Gingerbread House
I once made a gingerbread house with my chef that was big enough to walk into. It was a life-size gingerbread playhouse and took days to build. Have fun!
I once made a gingerbread house with my chef that was big enough to walk into. It was a life-size gingerbread playhouse and took days to build. Have fun!
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 4 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
- 8 ounces unsalted butter (16 tablespoons or 2 sticks) softened
- 1 cup dark molasses (not blackstrap)
- 6 1/4 cups cake flour
- gingerbread house templates recipe follows
- 3 cups confectioners' sugar plus more as needed
- 2 egg whites*
- frosted shredded mini-wheats for the roof as needed
- mini tootsie rolls for a fence as needed
- white hershey kisses for roof top spikes as needed
- small candy canes for a lamp post outside the doo as needed
- granulated sugar for snow drifts as needed
- necco wafers for a cobblestone path as needed
- 3 large marshmallows for snow man
- pretzel sticks for snowman arms, as needed
- 2 whole cloves for snowman eyes
- graham crackers to build a shed as needed
- assorted candy such as gum drops peppermint drops, m & m's, white chocolate chips, red hots, non
- Carbohydrate 3209.01112550826 g
- Cholesterol 497.85 mg
- Fat 215.46773033255 g
- Fiber 58.3287812658779 g
- Protein 257.53118510283 g
- Saturated Fat 122.64499548031 g
- Serving Size 1 1 house (4574g)
- Sodium 1721.7514509971 mg
- Sugar 3150.68234424238 g
- Trans Fat 22.2389765601845 g
- Calories 15942 calories
Step-by-step
- In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter until smooth.
- Add the sugar and mix until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs 1 at a time until incorporated.
- Add the molasses and vanilla and mix.
- Sift together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, cloves, and salt.
- Working in batches, and mixing after each addition just until combined, add the flour mixture to the butter-sugar mixture.
- Shape the dough into a thick disk, wrap in waxed paper, and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease 2 cookie sheets.
- On a lightly floured surface, divide the dough in half and roll each piece out into a large 1/4-inch thick sheet.
- Transfer the dough sheets to the sheet pans; then cut out the required shapes with your templates (see Gingerbread House Templates below).
- Bake until stiff and toast-y, about 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool completely.
- Make the Royal Icing: In a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the confectioners' sugar and egg whites together. Add more sugar, if necessary, to reach a spreadable consistency.
- Assemble and Decorate the House: Glue the house walls together by setting them up on the cardboard base, and piping the royal icing at the joints with a medium plain tip from the inside. Prop the sides up with wine or soda bottles and let set for 30 minutes. Attach the roof pieces, using the icing in the same way
- Using a spatula to apply the icing, glue the frosted mini-wheats on the roof to look like thatching. Attach the front door, with hinges made from icing (leave it open to be more inviting).
- Decorate as you like, following the suggestions in the ingredient list, using the icing as glue, if needed. Use a small plain tip for any filigree style decorative line work, you may want.
My Gingerbread House Adventure: A Culinary Journey
For years, I’ve enjoyed baking, but it’s usually been simple cookies or cakes. This year, though, I decided to tackle something a bit more ambitious – a gingerbread house. Now, I'm not a professional baker by any stretch of the imagination; I'm just a regular mom who loves creating things for my family. The idea of building a miniature house out of gingerbread seemed incredibly fun and, let's be honest, a bit challenging. I envisioned a quaint little cottage, complete with a snowy roof and charming details.
The initial steps felt straightforward enough: mixing the dough, rolling it out, and cutting out the pieces. The recipe I followed was a classic, relying on warm spices like ginger and cinnamon. The aroma that filled my kitchen as the gingerbread baked was incredibly comforting. It felt like Christmas itself was brewing in my oven. But once the baking was done and the cooling process complete, the true test began - the assembly. This is where things got slightly…sticky.
I carefully piped royal icing, acting as the glue for my miniature masterpiece. It was a delicate process, requiring patience and a steady hand. My gingerbread walls seemed to have a mind of their own, threatening to topple over at any moment. Yet the process was more about the journey than the perfection of the product. My kids and I spent hours placing each piece of candy, laughing as we transformed the house from simple gingerbread to a winter wonderland. I thought about a big enough gingerbread house, and how exciting that would be.
The most fun part was decorating, of course! I had amassed a delightful collection of candies, from miniature marshmallows for a snowman to gumdrops for colorful accents. The creativity flowed as we added a charming little fence made of pretzel sticks, a snowy path made of crushed candy canes, and even a tiny lamppost. My kids were utterly captivated, their imaginations running wild as they contributed their own artistic touches. The final result, while not perfectly symmetrical, was undeniably charming and deeply personal.
Building this gingerbread house wasn't just about creating a delicious treat; it was a memorable experience that brought my family closer. It was a lesson in patience, collaboration, and embracing imperfection. It taught me that even small successes can bring immense joy, especially when shared with loved ones. The sweet smell of gingerbread and the laughter of my children as they helped assemble the house are memories I will cherish long after the last gingerbread crumb has been eaten.
Next year? I’m already planning a bigger, more elaborate gingerbread creation. Maybe a gingerbread castle? The possibilities are endless, and the memories we create along the way are priceless. Baking this gingerbread house wasn't just about following a recipe; it was a journey of shared moments, a testament to the simple joys of family time, and a delightful reminder that sometimes, the most magical things are homemade. I'd love to hear about your gingerbread baking experiences too. Maybe you have some amazing ideas or even a trick or two to share! Let's keep the sweet spirit of the holidays alive together, one gingerbread house at a time.
