Celebrating the spirit of the season, a life-size gingerbread house adorns the main lobby of the Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.
The house is 15 feet tall, seven feet wide, 12 feet deep and is made of edible ingredients. Aria executive pastry chef Mathieu Lavallee and his team spent more than three weeks constructing it with peppermint tiles and gingerbread bricks.
The creation, which resembles a bakery, required more than 400 pounds of gingerbread, 64,000 peppermints, 200 pounds of royal icing, 80 pounds of chocolate and more than 1,000 pounds of candy. The structure required 900 gingerbread bricks, and the roof is layered with 960 peppermint tiles. A five-foot-tall gingerbread man, made of dough, royal icing and fondant, weighs 120 pounds.
"Creating the gingerbread house was one of the most exciting and unique projects we've worked on together," Lavallee said. "It was truly a team effort comprising great communication, creativity and hard work. We are all really proud of the finished piece."
In addition to the festive photo possibilities, guests can purchase a variety of treats at Aria Patisserie, including peppermint bark, hot chocolate, cookies, lollipops, candied oranges and chocolate Christmas trees. The retail store is open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.
The gingerbread house is on display through Jan. 6.