Gingerbread is synonymous with the Christmas holidays.

Who can resist the sweet-spicy aroma of tasty gingerbread baking, and the great fun of decorating gingerbread creations such as a gingerbread house and gingerbread men for dessert? And, of course, for gift giving and, not to forget, for Santa.

No time to bake, assemble and decorate a house? No problem. Start with a kit. All of the components needed to assemble the house are baked and ready to use. And the kit is complete with easy-to-follow instructions, icing mix, candies, decorating bag and tip, plus several ideas for completing the house. For a more customized house, like “Welcome to Candy Lane” pictured, check out the complete instructions in the new book, “Wilton Cookie Exchange.”

The classic Gingerbread Cookie recipe above, redolent with ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg is perfect for cutting into holiday shapes, including the favorite gingerbread man cookie, which can be plain, simply outlined in white icing, or more elaborately decorated. This versatile recipe could also be the basis for a homemade gingerbread house, or tree ornaments. For ornaments, don’t forget to make a hole in the cookie (using a thin drinking straw) immediately after removing from the oven.

Visit www.wilton.com to order “Cookie Exchange,” or a Gingerbread House Kit and to find additional holiday gingerbread treats…plus many more ideas for holiday celebrations.