Interview with Nikki Wills
Photos courtesy of Tikkido.com
Photos courtesy of Tikkido.com
Baker and cookbook creator Nikki Wills discusses her love of making gingerbread houses and reminisces about her abilities on Food Community’s Holiday Gingerbread Showdown.
How did you gain started baking gingerbread houses?
My mother started making them after I was an toddler the use of a broadcast recipe by used White Home executive chef Hans Raffert. It makes delectable, hardy gingerbread that’s excellent for developing all kinds of gingerbread creations. Round Thanksgiving yearly after I was rising up, my mother and I would initiate making gingerbread houses for ourselves and our pals and family, including my classmates and my dad’s fellow engineers at the Air Pressure Institute of Technology; she would impact me wait till Christmas to bask in mine. I even contain many fond memories of these times.
When did you first bake gingerbread for your possess?
I started to miss gingerbread whereas studying for my first-semester finals at Vassar College. I requested the college if I could per chance seemingly per chance seemingly also use the mixer within the dining hall and used to be told that the pastry kitchen wasn’t feeble on Sundays. I was granted the inch of your whole facility, including the huge mixers and legit ovens. Using my mother’s recipe, I made a gingerbread residence that my pals and I adorned; I also gifted every of my professors their very possess residence.
What are your guidelines for making gingerbread houses?
The dough might per chance seemingly per chance seemingly also level-headed be thick and sturdy, and you shouldn’t inch thru mixing it. It also helps to contain a correct mixer. I love my 13.5-liter legitimate one—I will put together a triple batch of dough in it.
When assembling a gingerbread residence, it’s recommended to set the walls up first, pipe your icing to uncover them, and let them air-dry overnight so that they’ll be extra sturdy; you might seemingly per chance seemingly also then set your roof on day after nowadays. Royal icing is needed for developing gingerbread houses resulting from as it hardens, it glues everything together. Royal icing is mostly made with raw egg whites, however you might seemingly per chance seemingly also additionally replace powdered egg whites, meringue powder, or aquafaba, the liquid from a can of chickpeas.
You moved from the US to St. Albans, England, just a few years ago. What impressed you to impress gingerbread likenesses of the pubs there?
The pubs are brilliant and support as family-pleasant team residing rooms, so I needed to honor them in gingerbread create. Plus, I enjoy having an account for gingerbread mission to work on moreover my customary baking all the easiest plot thru the vacation season. For Christmas 2023, I made a gingerbread residence of the Robin Hood Pub. It used to be later served at the pub all the easiest plot thru a tall gingerbread occasion, which I if truth be told liked—specifically since I didn’t must bask in all that gingerbread myself. [Laughs]
What used to be it indulge in competing on Food Community’s Holiday Gingerbread Showdown?
Terrific, specifically resulting from my mother used to be my baking partner. We competed towards two other competitors in nine whole rounds—we received the tasting discipline however in the end misplaced. We every had a blast, even supposing the competition’s chaos and time constraints had been difficult. I constantly enjoy myself when making gingerbread houses. It’s not easy to contain a defective time whereas making an tall cookie residence and adorning it with crazy portions of candy.
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