Christmas Gingerbread House Recipes

Steps:

• Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth and creamy. Stir in molasses and egg yolks. Combine flour, cloves, ginger, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a separate bowl; mix into the butter mixture until a smooth dough forms. Shape dough into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.
• Cut 4 wall panels and 2 rectangular roof panels out of paper to use as templates for the gingerbread house.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Turn the chilled dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 6 portions, 2 slightly larger than the others. Roll out the 4 smaller portions; use the templates to cut out 4 walls. Cut windows and a front door into the walls as desired. Roll out remaining dough portions; use the templates to cut out 2 roof panels.
• Roll out any remaining dough and cut into decorative shapes with Christmas-themed cookie cutters. Transfer all the dough to the prepared baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cooked through and crisp, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet for 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to wire racks. Let stand at room temperature, 8 hours to overnight.
• Lightly whisk 2 egg whites in a large bowl. Gradually beat in about 5 cups of the confectioner's sugar until a smooth icing forms with firm peaks.
• Spread or pipe a line of icing the length of one of the side walls of the house onto a wooden cutting board. Press one of the side walls into icing so that it sticks firmly and stands upright, using cans or jars to help support the wall. Take an end wall and ice both of the side edges. Spread or pipe a line of icing on the board at a right angle to the first wall, and press the end wall into position. Repeat this process with the other two walls until they are all in position.
• Leave the walls to harden together for at least 2 hours. Keep remaining icing in the bowl, cover with a wet towel, lay a plate on top, and refrigerate so it does not dry out.
• Spread or pipe a thick layer of icing on top of all the walls, and fix the roof panels in position; the roof should overlap the walls to make the eaves. Pipe or spread a little icing along the crest of the roof to hold the two pieces firmly together. Allow to set until firm, 8 hours to overnight.
• Lightly whisk remaining 4 egg whites together in a large bowl. Gradually beat in the remaining 10 cups confectioners' sugar until a smooth icing forms with firm peaks. Pipe snow onto the roof and decorate house with candies. Finish the gingerbread house with a thin layer of sifted confectioners' sugar.

Steps:

• Gingerbread House: In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar, molasses, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and baking soda together until the mixture is smooth. Blend in the flour and water to make a stiff dough. Chill at least 30 minutes or until firm.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Cut out the following paper patterns for the gingerbread house template: Two rectangles, 3 by 5 inches, to make the front and back of the house. Two rectangles, 3 by 5 1/2 inches for the roof. Two pieces for the ends of the house, 3 inches wide at the base, 3 inches to the roof line, and slanted to a peak 5 1/2 inches from the bottom. Four smaller rectangles, 1 1/2 by 1 inch for the roof and sides of the entryway. And one piece, 2 inches wide at the base, 1 1/2 inches to the roof line, and slanted to a peak 2 1/2 inches from the bottom for the front of the entryway.
• Roll gingerbread dough out to edges on a large, rimless cookie sheet. Place paper patterns onto the rolled out dough. With a sharp, straight edged knife, cut around each of the pieces, but leave pieces in place.
• Bake at 375 degrees F for about 15 minutes until dough feels firm.
• Place patterns on top of the gingerbread again and trim shapes, cutting edges with a straight-edged sharp knife. Leave to cool on baking sheet.
• Place royal icing into pastry bag with a writing tip and press out to decorate individual parts of house, piping on decorations, windows, door, etc., as desired. Let dry until hardened.
• Glue sides, front and back of house together at corners using royal icing. Place an object against the pieces to prop up until icing is dry (it only takes a few minutes).
• Glue the two roof pieces to the pitched roofline of the house. Then, similarly, glue the sides and roof of the entryway together with icing. Attach the entryway to the front of the house.
• Continue decorating the house, gluing on gumdrops, licorice and peppermint, as desired.
• Mix all of the ingredients together using an electric hand mixer, until the icing is smooth and thin enough to be pressed through a pastry bag with a writing tip. Add more lemon juice, if necessary.

Steps:

• Dough: In a large saucepan, cook the sugar, shortening and molasses on low, until shortening is melted and sugar is dissolved, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; add the cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Stir in flour, 1 cup at a time, until dough can be formed into a ball. , Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface; knead until even in color and smooth (not crumbly or dry), adding more flour if needed. Form into a log. Cut into five equal pieces; wrap in plastic. Cut patterns out of paper or cardboard., Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly grease the foil. Lay a damp towel on counter; place prepared pan on towel (to prevent slipping). Unwrap one portion of dough. Using a very lightly floured rolling pin, roll out dough directly on baking sheet to a 15x10-1/2-in. rectangle about 1/4 in. thick. Position patterns at least 1/2 in. apart on dough as shown. Cut around patterns with a sharp knife or pizza cutter; remove patterns. Remove dough scraps; cover and save to re-roll if needed. , Bake at 375° for 10-14 minutes or until cookie springs back when lightly touched. Remove from oven; immediately replace patterns on dough. Cut around the edges to trim off excess cookie. Cool 3-4 minutes or until cookies begin to firm up. Carefully remove to a wire rack; cool Repeat with remaining dough and patterns., Icing and Assembly: In a large bowl, beat the sugar, meringue powder and 3/4 cup water on low until blended. Beat on high for 8-10 minutes or until stiff peaks form, adding additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time, if needed. Place a damp paper towel over bowl and cover tightly until ready to use. , To assemble frame of the house, test your cookie pieces to make sure they fit together snugly. if necessary, file carefully with a serrated knife or an emery board to make fit. Fill decorating bag two-thirds full with icing. Beginning with the front of the house, squeeze a 3/8-in. wide strip of icing onto the bottom edge of the front piece. Position on the cookie base, 3 in. from the front edge of the base. Prop it upright with spice jars for 2-3 minutes or until icing hardens; remove jars., To add the sides, squeeze icing on lower edge of one side piece and side edge of the front piece. Align pieces at a right angle, making sure they are as tight as possible. Repeat with the other side., To add the back,squeeze icing on the bottom and side edges of the back piece; position with the other assembled pieces. For added stability, squeeze icing along the inside edge of all pieces and corners., To assemble the roof, working with one side at a time, squeeze icing on the upper edge of the slant of the front and back pieces on one side. Also squeeze icing on the adjoining side piece. Carefully place roof piece on the slants so that the roof's peak is even with the pints of the front and back. (There will be an overhang of 1/2 in.) Repeat with other side of the roof., To decorate, add a chimney if desired (see photo for assembly). Decorate the house with remaining icing, candies and cookies of your choice.

Steps:

• Make half of the batch: In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together half the butter and half the sugar for 5 minutes, until fluffy. Scrape down sides.
• Meanwhile, sift together the dry ingredients - the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt - and set aside half.
• With mixer running at low speed, add two eggs, one at a time. Mix in 1 cup molasses. Scrape down bowl.
• In 3 batches, add half the dry ingredients, mixing just to combine. To prevent any flour from flying out, make sure the mixer is off when adding each batch, and drape a towel over it when mixing. Mix in zest of 1 lemon and 1 orange.
• Pull dough out of mixer, and wrap in plastic wrap, or transfer to a resealable plastic bag. Repeat Steps 1 to 5 to make the remaining dough. Refrigerate overnight.
• When ready to bake, heat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Roll out dough: For each square, weigh out about 20 ounces of dough. The goal is to end up with five 9-inch squares, so you'll roll them out a bit larger, bake them and trim off the edges.
• Lightly dust a large piece of parchment paper with flour. Place the chilled dough on top. Roll side to side and up and down to make a rough square shape. While you roll, make frequent quarter-turns so that the dough remains even.
• Roll until dough is about 10 by 10 inches and a generous 1/4-inch thick. Transfer to a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough. (Any dough left after the squares have been prepared can be rolled out 1/4-inch thick and used for cookies.) In the oven, the slab will rise to about 3/8- or 1/2-inch thickness, which will make the house extra sturdy.
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until even and firmly set. Place pans on racks to cool. To prevent bending and cracking, carefully transfer to racks by lifting parchment paper. When completely cool, stack the slabs, still on parchment, and set aside to dry out at room temperature for 3 to 7 days. (When ready to assemble, see How to Make a Gingerbread House guide for full instructions.)

Steps:

• In a bowl, cream the shortening and brown sugar. Add eggs, corn syrup, cinnamon and ginger; mix well. Combine flour and baking soda; gradually add to egg mixture and beat until combined. Cover and refrigerate overnight. , Trace patterns without foldlines onto waxed paper and cut out. Trace patterns with foldlines onto folded waxed paper. Cut out and unfold for complete patterns. Cut out the windows and doors as directed on patterns and discard. , From waxed paper, also cut an 8-1/2 x 6-in. rectangle for the roof, a 1-7/8 x 1-1/4-in. rectangle for doors, a 1-3/8 x 2-3/8-in. rectangle for back of chimney and a 1-3/8- x 7/8-in. rectangle for front of chimney. , Roll out dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Position patterns on dough and cut out as directed. Using a sharp knife, score outlines to mark doors and windows where indicated on patterns, being careful not to cut all the way through dough. , Using remaining waxed paper patterns, cut out two 8-1/2- x 6-in. rectangles for the roof, two 1-7/8- x 1-1/4-in. rectangles for doors, one 1-3/8-x 2-3/8-in. rectangle for back of chimney and one 1-3/8- x 7/8-in. rectangle for front of chimney. , If desired, also cut out 20 gingerbread people with cookie cutter. Remove dough scraps. Transfer all cutouts to greased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 8-13 minutes or until browned. Immediately replace patterns on cutouts and cut around edges to trim excess. Cool for 2 minutes before carefully removing cutouts to wire racks to cool completely. , Making icing: Place egg whites in a bowl. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. , Add confectioners' sugar and cream of tartar; beat on low speed for 1 minute. Beat on high for 8-10 minutes or until a knife cut through icing leaves a line., Cover icing when not being used.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• FOR HOUSE: In large mixing bowl, mix all ingredients together reserving about 1 cup of flour. Mix thoroughly, adding small amounts of the remaining flour until dough is quite firm (similar to Play-doh).
• Taking gingerbread moldplate, take half the mixture and press into concaves of the mold that have been lightly floured. Using a rolling pin, roll back and forth until the dough has been firmly pressed into the concave cavities. Remove excess dough and place aside with other half. With the tip of a sharp knife or other utensil, carefully remove house pieces. Coat baking or cookie sheet with non-stick spray and gently place pieces plain side down. With other half of dough, repeat process to create the remaining side, end and roof. Place all pieces on cookie sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes until firm.
• FOR ICING: In large bowl, beat all ingredients together with electric mixer beginning with low speed and increasing speed to high when blended. Beat 5-7 minutes until very firm or until peaks form.
• Use a pastry bag with decorating tips to "pipe" the ribbons of icing when "glueing" house pieces together and for decorating.
• TO ASSEMBLE: Cover a board with foil or decorative paper.
• Take one front end piece of the house along with a side wall. Make sure that the decorative sides face the outside. Squeeze a ribbon of icing along the edge of the front end. Gently squeeze the side wall into the icing to form an "L" shape. Hold for a few minutes until icing bonds. Repeat procedure with back end piece and other side for another "L" shape.
• With two "L" shaped pieces, apply another ribbon of icing along the exposed ends. Gently press together four sided house. Hold together until firm. Carefully add ribbons of icing along wall joints on inside of house for extra holding protection.
• Squeeze a ribbon of icing all along the top perimeter of house. Place 2 roof panels into position gently pressing into icing on top edge of walls. Squeeze a ribbon of icing along top-center of roof to bond two roof panels. Apply a generous ribbon of icing to the back side of chimney and gently press into position on the end side of house.
• Allow to set for 30 minutes to harden and dry before decorating with icing, candy and sprinkles as desired.