GINGERBREAD AND GINGERBREAD

The exteriors of upscale houses of the Victorian Age were often embellished with charming elements of decorative, often intricate carpentry that collectively came to be called “gingerbread,” doubtlessly because much of it looked good enough to eat.  The resulting effect would be to transform a rather ordinary dwelling into a residence that was the height of style, circa 1850.  This assemble-it-yourself composition provides not only interchangeable, snap-on elements of wooden gingerbread but also, around the perimeter, a veritable army of edible gingerbread men, along with a classic recipe for baking them.