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Williamstown High School students design, build gingerbread houses

Photo by Michael Erb Williamstown High School senior Bethany Wager, left, and sophomore Mara Rinehart, right, stand next to the gingerbread house they hope to submit to next week’s 2017 Gingerbread Festival at the Blennerhassett Hotel. Their creation is the home featured on the show “Full House,” only decorated for Christmas and entirely edible.

PARKERSBURG — Williamstown High School students put their baking and engineering skills to the test, preparing gingerbread houses for the 2017 Gingerbread Festival.

The competition runs from Dec. 10-27 at the Blennerhassett Hotel with proceeds benefiting Habitat for Humanity.

Students in the family and consumer sciences program at Williamstown High worked six weeks on designing, baking and assembling the edible scenes. On Friday, WHS students and staff looked at the more than a dozen submitted creations, voting for the top four which will move on to compete at the Blennerhassett.

“This is the fourth year we’ve made gingerbread houses and entered the competition,” said teacher Shannon Stewart. “In past years we’ve had students that have placed in the competition.”

All of the components are edible and made from scratch, from the dough to the icing, she said. The students spent several weeks deciding on a theme and design.

Photo by Michael Erb Not all of the gingerbread houses designed, baked and built by students in the family and consumer sciences program at Williamstown High School are “traditional” gingerbread houses. This, for example, is the Eiffel Tower in gingerbread and icing.

“I encouraged the kids to use their imaginations and not just stick to the traditional style of gingerbread houses,” she said. Some of the students went with fantasy themes, such as Hagrid’s hut from the Harry Potter books. Another team built the Eiffel Tower, and several made submissions based on cartoons.

Senior Bethany Wager, 17, and sophomore Mara Rinehart, 15, built the house featured in the TV show “Full House,” only decorated for Christmas.

“We wanted to do something out-of-the-box that hasn’t been seen in previous years,” Rinehart said.

Both said among the challenges was working with different icings. Royal icing, a runnier version of icing that quickly hardens and creates a strong bond, proved challenging.

“It just turns to cement,” Rinehart said. “We had to work quickly. We couldn’t start and stop, we had to finish whatever we started as quickly as possible.”

Photo by Michael Erb Some of the gingerbread houses created by students in the family and consumer sciences program at Williamstown High School were based on popular cartoons, such as this one featuring Spongebob Squarepants.

“It’s much runnier than other icing, and you had to be very careful to not put in too much or it could run or drip,” said Wager.

Both said despite the stressful moments, the contest has proven to be a positive experience.

“I think it just brought all of us a lot closer together. We all had to work together,” Rinehart said.

“I just enjoyed working on the house,” Wager said. “Now that I know how to do it and what to expect, I’d like to try to build another one.”

Stewart said the students are also excited because the top three houses in each age category will receive a prize. The winners will be announced Dec. 15.

“The kids love this,” she said. “And they can win prizes.”

Stewart said she plans to take her class to an etiquette luncheon Tuesday at the Blennerhassett which gives them the chance to dress up, enjoy a four-course meal, and to learn proper dining etiquette.

“That also gives them a chance to see their work on display,” Stewart said. “They’re really excited.”

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