(Elmhurst, IL) House on the Hill, the premier U.S. maker of hand-crafted museum and private collection replica springerle cookie presses and molds, provides elegant cake toppers and decorative molds in both press and roller form, creating exquisite detailing for cookies, cakes and paper casting. The budget-conscious bride can use House on the Hill molds to add whimsy and style throughout her wedding day. Cakes, place cards, invitations and favors can be adorned with richly sculptured twining vines, exquisite heart patterns, alpine roses and edelweiss, timeless florals and more from House on the Hill’s distinctive offerings, each reproduced by hand from wood carvings dating back to the Middle Ages. Fondant, moldable chocolate and marzipan provide ideal edible surfaces for the embossed designs while paper, paper clay, and beeswax are perfect mediums for molding permanent decorative touches. House on the Hill’s ornate and intricate molds are perfect for craft savvy brides looking to lower costs and use their creativity.
“More bridal shower hosts, and for that matter anyone hosting a commemorative gathering with a home-made cake, are going to the next level in cake decorating, seeing the cake as the edible center of their celebration and a tribute to an honored guest,” said Connie Meisinger, House on the Hill owner and springerle and gingerbread baking instructor. “Sales of our molds, whether used for cake toppers or springerle cookies nestled into the top of a cup cake for a party favor, are escalating. Our customers tell us that they are spending more effort on home entertaining and want to “wow” guests with their baking and decorating skills. Using our magnificent molds is an easy way to convey elegance and quality, and elevate your baked goods to a new level of artistry.”
House on the Hill’s presses are traditionally used to make Springerle and gingerbread cookies, although home and commercial bakers are using the molds year round to create ornate decorations. “Crafters have found that baking and working with our molds offers them an edible means of enjoying their talents, with cakes that are often indistinguishable from professional bakeries’,” added Ms. Meisinger. “People are having fun with our cake topper molds and expressing themselves in a way that everyone can marvel at and enjoy.” Many of House on the Hill’s molds are used for papercasting,
creating cards and goody bags with the same images used on cakes.
Cake toppers are believed to have been created in the Middle Ages in the Alsace Lorraine region in France by personal pastry chefs for the wealthiest patrons who commissioned confectionary wonders to commemorate and celebrate events. As pastry chefs, who were commonly skilled wood carvers, became more sophisticated in their use of icings, intricate patterns developed in their etchings which allowed repeated images to be placed onto cake surfaces, creating a visual delight that spurred popularity throughout Europe.
Ms. Meisinger has created a recipe booklet, “Too Pretty To Eat,” that is available with $35+ House on the Hill purchase. The booklet features numerous springerle, speculaas, shortbread and gingerbread recipes and tips, along with recipes for Marzipan, the moldable almond-based confection, Edible Chocolate Modeling Clay and Peanut Butter Fondant.
Molds and cake toppers are available through its website, www.houseonthehill.net and select specialty gourmet, such as Sur LaTable, and craft retailers. The company’s collection of over 500 individually hand-cast and hand-finished presses and molds display intricate betrothal scenes, bridal bouquets, traditional ancient wedding symbols, romantic symbols, flowers, seasons and more. Cake toppers feature vines, ribbons, flowers, hearts, fruits, stars, and other decorative prints. Cake toppers range from $49.00 to $99.00 and molds range from $19.50 to $98.00, depending on size and detail.
About House on the Hill
House on the Hill creates molds, carvings, rolling pins, cutters and hard-to-source ingredients for springerle, gingerbread and speculaas cookie baking. The House on the Hill website, www.houseonthehill.net, offers a step-by-step video instruction on springerle baking with owner Connie Meisinger. Ms. Meisinger’s blog, http://www.springerlecookies.com/, offers expert insights on springerle history, lore, dough preparation and baking. Springerle cookies have been baked in Ms. Meisinger’s family for four generations and she travels the country offering springerle and gingerbread baking classes to keep the tradition alive (visit www.houseonthehill.net for a complete list of classes Connie will be teaching at House on the Hill in Elmhurst, IL and around the country.) House on the Hill offers the broadest array of baking supplies for springerle and speculaas bakers in the U.S. Custom molds, carvings, cutters, time saving tools and hard-to-source ingredients such as luster dust, decorator paints, and baker’s ammonia (Hartshorn) provides bakers with a large selection of baking supplies to create the beautiful cookies and cake toppers.
Source: House on the Hill