Tuesday, February 5, 2019

Miniature Gingerbread Houses (take two)

copied this from my other blog.  (It's from Christmas day
really)
Can't do much else...broke my wrist and arm but wanted to
 get it on here.
You can find her recipe for the lovely gingerbread online.
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I say "take two" because it is only the second time to try
Royal Icing and piping skills... hahaha... skills... that's
a laugh!

This time I made the icing softer ... with many more
tablespoons of water than Jemma suggests ...and still
 ... way too stiff to pipe.  So, after a lot of moaning,
whining and wiping off about 17 doorways... and, then
some swearing... I put the icing back in the bowl and
added more water yet. By then, I'm sure there were
dried crusty bits in it as well.

I tried again... but, by then, my hand was wobbly and
I was totally ticked.  Mister BumbleVee said he would
give one a try.  I managed to make only about two end
pieces... not great windows and doors...and his first one
was a bit wobbly too... but, then...he became a piping
machine!  He did all the rest of the pieces. In total I had
8 houses, and at 6 per house that was a grand total of 48
pieces.. a lot of fiddly piping!

But, hours later, in spite of the silly icing never being the
right consistency... he had managed to do all the pieces.
I waited til they were dry and assembled and added more
"snow" ... which after awhile... became a bit messy too
because my parchment bag was practically trashed.
I only had one piping tip and bag so made a couple of
parchment ones;  well, Mr. BV did that too...  hahahah
... BUT... we did 'em, the little buggers!!

Since then, I have been watching many, many videos on
piping, icing consistency, tricks and tips etc.... and, man
are some of those women ever amazing!!  I love one of
them named Haniela... she does great stuff..and has lots
of info to take in.  I will have to watch them again and
then, make up another batch of icing and get busy
practising on some parchment or something.  By next
year I want my little gingerbread guys to look somewhat
better than these.. but, I am showing them anyway...
because darn it ...I am proud of our efforts.

Mr. BumbleVee says .. "don't show everybody our
amateurish efforts".. but, I think they are cute and also..
it is only the second time trying anything like this at all
and his first time doing the solo piping, so .. here goes....

The worst ones, with no door sills... are mine.  The good
ones are Greg's...I think he is pretty good at this.....
maybe I need to make him watch the videos and he can
do them again next year.   Don't tell him I said that.


















I like to encourage people to give things a try even if you
have never done it before .. who knows how it will turn out?
You may be quite surprised at how good you are...
You may have amazing beginner's luck...

Try something new for the New Year!


1 comment:

betty-NZ said...

They turned out wonderfully! Thanks for the great images and the encouragement.

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