Many people have made gingerbread houses. It’s a creative, somewhat messy, fun-filled activity to do, especially with children.
But few people have gone to the lengths that Lutsen Resort pastry chef Blake Shellabarger and Allison Reedy (an experienced cook at Lutsen) did in creating a holiday chocolate house in the gingerbread house tradition.
“Alison and I spent three days, working six to eight hours per day, on the house,” said Blake. “We had a blast. I am an artist at heart, and so is she. Not many businesses would allow the time to make something like this, so we really appreciated management for supporting us and allowing us to do this for the public.”
There is a lot of “sweet” detail that makes up the 20-pound (or so) structure that sits on a two-foot square piece of plywood.
The main building is dark chocolate. It is glued with white chocolate and has white chocolate icicles.
All of the decor is made up of various candies and pretzels: Smarties, hard candies, candy canes, pretzels, different licorice ropes, gumdrops. There is a poured sugar pond with licorice koi fish, cotton candy snow and smoke.
Coffee bean rocks make up the fireplace chimney. There is a fire inside in the fireplace, a bonfire in the yard outside, and there is a bridge over the pond.
There is a chocolate out-house in the back, pixie stick pathways, candy cane fences, candy stained glass windows, a white chocolate modeled snowman, a pretzel woodpile, a Christmas tree inside (non-edible). And the inside is lighted with a battery operated light string.
Also, inside there is a pretzel and dark chocolate table and chairs with a Yule log dessert on top of the table.
The gingerbread house was on display at the Christmas buffet at Lutsen Resort.
“People really enjoyed it,” said Blake. “It was a big hit. There were a lot of photographs taken and a lot of nice compliments given.”
Because the gingerbread house tends to absorb moisture, which causes it to crack, both Allison and Blake aren’t quite sure what to do with it.
“It’s possible it will be at the New Year’s Buffet,” Blake said, “but this is not confirmed yet.”
As for eating it?
“Well, when it’s left out, like I said, it tends to absorb moisture and flavors, and it dries and cracks, so it’s probably not going to be very edible,” said Blake.
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