I once had delusions of grandeur when it came to having my own Norman Rockwell moments with my kid. Once when he was about 3 or 4, I decided to go all uber-mom and bake gingerbread men. We were using a vegan dough, so no worries about salmonella or anything, and having just THE BEST TIME playing with the dough and making cutouts.
He called them man-men. So cute.
And then I put the cookie sheet in the oven, and my toddler screamed “YOU’RE KILLING MY MAN MEN” and fled the room, crying hysterically.
I’m not going to lie, I think I was traumatized almost as much as my kid by that one. Of course, looking back on it now, all these years later, it’s a funny story. But I did stop trying to involve my kid in baking for a long time. I got a little lazy, for one. He was happy with crappy cookies from the store. Why should mommy make cookies when every time daddy stops at the store he buys some sort of store-bought junk?
Then, too, there was everything that wasn’t perfect about baking with a kid. You have to be twice as careful with knives and stoves, it takes 10 times as long, there’s 20 times as much mess, and on top of all that, sometimes you get accused of being a gingerbread cookie-man serial killer.
Older me is a little bit wiser. I’m actually kind of glad I had my child later in life, because holy crap you guys. If it’s taken me THIS LONG to figure some of this stuff out, I would have been completely out of my depth in my 20s.
Older me thinks, well yes, I could buy a gingerbread house kit, but my kid can’t touch it. Older me thinks, building your own gingerbread house from scratch is actually a great lesson in patience. Probably even more for me than it is for him. Older me thinks that my son is 8 years old now, and he might not want to do fun baking things with mommy for too much longer.
Older me realizes now, after a few years of suffering Holiday Blues, that Christmas spirit isn’t just something that happens or doesn’t. You have to plant it and help it to grow.
I’ll be honest. I’m actually pretty terrible at doing super creative pinteresty baking things, like pretty cupcakes. But if I avoid doing these things because I feel like I’m no good at them, what am I teaching my kid?
Not to try?
Older me thinks it’d be better now to give it a go anyway. Because… why not? Something might end up a little less than perfect? I had enough dough to make 4 houses for the cost of one, so who cares if a couple of them aren’t perfect? My gingerbread men experience sure wasn’t perfect, but in the end, who really wants the Norman Rockwell moment? It’s forgettable.
Having a story about the time my son thought I was killing his cookies by putting them in a hot oven? That’s priceless.
- 1/2 cup butter-flavoured shortening
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 3 tsp ground ginger
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/3 tsp baking powder
- 3 large egg whites
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 pound icing sugar
- Food coloring (optional)
- Add the ingredients to a stand mixer in the order listed, premixing the flour, baking soda, and baking powder before adding.
- Once the dough is well combined, remove from the stand mixer bowl and knead until no longer flaky. Divide in two, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Roll out dough to 1/8" thick, cut pieces, and bake on parchment for 7-8 minutes until lightly browned. Let cool on cookie sheets and then cool completely before assembling.
- Beat egg whites and cream of tartar till frothy, then gradually add icing sugar and food coloring, if desired.
- Construct house by gluing together pieces with construction frosting and let dry hard.
- Decorate with candy and more construction frosting (keep it wrapped in an airtight container or bowl between uses so it does not dry out).
- 1 stick of butter can be substituted for the shortening and water in the first step.
- Boxed / pasteurized egg whites can be used for construction frosting and meringues as long as they're 100% pure with no other additives in it.
Psst. Hey you. Want $100?
Hey, if you made it this far in the story, I got some Merry Holiday news for you. Lee Valley, who I worked with last year and got an apple peeler from (WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG TO GET THIS THING?) reached out to me again this year and asked me if I’d run a giveaway for a $100 gift card to their product. All you have to do is click this link here to their catalog, find 3 things that you’d want to buy, and let me know what they are in the comments. Well, and you have to live in the US or Canada, excluding Quebec.
Just a quick word about my equipment I have gotten from Lee Valley and used here – and I’m not being paid to give this opinion here. I like their products. So far, everything I’ve gotten is solid, unlike what I find in a lot of brick and mortar stores, so if you’re afraid of ordering something from a catalog or from their website (LeeValley.com) because it might be a lousy product? Don’t be.
Not only did they send the gingerbread house cutters and a pastry kit, I asked for more Danish dough whisks like I got last year.
If you have no idea what a dough whisk is, best mixing spoons ever. What will you use it for? Everything (don’t let the name fool you). I use them not only for bread (which they are sturdy enough to cope with), but also for making muffins and pancakes. They also sneak into photos of me mixing dry goods like oatmeal and my DIY chai tea mix.
This pastry kit was actually made in the USA.
But seriously, look at how cool this pastry kit is. It’s got instructions, circle sizes for pie crust sizing, and the thickness guides. The thickness guides alone are worth their weight in gold, because I’ve never figured out how people can tell how thick 1/8 of an inch is supposed to be. Do I keep a ruler in the kitchen? I seriously don’t. The backside was slightly tacky so it wouldn’t slide, and the front side was non-stick and easy to clean, and the rolling pin didn’t need to be dusted with flour. It had all those little design elements that you actually appreciate on use but can’t name on the spot. Again, my opinion, so you may feel free to take it with a grain of salt. But it’s a product I actually had recommended to me because I wouldn’t have gotten it on my own, and I’m glad it was recommended to me – it’s actually really useful, and it packages up small when not in use.
Anyway, enter to win, either for yourself or to give someone you love some really awesome baking tools. You won’t regret it. Oh and make sure if you’re entering that you comment with a valid email address, because that’s how I’m going to try to reach out to the winner.
Good luck!
I am not sure how happy I am about this Anne. 1. I have always loved LeeValley and have successfully ignored their shiny wonderfulness for just over a year. 2. Now I went through the catalogue and simply can’t live without more than three things. In no particular order…
Free form folding trays – WHAT!! I need at least 2.
Blunt umbrella – YES!
Double Ended Spatula – My single-ended spatulas are officially inadequate
Forget-Me-Notes – Will this be the key to me getting organized? Quite possibly.
Utility capsule set – hair ties, perfume testers and lip balm will never be easier to spot in my handbag.
Might as well throw in the pastry kit (although it wasn’t in the catalogue, I’m off to scope the site.) Might as well buy my own Christmas gift first 🙂
I didn’t want the dough mixers until you started talking about them but now OMG I WANT DOUGH MIXERS. And I know it seems super lame, but I cycle to work now and I could really use one of their awesome High Visibility LED vests. I could go on and on with small things I can see in the catalog (those stainless steel measuring cups and spoons…the peeler…gah) but if I was going to super splurge on myself, I’d get the gorgeous handwoven basket tote.
I have now decided to reduce the amount I will spend on my kids, and do all the shopping for me in this catalogue.
1. Fancy knife sharpener
2. rolling garden seat thing
3. Robotic arm for my husband.
Only three? How abut 76 items… every page had stuff I must have…
I like the egg poachers, all of the knives (I need new knives so badly) and I LOVE that pizza board and rocker AND the mini measuring cups and the sock puppet kit.
That’s more than three things. This looks like a really cool catalog and every year, I say we’re going to make a gingerbread house next year. And every year I decide it is too much trouble. I should get with the program.
I’ve been shopping at Lee Valley f.o.r.e.v.e.r. The first gift I ever bought my (future) husband in 2001 was a stainless steel, insulated mug. He still uses it every.single.day and even travels with it. Best investment ever.
I would get the Gude Chefs Knife for me, and of the Metal model sets (how cool!) for my son and husband and the drawing stencils for my daughter. Something for the whole family!
Besos Sarah
[email protected]
Awesome catalog! I need to get my bake ON with these three items:
1. Cookie scoops
2. Double-ended spatula
3. Pastry Blender
Thanks!!
Oh I LOVE Lee Valley! So hard to just pick three things from the catalog but here goes:
1. reflective vest
2. wall hugger planter thing
3. hypotrochord set
And thanks for the gingerbread reminder, I am totally making a house again this year, it’s been ages since we’ve done one!
That Güde Chef’s Knife is on my personal wish list, along with the Touch Control For Christmas Lights, and the Silicone Jar Opener because I’m 41 years old and don’t actually have one in the house (I know, right) so I always have to ask my husband for help. But there are like 30 other things in that catalog I’ve got my eye on.
I’d be all over the Pizza rocker and wooden base, the popcorn maker and the egg poacher! And I have to say, I have never made my own ginger bread so thanks for the recipe.
Cookie scoops, nutcracker (always wanted one) and julliene peeler. what great useful tools that I don’t have in the kitchen.
Lee Valley has been my go to gift store for years! Great quality. I’d pick up new pruners, pocket microscopes and the Star Wars moulds.
Love Lee Valley Tools, they have such unique items. Would love the Marcato Cookie Press, Poptop Popcorn Maker & the Cookie Scoops! And I think they would all be little gifts for me 🙂
I would love to get the Lee Valley garden tote bag for my summer herb/veggie gardening, cookie scoops for my cookies and the expandable packing cubes for my traveling!
1. Gude Knife
2. Cookie Scoops
3. Dough whisks
I’m certain with these three items I could transform my life.
Three things I would love:
1) Gude Chef’s Knife
2) Dremel 3000 Variable Speed Rotary Tool
3) Glow Light Indoor Garden
Thanks for the chance to win
measuring spoons andcups mixing bowls tree bag
1/. Freeform folding tray
2/ butter measuring guide
3/ christmas tree bag
Tray is pretty cool
I so need that Hydraulic robotic arm for my sons, this would be the coolest thing to make. That cookie press to though , and the tin ornaments the stars and icicles . I have never heard of this place before and love everything they have . Excellent recipe to by the way , thank you for sharing .
I want to buy FreeForm® Folding Trays, Le Thiers® Bistro Knives and Storage Bag for Artificial Christmas Trees
I would love the
1) Ice cream scoop
2) measuring spoons
3)measuging cups.
Thanks for the chance.
I would love the bistro knives, the automatic needle threader and the tree leather totes. All of these would make my life easier in many ways.
Awesome giveaway!
Three things that I would love to buy are:
Sew Your Own Puppet kit
Cookie Scoops
and
poptop popcorn popper
I love Lee Valley. It’s honestly one of my favourite places and when I lived in Ottawa I went to the actual store a lot! Guess what! There’s one in Halifax! SQUEE! I often ogle the website and I love the catalogues, too. The cover photos are iconic Canadiana to me. 🙂
Here are my three (easily could have been 300!) things:
The Veg Trug Wall Hugger
The Cookie Scoops
The Classic mandolin
And seriously, pretty much all the things (except for the things I already have – Lee Valley has fabulous gift options for kids!)
Wonderful products! Things that I would love are…
Egg Poachers
Tablet and smartphone support arm
Led detection light
I love their gardening products!
Felco #8 pruner
Milton Brook Mortar and Pestle
Nutcracker
…for startes.
I like to shop Lee Valley, it is a bit of a drive but always worth it. Here are my three choices
Hanger Knob for Steel Doors
Brick Clip Fastener, this way you don’t need to drill into mortor
pastry blender
I would like the FreeForm Folding tray,
Non-Marring Building Blocks and Suprabeam® Flashlights.
I adore Lee Valley and their products!! I’d love to bring home the Gude Chef’s knife, the oven guards and the classic french mandoline.
Hi – I found 3 things I want! The mason cash mixing bowls. The pizza peel and rocker. And the Poptop popcorn popper – thanks for the chance! 😀
I love:
1. All Season Convertible Wagon
2. Tree leather tote bags
3. Kangaroo pocket apron
Cheers!
🙂
The Cookie Scoops
Marcato Cookie Press
Poptop Popcorn Popper
Those would be amazing to have 🙂
Lee Valley has so many great items, I really enjoyed perusing their catalogue.
1. Gude Chef’s knife
2. Julienne peeler
3. Double ended spatulas
Lee Valley carry unique items I would choose . Cookie scoops, Pastry Blendr and
Double-ended spatula
I like the POPCORN Popper, pastry blender and cookie scoops
I like:
1. Poach Pod®
2. Poptop™ Popcorn Popper
3. Egg Poachers
I would love the
– apple corer
– PopTop popcorn popper
– rotary fingernail clippers
Thanks for the chance!
Lee Valley is so dangerous to me! So easy to have the intention of getting one thing and ending up with so many more! I really like the Log Cabin and Barn Ornament Kits, the Hand Warmers, and the Cookie scoops. (and about a dozen other things).