15 Incredible Gingerbread Nativity Scenes

We have all seen how elaborate and creative gingerbread houses can get, but have you ever seen a gingerbread nativity scene? Check out the creative and elaborate twist on a classic holiday treat. Source: Pintrerest @perniky.artmama.cz Source: Pintrerest @perniky.artmama.cz Source: Pinterest @blog.americankidsbedding.com Source: Pinterest @blog.elainessweetlife.com Source: Pinterest Save by @liviakonyhasarka.blogspot.hu Source: Pintrerest @perniky.artmama.cz Source: Pinterest @scontent-dft4-3.xx.fbcdn.net Source: Pintrerest @perniky.artmama.cz Source: Pintrerest @perniky.artmama.cz Source: Pintrerest @perniky.artmama.cz Source: Pintrerest @perniky.artmama.cz Source: Pinterest Save by @Jarmila Chmelařová Source: Pintrerest @perniky.artmama.cz Source: Pinterest Save by @Sharon Apple Source: Pintrerest @perniky.artmama.cz    Now you have seen how beautifully crafted these gingerbread scenes can be, why not make one yourself?! To get you started, try cookie decorator Dani Fiori’s Gingerbread Nativity Creche recipe found on Martha Stewart’s website. Click here to get the recipe or just scroll down the page a bit further to see it below. Source: marthastewart.com

  

Ingredients

• 6 cups of all purpose flour, plus more for work surface
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 cup dark-brown sugar
• 4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp finely ground pepper
• 2 large eggs
• Royal Icing
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 4 tsp ground ginger
• 1 ½ tsp ground cloves
• 1 ½ tsp coarse salt
• 1 cup unsulfured molasses
• Brown gel-paste food coloring

Directions

• Whisk together flour, baking soda, and baking powder into a large bowl. Set aside.
• Place butter and brown sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until fluffy. Mix in spices and salt, then eggs and molasses. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined. Divide dough into thirds; wrap each in plastic. Refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out dough on a lightly floured work surface to ¼-inch thick. Using creche-shaped cookie cutters, cut one center piece and two end pieces. Transfer to baking sheet. Stick two toothpicks in the bottom edge of each cookie.
• Bake cookies until crisp, but not dark, 12 to 14 minutes. Leet cool on sheets on wire rack.
• Meanwhile, mix together royal icing with brown gel paste until desired dark brown shade is reached. Transfer to a small squirt bottle with a wide tip. Draw a wood or faux-bois design on creche. Let dry completely before assembling on foam or on a cake.

If you would like to see directions to make a donkey sugar cookie click here or a sheep sugar cookie click here.