The best gingerbread anywhere!

Make Your Own

Gingerbread House

Making a gingerbread house may seem daunting at first, but in reality, it's not very difficult. And, it's a rewarding, hands-on activity for kids of all ages. Make it into party, and it's an especially festive effort.

Items You'll Need...

1

Baking

You will need a scale to weigh your flour, a rolling pin, a ruler, parchment paper and a cookie tray.

2

Cutting

I use a custom-made template to cut my houses - but a sharp chef's knife will work perfectly.

3

Assembling

For the base, I recommend using a Wilton® cake circle. You'll "glue" your house to the circle.

4

Decorating

I highly recommend disposable Wilton icing bags. Lacking that, thick quart sized baggies will suffice.

OK, Get Ready!

I strongly recommend using a scale - it makes it so much easier to accurately measure the flour. But, if you don't have a scale, use four and a third cups flour instead. Note that the dough must be refrigerated before it's rolled out and baked - and you'll want to let your houses sit for a day or two before decorating them. This allows for the house to firmly set, making it much easier to decorate.

Ingredients

Gingerbread

4 ⅓ cups all purpose flour (27 oz)
1 cup sugar (granulated, white)
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup shortening
1 egg
1 cup molasses
2 tablespoons vinegar

Icing

3 level tablespoons meringue powder
2 pounds of confectioner's sugar
5.4 ounces warm water
½ teaspoon cream of tartar

Let's put it all together!

Gingerbread

In mixer, blend shortening and sugar. Next, add egg, molasses and vinegar. Beat well.

In a separate bowl, stir together all dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients one-cup at a time and mix well.

Lightly flour counter top and hands. Scrape dough onto counter and mold into a ball. Add enough flour to keep the dough from being sticky (but not too much flour that the dough crumbles, or it will be difficult to roll out). When a soft ball has been formed, place it into a one gallon Ziplock baggy and place in the refrigerator for at least three hours (overnight is better). The dough remains pliable for about three weeks.

Each batch makes three houses. However, if you only need one or two houses, I recommend making the full batch anyway and use the rest of the dough to make gingerbread men!

Create your templates

Download the pattern here.

The patterns are not to scale - you will need to create the walls, roof and sides using ordinary paper using the pattern. This should be quite easy.

Baking

Preheat over to 375°

Flour the countertop lightly
Divide the dough in half and place one half on the counter, and return the rest into the bag (and refrigerator) for later use
Roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch
Using the templates you made, cut the house out and carefully place on an uncreased cookie sheet
Bake for about 13 minutes
Cool on wax paper - gently trim edges while the dough is still warm (so that the pieces are exactly the same size as the templates)
Let gingerbread sit overnight to allow it to become firm.

Icing

Be sure all utensils are completely grease-free, or the icing will break down and become "soupy."

Mix powder and water until foamy
Add the rest of the ingredients
You may have to add more water or sugar until your icing is the right consistency - just still enough to form a peak

Assemble

Working with about one cup of icing at a time, scoop it into the pastry bag (or Ziplock Baggie)
Push the icing down (into one of the corners if using a baggie) and then twist the bag tightly just above the icing
I close the bag with a rubber band

There is no need for any special tips - simply snip a hole about ⅜-inch wide. Rest the bag in your right palm (left, if you're left handed) and squeeze gently. You might want to practice using a sheet of parchment paper first. Once you feel confident, swirl some icing on the base of the house and, gently turn it while pressing to the Wilton cardboard round.

Place the sides of the house laying down flat on the base of the house, with the bottom four corners just touching. Image that if all four sides were raised upright, the house would "come together." It is important to know where the four sides will be placed, once icing has been applied
You should now have your base and four sides, all laying flat
Find the two sides of the house (not the front and back) - and pipe along the edges of three sides (NOT the roof-side)
Put the walls of the house on the base, standing up, and then "raise" the font and back so that all four sides of the house are together
Push the four pieces together and hold for a minute or two to allow the piping to slightly harden.
Now, pipe along the top of the "A" front and back pieces - this will hold the roof panels in place
Position the roofs in place - press down gently while positioning them
Hold the house together for two or three minutes - long enough for the icing to set just a bit

Set the house aside for several hours. This will allow the piping to harden, which will make decorating the house so much easier (and more fun!).

Decorating

Now that your house is very sturdy, the real fun begins! Kids of all ages love to decorate gingerbread houses. Having a Christmas party for co-workers? Set up a table ahead of time (similar to the photo to the left) - you'll be amazed at how much fun everyone will have.

Decorating tips

Necco Wafers or almond slices for roofs
Shredded wheat for thatched roofs
Pretzel "Snaps" for windows
Mini marshmallows or red hots for doorknobs
Sticks of green rock candy for trees
Stack a log pile by the side of the house using broken pretzel rods. Lightly cover with icing to make it look snowy
Make bushes out of green gumdrops
Candy canes for gutters/downspouts
Starlight candies for lining walkways
Add lots of snow to the house and grounds - put large dabs of icing on your index finger and then rub it off on the roof, trees, base, etc., as shown in the second picture to the left

A village of undecorated gingerbread houses