holiday fun
got too old, and when they moved
to a new town. Gingerbread houses
feel magical and full of hope. And
making them leaves people feeling
creative and cheerful. It started with
that family, seeing their eyes light up
when they created the house of their
dreams. I wanted to experience that
again.
HOW DO YOU CUSTOMIZE THE
HOUSES? I start in the summer,
taking photographs of the houses.
I work as an architect would. I use
a CAD (computer-aided design)
program to create plans from the
photographs. I don’t need measure-
ments; it’s a visual process for me.
Then I use a 3-D printer to make
the patterns for the houses. They’re
basically cookie-cutters. I make them
in plastic, but if it’s a mold the client
or I will want to keep or reuse, I have
it made in copper.
Then, using the molds, I bake and
assemble the house. I have a bakery
that helps out when I’m making large
quantities. It’s a long and involved
process, but I love it.
WHAT IS A “GIN & GINGERBREAD”
PARTY? We (I have two assis-
tants) bring gingerbread-decorating
parties to private homes, modeled on
the one I throw every year in my own
home. Included is the pre-assembled
gingerbread house — each year’s has
a different architectural style — with
a light inside and an assortment of
colorful candies for decorating. A
demonstration is included.
For adult parties, I bring every-
thing (I use a caterer who provides
the drinks and appetizers, or clients
can use their own), and help set up
the space and select the music. It’s
a similar concept to Pinot’s Pallette,
where you drink wine while making
art with friends. Everyone gets to
take their creations home. With
the light inside, the gingerbread
houses make wonderful holiday
centerpieces.
WHERE DOES YOUR CREATIVITY
COME FROM? I come from a family
20
HOLIDAY 2019 MONTCLAIR MAGAZINE
THESE HOUSES DON’T DEPRECIATE Molli Dowd, owner of Edible Estates, says that the gingerbread
houses she creates are edible, but can be reused if they’re wrapped so they’re airtight.
of builders and bakers. Once when I
was a girl, my grandfather came for
a visit, and he and my dad built my
sisters and I a playhouse in a couple
of days. I was amazed they could
construct something so beautiful so
effortlessly. Meanwhile, my mom
and grandma were amazing bakers
who created their own masterpieces
in the kitchen, and inspired me to be
creative. I went to college to study
architecture, and even though I
ended up with a liberal arts degree,
something about building houses
always called to me. My gingerbread
houses became one of the places I’d
play around with my architecture
training. It was fun and creative, and
when I became a mother, it became a
bonding family tradition.
I always wanted to be an architect
and now I am — a gingerbread
architect.
WHAT DO YOU RECOMMEND PEO-
PLE DO WITH THE HOUSE AFTER
THE HOLIDAYS? The houses are 100
percent edible, but I would never
eat one! If you really want to save it
for another year, you can wrap it up
so it’s airtight. But part of the fun is
to enjoy it while it’s there and then
let it go. Then make a new one next
year. ■