The Grove Park Innsider

Gingerbread 101 by Deborah

We’re getting giddy about gingerbread at The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa!   Yes, we are aware that it’s only August, but if you’ve seen the creations that are entered in The National Gingerbread House Competition™, you know it takes weeks, sometimes months to build some of the entries. We recently held a “Gingerbread 101” workshop to get folks thinking about the competition. Close to 100 people attended to get tips on baking and building gingerbread structures.

Pastry chefs from The Grove Park Inn were  joined by Chef Geoffrey Blount of the culinary department at Central Piedmont Community College for the “Gingerbread 101” workshop. The chefs demonstrated all sorts of gadgets that can be used for building and decorating gingerbread structures. Now where’s that marzipan tube?!?!?

Judging for The 2011 National Gingerbread House Competition is set for Monday November 14^th. We are already getting applications from people all over the country, so it’s going to be a big year for gingerbread. Several of the people who attended “Gingerbread 101” tell us they will enter the competition for the first time this year. Several “veterans” were at the workshop too, including some of the competitors who took home top prizes last year. Yes, several of them are already working on their entries. We’re a little like a cult when it comes to gingerbread houses.  Wouldn’t you like to join?

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