You Can Eat Dinner Inside of a Giant Gingerbread House This Season
Decorating a gingerbread house is one of those fond childhood memories that makes us all warm and fuzzy inside. Whether you start from scratch with graham crackers or buy the pre-assembled version, it doesn’t get better than making candy cane archways and icing-covered rooftops. Well, this holiday season there’s a gingerbread house in Arizona that will blow your mind. The Ritz-Carlton at Dove Mountain in Marana, AZ recently unveiled an 18-foot-tall gingerbread chalet in the lobby area — and the best part is, you can have dinner inside of it.
Pastry Chef Daniel Mangione created the gingerbread palace, according to the resort’s Facebook page, and it accommodates private three- or four-course dining for up to six people for a $150 fee, plus meal costs. Director of Operations Brian McHugh handmade the dining table, which sits in front of a cozy (working!) fireplace inside of a room adorned with gingerbread cookie designs.
This gingerbread house is made of lots (and we mean lots) of sugar and spice and everything nice. To be exact: 856 pounds of sugar, 400 pounds of honey, 350 pounds of flour, 100 pounds of ginger powder, 250 eggs, 50 pounds of cinnamon and 10 pounds of nutmeg.
If you aren’t in Arizona this holiday season, luckily you have another chance to visit a giant gingerbread creation at the Ritz-Carlton in Naples, FL. But note: There’s no dining in this house. It’s made from 1,200 gingerbread bricks, 294 pounds of honey and 60,000 pieces of candy, among other delicious ingredients. According to the resort’s Facebook page, it took more than 1,000 hours of work to complete the project. We can only imagine the delicious smell of spices wafting through the hotel lobby.
Are you planning to dine inside of the Ritz’s gingerbread house this season? Tweet us @britandco!
(Photos via Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain)
