The Culinary Institute at IRSC
located at the Mueller Campus in Vero Beach
772.226.2511 culinary@irsc.edu www.irscculinaryinstitute.com
THE CULINARY INSTITUTE AT IRSC GINGERBREAD HOUSE COMPETITION ENTRY FORM
ENTRY FORM DUE NO LATER THAN NOVEMBER 10, 2014
CATEGORY:
High School Student________ College Student________ Professional_________ Amateur __________
LIMIT: TWO PARTICIPANTS PER ENTRY
NAME:___________________________
NAME:_____________________________
ADDRESS:_________________________
ADDRESS:___________________________
_________________________
___________________________
PHONE:___________________________
PHONE:____________________________
SCHOOL (for student entry): ________________________________________________
I understand that to be eligible for the competition, I must deliver my completed “structure” to the IRSC Richardson
Center, 6155 College Lane, Vero Beach, FL 32966, on Monday, December 1, 2014 between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and
4:00 p.m. I also understand that my “structure” will be on an official size display board* and will be on display from
December 5 through December 12. The houses will be sold at silent auction and the proceeds will benefit students who
are enrolled in Indian River State College’s Culinary Arts program. The houses, therefore, will not be returned to the
entrants and become the sole property of Indian River State College. Photographs may be taken of entries and
participants for advertising and/or marketing purposes and by entering the competition; I am hereby giving permission
for IRSC to use photos as such.
SIGNATURE(S):____________________ DATE: ___________
Contestant 1
_____________________ DATE: ___________
Contestant 2 (if applicable)
Please return the completed entry form to:
Chef Bill Solomon
- OR Indian River State College
6155 College Lane
Vero Beach, FL 32966
Email: wsolomon@irsc.edu or Fax: 772-226-2558
Mark Bond, IRSC Culinary Club President
2401 S. 25th Street, Apt. 8B
Fort Pierce, FL 34981
Email: mbond@mail.irsc.edu
Info: 561-685-5880
For more information, contact Mr. Bond at 561-685-5880 or Chef Solomon by telephone at 772-226-2528 or by Email at
wsolomon@irsc.edu.
There is no entry fee!
The houses are being donated to The Culinary Institute at IRSC and are to be auctioned off,
with the proceeds benefiting the IRSC Foundation at Indian River State College.
* The official display board size is 20”x 20” and should be at least 1/2’’ thick wood.
6155 College Ln.  Vero Beach, Florida 32966  Ph: 1-866-792-4772  www.irsc.edu
Fort Pierce  Okeechobee  Port St. Lucie  Stuart  Vero Beach
Culinary Institute at IRSC
Gingerbread Contest Information - 2014
GINGERBREAD RULES AND REGULATIONS
This year’s theme is “Country & Western” and all entries must have a country, western,
cowboy, farmer, etc. component.
1. The structure or display should fit on a 20”x 20” wood base, i.e., plywood, particleboard,
Masonite, which will ensure proper scale for the entire competition display.
2. All houses or displays must be made of edible materials except for the base they are
constructed on, the interior support structure (due to high humidity in Florida) and the
windows that may be constructed from plastic sheeting. The façades of the building
should all be made with gingerbread. All decorations must be made of edible products
such as, but not limited to, cooked sugar, gum paste, fondant, marzipan, chocolate,
modeling chocolate, etc. The use of pre-made candies or decorating items is not
recommended, as they will not score as high in points.
3. The use of plastic windowpane is allowed, as well as battery powered lights to enhance your
display.
4. The structures must be decorated on all sides, as they will be displayed in a manner
allowing viewing from all angles. The little details are those things that enhance a
house.
5. Please deliver your house as early as possible on Friday, December 2, 2011, in order for the
village to be completed and judging to take place.
6. Judging will be as follows:
A team of professional chefs and judges will look at each house very carefully and use the
following criteria for judging:









Craftsmanship 10 points
Neatness 10 points
Originality 10 points
Level of difficulty 10 points
Level of details 10 points
Awards will be presented in each category as follows:
GOLD 46-50 points
SILVER 41-45 points
BRONZE 36-40 points
There will be awards for:
• Best of Show (highest overall score)
• Judges Special Award, if applicable
Culinary Institute at IRSC
Gingerbread Contest Information - 2014
2014 GINGERBREAD HOUSE
COMPETITION TIMELINE
LOCATION:
Indian River State College
Mueller Campus
Richardson Center
6155 College Lane
Vero Beach, FL 32966
772-226-2511
Monday, December 1, 2014
8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. - Structures to be delivered
8 – 10 a.m., 12/4/14 - Judging of the entries
Every entrant will receive a certificate of participation. In addition, gold, silver and bronze
awards will be given. The houses are judged on a point system, so there may be more than
one award for each category.
Thursday, December 4, 5:30 till ??? Holiday Hoedown
The Culinary Institute at IRSC will host the 2nd annual Holiday Hoedown where all entries will
be displayed. Each Gingerbread Contest entrant will receive 1 free ticket to attend the Holiday
Hoedown, where winners will be announced and recognized. At this time, presale silent
auction bids will be accepted before displays are open to public on December 5.
Friday, December 5 through Friday, December 12
The Richardson Center will be open to the public to view the gingerbread house
display and for silent bidding on each structure.
The Richardson Center hours are:
9 a.m. – 4 p.m., Monday through Friday and by appointment.
Please invite student groups, family members, and friends to view this wonderful exhibit.
The silent bidding and gingerbread house display will end at 4:00 p.m. Winning bidders will be
contacted by telephone in order to make arrangements for pickup of their house.
Friday, December 12
The Richardson Center will be open for winning bidders to pick up their purchase between the
hours of 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.
Culinary Institute at IRSC
Gingerbread Contest Information - 2014
GUIDELINES FOR DESIGNING A GINGERBREAD HOUSE
1. Decide on a design. Traditional or Victorian style houses are the most popular. You can get pictures from
magazines, the Internet, or books from the library.
2. Once you have decided on a design, you will need to create a template of your house out of cardboard.
White poster board works well for this but you may use any cardboard. Cut all of your pieces out,
including windows, roof, porch, etc. An X-acto knife works well for this.
Be sure when you design your template that your house does not exceed 18” x 18” in size. The base that
your house will be on is 20” x 20” so this will allow for at least a 2” border all around your house. If you plan
on creating a winter scene in your yard, be sure to allow space for it when designing the size of your house.
3. Assemble your template pieces using tape. This will allow you to get an idea of what your house will look
like and to make any changes, if necessary. Next, disassemble your pieces marking them accordingly so
you know where each piece is to fit once you make it out of gingerbread.
Culinary Institute at IRSC
Gingerbread Contest Information - 2014
SOME IDEAS TO THINK ABOUT WHEN CREATING YOUR DESIGN
Will you have a chimney and where will it be - roof, side of the house, and what will it be made
out of?
What will your windows be made out of (acetate, gelatin sheets, etc.)?
What kind of window coverings will be on the inside of your house?
Will you have any window decorations in your house (Christmas tree, candles, etc.)?
What will your front door be made out of?
Will your front door have a window?
What kind of porch will you have (gingerbread, fondant, etc.)?
What kind of steps will lead up to your porch?
What will the sides of your house look like - brick, stone, wood?
What will your roof tiles be made out of?
What will the sidewalk leading to your house be made out of?
Will you have any decorative landscape (fence, trees, etc.)?
Will you have a decorative foundation on your house?
You can include picket fences, mailboxes, trees, shrubs, rocks, ice ponds, birds or small creatures around the
yard of your house. You can have a Christmas tree in front of a window inside the house, candles or wreaths in
each window or garland and wreaths decorating the outside.
Have fun and be creative! Take photos of your progress as you are making your creation and share with The
Culinary Institute at IRSC to be displayed in a slide show during the 2nd Annual Holiday Hoedown, on
December 4 at 5:30 p.m. Photos should be submitted electronically in JPG format (72 dpi resolution is
preferred) to culinary@irsc.edu by Monday, December 1, 2014 at 5 p.m.
Attached are recipes for Gingerbread and Royal Icing. You are NOT required to
use these recipes; they are simply suggestions.
Culinary Institute at IRSC
Gingerbread Contest Information - 2014
GINGERBREAD RECIPE
Ingredients
Brown Sugar
Sugar
Shortening
Molasses
Corn Syrup
Eggs
Baking Soda
Salt
Cake Flour
Ginger
Cinnamon
3#, 8oz.
5#, 8 oz.
3#
3 oz.
9 oz.
3#
2 oz.
2 oz.
12#
1 oz.
1 oz.
1. In a bowl with a paddle attachment, cream together the brown sugar, sugar and shortening.
2. Add the molasses and corn syrup and mix until incorporated.
3. Slowly add the eggs, mixing well after each addition.
4. Sift together the dry ingredients and then add them to the mixture. Mix until incorporated.
5. Scale out 2.5# batches and wrap in plastic wrap.
ROLLING OUT AND BAKING THE GINGERBREAD
1. Roll out one 2.5# batch of gingerbread dough on a floured pastry cloth to about 1/8” inch thick. Try to keep
the thickness uniform.
2. Invert the dough onto the back of a parchment lined fill sheet tray. (Try to find flat sheet trays.)
3. Lay out as many template pieces as you can onto the dough and cut the template design into the dough.
If the pieces are the sides of your house, it would be at this time that you would create the design that
you want (stone, brick, wood, etc.). If you are going with a brick or wood design, gently score the
design into the dough. You do not want to cut completely through the dough with the design.
If you are baking your roof pieces, you will need to dock these pieces prior to baking.
4. Bake at 375º until lightly brown.
5. Remove from the oven and completely cut out the pieces of gingerbread while the dough is still hot. Leave
the template pieces on the sheet tray until completely cool. You may remove scrap pieces and be sure
to remove the center cutout pieces for all windows and/or doors.
DO NOT DISCARD ANY GINGERBREAD SCRAPS. YOU MAY NEED THEM TO MEND BROKEN PIECES!
Culinary Institute at IRSC
Gingerbread Contest Information - 2014
ROYAL ICING
Ingredients
Egg Whites
Cream of Tartar
Powdered Sugar
Juice from
l#
2 Tbs.
4.5# - 5#
2 lemons
1. In a bowl with a paddle attachment, begin mixing the egg whites on low.
2. Slowly add the cream of tartar and powdered sugar and mix.
3. Add the lemon juice and mix until you have a runny paste. (If put on the side of a knife, it will slowly fall off).
4. Paddle on high speed until stiff (about 7 minutes).
*WHEN WORKING WITH ROYAL ICING, THE BOWL MUST BE COVERED AT ALL TIMES WITH A DAMP CLOTH,
OTHERWISE THE ICING WILL HARDEN. ALSO, WHEN WORKING WITH ROYAL ICING IN A PIPING BAG, ALWAYS KEEP THE
DECORATING TIP COVERED WITH A DAMP CLOTH SO THE ICING DOES NOT HARDEN IN THE TIP.
Culinary Institute at IRSC
Gingerbread Contest Information - 2014
GUIDELINES FOR ASSEMBLING YOUR GINGERBREAD HOUSE
1. The first thing you need to do is to carefully bevel all of the edges of the pieces of gingerbread that will be glued
together with royal icing (corner pieces, roof pieces, etc.). Coordinate all of the pieces that will fit together and then
bevel the edges so they fit together neatly. Emery boards or an X-acto knife are excellent for doing this.
2. Go over all of your window openings and door openings and smooth them, if necessary.
3. If you are going to line the inside of your window ledges, now is the time to do this. A thin piece of fondant glued in
place with some royal icing works real well and gives the window a nice finished look. But, you can be creative!
4. Attach whatever type of window you have decided to use (acetate, gelatin, etc.). Royal icing is used to glue them in
place.
5. Attach any window coverings (drapes, shades, valances, etc.) at this time. Royal icing is used to glue them in place.
6. Coordinate all of your pieces of gingerbread that will be glued together. Next, color some royal icing so that it matches
the color of your gingerbread. Now, pipe a bead of royal icing along one piece of gingerbread and carefully glue it to the
corresponding piece of gingerbread. Smooth out the royal icing on the outside of your house so that it looks neat and
clean. Continue gluing together the remaining pieces of gingerbread. TWO PEOPLE WORKING TOGETHER MAKES
GLUING THE PIECES TOGETHER EASIER.
After you have glued the pieces together, carefully position your house on the base where you want it (off to one side, in
the center, on an angle, etc...). To glue your house in place, pipe a bead of royal icing all along the INSIDE bottom of your
house and at the base of the board.
DO NOT ATTACH THE ROOF AT THIS TIME.
7. Place inside the house any window decorations (wreaths, candles, Christmas trees, figurines, etc.) and glue them in
place with royal icing.
8. Attach the chimney to the house if you have one.
9. Glue on the roof pieces. If your house has a porch and the porch is not made out of gingerbread, you will need to
decide what your porch will be made out of, make it and then set it aside. The porch will be attached to the house later.
11. Decide on what type of roof tiles you want on your house and make them. When the roof tiles are complete, you can
glue them to the roof using royal icing.
12. If your house will have a decorative foundation, you should also glue that in place at this time with royal icing.
13. Attach the porch to the house with royal icing.
14. The sidewalk leading from your house can be attached to the base with royal icing.
15. Glue any decorative landscaping in place with royal icing (mail box, trees, shrubs, rocks, etc.).
16. Neatly place a fluffs’ layer of meringue all around your house.