A collection of gingerbread recipes and crafts

Looking for some crafts or recipes to try this holiday season, with or without the kids? Try one of our collection of gingerbread recipes and crafts, guaranteed to get your family in the festive mood.

Recipes
• Gingerbread Cookies
The balance of spices and the two kinds of molasses give these cookies a most appealing taste that does not fade, even when the cookies are several weeks old.

• Pear Gingerbread Pudding
Get the flavour of gingerbread in a mouthwatering fruity dessert.

• New-Fashioned Gingerbread
Ginger lovers of the world unite to enjoy this rich, moist cake featuring dried and crystallized ginger. A dollop of ginger-accented whipped cream adds a touch of luxury.

• Pumpkin Gingerbread Snacking Cake
Nicely spiced, this moist, light cake is great for either after-school munching or late-night snacks.

• Lebkuchen Cutouts
These invitingly spicy glazed German cookies, which can be baked ahead, are what many holiday cooks like best. Roll and cut out rectangles, fun gingerbread folk, trees, stars, or — in the northern European holiday tradition — hearts.

Crafts
• Have a gingerbread house party!
Back by popular demand, this is the original gingerbread house party from our December 1990 issue.

• Gingerbread Christmas tree with star ornaments
This fancy cookie makes a beautiful (and tasty) holiday centrepiece.

• Family craft: Gingerbread ornaments
Personalize your tree with homemade decorations you can make with the kids.

• Gingerbread centrepieces
The figures are made with regular cookie cutters and simple piping, but you can also tint the icing and decorate with candies. There is enough dough and icing to make one large rectangular centrepiece that's perfect for the holiday table, plus a second smaller square box that's ideal for the mantel or side table - or as a gift. With the little leftover dough, you can bake any shape of cookies you like.

• The Snow Queen's Palace
Deck the mantel or sideboard with this magical gingerbread scene.

• Make a Christmas gingerbread village (pictured)
Why stop at a gingerbread house this Christmas? With a single dough recipe, you can make this charming Christmas gingerbread village, consisting of a two houses, a church, a schoolhouse and a clock tower.