It’s not unusual for architecture enthusiasts to drool over elaborate scale models, but edible materials definitely add an extra dimension to our hunger for accurate miniature details. More than 200 pounds of gingerbread, 60 pounds of royal icing and 10 pounds of gum paste and pastillage went into the making of this holiday masterpiece completed by “gingerbread architect” (it’s a thing) Beatriz Muller for Williams Sonoma.

Currently on display in the window of the Columbus Circle location in New York City, the model recreates some of the Big Apple’s most iconic buildings and scenes, all measured and built to scale, including One World Trade Center, the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, the Woolworth Building and the Statue of Liberty with the Time Warner Center as the centerpiece. “Gingerbread City” stands more than six feet tall and weighs 300 pounds.

Look closely and you’ll spot some authentic details like a gingerbread subway, taxi cabs, tiny people, store windows painted with icing, construction zones, street signs and trash bags along with trees made of rosemary and dill. Muller notes that many complex gingerbread structures are technically edible, but made with altered doughs that are high on strength and durability while tasting like sawdust. That makes it possible to use carpenter’s tools and sanders for easy construction. Hers, in contrast, actually taste good, and the only tools she uses are a small x-acto knife and ruler.

“I make traditional soft gingerbread cookies and not construction gingerbread. Cookies are baked at a lower temperature so they are a little bit crisper but still soft. The secret to building such big and tall buildings with soft gingerbread cookies lies in erecting the right internal  edible structure that will support the soft cookies. I do this by baking gingerbread posts and beams as well as making pastillage beams to support weight bearing walls.”

“The hardest part of building the gingerbread city was designing the buildings as accurately as possible using Google earth as my guide. I was able to find some information on the web regarding the buildings’ general measurements like height and width, but not much else. I used these measurements as my guide to scale down the buildings and a keen eye on the tablet screen to figure out the rest.”

Imagine walking through a house made of waffles and gingerbread, plucking marshmallows and bourbon biscuits from the walls, gazing in amazement at rivers of frosting carrying colorful cupcakes. No, you’re not dreaming about Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory again – you’re one of the lucky ducks experiencing the Giant Edible Gingerbread House, an installation at the Brunswick Gallery in London.

There’s a sky of balloons, meringue clouds, a popcorn-popping chimney, a marshmallow marsh and a chandelier made of candied fruit. The exterior walls of the house were shingled in over 2500 tiles made of gingerbread, vanilla shortbread and chocolate shortbread.

And yes, all of the wonders in this incredible little house really were edible; the house was consumed over three days by a thousand children and their equally excited parents. When the house was near to collapsing, it was dismantled and used as compost to grow apple trees.

The Giant Edible Gingerbread House was commissioned by The Brunswick Center on behalf of Great Ormond Street Hospital, designed and built by the architecture firm Alma-nac. It was on display in July of 2011.

Once upon a time, in Germany, the first gingerbread houses were built after bakers were inspired by the Brothers Grimm tale, Hansel and Gretel. Since that time, gingerbread house designs have exploded with popularity. Some gingerbread houses are not houses at all, but some have intricate architectural designs inside and out, more like a home with electricity. Here are some of the best gingerbread houses ever created. We hope you enjoy these 32 astounding architectural designs of gingerbread houses.

Historical Newfoundland Home

(image credits:Rock Recipes)

For some families, constructing a gingerbread house is a family tradition. This house was inspired by the winner of the Newfoundland Historic award. The original house is believed to have been designed by W.F. Butler, famed for designing many grand Queen Ann Revival Style homes. The intricate details on this gingerbread house are astounding.

This Old House

(image credits:This Old House,This Old House,Top Tenz)

The Victorian gingerbread house in the upper left took two months to create and is a replica of the Carson mansion in Eureka, California. The pink Victorian Christmas house was another winner in This Old House gingerbread house contest. Townhouses are another popular gingerbread major undertaking that pleases contest judges. Mansions and Victorian creations are wildly popular undertakings, even when they are blue.

Gingerbread Mansion

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This is a replica of Winchester Mystery House, a Victorian mansion and architectural marvel in San Jose, California. The real house, unlike most homes of its era, was a 160-room Victorian mansion that had modern heating and sewer systems, gas lights that operated by pressing a button, three working elevators, and 47 fireplaces. From rambling roofs and exquisite hand inlaid parquet floors, to the gold and silver chandeliers and Tiffany art glass windows, you will be impressed by the staggering amount of creativity, energy, and expense poured into each and every detail. The same holds true for the edible version.

Various Shapes and Sizes

(image credits:Cottage in the Making,Top Tenz)

Most gingerbread masterpieces are replicas of actual architecture, made with great patience and an eye for detail. What makes them so sweet is not sugar, honey, or even icing. It is the amount of love that goes into the project, from designing the house, to baking the gingerbread, to putting it all together for hours, weeks, sometimes months.

Unusual Shaped Gingerbread Houses

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Not all gingerbread houses resemble a house. The top candy house is gingerbread but not warm and fuzzy with happy cheer. Enchanted lighthouse, complete with gingerbread mermaid and candy sea creatures was among the winners in a contest. The old mill house was another winner. The tree house, called Forever Autumn won the grand prize. There is no limit to what can be created in gingerbread house fashion, even Noah’s Ark.

Castles

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Castles are magnificent architecture. Gingerbread castles are equally as marvelous, edible too even if rarely is such a creation eaten. The Sugar Castle, displayed in the historic Westin St. Francis hotel in San Francisco, took over 400 hours to create and was modeled after European architecture.  Some of these castles were National Gingerbread House competition winners, but we think they are all winners.

Lighted Detail of Victorian Rowhouse

(image credits:This Old House)

Family tradition in baking gingerbread houses tend to make each house grander than the year before. This house was inspired by the winner of the Newfoundland Historic award. The original house is believed to have been designed by W.F. Butler, famed for designing many grand Queen Ann Revival Style homes. The intricate details on this gingerbread house are astounding. It took about 60 hours to complete this fantastic Victorian Rowhouse.

White House

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Some bakers set their eye on a high prize, so large and impressive it could only be the White House. Most of these fabulous creations go on to win prizes. Some don’t look like they were created from gingerbread, but each one was. The ones turned from obvious gingerbread to a lighter house took the white in White House quite literally.

2008 White House

(image credit:bethsundquist)

This lighted wonder was a 2008 grand prize winner. Yes, it is made of gingerbread but this grand work of art will not be consumed as food. In fact, it might even have Secret Service protecting it.

Disney’s

(image credits:Disney Parks, raphaelson)

Disney never does anything on a small scale. Their 16 foot high gingerbread house even has a store inside of it. What do they sell? Gingerbread of course. This Disney house took 600 pounds of sugar, 800 pounds of flour and over 3,000 egg whites. Disney also created a carousel made of gingerbread and chocolate. To top it off, this merry-go-round actually works.