Gingerbread Pumpkin Farm Stand

If you have been here before, you will most likely know that I live for gingerbread structures.

Exhibit A: Gingerbread greenhouse 2019
Exhibit B: Gingerbread greenhouse 2020 (and how we got there 😭)
Exhibit C: Chocolate gingerbread workshop 2020

I’m extremely excited to add to this collection ahead of the holiday season this year with a gingerbread pumpkin farm stand for fall! I’ve never been much of a fall or Halloween baker but working on this was such a delight. Like with the previous gingerbread houses, the first thing you have to do is some math. I personally quite enjoy this part (lame, I know) and sketching out the dimensions and design on my notepad is kind of fun when you have a somewhat terrible fall-themed Hallmark movie playing in the background. The biggest decision I had to make was which part of the farm stand will have the ‘greenhouse’ elements because I wasn’t willing to give up using gelatin sheets to create a glass effect. Farm stands don’t normally have too many glass elements, but I decided that the main windows and roof panel will show off glass features. The door, which features an arch this year, will be left open. Compared to the past houses, this farm stand has significantly less windows and cut-outs, which makes this project much easier to execute compared to the holiday greenhouses from the previous years.

The technique remains pretty much the same:
• I used my favourite gingerbread recipe from Food52 (I halved the recipe)
• I sketched out my panels and measurements before cutting it out the shapes with the dough
• I decorated the panels before assembling because I want to have a flat surface for decorating
• I used gelatin sheets for the ‘glass’ elements (windows, roof panels, etc.)
• I allowed the assembled structure to dry overnight before moving it
• I remembered to not stress out too much because I’m suppose to be having fun with this project

Here is a sketch I made before starting the pumpkin farm stand:

In case you have trouble reading any of the handwriting, here are the measurements:
• FRONT PANEL: 9 x 6 inches
• FRONT PANEL WINDOW: 4.5 x 2.5 inches
• FRONT PANEL DOOR: 4 x 2 inches
• FRONT PANEL SMALL WINDOW: .75 x 2.5 inches
• FRONT PANEL WINDOW LEDGE: 4.5 x .25 inches
• FRONT PANEL STEPS (x2): 2 x .5 inches per step
• SIDE PANEL A (with awning): 6 x 6 inches
• SIDE PANEL A TAKEOUT WINDOW: 5.5 x 2.5 inches
• SIDE PANEL B (with two window panels): 6 x 6 inches
• SIDE PANEL B PANELS (x2): 1.5 x 5 inches per panel
• BACK PANEL: 9 x 6 inches
• BACK PANEL WINDOW: 7 x 2.5 inches
• BACK PANEL WINDOW LEDGE: 7 x .25 inches
• ROOF: 9 x 6 inches
• ROOF CUTOUTS (x4): 1.5 x 5 inches per panel
• SIGNAGE & PUMPKIN SHELVES: various sizes