Houses beautiful

Think back to 15 months ago. You probably hadn't even started gift shopping for last Christmas yet. But the team at Biscuiteers in London were already hard at work on this gingerbread replica of Waddesdon Manor commissioned by the UK National Trust.

After all, building a model of a famous estate filled with detailed furnishings and paintings doesn't happen overnight — it takes more than 500 hours. But it didn't just require a serious time investment: The six-foot-long gingerbread house also required 240 eggs, 66 pounds of butter and sugar, and 480 pounds of icing. But that's because the replica only contains gingerbread and icing — no wood or cardboard filler required.

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If you think this Neo-Renaissance manor looks familiar, that's because it's quite famous. Waddesdon Manor was originally built for Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild and today is known for being used in movies and TV shows. In recent years, the interiors were used for The Queen and the exterior was used for season 2 of Downton Abbey.

If you want to see the details for yourself, it'll be on show at (where else?) Waddesdon Manor until January 2 — but no eating! After watching these cookie creators at work, you'll have far too much respect for the artists to even think about breaking off a piece for a snack.