Customer Reviews

Making Great Gingerbread Houses: Delicious Designs from Cabins to Castles, from Lighthouses to Tree Houses

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I bought this book as part of my research for new decorating ideas for our annual mother-daughter gingerbread house party. Little did I know where it would lead us!! Although the book does not have alot of details on the different aspects such as how to make rounded structures (gingerbread expands when baked so it was very difficult to get a complete rounded structure and there is not much detail given in the book as to how to get around this), it opened up a whole new world for us---marzipan,pastillage, fondant with recipes included. It's the "How to" of making a completely edible structure. The photos are great --most of them are the winners of the annual Gingerbread House competition from 1998. It includes photos of the children's winners as well (youth 10 and under and youth 11-15 categories) which is why some of the houses may seem "messy" for the book---they are true to life works of young artists. Because of this book we entered the 2000 Gingerbread House competition and had a blast. We met and chatted with Aaron Morgan (author of the book) and Trish Weaver 2 time winner of the competition now retired and serving as a judge for the competition. We learned alot and got lots of great ideas. It will be a part of our Christmas traditions. I loved this book and recommend this book for any gingerbread nuts on your list.

There are some unique ideas which made the purchase worthwhile. However, the instructions are not very thorough. I also felt that many of the houses could have been more attractive. Some of them were quite "messy". I was also disappointed that there were not any sources listed.

I had always wanted to make a gingerbread house but was afraid to try it. I do many different types of crafts but none where the item is made of just food. That seemed too daunting for me.
But when I recieved my copy of "Making Great Gingerbread Houses" my fears left. I read the whole book ( the side "tips" helped allot ) and proceeded to make my first Gingerbread House.
The photos and directions for asembling their "Basic House" were simple and made the process basicly mistake proof for me.
Their ideas for decorating along with photos of completed houses with differnt ideas for this helped me to realize that sometimes less is NOT more....at least when making gingerbread houses.
Even some of the more complicated houses became a possible future house for me to make once I read all of the information that they supplied with the photos.
With their information on " form real life to gingerbread" and their templates I understand the basics of gingerbread houses.

Inns, cottages,chaples,castles,villages and even a riverboat, you are only limited to your imagination.
And....the dough recipe makes for GREAT cookies.
I would recoment this book to nayone that wants to learn the ins and outs of gingerbread houses.

If you are seeking the inside secrets to gingerbread artistry, don't expect much from this book. This book doesn't even begin to cover the many gingerbread/food techniques currently available -- and that home builders can use -- which mimic real-life or fantasy -- building structures and contents. I thought that many of the instructions shown were too simple and general -- the reader deserved to read more details, more inside information on how to work with food items to create effects -- especially since the author is a pastry chef! The book's description also promises photos of the Grove Park Inn's gingerbread competition entries. But if you expect to see the competition's top of the line entries featuring incredible details, don't. I looked forward to receiving this book. I'm sorry I bought it.

I always loved making gingerbread houses, but I wasn't all that good at it, and someone else always assembled the house. This book inspired me to try building my first house on my own. I can't wait to try out all the decorating ideas. I think this book is really good for beginners, like myself. I love how it gives you instructions, tips, and pictures to help you make your own. If you have any interest in gigerbread houses whatsoever, I strongly advise you to read it. The pictures are beautiful, the instructions are clear, and it will have you hooked on gingerbread houses.

...but thats about it. I agree with previous reviews. As a veteran of Gingerbread I have been making houses for several years. I bought this book primarily for the pictures, which was pretty much all I got. This book is for experts in gingerbread to provide inspiration and new ingredient ideas. Those looking for a place to start should look elsewhere.

I bought this book years ago in the hope of one day making my own house from scratch because I thought it would give me plenty of patterns to choose from. Unfortunately, now that I am ready to build a house from this book, I find that the patterns in the back are only partial patterns. For example, there is a cottage with a miller's wheel. The pattern in the back tells you only how to cut out the wheel - not the rest of the house. There is a wedding chapel. The pattern in the back tells you only how to make the bell tower. No dimensions anywhere so that you could figure out your own pattern. Just pictures. I'm very disappointed - if you want ideas for decorating, it's great, but if you want patterns, buy another book. This book contains only one complete pattern.

This is an excellent book with simple, clear and easy to follow instructions with plenty of room for individuality.

Photography is crisp, clear and uncluttered.

Highly recommend just for viewing pleasure if not for anything else!

This book has pictures of some really cool ideas, and pictures of some less-cool ideas. It also has several basic recipes and some general building information, but it isn't very detailed. Most frustrating are the pictures of houses that have only one or two pictures and little or no information about some of the most interesting design details!
If I hadn't purchased this book from an independent bookseller, I'd probably return it. It is useful to a beginner like me, but only marginally.

I was given this book as a present and I have used many of the ideas in the book. I love the way the houses in the book are constructed. I am often intimidated by cookbooks that show their gingerbread houses all neat and looking like pictures of real houses rather than something constructed out of baking supplies. It is refreshing to find a book that doesn't make me feel like a failure if my icing drips! Thanks for the great recipes, and I definately recommend this book to others.