Gingerbread Decorating Party with Latino Flare

Versión en español

Holidays are my favorite time of the year. Since I was a kid, right after my birthday (at the end of August), I started counting the days until Christmas, and all decorations, music, celebrations, and gatherings with friends that come with it. I love how joy fills the air and the pleasure of sharing with friends in a relaxed family atmosphere. And now I can share these feelings with my daughters, and all the joy of celebrating with them and passing down our traditions.

My family was big on celebrating Christmas and New Years. My grandmother used to host our whole family and many friends. It was at least 30 people, and before the main event, there were many other parties held within this group of friends: ladies from the church; the book club; the office party, and so on.

Everything happens at home in Latin countries. I don’t remember my mother ever going to a restaurant for a Christmas party. I was allowed to invite some friends over, too, and now I do the same for my daughters. Each year they invite some friends and have a little party. We have decorated cookies and cupcakes. We have baked pizza. This year, my youngest got to invite her friends to decorate gingerbread houses.

I wanted to bring some of our cultures to this American tradition, so I bought Latino candy, cookies, and caramels. Some, my girls recognize these from vacations spent in Chile, and others were new to them but familiar to their Mexican friends. And, of course, the true joy of seeing a table full of sweets is universal to all children.

I also wanted the decor to be very colorful. In my home country, and all of the southern hemispheres, Christmas coincides with the beginning of summer and the gardens are full of flowers and fruit trees, laden with peaches, apricots, and cherries. Christmas is warm and colorful, and while here it is “winter” (in Houston we do not get a real winter) I wanted to bring to the party all my colorful memories.

I recommend hosting a Gingerbread House Decorating Party with a touch of your own culture… I love when everyday situations, such as sharing candy, end up building a bridge between my childhood and the one my daughters are living.

Aside from decoration and food, another very important component for me of a good party is the right fragrance. For this party, before the guests arrived, I lit a Glade® candle: Cherish the Present™ (apple and cinnamon) … immediately I was filled with the joy of the holidays and the pleasure to share and bring joy to my guests.

Some tips to make your Gingerbread House Decorating Party a success:

Unless you buy a pre-assembled gingerbread house, you should always assemble them the day before the party so the frosting has time to dry and harden. It will help the houses resist the children’s enthusiasm.

If possible, buy plastic or metal trays (at the restaurant supply store) for easy cleanup. They can use the same trays to take the decorated houses home.

Since the table will have the houses ready to decorate and all the candy in little bowls, it does not need too much decoration. I put some very colorful ornaments in a trifle bowl and used other big ornaments as centerpieces. I added some garlands and that’s it. For quick and easy cleanup, use a white plastic tablecloth, and it will highlight the decor.

Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to assemble the houses and do not rush.

If you can have the party just after lunch or offer the kids a healthy snack before starting to decorate, they won’t be so hungry and eat too many sweets.

Place the frosting in piping bags. Keep the tips under a damp paper towel so that the frosting does not harden prematurely. A neat trick to fill the bags is to put them in a glass and fold the top. Fill it with frosting, unfold and close the bag with a rubber band.

Put all the candy into small bowls, unwrap all packages before the party, except fondant, which dries. You can use paper cups if you don’t want to wash them later.

Show the kids the different sweets and warn them if some are spicy. The favorites at our party were the classic cookies filled with guava and the plain Maria cookies. I loved the peanut marzipan.

To start the party, explain to the kids how to handle the frosting bag and how to use it as glue. Beyond that… let them make their own creations! You can print some pictures of decorated gingerbread houses from the Internet for those needing inspiration. Most kids are happy doing simple things like alternating colors and creating patterns with colored candy.

I recommend you decorate the houses at the beginning of the party and then let the children play or watch a movie. This way the houses will have time to dry and won’t get destroyed on the way home.

Remember to take photos of the process as souvenirs, and to share them with the other parents. My little guests sang while decorating. It was so cute!

For a “snow” effect place powdered sugar in a sieve and shake gently. The kids love this part.

Finally, give them coconut flakes to cover the tray around the house for more “snow”.

Materials:

• Pre-assembled Gingerbread Houses
• Assorted sweets: candy, chocolate, marzipan, Dulce de Leche bars, candied peanuts and do not forget to also buy cookies (all unwrapped)
• Pastry bags for frosting (well closed)
• Trays to place the houses
• Powdered sugar (sieve)
• Flaked coconut
• Cups or small bowls to arrange sweets
• Juice or water
• White plastic tablecloth
• Table decorations

I hope you enjoy these ideas and you are inspired to organize a Gingerbread House Decorating Party this year. Thanks Glade® for sponsoring this post and letting me bring joy to my daughters and their friends. There is nothing better than seeing the faces of happy children.

Follow Glade Latino at Facebook and at Twitter: @Glade for more inspiration. Please enter this giveaway. Good luck!

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SienteGlade #CollectiveBias