[IVL]

Hi All,

we built a gingerbread house on the weekend and omitted drying step for the house panels as our new $4000 oven from Harvey Norman is out of commission due to shattered glass door after first use - a whole other vent in itself but I will not go there again.

Anyway my DD's went quite heavy on the decorating and the roof of one side has collapsed. I was wondering if anyone has any ideas for a repair job, things I have tried so far include lego supports, tins of food but they are not working. I should also add that we will not have an oven until 5-10 days after Christmas, once again thanks Harvey. Normally I would scrap it and start again, but the proud mummy in me does not want to throw it away as they did work really hard on it and are looking forward to eating it with their little cousins.

Also does anyone have any suggestions for non baked Christmas gooddies as I have offered to cater dessert for a family lunch, assuming I would have an oven but now I do not....

[noi'mnot]

Non-baked Christmas treats: truffles, rocky road, icecream cake (or plum pudding icecream).

For the gingerbread house, if propping it up from the inside isn't working then I'm not quite sure what you can do. What type of icing did you use? Royal icing dries very hard, so perhaps you could combine propping things up from the inside with some heavy royal icing fortifications.

Good luck!

[vitaechel]

When this happened one year my mum got us to decorate the house as a construction site! We cleaned it up a bit and made "bricks" and construction pieces with the bits. We then got lego men to become the workmen. If you have some wheelbarrows in your lego or men at work signs even better. Everyone loved it and thought it was really creative!

[kriattica]

Use the gingerbread house mould and make it out of melted chocolate.

[vitaechel]

Other non bake idea: Lemon Coconut Slice

[2xpink]

Hi,

as an extra support for my roof I cross wooden paddle pop sticks, or skewers (depending on the size of the ginger bread house) underneath the roof and secure with royal icing.


Maybe you can do that now?

[IVL]

Thanks Vitaechel, that lemon slice looks delicious - might also borrow the construction site suggestions.

We used royal icing so I don't think adding more will help.

[noi'mnot]

The skewers and paddle pop sticks idea is a good one. What if you used royal icing on the underside of the roof piece to attach them, and stick all of the pieces together with that?

Failing that, yes - construction site is a great idea!

[harryhoo]

You could do a cheese cake/slice with berries or oreos or something as a Christmas treat, if you're looking for something substantial. Or white chocolate mousse, panna cottas, anything that sets in the fridge really.

Also like the idea of rocky road, handmade chocolate truffles, etc.

[Dylan's Mummy]

When this happened one year my mum got us to decorate the house as a construction site! We cleaned it up a bit and made "bricks" and construction pieces with the bits. We then got lego men to become the workmen. If you have some wheelbarrows in your lego or men at work signs even better. Everyone loved it and thought it was really creative!

This is an excellent idea