Olsen, the de facto gingerbread man of Solvang, has two of his edible cottages on display; one at Hotel Corque and the other at his bakery on Mission Drive.
While small by normal living standards, the baked buildings could double as a spacious – albeit temporary – playhouse for kids or dwelling for canine members of a family.
Bent starts the construction on the cottages two weeks before they actually go on display. When his toil is added up, he and his assistant put dozens of hours into each house. He mixes more than 8 gallons of egg whites, 500 pounds of molasses, 200 pounds of brown sugar and 100 pounds of shortening to make the nearly half-ton of dough needed to create the hundreds of shingles for both houses. The process of baking each house is time-consuming but begins much like any other pastry. Dough is mixed, rolled and sliced into individual shingle pieces, then baked on trays that are left to cool on racks.
The actual assembly of the gingerbread homes is a secret Bent keeps close to his flower–dusted vest. He said preserving the magic behind the houses is something he likes to do, equating the mystery behind the colossal confections to that surrounding a certain man in red.
Although the mortar that holds them together is pure frosting and everything seen is fit for human consumption; what can be said about the mystery construction is that the shingles have some behind-the-scenes support.
Once the cottages have taken shape, covered in a cookie crust, it’s time to add the details. Wielding a bag of frosting, Bent carefully adds frames, textures and icicles to the exterior. He said that he will often have to replace pieces that find their way into tiny hands – something he doesn’t mind.
With the final details complete, the cottages are gingerly moved: One to the Hotel Corque lobby, to be surrounded by their holiday display; the other in front of Olsen’s Bakery, signaling to passersby Christmas is right around the corner.