White House Christmas: A history of the gingerbread house

Tuesday, December 25th, 2012

It’s not Christmas at the White House without a jaw-dropping gingerbread house from the White House pastry chefs, and this year the Obama administration has released a behind-the-scenes video of how they constructed their 300-pound replica of the US president’s home.

It took executive pastry chef Bill Yosses and his team more than six weeks to bake and build their White House, using 175 pounds of gingerbread and 50 pounds of white chocolate, according to the Obama Foodorama blog.

In a departure from tradition, the pastry chefs chose to model the White House pre-1798, before it was painted white, the White House blog reported. They mixed wheat, rye and white flour to create gingerbread that matches the color of the unpainted White House. (In previous years, the facade was covered with white chocolate.)

Here's a round-up of the other gingerbread White Houses over the years.

A nearly 300-pound White House gingerbread house is on display at the State Dining Room during a preview of the 2012 White House holiday decorations November 28, 2012 at the White House in Washington, DC. First lady Michelle Obama welcomed military families, including Gold Star and Blue Star parents, spouses and children, to the White House for the first viewing of the 2012 holiday decorations. The theme for the White House Christmas 2012 is 'Joy to All.'

(Alex Wong - AFP/Getty Images)

A replica of the White House made from 400-pounds of gingerbread, white chocolate and marzipan is on display in the State Dining Room. The year's theme was 'Shine, Give, Share," and runs throught the White House including the official 18-foot 6-inch balsam fir tree in the Blue Room that honors Blue Star military families.

(Chip Somodevilla - AFP/Getty Images)

A replica of First Family dog Bo is seen in front of a replica of the White House made out of white chocolate and gingerbread during a media walk-through of the holiday decorations at the White House in Washington, DC, on December 1, 2010.

(Jewel Samad - AFP/Getty Images)

The official White House gingerbread house, designed by White House Pastry Chef Bill Yosses, is displayed in the State Dining Room of the White House. The replica, made of white chocolate, features a miniature Bo(bottom-C), the Obama's dog, a miniature White House vegetable garden(L) and a view inside to a replica State Dining Room.

(SAUL LOEB - AFP/Getty Images)

A gingerbread White House is on display in the State Dining Room of the White House. The White House 2008 holiday theme was 'A Red, White and Blue Christmas.'

(Alex Wong - AFP/Getty Images)

The gingerbread White House featuring the Bush family pets is displayed in the State Dinning Room during a press preview of the White House holiday decorations November 29, 2007 in Washington, DC. "Holiday in the National Parks" was the theme of the White House 2007 holiday decorations.

(Alex Wong - AFP/Getty Images)

The White House gingerbread house from 2006. The theme for the year's decorations was 'Deck The Halls and Welcome All.'

(Alex Wong - AFP/Getty Images)

United States First Lady Laura Bush hosts a media preview of the 2005 holiday decorations and tasting event in the State Dining Room and Blue Room of the White House November 30, 2005 in Washington, DC.

(Chip Somodevilla - AFP/Getty Images)

The White House 2004 holiday theme was, 'A Season of Merriment and Melody.'

(Alex Wong - AFP/Getty Images)

A gingerbread house decorated with children's literary figures sits in the State Dining Room of the White House 04 December, 2003, in Washington, DC.

(Luke Frazza - AFP/Getty Images)

Former US First Lady Hillary Clinton poses next to a gingerbread house in the State Dining Room created by the White House chefs 03 December at the White House in Washington, DC.

(Joyce Naltchayan - AFP/Getty Images)

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