Norway House in Minneapolis transforms into a Gingerbread Wonderland

If you're looking for a family-friendly activity that combines art, architecture, history and fun, head to the eighth annual Gingerbread Wonderland at the Norway House in Minneapolis.

Enter at the grand, new main entrance — part of the Norway House's recent 18,000-square-foot expansion — where a gleaming pine-cone sculpture by Norwegian artist Finn Eirik Modahl greets guests. Inside, the gallery is as sweet as ever. More than 200 gingerbread creations are on display, ranging from quaint candy-coated houses ready to buckle under the weight of icing, to stunning cathedrals and structures with nods to everything from Harry Potter and Stonehenge to favorite pizza joints.

And it's all in the name of tradition.

In Norway, gingerbread (or pepperkaker) and holiday celebrations go hand in hand. Each winter, you'll find gingerbread cities across the country, including in Bergen, which claims it has the world's largest village. Since 1991, thousands of volunteers, schoolchildren and businesses have helped construct the city's Pepperkakebyen, which had more than 2,000 structures at its prime, inspiring Norwegians worldwide to do the same.

While the display at the Norway House may be smaller, it's just as charming, and you can see it through Jan. 8. Each structure has to be constructed from at least 75% gingerbread and must be 100% edible (minus the base and any lights). Those brought to the Norway House before Thanksgiving were eligible for judging in several categories. Later entries are still eligible for the people's choice award, which is presented on Dec. 23.

Feeling inspired? The Norway House has foolproof recipes for gingerbread and royal icing (see below) for an at-home holiday break activity. Make this your trial run — perhaps you'll be among next year's winners.

This year's winners of the Gingerbread Wonderland are:

Best professional: The Night Before Christmas by Renee and Kirsten Poppenhagen. Honorable mention: Dayton's Building by Emily Antolick.

Best kids (under 10): In the Alley by Garret Beeck.

Best kids: (over 10): Gingerhenge by Cole Fritsche and Tutu (Molly) Kleven.

Most koselig (cozy): Cottage Holiday House by Kathleen Smith. Honorable mention: Witch's Candy Cottage by Harper, Bailey, Nancy, and Angela

Most whimsical: The Little Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe by Annette Korolchuk. Honorable mention: Nisse Stabbur by Holly Thorstad and Carl Fristad.

Best of Minnesota: John H. Stevens House by Kathleen Goor and Mary Senkbeil. Honorable mention: Grand Avenue by Elizabeth, Charlie and Allison Golnik.

Most beautiful architecture: Arctic Cathedral by Jade Hagberg and Julia Tindell. Honorable mention: Tomtehallen by Heather Vick.

Where: 913 E. Franklin Av., Mpls., 612-871-2211, norwayhouse.org.

When: Through Jan. 8.

Hours: Noon-4 p.m. Tue., 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Wed.-Fri., 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Sat., noon-4 p.m. Sun. Closed Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

Cost: $10, $5 for members, free for ages 12 and under.

Inspired to build your own house? Design your project first, cut a pattern out of parchment paper and follow these tried-and-true recipes from the Norway House.

One recipe is enough for one house that's about 4-by-6-by-8 inches, with some extra cookie dough for accessories. You'll need to prepare the dough in advance to allow it time to chill.

• 2 1/2 c. flour

• 1 tsp. baking powder

• 1/2 tsp. baking soda

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 1 1/2 tsp. powdered ginger

• 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg

• 1/2 tsp. cloves

• 1/2 c. shortening

• 1/2 c. sugar

• 1/2 c. molasses

• 1 egg

• Crushed hard candy for windows, optional

Directions

In a medium-sized bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the shortening, sugar, molasses and egg. Add the flour mixture, a little at a time, until well-blended. Chill at least 2 hours or as long as overnight.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out 1/3 of the dough at a time between 2 pieces of wax paper until it's a bit less than 1/4 inch thick. Remove top sheet of wax paper and lay parchment pattern pieces on the dough, leaving at least 1/2 inch between pieces. Cut around your pattern pieces and remove the leftovers (return the extras to the refrigerator for the next round).

Cover a baking sheet with parchment. Flip the wax paper with all of the gingerbread pieces over on the prepared baking sheet and peel off the wax paper.

If desired, liberally fill windows with crushed candy pieces, ensuring you don't skimp so the windows aren't too thin and fragile. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and trim any rough edges while hot (this will allow the pieces to fit together easily). Let cool until window candy is set.

Trust us, you'll be sorry if you use anything but this recipe to "glue" your house together!

• 3 1/2 c. powdered sugar

• 1 tsp. cream of tartar

• Dash salt

• 3 egg whites

• 1 tsp. vanilla

Directions

Mix together powdered sugar, cream of tartar and salt.

Beat egg whites to a soft peak. Slowly add powdered sugar mixture and vanilla and beat until you get peaks that stand up on their own.

Use to build and decorate your gingerbread house.