Gingerbread HousesAssembling and decorating a gingerbread house is one of the sweetest traditions of the season. Our festive gingerbread houses will inspire and instruct you every step of the way!
As Hansel and Gretel discovered, a gingerbread house is irresistible. It makes an impressive holiday centerpiece and is an enchanting activity for kids of all ages.
With our tested recipes, easy-to-follow template and decorating suggestions, it’s not so difficult--just gather your supplies, get creative and have some fun!
Planning and Building Gingerbread Houses
Here are supplies you'll need:
The pattern
Gingerbread dough: double the recipe
Rolling pin
Cookie sheets
Aluminum foil
Plywood base or heavy cardboard, doubled to support the house
Royal icing, recipe doubled
Pastry bags and decorating tips
Butter knife, palette knife or flat sandwich spreader
A damp cloth for quick clean-ups
Glue gun (optional)
Gingerbread Houses Helpful tips:
Allow a weekend to complete the house
Have all supplies ready
Read all instructions before you begin: you will need to double the gingerbread recipe to have enough dough
Allow the gingerbread to cool thoroughly before assembling
Make icing ahead of time
Keep icing covered with a clean damp cloth (touching icing) and plastic wrap at all times to prevent it from drying out
Adjust the consistency of the icing by adding more egg whites if the icing is too dry or more powdered sugar if it is too wet. It should be thick and stiff.
Prepare the base for your house by covering plywood or heavy cardboard with several layers of foil
Use canned goods from the pantry to stabilize the walls during assembly; remove them before adding the roof
The house that Jack built
Visualize the "yard." Will you have a walkway? Trees? A fence? Set the house at an angle for a pleasing presentation.
When assembling, apply a generous amount of icing to one side of the joint and press an un-iced side to the edge and hold until set.
Apply icing-glue to the bottom of your pieces for more stability; adhere them to the foil/plywood base.
Allow 30 minutes for the front, side walls and back of house to dry and firmly set before adding the roof.
You’ll need an extra pair of hands when adding and securing the roof.
Allow house to dry completely before decorating: a minimum of 4 hours, preferably overnight.
Gingerbread Houses Problems?
Don't worry; you'll be able to fill gaps and cover errors later with more icing and decorations.
A fool-proof assembly method, if you're not going to eat the gingerbread, is to use a glue gun. Use icing to finish the look.
Icing can be kept at room temperature overnight. Be sure it is well-covered with a damp cloth and plastic wrap.
This is a double batch of the Classic Gingerbread Cutouts recipe.
Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1-1/3 cups molasses
4 eggs
8 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 pounds confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
6 egg whites
Gingerbread Houses Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar until smooth. Stir in the molasses and eggs. Combine 1 1/2 cups of the flour, baking soda, salt, allspice, cloves, cinnamon, and ginger; beat into the molasses mixture. Gradually stir in the remaining flour by hand to form a stiff dough. Divide dough into 2 pieces.
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes. Place pieces 1 inch apart onto parchment-lined cookie sheets. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
Gingerbread Houses Icing
In a medium bowl, sift together confectioners' sugar and cream of tartar. Blend in egg whites. Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat for about 5 minutes, or until mixture is thick and stiff. Keep covered with a moist cloth and plastic wrap until ready to decorate.
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