Gingerbread House Failure!

I know we don't like to show them off too often, but cake fails are important to remember, they happen to all of us and can often be quite funny. I do need to make a whole post dedicated to them because sometimes, things just go wrong.

Last year I made the gingerbread house below. I loved it, we make one every year and was looking forward to getting more creative with one this year, stain-glass windows, maybe a porch...that sort of thing. With last year's one I even made the board a little festive with sifted icing sugar and chocolate Matchsticks with a dollop of icing on top for effect.

The one I tried to make is slightly different...basically it fell apart! We tried to all of the gingerbread in a bit of a rush and it shows, some bits were too soft, some too brittle...a shambles basically which is odd as we've never failed at one before. The stain-glass windows were brilliant, made with smashed up Fox's Glacier Mints...but the fruit ones. I used heart cut out windows as I thought that would be cute and stole the idea of framing them with mini candy candy canes from a fellow blogger. I even cut a whole out the back of one of the sides so I could slip in a tea light to shine through the 'glass'. As you can see I usually prop them up until dry with whatever household objects I can find that fit.

I covered the roof in giant Milkybar buttons to look like tiles, this look amazing...but was pretty heavy! This didn't help really when it came to it. Soft gingerbread + heavy chocolate = destruction. It actually stood completely fine until I came to finishing the decoration, I could have decorated the sides first but wasn't really sure how I wanted to do it so I'm glad I didn't waste any time doing that! :).  So I went to move it to a different table, that's when I notices it started to sink....this is when I went to support it only to realise that there was no way at all I could save it, for as soon  as I were to let go it would slowly die....and it did. In the end I just had to let it happen, I was annoyed I have to admit, but as we're away all of Christmas I suppose it doesn't matter, alas it just wasn't meant to be.

But there is a sliver lining, I said how much I hated that the edges of my gingerbread house never end up completely straight and wished you could get cutters. Of course Norway is the land of gingerbread and we were my second cousin's house today where she happened to have two sets! So I got given them both, heaven! I will give it another go, Christmas or not I shall find a reason, so stand by for gingerbread house take 2. Pin It Now!

Christmas Cupcakes and Festive Cake Pops

As you know my Christmas baking is going to be a bit all over the place this year but I did manage to sneak this order in before the packing for Norway commenced! I am infact now here finally and it's covered in snow yay! We celebrate on Christmas eve here so it's all kicking off tomorrow.

 

Anyway, I had a cute order for Christmas, cupcakes and cake pops, I haven't made cake pops in a while so I was really looking forward to it. The theme was Christmas. Do forgive me I'm writing this on my iPhone on the app for the first time so we'll see how this goes! I can't seem to move the pictures to the top...may have to fish out the mac.

The cupcakes are vanilla and I stuck to two designs as there were for a stand, one half I made look like Christmas puddings with green fondant leaves and red piped berries. I also have them a generous dusting with gold cake glitter to really make them sparkle, I have to say I love them! The other design was more simple with cute miniature candy candles with another generous helping of red cake glitter.all of the cakes were topped with vanilla buttercream first and I'm sure they will look great on the Christmas table.

 

Next for the cake pops, these again were a vanilla mix of cake and buttercream. I dipped them in both white and milk chocolate. I made ones covered totally in gold glitter, red glitter, candy canes and again Christmas puddings! I absolutely love these they're so cute and will make great gifts. I put them in cellophane gift bags that i got from Sainsbury's and tied them with Christmas ribbon from Tesco. I'm so happy with how they look and will have to make some more soon I forgot how much I love them.

Merry Christmas ! Pin It Now!