Gingerbread houses are the architectural wonder of the baking world, and every year around the holidays, constructions of all shapes and sizes spring up everywhere. Some have Tootsie Roll mailboxes, shredded-wheat roofs, and gumdrop bells, while others are covered with snow and icicles and have balconies, garlands, and brightly glowing candy glass. But no matter how elaborate a house is, one doesn't have to be an expert baker (or architect) to build one. <i>Gingerbread Houses: A Complete Guide To Baking And Decorating</i> is for ginger-bread bakers who want to build their first or their fiftieth house. With easy-to-follow instructions, it shows beginners all the basic techniques, including how to assemble the walls and roof without breaking the gingerbread. But it also shows more advanced bakers how to illuminate their house, use a glue gun, and even give last year's house a face-lift. The whimsical, two-color drawings and patterns are a wealth of new ideas for doors, windows, wreaths, bells, mailboxes, lampposts, fences, and trees. And for those who feel the entrepreneurial urge, there's even a section on marketing, packaging, pricing, and selling gingerbread houses. With wit and humor, Christa Currie, champion gingerbread baker, makes building gingerbread houses fun for the entire family. <i>Gingerbread Houses</i> is the perfect stocking stuffer for the baker or architect on your Christmas list.