Today I served as a media judge for the Triangle Family Services 11th Annual Gingerbread Benefit at the Umstead Hotel and Spa in Cary. Triangle Family Services is a nonprofit that supports families by offering financial counseling, emergency housing assistance, supervised visitation, mental health treatment and counseling for those accused of domestic violence.
This afternoon included a preview of the gingerbread houses, where attendees could enjoy holiday music and vote for their favorite house. Each attendee donated $25 to attend the preview, which will go towards helping families. The preview was crowded as people walked around snapping pictures of their favorite gingerbread houses, like the popular gingerbread carriage.
The gingerbread houses were submitted by some of NC’s top pastry chefs and culinary students. Judging the houses was challenging because they were all so intricate and beautiful.
During the preview, I had the opportunity to talk to pastry chef Daniel Benjamin of The Umstead. He created the NC State University Bell Tower using $183 worth of Jelly Belly beans. His gingerbread creation stood at least two feet tall and took him about four days to finish.
Across from Daniel Benjamin’s Bell Tower was one NC State themed house. The chefs from NC State NC State Dining designed the “Pack House,” which was complete with wolves and dog bones hanging from the roof.
