Happy Gingerbread House Day!
That’s right, December 12 is National Gingerbread House day. Gingerbread has been along for a long time, all the way back to the ancient Greeks who used the first recorded recipe for the dessert in 2400 BCE. Centuries later, an Armenian recipe for Gingerbread made its way to Europe with the help of a monk, Gregory of Nicopolis. But the real Gingerbread house we know and love today was concocted as a result of the Grimm’s Fairy Tale Hansel and Gretel. Seems German bakers found the idea of a house made of sweets so charming, they conceived the spiced holiday tradition we all know and love.
To celebrate, we’re highlighting a few local businesses who are putting their own twist on the Holiday favorite.
Like Duner’s Restaurant in Charlottesville. Their dessert menu features among other decedent creations a Chocolate Gingerbread Cake: “Chocolate Ginger Bread Cake layered with Swiss Meringue, White Chocolate Buttercream.” Perfect cap to a meal from their seasonally updated menu.
Speaking of Crozet, Crozet Pizza has a cocktail to pique anyone’s gingerbread craving. Their Dark and Stormy is a delicious take on the holiday flavor: “Kraken spiced black rum forms a storm cloud on top of ginger beer.” And seeing as they are one of the oldest and most renowned pizzerias in the area, their food’s not too shabby either.
Charlottesville pitches in annually with the Gingerbread House Competition. The competition draws in a wide array of contestants and benefits the Ronald McDonald House in Charlottesville. You can check out this year’s winners here.
But perhaps best of all is our very own Gingerbread Pancakes! That’s right, fluffy pancakes full of all the spiced-sweetness of the beloved holiday treat. Come stay with us and enjoy them at breakfast.
