Hi! I’m Susan Rogers and I’m a self-taught gingerbread architect. My specialty is building strong, complex gingerbread structures using all edible materials–no inedible supports whatsoever. I’ve hit my head on one of my projects leaving a bump on my head, but no damage to the gingerbread house.

I was not born with a pastry bag in my hand! My mom baked chocolate chip cookies, the usual mid-west potluck desserts and pies–oh, how I am jealous of her pie making abilities! Growing up, we never made gingerbread anything; my mom definitely has never held a pastry bag. My parents should have seen it coming: my preoccupation with Candyland, fascination with making dioramas in grade school and, then, in 7th grade taking a World of Construction course while participating in the cake decorating club. My mom gave me a gingerbread house pattern book when I was in high school and I was hooked. The house was an utter disaster — royal icing all over it, but it was standing!

You are probably expecting me say that I went into the culinary arts career field — nope! I joined the Air National Guard right out of high school, then went active duty Air Force as a Medical Administrative Specialist soon after. Life was hectic; gingerbread was put on the back burner. I wouldn’t make another gingerbread house until I was around 24. That one wasn’t much better than my first, but it didn’t matter. I really loved making them. There was something about being able to create my own little world out of food! I entered my first contest after an 11 year old told me that I could never win. That’s all it took! I entered as an Adult General – first time entrant and won first place. After that, I entered almost every year, trying to improve on the year prior. In 2000, I attempted something way outside of anything I had ever tried before: creating a replica of David Winter’s Bridgewater cottage. That project gave me my first Best of Show at Belleville’s Gingerbread Walk and 3rd place in Good Housekeeping magazine’s gingerbread house contest. After that, I won 2 more Best of Shows — and my houses got bigger and bigger (the largest one was 2′ x 2′ x 4′).

In 2004, the Air Force sent me to Lackland AFB, TX to be a basic training instructor. Fourteen hour days, 7 days a week–needless-to-say, gingerbread was once again put on hold. By 2005, I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Although my instructor duty was cut short by the disease and I began working regular duty hours, San Antonio did not have any gingerbread contests. I was also struggling with my new reality; I wasn’t sure that I even had the stamina to compete again. In 2008, my husband and I both retired from the Air Force and moved back to Illinois. Still struggling with health issues, adjusting to civilian life and raising teenagers, I put gingerbread on hold until 2013. I attempted something that I wasn’t comfortable with and I had a lot of time management issues. I failed miserably, but learned from that failure and the next year I won Best of Show. In 2016, I entered again and won Best of Show and again in 2017 with a remake of my 1999 house. In 2018, I received 3rd place, but it was hard to be disappointed. The woman who owned the store where my gingerbread project was placed said it actually brought people into her store.

Before I could start my designs for my 2019 project, I received a message from a woman that said she was casting for Food Network’s Haunted Gingerbread Showdown. I truly thought my Facebook account had been hacked! Who would want me on a show? My daughter, Heather, googled her–she said she was for real. A few weeks later, I did a Skype interview and a few weeks after that I was called and told I was selected to be on the show. The show was a lot of fun and I met some really wonderful and talented people, but I was so ill-prepared. I usually take a minimum of 4 months to create my gingerbread projects. This was larger and we had to finish it in 3 weeks. In the end, my husband and I were just throwing things on the gingerbread project to make it look somewhat done! That experience taught me SO MUCH; it really changed the way I approach gingerbread. Given the opportunity, I’d do it again!

Soon after the show’s taping, I went to the Show Me Sweets convention in St Louis where I met Nicholas Lodge and he convinced me to compete at the National Gingerbread House Competition. He also told me about the Gingerfriends Facebook Group which I joined. Since then, the gingerbread part of my life has completely changed! I’ve met some really wonderful friends who actually understand the gingerbread obsession. I’ve competed in both the National Gingerbread House competition and in Savannah’s The Great American Gingerbread House competition and trail (2020).

With this website and my YouTube channel, it is my hope that my viewers will fall in love with the art of gingerbread just like I have!