“Hansel and Gretel” and December’s Candy Houses

Nibble, nibble, little mouse, Who is nibbling at my house? It’s beginning to taste a lot like Christmas: mulled wassail, peppermint canes, and—my own personal favorite—warm, sweet gingerbread. Now’s the season where you can bake soft gingerbread squares in hot lemon sauce or buy packaged gingerbread men. There are gingerbread house competitions and even the local grocery stores sell pre-made gingerbread house kits with packets of melted sugar and candy bits. It’s an entire season of warmth and spices and we have …