Gingerbread House
A festive homemade gingerbread house with spiced gingerbread pieces and royal icing to glue and decorate your holiday creation.
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- Rolling Pin
- Baking Sheets
- Sharp knife or cookie cutters
- Piping Bag
Ingredients
Gingerbread Dough
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cup brown sugar packed
- ½ cup molasses
- 1 large egg
Royal Icing
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 large egg whites pasteurized (or use meringue powder equivalent)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a large bowl whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and salt.
- In another bowl, beat the softened butter and brown sugar until light and creamy. Add the molasses and egg, mixing until combined.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture until a firm dough forms. Split into two discs, wrap, and chill for at least 1–2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Roll out the chilled dough 1/4" thick on a floured surface and cut out house panels using templates.
- Transfer the cut pieces to baking sheets and bake for 12–15 minutes until firm. Let cool completely.
- To make royal icing, beat the egg whites until frothy. Gradually add the powdered sugar and vanilla, mixing until thick and glossy.
- Assemble the house on a board: pipe thick lines of royal icing on the edges of the gingerbread pieces and press together. Allow pieces to set and dry.
- Decorate with candies, icings, and other sweets using more royal icing to attach them.
Notes
Let the assembled house dry at least a few hours or overnight before moving. Royal icing acts as edible glue as it hardens. Using templates helps cut uniform panels. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}