There’s no place like home for the holidays — and if that home is made of gingerbread? Well, that’s just the icing on the roof.
This month, there are multiple fork-spanning events for the budding architect-bakers in your life, from competitions to strut confectionary construction skills to sugar-coated instruction on how to build the best home, sweet, home on the block.
North Fork
Gingerbread University’s Annual Gingerbread Decorating Festival, 6038 Sound Ave., Riverhead
For 26 years, the oh-so unique Gingerbread University has been helping East Enders major in elaborate cookie creations. Head to the Hallockville Homestead and Museum Complex this December for a month’s worth of spicy-cookie dough fun. With five one hour and 15 minute-long sessions a day every Friday through Sunday, kids and grown-ups alike to hunker down over piped icing and candy cane lanes to craft their holiday masterpiece. There are a multitude of options and pricing available, from the Kids Special for $19.50 to the full-on family group decorating kit for $75. Click here to register for one of thier sweet spots.
Breeze Hill Farm Gingerbread Workshop, 31215 County Road 48, Peconic, 631-876-5159
Last year, Jamesport’s The Treatery and Breeze Hill Farm got together for their very first collaborative holiday effort — and it was so popular, they’re doing it again! Every weekend from the end of Nov. through Christmas, there will be a five-hour (!), sugar-coated “Cookies, Cocoa & Christmas” session that’s kind of a steal: $25 gets you three homemade gingerbread cookies, royal icing and candy accoutrements to spiff up your edible creation; one mini Treatery chocolate chip cookie and a trolley ride around the orchard. But there’s more, too — a la carte, you can hit up the fully loaded hot cocoa bar (yes, please!) with its multitude of toppings, s’more making around the fire pit, Treatery’s “Stella” food truck with even more goodies to nibble on, a kids ornament and craft station, mini holiday market to stock up on presents and photo ops with his great greenness, the Grinch. Sessions are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 29; Sunday, Dec. 7; Sunday, Dec. 14; Saturday, Dec. 20; and Sunday, Dec. 21. Click here to pick a session.
Eat your way out of house and home gets a whole new vibe with multiple gingerbread activities around the Hamptons and the North Fork. (Photo credit: Richard Lewin)
South Fork
Head to the Children’s Museum of the East End for a day of gingerbread house decorating workshops. Citarella will supply the pre-built, cookie-crafted houses (and gingerbread men, too!) and be on hand to help with the creative construction process. Kids and grown-ups will make a decoration plan, choose their decor from the candy buffet and get to work in two available sessions on Dec. 6: 10 to 10:45 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. to noon. The workshops are $40 for CMEE members; $45 for non-members and you can secure your spot here. Even better, for $80, you can buy one for yourself and pay it forward for someone else who might find the cost of a gingerbread house a bit too sweet on the wallet. Can’t make it Dec. 6? Take-home kits will be available for purchase online, with pick-up between Nov. 27 and Dec. 23.
Gingerbread House Contest, Project MOST, 44 Meadow Way, East Hampton, 631-604-2777
If you did such a great job on your Citarella gingerbread house at CMEE (or are just one of those families that go all-in on gingerbread houses on the annual), why not wade into a little friendly competition through Project MOST’s annual Gingerbread House Contest? Drop off your confectionary masterpiece to them on Thursday, Dec. 4 or Friday, Dec. 5 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., or on Dec. 7 no later than 1 p.m. On the latter day, the judging begins in a fun, community event from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Project MOST Community Center in East Hampton with refreshments and other festive fun. Make your own or purchase a kit from them for $35 by visiting their website.
