Chef Dennis was the facilitator of our Christmas tradition at the library. His enthusiasm was so infectious that he had three of us on board in a manner of moments. That was six years ago.
Initially, Chef Dennis made all of the gingerbread dough, sometimes using commercial kitchens to mix as much as four five gallon pails of dough. The three of us under Chef Dennis's experienced eye would roll the dough and cut the houses out. After baking the pieces needed to rest a week before the houses could be assembled. This whole process took several days and while it made the library smell of wonderful gingerbread, it was getting to be a challenge for us to keep up with the children's interest.
The last two years we have used pre-built houses and have been able to add a few more houses. Chef Dennis's role now is chief icing maker, He mixes over six pounds of icing and oversees the use of the icing bags until our young chefs conquer the technique.
We are all fortunate to have Chef Dennis as our patron, friend, and provider of smiles on our young patron's faces.
As Chef Dennis says, "This is the best day of my year. I always look forward to helping with the gingerbread and being a part of the joy and laughter that comes with the day."