Every year families love to celebrate the festive season with handmade treats and holiday bakes. While there's lots of delicious offerings to choose from, you'd be hard pushed to find one more popular than the traditional gingerbread house. The much-loved bake is very sweet, even if it is not so simple.
Thankfully, you need not sigh each time the cookie cutters come out this year, as a baker has shared a crafty tip for keeping the delicate creations in place. They suggested a common household item can be used to easily secure all your hard work, meaning you can focus on turning the house into the home with decorations.
Posting to Reddit’s dedicated food hacks forum, the crafty baker wrote: "Use two thin rubber bands to hold rickety gingerbread walls in place!” The suggestion was accompanied by a photo of a delightful-looking gingerbread house, halfway through construction. While it looks like the walls have been stuck together with icing, the rubber bands feature as a clever addition. Placed around the bottom of the design, the thin bands can help ensure the walls don’t collapse outward, as happens all too often.
What’s more, commenters were quick to share their own tips and tricks in response to the post. For anyone hoping to perfect their own recipe, caramel could also prove helpful. One commenter replied: "You should use caramel/caramelized sugar! It doesn't taste super good but it's edible."
Another recommended: "I use melted white chocolate or white candy melts instead of frosting. It sets in under 5 minutes and is very solid." Alternatively, you can use bands similar to those the post's author suggested. Do be careful if you plan to eat the gingerbread house, however.
"If you're only using it temporarily until the frosting dries, then use a thin strip of cloth (ribbon) and use it to tie the pieces upright. That way, the rubber bands won't burrow into your gingerbread," one person recommended. Or you can purchase cooking bands from Amazon for under 55p per item, with a pack of 25 available for £13.44.
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