National Gingerbread House Day is around the corner on Sunday, December 12. And for some Hilton hotels across the Americas, their gingerbread houses – or shall we say creations – are soaring to new heights with six-foot tall gingerbread hotels, six-foot wide skylines and even a life-size gingerbread sleigh.
Waldorf Astoria Chicago
Coco’s Waldorf Sleigh was created by Waldorf Astoria Chicago’s Pastry Chef Saber Rejbi and his culinary team with inspiration to catch the holiday spirit of the luxury hotel alongside a nod to fashion icon Coco Chanel. Coco’s Waldorf Sleigh is made with 100 pounds of gingerbread cookies, 60 pounds of fondant, 50 pounds of candy, and 60 pounds of royal icing that took over 36 hours to create. Black and white pearl candy and white piping along the sleigh edge pay homage to Coco’s pearl necklace, while the black gingerbread cookies on white fondant fit seamlessly into the lobby.
Hilton Des Moines Downtown
Inspired by and modeled by the picturesque Des Moines skyline, Hilton Des Moines Downtown’s gingerbread display is six feet wide and features iconic city buildings including the 801 Grand and the Ruan Center, the Midwest city’s two tallest buildings. On display through the end of the year, the six-foot wide confectionary creation features gingerbread, gum drops and other sweet treats including HERSHEY'S KISSES Milk Chocolate Candies and MIKE AND IKE® candies.
Hilton Chicago
Hilton Chicago is home to a life-size gingerbread hotel on display throughout the season. Standing over six feet tall, it took three pastry chefs nearly 300 hours to create—using 380 pounds of flour, 16 pounds of ginger, 16 pounds of cinnamon and 16,000 gingerbread bricks—among other ingredients.