Hi folks,

Ok clue me in here: I am really digging the idea of making clear (or colored clear) candy windows for an upcoming gingerbread house competition. Can anyone tell me how this is done or point me to a tutorial or something?

Somewhere I remember pounding jolly rancher candies into small chunks and melting them down together.... in a mold? Any advice welcome!

Gelatin? Anything????

Not sure about that....but just wanted to say your avatar made DH and I laugh out loud!!!

I actually did a ginger bread house last year at school. We used gelatin sheets for our windows. Its clear so it works.

You could try thin sheets of gelatin, just not sure if it would stand up to the RI or be able to support its own weight upright in a pane for long. I usually just melt sugar and pour it into molds I make for each house. The hardest part about using melted sugar for me is avoiding the bubbles in the "glass."

you mention, crushing candies and using that.
I have crushed different coloured candies when making window biscuits for Xmas. You bake the item half way, add the crushed candy and bake for the rest of the time. I am sure if you use just plain candies, this should also work??
Hope this helps......

I'm going to use gelatin sheets for mine. I haven't heard about jolly ranchers, but butterschoch discs, crushed will make the house look lit from the inside. Which competition are you going to go in?

Isomalt. It is used to make sugar sculptures. I have to order it from my Cake Lady. Kinda expensive, but, a little goes a long way AND you can remelt it, unlike regular sugar.

Beth in KY

I have use crushed Lifesavers. Just smash them, place on piece of lightly greased aluminum foil which is on cookie sheet, then melt in oven. The shape doesn't matter because you attach them to the inside of house using royal icing. Just make sure they're bigger than the window opening. You can even achieve a stained glass effect by placing clumps of different colored crushed Lifesavers next to each other.
It's really easy.

are you wanting it crystal clear like you're decorating the inside and want people to be able to look through and see everything inside??? if so....I wonder if you could make it like how gelatin flowers are made....by taking a wire and bending it into a square shape and then dip in a gelatin/water mixture and let it dry, it's VERY crystal clear and SUPER thin....you'd be able to see every detail inside with this stuff.
If you don't want to see inside, just do the jolly ranchers or lifesavers work well too

Hey--crush butterscotch candy--they have a longer shelf life as windows.

I learned that on Franky's Attic a fabulous gingerbread website. Just an incredibly sharing great place to learn all things gingerbread. Well I know that she once had to change the web address because of so much internet nastiness. Now I cannot find the page at all. sniff

Another thing--she teaches to use honey in place of some or all of the molasses. Molasses responds to the humidity. Honey binds and holds up better.

That was a wonderful place of patterns and recipes and a forum or at least a question answer thing and was an invaluable resource. So sorry I can't find it for you.

And on a different subject:

Do you ever go to the cake club here in Memphis? The last one was about vegan baking--man, Stephanie was one fantastic vegan cook/baker!!

butterscotch candies are easiest because they wont boil in the oven. the last time i did the gingerbread windows i used cheapie hard candies from the dollar store and the candy boiled an looked a little bubbly when dry. Id suggest bakign the cookies almost done, then adding the candy, and only leaving it in the oven for a couple minutes at most until its melted. I prefer melting the windows right in there as opposed to attaching after the fact but I'm sure either method works just fine.

hey, I used to have that place bookmarked (but I lost all my bookmarks in a computer crash) that place was soooo awesome.........I never imagined such houses out of gingerbread.....the people on there were crazy talented too!

I would like to caution you if your house/shpo is humid that candies will melt....

I reccomend the Isomalt..it melts at a much higher level of temp/humidity

Good luck!

Julia