Post #276299 by tikiwinebear on Wed, Jan 3, 2007 10:59 AM

Thanks, everyone. It was fun to try to make my mental image come to life. Since this was my first attempt, I will try a few different things next year.

Tips:

1. Be sure to warm up the icing you use in cementing the sides and roof together, almost to the point of being hot. By adding all the "sour apple licorice vines" on the roof, the roofing pieces were very heavy and wanted to slide off. With the icing being very warm, I had to hold them in place for a few minutes, and use chocolate coated candy canes to brace the roof in place until the icing solidified. It also helps to icing one piece at a time and set it in a cold place (ie garage) before you add the next piece.
2. The "lauhala weaving" for the front, back, and sides was created with a can of milk chocolate pre-made frosting mixed with a can of tan butter-creme frosting. I first smoothed on a thin layer, then took a CLEAN wide-toothed hair comb and made the criss-cross pattern in the frosting before it hardened. I let that frosting setup and harden before I assembled the hut. (I decorated the roof pieces before I attached them to the side panels. I heard that the roof pieces can crack in half if too much pressure was added when decorating them.) Of course there was lots of frosting left over, but that's your reward during the creative process!
3. The marshmallow palm tree trunk required toothpicks to hold each piece together, and to keep it from toppling over. The palm fronds were cut from green apple gum sticks and attached with the warm icing.
4. The "sand" was simply raw turbo sugar stuck to the tray with warm icing.
5. My lucky find was blue and white gummy sharks which I attached to the "prowl" of the roof and the back.

Next year, I hope to create a real Ohana Tiki Shack, complete with a Shecky made from chocolate icing. I also found bags of Tropical flavored CremeSavers (ie LifeSavers - mango, banana, & pina colada flavors) which I want to incorporate into next year's attempt.

• Myke