FROM THE JOURNAL - COCKTAILS & CURIOSITIES
The Eighth Day of Christmas
Cocktail : GINGERBREAD COFFEE
Recipe: Coffee, ginger liqueur, gingerbread syrup, topped with whipped cream
Chances are you've bought a kit and attempted to "glue" a gingerbread house together with the kids... or perhaps with a festive bevvy in hand! Is it still standing proudly, or has it already been demolished and enjoyed alongside a nice cuppa?
Gingerbread itself has a long history, but once again we have the Germans to thank for another Christmas tradition that's spread around the world.
Back in the 17th century, only professional gingerbread bakers were allowed to make and sell gingerbread in many parts of Germany, except at Christmas and Easter, when the rules were relaxed. Perhaps that's one of the reasons gingerbread became so closely associated with the festive season.
The first gingerbread houses didn't appear until the early 1800s. Their rise in popularity coincided with the publication of the Brothers Grimm's Hansel and Gretel in 1812. Whether the fairy tale inspired people to create edible houses, or whether it was inspired by an existing tradition, nobody knows for certain—but the two have been linked ever since.
Today, gingerbread houses have become a Christmas tradition in their own right. Every year they're decorated with mountains of sweets, rivers of icing and enough edible glitter to rival the North Pole. Some bakers even compete to build entire gingerbread villages and record-breaking creations.
So, whether you knew about the connection to
Hansel and Gretel or not, I bet you've thought of the story while carefully sticking yours together... and wondering whether it will survive until Christmas Day before someone starts nibbling the roof!