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Sharing the tradition of gingerbread houses

Beverly Parungao

Making a gingerbread house.
Making a gingerbread house.Edwina Pickles

The festive season is marked by treasured customs, from hanging wreaths on the front door and decorating the Christmas tree, to opening gifts at the stroke of midnight.

In the kitchen, certain well-known traditions are also preserved: glazing a ham, laying out fresh Australian seafood on the table, and unveiling the Christmas pudding.

For Carla Grbac, of Six and Six Bakery in Melbourne, crafting gingerbread houses features at the top of this list.

Grbac is one of 12 children and makes gingerbread houses to give her nieces and nephews.

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The tradition of baking gingerbread houses dates to the 19th century. These houses topped with lollies became a hit in Germany after the Brothers Grimm published the story of Hansel and Gretel. The tradition spread to North America with the arrival of early German settlers.

They have proved a hit in Grbac's home and she is keen to pass the tradition on to others. Grbac will run gingerbread house-making classes on December 16 at Saint Crispin restaurant in Melbourne. Participants will learn the basics, the best piping techniques, how to mix royal icing and decorate the houses.

Grbac says the process is easy and can be tried at home with a few simple steps.

First, flour, ginger, cinnamon, sugar and butter are combined to make the dough. After it is chilled the dough is cut into the shapes that make the house.

After they have been baked the shapes are used to construct the house, using royal icing as the glue. The houses are decorated with lollies.

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Grbac says the workshops offer the chance for families and friends to enjoy a shared experience. “I fear we're going to lose that sense of being able to share these fun experiences with the people we love in our lives and my desire is to nurture those sorts of things,” Grbac says.

Evan Jones, co-founder of An Iced Affair in Camperdown, in the inner west of Sydney, has been running classes for children each year since the shop opened in 2002.

Jones says there has been growing interest in his gingerbread house-making classes, which are often booked well in advance.

"We've had young children coming every year since we've been opened," he says.

In his classes, there are no rules or colour schemes to follow when decorating gingerbread houses. Children are free to let their inhibitions go.

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"The enthusiasm and the imagination of the children is incredible," he says.

Jones enjoys the children's inventiveness – from secret entrances and underground tunnels, to the innovative placement of lollies.

Gingerbread house-making classes

Sydney

La Chocoreve Patisserie and Cafe, 16 Douglas Street, Stanmore
Sunday December 22, noon and 1.30pm
lechocoreve.com.au

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An Iced Affair, 53 Church Street, Camperdown
Saturday December 21, 10am - noon
icedaffair.com.au

Brasserie Bread (gingerbread men), 1737 Botany Road, Banksmeadow
December 21, 22, 23 and 24, half hour sessions starting at 9am, 10am, 11am, noon and 1pm
brasseriebread.com.au

Melbourne

Six and Six, Saint Crispin, 300 Smith Street, Collingwood
December 16, 10am-12.30pm and 5.30pm-8pm
sixandsix.com.au

Savour School, 22 Wilson Avenue, Brunswick
December 19, 8am-3pm
savourschool.com.au

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