Small Anna and Y of Lemonpi. They chose to challenge Daring Bakers’ everywhere to bake and assemble a gingerbread house from scratch. They chose recipes from Good Housekeeping and from The Great Scandinavian Baking Book as the challenge recipes.

This has been a big year for our little family. In March we decided to pack our belongings, put it in storage and cross our fingers that our first home would sell in the less-than-stellar market.
You see, we left our hearts in Seattle. We met here, fell in love here, ate incredibly perfect food here and found our church here. We had been gone for 5 years and decided this was the year to return.
In September we sat in our new home in Seattle. It was empty. Devoid of the family photos that now hang in the hall, free from the paintings that have been placed on many walls since their creation. There was no couch to eat popcorn and watch movies on and no sugar in the pantry to bake cookies with. Yet it felt like home.
When the daring bakers challenged us to make a gingerbread house, I wanted to celebrate this year and our new change by constructing a gingerbread “townhouse”. Our townhouse.
You see we live in a vertical rectangle. Three petite floors and beautiful floor to ceiling windows that allow what little light we have this time of year to pour in.
This is our actual townhouse.

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And here is our townhouse made of gingerbread, royal icing and candy.

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While I love that our actual townhouse doesn’t melt in the rain I do think it would be quite fun to live in the cookie version of our house. I have no doubts that the boys agree with me.

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Our original townhouse is constructed from wood and nails. My townhouse is constructed from gingerbread dough, royal icing, peppermint pillows, chocolate covered sunflower seeds, dragees, nonpareils and sanding sugar.

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This will probably be the last time I talk to you before Christmas so let me just first of all thank you. This blogged has changed drastically this year and has become something entirely different for me. Where it was once a place to show and market my dessert catering and wedding cake business it has now become a place of creativity and sanctity. A place where I am free to create, share and commune with all of you.

Thank you for welcoming these changes and supporting me. I feel so incredibly blessed to have found an encouraging community during a time in my life where there has been much change and little sleep.

Secondly I want to wish you a joyous holiday filled with much love and sugar. May you be abundantly blessed in this season with hearts and bellies full.

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61 Responses to “Gingerbread Townhouse – December Daring Bakers”

  3. Kylie of Thin Crust Deep Dish

    I LOVE it! Both your wood townhouse and your gingerbread one. Though it would be great fun to have a nonpareil roof in real life. Hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday. I can’t wait for the year to come on this gorgeous blog.

  4. Bunnee

    My daughter came down here (south of Tacoma) from “upper” Ballard to help make my Daring Baker’s gingerbread house – or in our case, geodesic dome, since they fascinate her. We are not quite done, but it will not be quite as professional and elegant as yours. Still, lots of fun coping with all the issues that came up. Now for the fun part – the candy trim.

  5. Phoo-D

    Totally freaking adorable! I love both the real thing and your marvelous creation. Amazing as always.

  7. Sara

    You are amazing to have created such a masterpiece during this nutty week. My favorite part is the symbolism. Congrats to you and your family for this ‘new chapter’, Ashley!

  9. Lauren

    That is amazing! I love that you honoured your new home in gingerbread form – it looks just perfect =D. Happy Holidays!

  10. Minh

    I love the obvious adoration you have for your Townhouse and it’s gingerbread counterpart! Congratulations on the beautiful result, always a pleasure to see what’s coming next.

  15. tea_austen

    You’re gingerbread townhouse is amazing—YOU are amazing! I’m so glad to have met you this year, and to watch your beautiful site evolve.

    A very happy holiday to you.

  17. Helen

    Well done Ashley! I love the idea of doing your townhouse to celebrate the move and the new years ahead.

  19. Kirstin

    Congrats on your big move! It’s nice to have that true feeling of being home for the holidays. Your gingerbread townhouse is absolutely adorable. I live in DC and there are old townhouses everywhere, and this has definitely inspired me to try and recreate one in cookie form!

  20. Jessi

    Ashley, I love your real townhouse and the cookie version 🙂 Congrats on getting you life in order after a big move, I am about to do the same thing. Thanks for this blog, I find it a constant source of inspiration for cooking, and family life. Keep up the good work in 2010!

  22. Eyes Bigger

    Oh wow – this is amazing!! Yours actually looks like a house – mine looks like a condemned barn!! lol 🙂 Congratulations on a stellar effort 🙂

  24. Kimberly

    Beautiful…your posts always make me smile! Merry Christmas to your darling family. Blessings in 2010!

  25. Lan

    absolutely amazing, i love the intricate details you’ve included but most importantly, the story you shared is inspiring. thanks

  26. Victor

    What a superb idea! Wonderful treat for your sons to enjoy and I bet they love it. Congratulations on the many accomplishments of this incredible year in your careeer and the life of your family. Merry Christmas and a super 2010!

  29. Amy

    Hey Ashley I didn’t realize you had a flat roof. Have you thought about doing a roof garden in the summer? We love your ginger bread house.

  31. Jill

    Beautiful townhouse!! So creative and I love how you decorated it! Well done! 🙂
    Merry Christmas!!

  32. Aimee

    You are the coolest. LOVE this post (along with ALL the previous one’s). Can’t wait for NY!

  36. Y

    That’s an amazing house! I love your gingerbread house AND your real house! Merry Christmas to you! 🙂

  37. Karen

    Words cannot express it enough… I am in utter love with your townhouse. It’s sooooo beautiful!

  43. Meeta

    oh incredible house the actual one of course and the gingerbread one is a piece of art. sensational!

  48. jane schouten

    Ashley, i love your gingerbread house It’s soo cute. I can’t wait to see
    your other townhouse,too. Love Aunt Jane

  49. jo

    Oh wow. You did an absolutely amazaing job with this gingerbread house. In fact I love it more than the real thing. The decoration and piping is so detailed and the colours so gorgeous.

  51. Beth

    I love your gingerbread house and I love Seattle! Have only been once but the greenery and fabulous food put it high up on my “need to visit again” list. Happy Holidays!

  54. fairy_mi

    Wow, Your gingerbread house is just amazing
    Very original shape, and I really love the beautiful decoration!
    You are truly a talented baker, wtg for the fabulous job!
    Inbal
    (also a DB)

  56. Lilly Audrey

    This puts the cottages we made to shame, but is a great inspiration for next year. We especially like the lights in the window! Very talented.

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