ginger 2014: group 3

Here is today’s final grouping of ginger creations! I like to call this round of entries Holy Crap No. 1, because I said holy crap when I saw ’em. Cast your vote at the bottom of the post to help determine the winner of the 2014 People’s Choice Prize.

(For more information on how this competition will go down, click here.)

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Beverly’s Ginger Carousel Horse

Beverly writes:

My gingerbread carousel horse is supported by a 3/4 in dowel rod. It has hand made gum paste flowers and rice krispie  treat saddle. On the top of the dowel is giant bubble gum ball. It has silver degrees and disco dust on his hooves. He measures 17 inches wide and the top of the dowel reaches 32 in. I made the curved pieces on formed metal pan. He consists of 17 different pieces of gingerbread and 3 recipes of gingerbread. He is mirror image on both sides and took 6 weeks to complete. 

So, Beverly, this is basically a life-sized pony. He is absolutely gorgeous! If allowed, I would sit upon its rice krispie saddle whilst licking running my fingers through it’s blonde mane. I would build him a stable made of marzipan and sugar paste. I would hire him a dance instructor – the silver dragées and disco dust on his hooves make me think he might hold his own with the Lipizzaner Stallions. I would name him Eugene, and hire farmhands to scoop his gingery poop. We would be the best of friends. There’s nothing about Eugene I don’t like, Beverly. Nothing!

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Sharon’s Storybook Castle

Sharon writes:

Here is my 3D storybook castle. It is entirely edible made of gingerbread, covered in pastillage with gelatin glasses.  

Thanks, Sharon

Wait. What? Have you guys noticed that some of these ginger geniuses like to drop ginger on us like it’s no big thang? Like: here’s my super casual edible book topped with a castle and also, I made some glasses. They’re prescription.

Look at this thing!! I mean, an edible book is one thing, but a book with a castle emerging from the pages? Bonkers. The details are incredible! The writing, the antiquing, the bookmark and landscape! The castle is magical – the stuff of fairytales. The tattered pages long to be turned, but I bet I’d accidentally rip one and then Sharon would yell at me about how you look with your eyes and not your hands. Which probably means wearing those gelatin glasses is out of the question as well…

Despite a possible no-touch policy, this ginger publication is epic!

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Susan’s Central Fire Station

Central Fire Station of Calumet, Michigan

Susan had her boyfriend David send the following message about her inspiration:

Much of my childhood was spent in the upper peninsula of Michigan near where this real fire station built in 1898 still exists. I also liked the challenge of creating the stone exterior.

I guess when you’re busy gingering, you don’t have time to type inspirational details, am I right, Susan?!

David (for Susan) continued:

A trip to Home Depot located a section of rough-hewn kitchen back-slash tile that had the right scale and texture to use for embossing my walls.  The raw dough was rolled, embossed with the stone pattern, and then cut to shape using a paper template.  The stone bump-out details found on the front of the station were then cut and glued in placed using a little bit of egg yolk before baking each wall section. All the exterior decorations — evergreen swags, and Christmas lights — were hand piped before assembling the wall sections.

Okay, Susan? Did you tell David to write rough-hewn? Because that sounds totally made up. That said, this is one of the prettiest fire stations I’ve ever seen! The stonework is incredible, the garage doors are perfection, and I’d happily munch on the driveway material! This creation is majestic. It’s magical! Is that a liquorice fire hose on that vehicle? That’s the best sort of hose, don’t you think?

Any city would be lucky to have a fire station as delightful as this, Susan!

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Barb’s Yo Ho Ho

Barb and her crew are defending Ginger 2013 champs. Barb writes:

Ahoy Mateys! This year I present “Yo Ho Ho” featuring The North Pearl with Captain White Beard at the helm and Hook in the crow’s nest (played by our traditional Bear). White Beard and his elves have captured the evil Grinch and are encouraging him to take a swim. Except for Olaf – he thinks he’s on the Titanic and is looking out for icebergs!  

This entry is made from 100% edible ingredients: gingerbread, royal icing, fondant, pretzels, bread sticks, pasta, assorted candy decorations and edible wafer paper for the sails (the design on the main sail was painted with gel food coloring). Every year our family enters the Gingerbread Wonderland at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum in Morristown, NJ and we have an online scrapbook on Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/bramabile/my-gingerbread-scrapbook.

Two things jump out at me. First, pasta. There’s pasta somewhere on that ship. Second, bread sticks. The North Pearl is the prix fixe of the gingerworld. Appetizers, main and dessert all in one display. Did you notice Olaf’s face? Arms outstretched as he recreates DiCaprio’s I’m the King of the World scene from the worst movie of all time? The incredible water? The octopus tentacles? And who got stuck cleaning the poop deck by hand? That job would make me want to walk the plank.

So many delightful details in one ginger creation. This display is a feast for the eyes, Barb!

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Kristen’s 250 lb. Castle

 Kristen writes:

... attached are some photos of my latest cookie creation, a 100% edible gingerbread castle that I recently made for Viacom’s holiday beach bash in Santa Monica, CA. This giant dessert structure measured 4 feet by 2 feet wide by 3 1/2 feet in height and contained over 80 pounds of gingerbread house cookie dough, 75 pounds of royal icing and 60 pounds of rice treats as well as piles of cookie sand, caramels, chocolate, and sour fruit strips.

First off, I don’t know who Viacom is, but I’m pretty sure we’d get along just fine. Second, I would like to be buried in that castle. I believe there is enough room. If not, I’m sure someone could eat a turret or two to make space.

In the meantime, look at the details on this thing! It’s HUGE! Hundreds of perfectly sculpted bricks, windows and magical pathways. I have no sense of direction, so I suspect that upon entry I’d immediately get lost in that castle. (And I bet the people who work there are really snobby and wouldn’t help me find the bathrooms.) Top to bottom, side to side – every time I look at this masterpiece, I see something new.

This is the sort of gingering that creates the sweetest of dreams, Kristen!

If you’d like to see more of Kristen’s castle, check out her blog: http://www.wickedgoodies.net/giant-gingerbread-sandcastle/

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Cast your vote below! The overall winner of online Ginger polling will win the 2014 People’s Choice Prize!

Repeat voters are blocked by cookie and IP address.
Polls close at 10 am AST, Saturday, December 20, 2014.

You can also cast a vote for your favourites in Group 1 and Group 2.

Come back tomorrow to see Group 4, Group 5, Group 6 and Group 7. Polling for these groups will remain open until 10 am AST, Sunday, December 21, 2014.