Nothing to It! hosts two gingerbread-house-decorating events.
Each year, a group of children gathers around bowls of candies, colored frostings, and cookie cutouts to transform gingerbread houses into masterpieces at Nothing to It! Culinary Center in Reno. With many repeat attendees, culinary director Lara Ritchie always anticipates some creative results and encourages a whole lot of fun in the process.
“We’ve been hosting this class since we opened 25 years ago,” Ritchie says. “It’s a space and time for kids to get to be kids and celebrate the season. This is a time for the parents to just step back and let the kids express themselves. If they get stuck on something, we give them ideas but really let them own the houses. This time, it’s time to color outside the lines.”
Children of any age are encouraged to attend (with an adult, for little ones) to adorn their pre-assembled gingerbread houses. Class assistants and instructors also are there to help pipe on the perfect amount of frosting, hang icicles, brainstorm to help achieve design visions, and cheer children on in their decorative efforts.
“As an adult watching, you get to see how great these minds work and what they come up with,” Ritchie says. “It’s a candy-palooza. Most of it makes it on the house, but a lot of candy is eaten as well.
“You’ll see a lot of trading going on. Each kid and house gets a certain amount of candy, and there are different kinds of candy per house. Conversations take place where someone is trading ‘all my blue for your red.’ There are some kids [who say] the candy is ‘one for the house, one for me.’ It’s so cute.”
The class lasts about an hour to an hour and a half. For the trip home, the completed gingerbread houses are wrapped, and Ritchie and her team top them with snow: powdered sugar.
“Some kids want a good Sierra dumping, and some of them just want the light sprinkle,” she says. “We wrap it all up in plastic, so it goes home nice and clean. The cars don’t get dirty, and everything is intact.”
Creative Constructions
There are several children who’ve made the class an annual event.
“We have [one] young girl who’s been coming for years, and she brings her sketchbook with a preliminary sketch of what’s she’s thinking about,” Ritchie says. “For a school, it’s really fun to see these kids mature, grow, and see their dexterity change over time.”
Ritchie has witnessed many great designs. A few of her favorites have included one boy’s laser-tracking station for Santa.
“He wanted to make sure that Santa arrived safely,” she says.
She also remembers one in which all the doors were on the roof instead of the sides of the house, giving Santa quick access to the interior.
“What better way for kids to do something to contribute to the decorations at home?” Ritchie says. “It’s a very quintessential holiday [activity]. It’s festive and fun without expectation.”
For the Ladies
Seeing the interest some adult companions have had while watching the children with their gingerbread houses, Ritchie and crew created a new event geared toward women.
“Every year, when we’re building these houses and setting up, all the adults come in with longing in their eyes. We’re excited to announce Girls’ Night Out, where we’ll have the houses made and ready to decorate, plus charcuterie and designer cocktails so they can have fun,” Ritchie says. “As adults, we’re so busy caring for everybody else; why not take time out to unwind? We do the setup, we do the cleanup, and you just get to have a good time.”
Girls’ Night Out takes place at 6 p.m. on Dec. 7, and the Gingerbread House Class for children of all ages is at 9:30 a.m. on Dec. 9. The events are expected to sell out quickly, so visit Nothingtoit.com or call 775-826-2628 to reserve a spot.
Tips for Gingerbread House Success at Home
Lara Ritchie, co-owner and culinary director of Nothing To It! Culinary Center, offers these tips for sweet success with your own gingerbread house-making efforts:
- Bake ahead or buy pre-made gingerbread. If you are making gingerbread, ensure the oven is working correctly, use a pattern, and do a test run. It doesn’t have to be a full house — perhaps just one side — to make sure the dough cooks through and hardens. Bake the gingerbread house pieces five to 10 days ahead of time to give them time to harden before assembling. Or consider purchasing gingerbread from a local grocer or online.
- Frosting consistency is key. Use fresh egg whites or meringue powder and powdered sugar to create a stiff meringue for a sturdy bonding element, both in constructing the gingerbread house and setting the decorative elements. Smooth, glossy icing is perfect for decorating. A thinner consistency will help it spread more easily, and a thicker one will be easier to pipe through a pastry bag. You can control this with the amount of powdered sugar you use. Glossy icing can be achieved with a few drops of glycerin from the pharmacy. See recipe for royal icing below.
- Use a sturdy base and assemble ahead of time. Wrap a hard piece of cardboard in aluminum foil or plastic as a base before piecing together two gingerbread house sections. Ritchie sets the sides first and, once they are solid, attaches the roof. She uses a minimum of five days to set the house before decorating.
- Add toppings galore. Of course, candy should be involved. But you might also consider decorating with different cereals, cotton candy, pretzels, and fruit roll-ups, or a variety of elements in a single color for decorative ideas.
Royal Icing
(courtesy of Lara Ritchie, co-owner and culinary director of Nothing to It! Culinary Center in Reno. Makes 4 cups)
2 large egg whites, at room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3 drops glycerin
Beat the egg whites until stiff, not dry, with a mixer. Add sugar, lemon juice, and glycerin, then beat for 1 more minute. If icing is too thick, add more egg whites; if too thin, add more sugar.
