Gingerbread House

Well…The Christmas season has begun. The tree is decorated, the house is decorated, the yard is lit up like the Griswold’s, the Christmas music is playing, the Christmas cards are in the mail and the Gingerbread House has been completed. Wheweeee I now feel like I can enjoy the season. This year I decided I was going to build an ole timey style house. I found a little doggy that looked somewhat like my Maggy, she is at the front door. So, we are calling this house the Maggy house. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas season, filled with many blessings.

This year I hung the lights from the roof such a cool effect. I placed a tree in the front window, a kitty in a basket and a small table with goodies. I took craft paper from Hobby Lobby and used it as wall paper.
See Maggy at the front door and an assortment of Christmas packages…boy they are hard to wrap that small….

Gingerbread Recipe

5 1/2 + cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup soften butter
1 cup sugar
1 1/4 unsulphured molasses
2 large eggs

Mix all dry ingredients well, flour and spices. Melt butter in a small sauce pot over a low heat, add sugar and molasses let cool a bit then add the eggs. Stir mixture well and add to the dry flour mixture. Mix in a standing mixer with the paddle attachment until a ball forms.
I wrap in 2 individual packages, place in the refrigerate for at least one hour. Then I roll out on a flour dusted parchment paper. Cut out into desired shapes.

Baking depends on if they are for eating or building.
Eating, bake about 15 minutes at 325.
Building 20-25 minutes at 325.

Royal Icing

3 tablespoons of meringue powder or dried egg whites
1 box 10x powder sugar
6 tablespoon hot/warm water

Place all ingredients in a standing mixer with whisk attachment and beat for about 12 minutes until light and fluffy. It takes about 2 ~ 3 batches of icing to do one regular house.

Gingerbread House Info

I make my patterns or I get one from a books
Once I decided on a house, I copy my pattern, cut pattern out
Make the dough
Roll out and cut out pieces 2 roof sides, back, front, 2 sides
Bake dough, cool
Get candy for houses ~ I collect all year
Get a board for house ~ I use a thick foam board
Make one batch of icing
Assemble house
Make another batch of icing
Decorate house
These are my favorite books on Gingerbread House. Believe me I have all the books on the subject, currently I think I have 30 books and these 2 are by far the best.

Here are a few of the past GingerBread House Projects.
Please let me encourage you to try this Christmas tradition. They are beautiful to look at…everyone will enjoy them. Your whole house will smell of Christmas. Share this tradition with a young child in your family and when they are grown it will be their favorite thing…promise! I have gotten better each and every year at this craft….I hope you will make one!

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Happy Baking, Merry Christmas to you and Your Family!
Angie

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