Architecture you can eat Welcome back to December, a time of gifts, endless ?hygge,? and jaw-dropping, mouthwatering gingerbread architecture. The festivities are still ramping up, but there have already been several impressive showings, setting the bar high for the season. Whether it?d be a hyper-detailed gingerbread historic manor or a fantastical gingerbread wizardry world, let these masterpieces motivate you to put your best gingerbread foot forward this year.

What it is: An impressively detailed, 6-foot-long gingerbread replica of Waddesdon Manor, an 1800s historic country estate in Buckinghamshire, England, commissioned by the U.K. National Trust
Specs: 500 hours baking time, 480 pounds of icing, 240 eggs, more than 66 pounds of butter and sugar
What it is: A two-story gingerbread Victorian with a completely edible exterior, built by the Fairmont San Francisco hotel
Specs: 700 pounds of icing and candy decor, over 500 hundred hours of baking and decorating

What it is: The annual White House Gingerbread House, unveiled as part of the 2016 White House holiday decorations
Specs: 150 pounds of gingerbread on the inside, 100 pounds of bread dough on the exterior, 200 pounds of gum paste, 20 pounds of icing, 20 pounds of sculpted sugar pieces

What it is: The 24th annual Gingerbread Village from Sher...