Best Recipes for Gingerbread Houses & Icing

Ginger Bread Dough, Royal Icing, How to Build & Assemble the House

© Janice Benoit

Nov 6, 2009

Before baking, make sure to familiarize yourself with the best tips and tricks for building the perfect gingerbread house.

Basic Gingerbread Cookie Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup shortening
• 1 ½ cups dark molasses
• 2/3 cup cold water
• 7 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground allspice
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• ½ tsp salt

Instructions

1. Beat sugar, shortening, molasses and water on medium speed, until well blended
2. Stir in remaining ingredients.
3. Cover and refrigerate 2 or more hours
4. Preheat oven to 350F. Roll dough to ¼” thick on floured surface. Cut around the house template with knife dusted with flour.
5. Place on greased cookie sheet, 2” apart.
6. Bake 10 -12 minutes or until cookie springs back when lightly touched.
7. Remove immediately to cooling rack and cool at least 30 minutes.
8. Frost/assemble and decorate.

Edible Royal Icing

Royal Icing is used to cement together the walls of the gingerbread house, to attach the candy decorations and to create the effect of snow. Many recipes use raw egg whites, which carry the risk of foodborne illness. This recipe from Wilton eliminates this problem, creates fabulous “cement” and tastes great! The recipe makes approximately 3 cups of icing.

Ingredients

• 3 T meringue powder (found in the baking aisle)
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 5 Tbsp warm water

Instructions

1. Beat all ingredients at low speed in a heavy duty stand mixer until peaks form (about 7 – 10 minutes)
2. All utensils must be completely grease-free to maintain proper icing consistency
3. To thin icing, add water in ½ tsp increments and stir in slowly with a grease-free spatula until the proper consistency is reached.

Assembling the Gingerbread House

1. Make a base of heavy cardboard covered in a aluminum foil or festive gift wrap.
2. Apply a bead of icing along the bottom edge of one of the side walls, and place it onto the base.
3. Apply a bead of icing along the bottom and side edges of the adjoining wall, and attach it to the first wall. Use several heavily weighted glasses to brace each wall and hold it in place while the Royal Icing is setting.
4. Work around the remaining walls of the house in this same manner, creating a standing structure of the four walls with no roof.
5. Add an additional bead of icing along the inside and outside of each joint to make the structure stronger and fill in any gaps between the walls.
6. Apply a bead of icing along the top edges of the four walls and set the two roof pieces in place. Depending upon the consistency of the icing, you may need to hold the roof sections in place for several minutes, to make sure that a strong bond is formed.
7. When the roof pieces are stable, apply an additional bead of icing along the roof edges for more strength.
8. Let the icing joints solidify (hard to the touch) for at least 60 minutes before decorating. Remember to cover the tip of the pastry bag to prevent the unused icing from hardening.
9. Once the joints are solid, decorate the house using the Royal Icing as “glue” for the candies, as snow drifts on the roof, as icicles on the eaves, and as architectural decorations on the walls. Let your imagination run wild and have fun!

HOL101

Gingerbread House Template

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