ginger 2015: winners declared!

Are you ready? Would you like to know who won Ginger 2015? Excellent. And we’ll get to that, but first I’d like to delve into the history of gingerbread. We’ll begin in ancient Greece and then tour through centuries of spiced baked goods and construction techniques. A favourite treat at medieval European fairs and festivals, gingerbread has evolved considerably with the passage of time…

Stop freaking out. After some serious deliberation, the 2015 Ginger Panel has selected our champions:

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1st place: lynne’s get-outta-dat-funk homestead

Lena Coakley wrote: I loved Lynne’s attention to detail – the fondant stone walls, the pretty shutters, and the tiny lightbulbs outlining the roof. Definitely the house I’d most like to live in (if I were three inches tall and made of marzipan).

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2nd place: anne marie’s shout out to peer pressure and old forge

Lyndsay Sung commented that Annie Marie’s entry was beautifully done, nicely designed, and had a classic vintage Christmas-y feel. I couldn’t agree more!

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2015 people’s choice prize: carol’s it took me a week to resize these photos bakery

To think Carol almost withdrew from Ginger 2015 due to technical difficulties! Three cheers for perseverance and an absolutely stunning creation!

Congrats, ladies. It was a sweet battle!

I’d like to send a huge thank you out to the members of the Ginger Panel. These poor people were placed in the unenviable position of picking a winner from 36 of the sweetest entries ever, and received nothing in return. Thank you for your service!

I’d like to congratulate myself for reading Adopamop’s ginger essay on the “fundamental factors that go into a successful creation,” without rolling my eyes right out of my head. (Someone took his position on the Ginger Panel very seriously.)

And I’d also like to thank all of this year’s competitors. I can personally attest to the amount of time and work that goes into creating ginger masterpieces like the ones we’ve seen this week, and I appreciate all you have done to support my blog and annual competitions. You have inspired the masses with your ingenuity and ginger prowess! Thanks for being such good sports, for letting me make fun of you, and for being so supportive of your fellow competitors. I hope you had as much fun as I did!

In an online world so often filled with negativity, I am incredibly proud to have had the opportunity to share some good cheer and incredible gingering. I can’t wait to do it all over again in 2016!

Happy holidays!