{adventures in gingerbreading} The Snowy Japanese Gingerbread Pagoda

Last week I did a roundup of my previous adventures in non-traditional gingerbreading, and I’m excited to show you what we made this year: The Snowy Japanese Gingerbread Pagoda.

We used the old melted-Jolly Ranchers-in-the-gingerbread trick to make a river full of koi. We laid the hardened candy river on top of roughly smeared icing and it created little bubbles. A happy accident!

In lieu of a traditional Santa, we went with a more friendly Godzilla in a Santa hat and glammed him up with edible glitter. He’s totally not attacking the pagoda, just trying to figure out where the chimney is…

The pagoda roof was structurally difficult to put together, but it came through in the end. Candy cane pieces provide the corner curl decorations.

One of my favorite parts is the Zen garden- complete with teeny tiny rake made from sour straws. The rake is totally usable in the sugar sand!

This is always such a fun tradition and we have a great time doing it. Who knows what next year’s gingerbread adventure will be?

Merry Christmas everyone! 

I only allow edible things in the gingerbread project- even as support. Here’s the breakdown of what’s what:

• Roof tiles: Twizzler bites with sprinkles and jimmies
• Roof decor: candy canes and raspberry and blueberry gummies
• Outside tiling: junior mints and sno-caps
• River: crushed jolly ranchers baked into a gingerbread
• Fish: Swedish fish cut in half
• River rocks: Milk duds and jellybeans
• Dirt/Sand: Korean coffee sugar
• Zen garden: mini Charleston Chews and sanding sugar
• Garden surround: banana chips
• Rake: sour straws
• Godzilla: gingerbread, pistachios, edible glitter, with half jellybean eye and swedish fish hat
• Flowers: jujubes with disk candies
• Tree: spearmint leaf gummies and mini Charleston Chews
• bridge: gingerbread