MIDDLEBURY, Vt.— Bake, bake, as fast as you can, there’s a contest in cooking — it’s for gingerbread, man. Applications are being sought for the Vermont Folklife Center’s 12th annual Gingerbread House contest, which pits culinary artisans against one …

Sugarbush in the Mad River Valley of Vermont’s Green Mountains has a full plate of holiday fare for guests.

Once completed, a gingerbread replica of the Billings Student Center at the University of Vermont will have taken four men a combined 200 hours to build, and will weigh about 150 pounds, pastry chef Joe Russo said. “With the exception of the lights …