The Sweetest Soirees

While designing, baking, assembling, and decorating cookie houses is a lot of fun, my favorite aspect of these projects is coming up with creative ideas to use them for entertaining. With endless cookie cutter construction set and recipe combinations, you can create unique experiences that are tailored to your particular event and guests.

When planning an event, be it a dinner party or casual afternoon snack, first consider your audience. Who will be eating your cookie house, and what can you do to wow them? How many will be in attendance? Are there any dietary restrictions to consider? How old are your guests? Will they want an after-dinner cocktail with dessert? How formally or informally should the house be decorated? Will simpler, or more sophisticated flavors, be preferred? By contemplating these questions and planning ahead, you can ensure maximum impact and delighted diners.

The day I was developing the recipe to accompany our Cupid's Cookie Cottage cookie cutter construction set, my partner and I decided to host an impromptu dinner party. We learned that one guest was gluten-free, out of a group of 4. I jumped at the opportunity to create an original, gluten-free recipe that would work well for cookie house-making, and came up with our Gluten-Free Raspberry Tart Cookie. Not only would it satisfy the dietary needs of one guest, but it would be delicious for all. And the pink hue imparted by the raspberry powder made it perfect for my Valentine's Day-themed cookie cottage.

My first gf Raspberry Tart Cookie test bake

While that particular dinner party ended up canceled, I leveraged my new recipe to make a Cupid's Cookie Cottage to bring to a friend's dinner party a few days later. It was a massive hit. The house itself traveled very well (a stable and lightweight base is key), and I brought a Valentine's Day kitchen towel to place beneath it. When the time came for dessert, I placed the cookie house on the towel at the center of the table, switched on the light kit inside the house, and gave each guest a golden hammer. I served individual plates with pools of fresh raspberry curd and dollops of Greek yogurt, and instructed everyone to begin demolition. We took turns smashing Cupid's Cookie Cottage into rubble, then used the pieces to mop up raspberry curd and yogurt, and ate them. Everyone loved it!

Cupid's Cookie Cottage, served at a friend's dinner party in East Hampton

My friend Jim (our host) said, "This is the only kind of dessert I want from now on - so much fun!" To clean up, we scraped off the cookie house base into the trash and rolled up the kitchen towel (our hosts were thrilled there wasn't a crumby mess left behind). I put the base, towel, and hammers into a tote to take home to wash. So easy!

Raspberry curd and Greek yogurt might inspire smiles from adult guests, but what about kids? You should always tailor your serving plan to your audience. If making a cottage for kids, I would have decorated the cookie house with candy and served it with chocolate ice cream. One cookie house, a million ways to elevate or simplify it.

Cupid's Cookie Cottage cookie house, ready to serve with fresh raspberry curd

When Valentine's Day finally arrived, we hosted another dinner party. I re-created Cupid's Cookie Cottage, adding raspberry powder to the royal icing this time. I set the cookie house up near our charcuterie board so we could enjoy it with our appetizers and dinner, then moved it to the table for dessert. Once again, I placed a kitchen towel underneath to catch crumbs, and served individual plates of raspberry curd and Greek yogurt. Everyone grabbed a hammer, and we began demolition and consumption. It was honestly a ton of fun, and we all enjoyed a side of laughter with dessert.

Me! And our Cupid's Cookie Cottage next to our charcuterie board

My partner Jeff and our dinner party guests, ready for cookie house demolition

Cupid's Cookie Cottage, on the table, served with fresh raspberry curd and Greek yogurt

Following the party, I received notes from our friends, thanking us for such a memorable evening. The truth is, it was memorable for us, too. And I can't wait for our next get-together. Leprechaun Lair in our Herbaceous Mint Chocolate Chip Cookie is sure to make for a memorable March meal.

Smashing and eating Cupid's Cookie Cottage!

If you'd like to build a cookie cottage for your next event, but don't think you have the time - think again. Your dough will take only a few minutes, and you can store it in the fridge for up to 48h in advance. Or you can pre-bake your pieces and store them in an airtight container. Or build the entire house a day or two before, and cover it with a plastic bag. Whether you make it from scratch in 90 minutes or do a quick assembly just before the event, you'll be happy you did.

I'd love to hear how you're entertaining with cookie houses. Tag us @ediblearchitect or #ediblearchitect on social media, or email me at patrick@ediblearchitect.com .

Thanks for reading, and I can't wait to see what you build.

Patrick