Gingerbread Gifts That Won't Crumble (and a House That Survives an Aussie Summer)

Every December, somewhere in Australia, a gingerbread house quietly slides off its own foundations. It is 34 degrees, the icing has gone soft, and the roof is now a ramp.

This guide is for the gingerbread people: the ones who bake a batch every year, decorate the tree with biscuits and own at least one tin shaped like a little house. Half of it is baking help (a house that survives the heat, and an easy biscuit swap), and half is gingerbread gifts that will never go soft, picked from our Christmas gifts shelf. We started with a burrito pencil case, so a gingerbread hair clip was only ever a matter of time.

How to build a gingerbread house that survives an Aussie summer

Most gingerbread house recipes were written for cold kitchens. Ours are not cold. A few changes make all the difference.

1. Bake the walls longer than the recipe says. Biscuits for eating should be soft. Walls should be firm and dry, so give them a few extra minutes until the edges are properly set, then let them cool flat.
2. Rest the pieces overnight. Leave the baked panels on a rack, uncovered, before you build. Dry gingerbread is strong gingerbread.
3. Glue with royal icing, never buttercream or chocolate. Royal icing (egg white or meringue powder beaten with icing sugar until stiff peaks form) sets rock hard. Buttercream and chocolate melt the moment the afternoon sun finds them.
4. Build in the morning, in the coolest room. Prop the walls with tins or jars while they set, wait an hour or two before the roof goes on, and then wait again before the decorations.
5. Keep it away from the kettle and the dishwasher. Steam and humidity soften gingerbread faster than heat does. A spot away from the kitchen keeps it standing longer.

If it falls down anyway, call it a gingerbread ruin and eat the evidence.

Gingerbread you can cuddle

For the friend who would hug a biscuit if only it would not break.

Frosted Gingerbread Plush ($27.95 AUD)

About 25 cm of soft short plush with a thick cap of white icing, rainbow sprinkles and a red bow tie. Pick Strawberry, Holly or Plain Iced. It will not crumble, and it will absolutely be hugged well past Boxing Day.

Gingerbread Cookie Cushion (from $37.95 AUD)

A giant iced biscuit for the sofa, roughly 45 to 55 cm, in soft teddy texture. Mr Gingerbread wears a Santa hat and scarf, Mrs Gingerbread has a bow and peppermint buttons. The icing is embroidered, so no crumbs on the couch. It is a big one, and it ships on the same lines as everything else, so order by Fri 20 Nov for Christmas Day.

Gingerbread for the tree and the mantel

Decorations that look good enough to eat, and are much better at lasting until next year.

Gingerbread House Christmas Ornament ($33.95 AUD)

A resin gingerbread cottage about 13 cm tall, with an icing roof, a wreath, a candy cane by the door and a tiny gingerbread man on the step. It sits on a shelf, mantel or desk all December, and it is the only gingerbread house in this post that is guaranteed not to cave in.

Gingerbread you can wear (and so can the cat)

Gingerbread House Claw Clip ($22.95 AUD)

A palm-sized pearly acrylic claw clip, about 25 g, printed with white icing scallops, gumdrops and peppermint swirls. Two bakes: Classic Gingerbread or Lemon Icing. Made for half-up styles and twists, and much less of a commitment than a Christmas jumper. Want more snacks in your hair? See all our food hair clips.

Gingerbread Crochet Pet Collar ($25.95 AUD)

A hand-crocheted bib collar in holly green, berry red and biscuit beige, with a little gingerbread man and his cookie at the front. M fits necks up to about 25 cm (pets about 3.5 to 6 kg), L up to about 30 cm (about 6.5 to 10 kg). It ties at the back, so you choose the fit.

Host a gingerbread biscuit swap

A biscuit swap is the easiest Christmas party there is. Everyone bakes one thing, and everyone goes home with a bit of everything.

• Keep it small. Six bakers is plenty. Each person brings six biscuits per guest, so everyone leaves with three dozen.
• Pick a theme. Gingerbread shapes keep it festive, and a silly cutter (dinosaurs, anyone?) beats another star.
• Label everything. A small card with the biscuit's name and any allergens (nuts, egg, dairy, gluten) saves a lot of questions.
• Bring a box, take a bag. Ask everyone to bring an empty container, and have bags ready for anyone who forgets.

Dino Cookie Cutters, 7-Piece Set ($23.95 AUD)

Seven stainless steel cutters, about 4 to 8.5 cm each: a T-rex, stegosaurus, brontosaurus, triceratops, a hatching dino egg and two more friends. Gingerbread dough holds a sharp edge, so the spikes actually come out spiky. The edges are sharp, so little bakers need a grown-up helper.

Christmas Biscuit Gift Bags (from $23.95 AUD)

Clear bags for handing out your bakes: Christmas bag toppers (40), clear gusset bags (50), clear flat bags (50), heat-seal bags (100) or Christmas cards (40). The clear plastic shows off the icing, and the Santa, snowman and tree toppers do the wrapping for you.

A cookie detour worth the plane ticket

If your gingerbread person ever finds themselves in Amsterdam, send them to Van Stapele Koekmakerij. They make one cookie and only one: a dark chocolate dough with a white chocolate centre, crisp at the edges and gooey in the middle, baked all day long in their little shop on the Rokin. Not gingerbread, but worth the trip.

Quick picks

• Under $25 AUD: Gingerbread House Claw Clip, Dino Cookie Cutters or Christmas Biscuit Gift Bags.
• $25 AUD to $35 AUD: Frosted Gingerbread Plush, Gingerbread Crochet Pet Collar, Baking Day Ornament Advent Calendar or the Gingerbread House Christmas Ornament.
• Go big: the Gingerbread Cookie Cushion (order by Fri 20 Nov for Christmas).

More festive bakes live in our stocking fillers, sweet treat gifts, pet snacks and toast and bread gifts. If they love every kind of baking, try our very serious bakery guide, and for a crafty afternoon there is a cosy, crafty Christmas plan. The full Christmas gifts collection has the rest of the festive crew.

Shopping for the dog or cat too? The Dog's Christmas Menu has squeaky roasts, snuffle toys and the foods to keep off their plate.

Shipping

Shipping is free on orders of $50 AUD or more (a flat $7.95 AUD under that). We pack within 1 to 3 business days and most items arrive in 10 to 18 business days. For Christmas, order by Friday 20 November. That includes the Gingerbread Cookie Cushion.

FAQ

What are good gingerbread gifts for someone who bakes?

Something gingerbread-shaped that lasts longer than a biscuit: a plush, a tree ornament, a claw clip or a cushion. Pair it with a bag of homemade biscuits and you have covered both kinds of gingerbread love.

Why does my gingerbread house keep collapsing?

Usually soft walls or the wrong glue. Bake the panels firm and dry, rest them overnight, use royal icing, and build somewhere cool and away from steam.

Are these gifts good for kids?

The plush and the advent calendar suit kids and grown-ups. The cookie cutters have sharp edges, so they need a grown-up helper. Check each product page for details.

Happy baking,
Poppy x
Store Manager, Scribble Snacks