AUSTIN, Texas — Gingerbread Village is officially open at the Four Seasons Hotel downtown. This year’s theme is the North Pole.
Executive Pastry Chef Amanda Pallagi Naim said they wanted to bring everyone back to a fun, nostalgic time celebrating the holidays.
The display features artistic masterpieces made from edible materials, including chocolate, fondant, gingerbread, royal icing and a mix of different candies. There’s a ski lift made with licorice rope and trees made using ice cream cones.
There are 10 different houses ... all spots you’ll find at the North Pole, including Santa’s workshop complete with an assembly line of presents and Santa’s all-important list. There’s also a bakery, elf apartment complex, train station and sleigh autobody shop. At Santa’s home, there’s a garden in the back where Mrs. Claus grows carrots for the reindeer.
PHOTOS: Gingerbread Alley at the Four Seasons Hotel Austin
There are many small details to be seen at the Gingerbread Village. Those details took the pastry team at the Four Seasons a lot of time.
“It’s myself and four others, and each of us probably spent about 40 hours per house ... so that’s a total of 400 hours,” said Pallagi Naim.
In all its years, Gingerbread Village has donated over $100,000 to charities through selling the houses. This year, they are donating to the People’s Community Clinic. Eight out of the 10 houses have been sold so far.
If someone is interested in purchasing one of the two remaining houses available, they should reach out to the hotel.
Gingerbread Village will be up through Dec. 28.
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