Area pastry pros create wonders in gingerbread
Hey, house hunters! Need a break from perusing Zillow in search of a cute, overpriced heap smack dab in the middle of insertprogressively-gentrifying-Orlando-neighborhood here?
Hey, holiday junkies! Ready to jump headlong into the seasonal frenzy and add a few hundred feet of twinkling lights to your already sparkling X-mas factor?
Pack the car with loved ones, hit the resorts and cocoa-and-carol your way through the gorgeous gingerbread neighborhoods that some of Orlando’s most talented developers (er, pastry chefs) have been creating
for your wintry-holiday pleasure since you were working on your summer tan.
“There were 39 cast members involved in creating our gingerbread display,” says pastry chef Jeff Barnes, whose team at Disney’s Contemporary Resort began their holiday home build on July 5. “We work very close with our Imagineers and design teams to collaborate on a theme together — and what better theme than Cinderella’s Castle?”
This year, the Contemporary’s holiday gingerbread display celebrates its 10th anniversary. Beach Club celebrates its 20th. And as Dec. 12 is National Gingerbread House Day, we figured we’d round up the eight amazing Disney creations you can find around the realm — plus a couple others you might want to add to your holiday “open house” celebrations.
1. Disney’s Contemporary Resort
It’s a small world, but not a small castle! And why should Cinderella and Prince Charming settle for less? Their 18-foot-tall display, which features an “It’s A Small World”-themed backdrop, is crafted from thousands of gingerbread blocks, rolled fondant and modeling chocolate and features a fondant Fairy Godmother, among other charming features.
“When [guests] see their favorite character in gingerbread, some actually come to tears,” says Barnes. “But most are just in amazement of what we get to do in gingerbread. That’s the best feeling — to see the look in their eyes.”
If you go: Try to spot the castle’s nine “hidden Mickeys” and 10 images highlighting both “It’s A Small World” and “Frozen 2,” along with a special tribute to famed Disney artist Mary Blair. Hit up the nearby
Gingerbread Hut for special treats.
2. Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
This property is a new participant in the realm of holiday gingerbread and features a National Park Lodge-inspired rustic cabin well suited to its Pacific-Northwest aesthetic. Chef Keith Hiner, a 29-year Disney veteran, was part of the team that created the very first gingerbread carousel at Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts.
“I was excited to create new traditions for cast and guests with this new addition,” says Hiner. “I worked with the Holiday Services Team, who had a picture of what they envisioned, and I developed it from there.”
If you go: Hit the lobby, where the cabin sits adjacent to the resort’s massive totem poles and towering, seven-story tree. Look closely for hidden Mickeys and grab a treat. They even have gluten-friendly gingerbread men.
3. Disney’s BoardWalk Resort
Now you can walk the shops and restaurants of Disney’s BoardWalk to get to the fun shops and restaurants of Disney’s gingerbread BoardWalk. Naturally, the bakery makes for a relevant focal point.
If you go: You’ll find it in the resort lobby, and of course, seasonal treats are nearby. Among them: decorated Mickey and Minnie cookies, peppermint bark and, for the grownups, gingerbread martinis.
4. Disney’s Beach Club Resort
It’s huge. It’s happy. And it’s celebrating a whopping 20 years in the lobby of this beautiful property with its Peter Pan-themed horses and handcrafted shingles and snowflakes.
Assistant Pastry Chef Jesse Rodriguez, whose Disney tenure is fast approaching 20 years, has worked each year at the Beach Club Resort. She’s one of a team of 24 who brings the carousel to life come the holidays, starting with the honey dough in July.
“I love working on the gingerbread houses each year because it gives the team a chance to be extra creative and collaborate with others beyond their daily duties,” she says.
If you go: Allot some time. There are 20 gold hidden Mickey stamps to find and special for this year: 2,020 shingles for the 20th anniversary.
5. Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
It’s a Grand Floridian icon, a massive mansion of a holiday house that locals put on their holiday to-do list every year. And 28-year Disney veteran, Pastry Chef Kristine Farmer, loves being a part of the process — which takes about 400 hours of baking and 360 hours of decorating before it’s ready to grace your Christmas card or socialmedia post.
“Our guests just love it,” she says. “Their family vacations are revolved around seeing the gingerbread every year and they love meeting the chef and asking lots of questions. Our design is very similar each year, but we change the painted images over the windows and doors.”
This year, famed prince and princess couples feature prominently.
If you go: There are 21 hidden Mickeys to find and perhaps, if you’re lucky, you can ask a cast member for help. They hold decorating demos in the lobby every day through Christmas.
6. Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
Another new one this year features a lovely holiday village themed on — where else? — Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
If you go: Check out the intricacies of the park and carousel features and buy some sugar and gingerbread man cookies for a snack.
7. Disney Springs’ Amorette’s Patisserie
A gingerbread house at an actual bakery in the middle of all that Disney Springs has to offer? With Holiday Petit Cakes, Yule Log Desserts, Ornament Macarons (milk chocolate and peppermint ganache), this may be your easiest sell on the tour. Before that, check out the storefront display, a miniature version of the shop.
If you go: Desserts! Including all the above mentioned along with bourbon hot chocolate mousse, marshmallow and chocolate chiffon cake.
8. Epcot
This is the only one on the list that requires park admission, but if you’re headed to Epcot anyway, don’t miss this patriotic take, which features the U.S. Capitol Building, Jefferson and Lincoln Memorials and a 7-foot gingerbread version of the Washington Monument. This display is comprised of more than 50 pounds of gingerbread and 20 pounds of icing.
If you go: Finding its six hidden Mickeys might be more fun with an American-made craft beer in hand. Or perhaps a funnel cake.
9. Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes
It’s a Ritz-Carlton tradition, one that brings seasonal cheer to guests and visitors at properties worldwide. Orlando is no exception.
“We have a phenomenal pastry team, and this really puts them in the forefront, so guests get to see the people who are making the fresh items they enjoy in our dining rooms,” says Director of Public Relations Alissa Perez.
Executive Chef Stephane Cheramy leads the charge (check out an early sketch of this year’s in the attached gallery), which this year used 750 gingerbread bricks, 400 macarons, 100 pounds of butter, two pounds of glitter and 10 ounces of edible gold powder (among loads of other astonishingly proportioned ingredients).
“It begins by researching — drawing inspiration from our travels, social media browsing and culinary competitions,” says Cheramy. “We draft a direction we want to go and delegate tasks to everyone.”
Of course, everything is edible.
“We use as many candies as possible [800, to be precise] while trying to keep the house as clean and detailed at the same time,” Cheramy says.
10. Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort
If gingerbread isn’t your thing, Chef Rabii Saber — a 2019 James Beard Award semifinalist for Outstanding Pastry Chef — has put his chocolate expertise to work for guests’ enjoyment with a whimsical wintry scene featuring playful penguins.
Last year’s setting was a cookie-sand Florida beach, but this year, they’re enjoying a cozy cabin setting that employed 200 pounds of chocolate, 150 pounds of fondant and 60 pounds of frosting. The entire project took three months to plan and execute and more than 500 hours of work.
“They wanted a change,” says Saber with a laugh. “Everybody loves penguins! They’re curious, cute birds that bring everyone joy.”
No word on where they’ll vacation in 2020, but visitors can take their own 8-inch, handmade chocolate penguin — with a belly full of candy — home for $35.
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