How to make a Gingerbread House
Going all out with a gingerbread house is usually a good idea. Top with pretzels, peppermints, and marshmallows. Decorate it even further with icing. The more the better. The more the merrier.
Description:
As the winter chill sets in, I find myself in my kitchen, ready to go on a cheerful journey of making a gingerbread house. As I mix the dough, the perfume of ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg fills the air. I carefully cut out the walls and roof of my soon-to-be candy-coated home as I rolled it out.
I begin the construction after the pieces have been baked to a perfect golden brown, using royal icing as my glue. It's a delicate technique that necessitates patience and a steady touch, but witnessing the structure take shape is really satisfying.
Next comes the most creative part, the decoration. Decorate the roof with a layer of powdered sugar to imitate a layer of fresh snow. Colorful candies become decorated windows and doors, and licorice branches transform into attractive edible eaves. A path lined with tiny marshmallows leads to the front entrance, surrounded by a courtyard of chopped coconuts.
When I step back to admire my work, I can't help but marvel at the quirky, edible pieces of art I've created. A gingerbread house with sweet decorations and spicy aromas is a testament to the joy and creativity of the Christmas season. It's a labor of love, embodies the spirit of the holidays, and comes complete with delicious treats. 🎄
Gingerbread House Action Plan:
If you're feeling overwhelmed, try breaking the process into steps. Here are some recommended schedules.
- Four days prior: Complete all your shopping for the necessary ingredients. Assemble all the equipment you’ll need to construct the house: a base, cookie sheets, parchment paper, a rolling pin, a sharp knife, an electric mixer, and a pastry bag with tips (or a plastic freezer bag). Print and cut out the pattern pieces .
- Three days prior: Prepare the dough.
- Two days prior: Bake the individual pieces and allow them to cool.
- One day prior: Begin the assembly of the house and let the icing, which acts as mortar, set.
On the day: Embellish your gingerbread house! (Alternatively, you can add an extra day to bake the house pieces one day and decorate the next.)
Recipe
COURSE:Desert Or a Snacks CUISINE:American
CALORIES:168 kcal PREP TIME:2 Hours minutes
COOK TIME:15 minutes DRYING TIME: 60 mintus
TOTAL TIME:3 Hours 15 minutes SERVINGS:30
YIELD:1 Gingerbread House
Ingrediants:
For the Gingerbread House dough:
- 6 cups (828g) of all-purpose flour, with extra for rolling the dough (refer to recipe note)
- 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
- 4 teaspoons of ground ginger
- 4 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves or allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 3/4 cup (170g) of softened butter
- 1 1/2 cups (284g) of packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup of molasses
- 1 tablespoon of water
For the royal icing (as a Glue):
- 2 large egg whites
- 2 2/3 cups of powdered sugar, divided
Crust the buttercream:
- 1/2 cup (95 g) shortening at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons, 113 g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 4 cups (480g) powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk (30ml)
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Optional, for decorating:
- Raisins
- currants
- chocolate chips
- candy pieces
- frosting
Method:
Make gingerbread dough:
1. Mix flour and spices: In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, cloves or allspice, and salt. Set aside.
2. Make a mixture of butter, sugar, eggs, and molasses: Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until fluffy and well-combined. Add eggs, molasses, and water and stir until well combined.
3. Mix the wet and dry ingredients and knead the dough: Split the dough into three equal parts; Stir half of the flour mixture into the molasses mixture until well combined and smooth. Add the remaining flour and continue mixing until well combined and a soft, cohesive dough forms.
4. Divide the dough, wrap and chill: Divide the dough in half to form a disc and wrap each half in plastic wrap. Store in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
5. Preparing the Gingerbread House Pieces: Creating and Cutting Out the Pattern Pieces: Start by creating a pattern for your gingerbread house using our printable Gingerbread House Templates. Ensure they print out with the correct proportions (1 inch on the pattern equals 1 inch in real life). If not, the dimensions are provided on the pattern, allowing you to create your own using a ruler.
You have the option to use the regular paper template pieces as they are, or if you prefer, trace the pieces onto stiffer paper like a manila folder or cardboard. The advantage of cardboard is that it’s almost as thick as the gingerbread house pieces will be, making it easier to create a house model.
6. Preparing the Oven and Cookie Sheets: Preheat your oven to 350°F, positioning the oven rack in the middle. Ensure you have 2 to 3 flat cookie sheets at the ready.
7. Rolling Out the Dough: Lay out parchment paper on a large flat surface for rolling. Lightly dust the paper with flour.
Work with one portion of the dough at a time, using a rolling pin to roll out the dough to an even thickness of 1/4 inch. Sprinkle a little flour on the surface of the dough, and check for sticking as you roll it out.
If the dough sticks to either your rolling pin or the rolling surface, dust it with more flour. If the rolled-out dough is very soft, consider freezing it for an hour before cutting out the patterns.
8. Cutting Out Shapes in the Dough with Pattern Pieces: Lightly rub some flour over the surface of the dough. Position the pattern pieces on the dough, fitting as many pattern pieces as possible on the dough. Use a small sharp knife to cut out the pattern pieces from the dough, frequently wiping the knife surface clean.
Depending on the softness of the dough, you may need to use scissors to cut the parchment paper. You can cut out the patterns through the dough and parchment paper, placing the dough pieces with the paper directly on the cookie sheets.
If you’re not using parchment paper, you may need to use a large metal spatula to transfer the dough pieces to a greased cookie sheet.
Arrange the pieces on the cookie sheet with an inch of space between each other. If dough pieces stretch during the transfer process, reshape them.
At this point, you can cut out a door and window(s), or you can wait until after baking, soon after the pieces have come out of the oven while the cookies are still warm.
9. Baking Process: Place the gingerbread pieces in a preheated oven at 350°F. Bake until the edges start to darken slightly, which should take about 11-15 minutes for the larger pieces and 6-8 minutes for the smaller ones.
For more uniform browning, rotate the cookie sheets halfway through the baking process. After baking, remove the sheets and let them cool on racks for approximately 15 minutes.
Trimming the Pieces: While the pieces are still a bit warm, place the pattern pieces over them. Using a large, straight chef’s knife, trim any parts of the pieces that have spread beyond the pattern during baking.
Finally, remove the pieces and let them cool completely on the racks.
Making the Royal Icing:
1. Creating the Royal Icing: Combine the egg whites and 1 1/3 cups of the powdered sugar in a bowl and whisk them together until the mixture is smooth.
If you intend to eat your gingerbread house and have concerns about the safety of consuming raw eggs, you can heat the mixture of egg white and powdered sugar in a double boiler until it reaches a temperature of 160°F, but not exceeding 175°F. For more information, refer to the guide on How to Pasteurize Eggs at Home. Alternatively, you can use pasteurized dried or liquid egg whites.
2. Adding More Powdered Sugar and Beating to Stiff Peaks: Incorporate the remaining 1 1/3 cup of powdered sugar into the egg and sugar mixture. Use an electric mixer to beat the mixture on high speed until the icing forms stiff peaks. If the icing doesn’t form stiff peaks, add more powdered sugar.
3. Covering the Bowl of Royal Icing with a Damp Towel: To prevent the icing from drying out while you’re working with it, place a clean towel that’s been dampened over the bowl of royal icing.
4. Piping the Icing with a Pastry Bag or Cut Freezer Bag: When you’re ready to assemble or decorate your gingerbread house, fill a pastry bag with the icing. If you don’t have a pastry bag, you can create your own using a re-sealable plastic freezer bag by cutting off a small section from one of the corners of the bag. For more controlled piping, you can use plastic or metal piping tips, which are available in supermarkets, in conjunction with the freezer bag.
Build the House Using Royal Icing as Mortar:
1. Constructing the House with Royal Icing as Mortar: This is a task where having an extra pair of hands can be beneficial, making the process of building a gingerbread house more enjoyable when done in company. If you’re doing this alone, consider using canned goods from your pantry to prop up the pieces while the icing mortar dries.
2. Choosing and Preparing a Base: Select a sturdy base for your gingerbread house, such as a flat cookie sheet or a thick piece of cardboard. If desired, you can line the base with aluminum foil or wax paper for easy cleanup.
3. Applying Royal Icing to the House Sides: Pipe a thick line of icing along the shorter end of one of the side pieces. Press this iced side piece against the edge of either the front or back pieces.
Hold the pieces in place for a few minutes until the icing sets partially. Repeat this process with the other side piece. If necessary, use cans to prop up the pieces.
Repeat this process with the other short edges of the side pieces and the remaining front/back piece.
Pipe icing along the seams, both inside and outside of the house, to fill any gaps and provide extra stability. Also, pipe icing along the edges of the house where it meets the base.
Allow the icing to set for at least an hour before attempting to add the roof pieces.
Simple Tip: If any of the gingerbread house pattern pieces break, which can easily happen when working with cookie-like material, you can likely repair them.
We even created a “splint” from cardboard and used royal icing to secure the splint to the piece. Allow it to harden completely before using the piece for house construction. When it’s time to decorate, you can pipe icing right over the broken seam, and it will be virtually unnoticeable.
4. Roof mortar with royal glaze/icing:
Once the icing has dried enough that the basic structure is stable, you can start working on the roof. Apply icing along the entire top edge of the structure, front and back, and two sides.
The shape of the roof part is rectangular. Position the roof section so that the long sides of the rectangle are along the top of the house.
It may be helpful if two people work together to place the roof sections on the house at the same time, so that the roof sections meet slightly in the center at the top and stick out slightly to create an overhang at each end. Gently press the roof area for a few minutes until it is firm enough to prevent it from slipping when you let go.
Pipe the seam at the top of the house with additional icing. Let the house sit for at least 1 hour, preferably 8 hours, before decorating.
5. Assembling the Chimney with Royal Icing: Due to the roof’s angle, the chimney’s dimensions can be somewhat challenging.
It’s simpler to first assemble the chimney upside down, separate from the house. Use royal icing to pipe the pieces together and allow it to set until it’s stable.
Next, flip the chimney right-side-up and attach it to the roof using piped royal icing. This can be done either immediately after the house has initially set (an hour after assembly) or later on, during the decoration process.
6. Preparing the buttercream: The buttercream can be made up to 1 day in advance. Cover tightly and store in the refrigerator overnight. Allow to come to room temperature before piping or decorating. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the shortening and butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add powdered sugar, milk and vanilla extract. On low speed he whisks for 30 seconds, then increases to high speed and lets him whisk for 3 minutes. The frosting will be very thick, but that's what you want. If it's too thick, add a little milk. If the glaze is too sweet, add a pinch of salt. (I add 1/8 teaspoon of salt.).
7. Decorating the House: Embellish your gingerbread house with piped royal icing,buttercream and your choice of candies, such as red hots, gum drops, candy canes, chocolate truffles, or any other candies you prefer.
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