Preparation of the "Red and White" Gingerbread House

This photograph was taken by Shealah Craighead in 2006, during the construction of the "Red and White" gingerbread house in the China Room. Pictured here is the south view of the gingerbread White House. A thin gingerbread veneer was created to enhance the visual appearance of rounded surfaces such as the reconstructed South Portico. Construction and design of the gingerbread house was overseen by former White House Executive Pastry Chef Roland Mesnier. Mesnier's career at the White House began in 1979. He retired in 2004, but returned at the request of First Lady Laura Welch Bush to create the "Red and White" gingerbread house for the 2006 holiday season. Mesnier and his team decorated the gingerbread White House with more than 850 snowflakes and red bows made from royal icing.