If the words Gingerbread House make you think of a structure as daunting as the one Hansel and Gretel stumbled on, take a look here. This charming cottage is actually quite simple to assemble, especially with the step-by-step photos and the detailed instructions. That's thanks to Kari von Wening, the owner of Takes the Cake Bakery in Pasadena, California. Every holiday season, she turns out literally hundreds of decorative gingerbread structures, and over time she has figured out the easiest way to go about building them.
Her pretty cottage is part of a long tradition that comes to us across centuries from Europe, especially Finland, England and, of course, Germany, the home of the Brothers Grimm. You can benefit from Kari's knowledge—and from the lessons learned by European bakers during all those centures—and create a sweet tradition of your own.