Best Gingerbread Houses Ever?

It's that time of year again, when soccer moms, competitive decorators, and children of all ages turn over-baked cookies into confectionery masterworks -- that's right: gingerbread houses.

Using photos from two of Curbed.com's totally rad gingerbread house slideshows (one New York-centric, the other a nationwide free-for-all), we've put together a gallery of 15 of the most elaborate, aesthetically delectable gingerbread houses around. Click the gallery below to kick the holidays into full gear.

• <p> Pictured here is a gingerbread replica of the house from the Pixar movie &quot;Up.&quot; <a href="http://curbed.com/archives/2011/12/07/ten-of-historys-most-insanely-awesome-gingerbread-houses.php#gingerbread-houses-1" target="_blank">Curbed.com has the details</a>.&nbsp;<br /> <br /> A real-life version of the house was also constructed this year. If you're interested, you can <a href="http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2011/12/05/real-life-up-house-sells-to-disney-fanatics/" target="_blank">learn about the story behind that home as well</a>.&nbsp;</p>
• <p> A gingerbread Empire State Building, with a revisionist portrayal of King Kong's ascent. He's jolly this time, and not getting shot at by fighter planes.&nbsp;</p>
• <p> This gingerbread house is modeled after Frank Lloyd Wright's famous &quot;Fallingwater.&quot; <a href="http://curbed.com/archives/2011/12/07/ten-of-historys-most-insanely-awesome-gingerbread-houses.php#gingerbread-houses-4" target="_blank">Curbed.com has more</a>. &nbsp;</p>
• <p> One blogger's gingerbread interpretation of the crazy-popular mobile device game &quot;Angry Birds.&quot; <a href="http://curbed.com/archives/2011/12/07/ten-of-historys-most-insanely-awesome-gingerbread-houses.php#gingerbread-houses-2" target="_blank">Curbed.com has the details</a>.&nbsp;</p>
• <p> A pink-roofed mansion submitted in a gingerbread house contest. Curbed.com has&nbsp;<a href="http://curbed.com/archives/2011/12/07/ten-of-historys-most-insanely-awesome-gingerbread-houses.php#gingerbread-houses-7" target="_blank">more on the totally sweet home</a>.&nbsp;</p>
• <p> Model of a dollhouse created by Cakes by Jan, a bakery in Bangor, Maine. Curbed.com <a href="http://curbed.com/archives/2011/12/07/ten-of-historys-most-insanely-awesome-gingerbread-houses.php#gingerbread-houses-3" target="_blank">gives you the details</a>.&nbsp;</p>
• <p> Boston Legal Seafoods in the Hub City reportedly won a gingerbread house competition for building this replica of Fenway Park. <a href="http://curbed.com/archives/2011/12/07/ten-of-historys-most-insanely-awesome-gingerbread-houses.php#gingerbread-houses-5" target="_blank">Curbed.com has the details</a>.&nbsp;</p>
• <p> Here's a model of New York City's legendary CBGB music club. The punk rock mecca has since been replaced by a boutique store, imbuing this gingerbread house with a little nostalgic value in the eyes of an angst-y community.</p>
• <p> Curbed.com reports that <a href="http://curbed.com/archives/2011/12/07/ten-of-historys-most-insanely-awesome-gingerbread-houses.php#gingerbread-houses-8" target="_blank">this home has some &quot;green&quot; features</a> including gumdrop wind turbines.&nbsp;</p>
• <p> It may be summer Down Under, but that doesn't keep Aussies from building gingerbread houses at Christmas. Maybe that's because winter has nothing to do with gingerbread houses.... Also, let it be known that we're not sure it was an Aussie who actually built this. Learn&nbsp;<a href="http://curbed.com/archives/2011/12/07/ten-of-historys-most-insanely-awesome-gingerbread-houses.php#gingerbread-houses-9">more details about this impressive </a><a href="http://curbed.com/archives/2011/12/07/ten-of-historys-most-insanely-awesome-gingerbread-houses.php#gingerbread-houses-9" target="_blank">creation</a>&nbsp;from Curbed.com.&nbsp;</p>
• <p> </p> <div style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 12pt; "> <p> You got it -- the Prez's house! This one actually has a lot of interior detail.&nbsp;<a href="http://curbed.com/archives/2011/12/07/ten-of-historys-most-insanely-awesome-gingerbread-houses.php#gingerbread-houses-10" target="_blank">See how at Curbed.com</a>.&nbsp;</p> </div>
• <p> A trio of apartment buildings modeled after the the West Village cityscape of Manhattan.&nbsp;</p>
• <p> </p> <div style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 12pt; "> <p> We assume this scaled down Grand Central Terminal houses a nexus of gingerbread train and gingerbread subway systems beneath it.&nbsp;</p> </div>
• <p> </p> <div style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 12pt; "> <p> You gotta respect the elaborate icing job of this gingerbread house, er, iconic commercial gingerbread building.</p> </div>
• <p> So this Rockefeller Center isn't made of gingerbread, but same idea, right? It's nearly 21 feet high and made with 2,200 pounds of chocolate.</p>

Also see:
Google Engineer Turns Home Into Gamer's Fantasy-LAN
Artist Constructs Victorian House of Legos
Hair Castle Raises Wonder and Disgust

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