Gingerbread Recipe For House Building

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Melt the butter, sugar and syrup in a pan. Mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda and ground ginger into a large bowl, then stir in the butter mixture to make a stiff dough. If it won't quite come together, add a tiny splash of water.
• Cut out the template (download from the tips below). Put a sheet of baking paper on a work surface and roll about one quarter of the dough to the thickness of two £1 coins. Cut out one of the sections, then slide the gingerbread, still on its baking paper, onto a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, re-rolling the trimmings, until you have two side walls, a front and back wall and two roof panels. Any leftover dough can be cut into Christmas trees, if you like.
• Pick out the most intact flaked almonds and gently poke them into the roof sections, pointy-end first, to look like roof tiles. Bake all the sections for 12 mins or until firm and just a little darker at the edges. Leave to cool for a few minutes to firm up, then trim around the templates again to give clean, sharp edges. Leave to cool completely.
• Put the egg whites in a large bowl, sift in the icing sugar, then stir to make a thick, smooth icing. Spoon into a piping bag with a medium nozzle. Pipe generous snakes of icing along the wall edges, one by one, to join the walls together. Use a small bowl to support the walls from the inside, then allow to dry, ideally for a few hours.
• Once dry, remove the supports and fix the roof panels on. The angle is steep so you may need to hold these on firmly for a few mins until the icing starts to dry. Dry completely, ideally overnight. To decorate, pipe a little icing along the length of 20 mini chocolate fingers and stick these lengthways onto the side walls of the house. Use three, upright, for the door.
• Using the icing, stick sweets around the door and on the front of the house. To make the icicles, start with the nozzle at a 90-degree angle to the roof and squeeze out a pea-sized blob of icing. Keeping the pressure on, pull the nozzle down and then off - the icing will pull away, leaving a pointy trail. Repeat all around the front of the house. Cut the chocolate mini roll or dipped Flake on an angle, then fix with icing to make a chimney. Pipe a little icing around the top. If you've made gingerbread trees, decorate these now, too, topping each with a silver ball, if using. Dust the roof with icing sugar for a snowy effect. Lay a winding path of sweets, and fix gingerbread trees around and about using blobs of icing. Your gingerbread house will be edible for about a week.

Steps:

• Into a large bowl, sift together flour, spices, baking soda, salt, and pepper; set aside. In a large saucepan, melt shortening over medium-high heat, about 4 minutes. Whisk in sugar and molasses until well combined. Remove from heat, and stir in the flour mixture until just combined but still crumbly. If dough is still sticky, add a bit more flour.
• Turn out dough onto a large piece of plastic wrap, and wrap to enclose completely; let cool slightly, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees, and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Divide dough into two equal parts, and place on prepared baking sheets. While dough is still slightly warm, roll out gently but firmly to a 3/8-inch thickness. Cut out desired shapes, and remove excess dough from around cutters or templates.
• Bake 30 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.

Steps:

• Using a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy.
• Add the eggs and molasses and blend well.
• Add remaining ingredients and beat well.
• Divide dough into 4 sections and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill at least 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• On a very lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/8 inch thick.
• Transfer cut pieces to an ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake for 8 minutes. Let cookies cool slightly, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Steps:

• Beat together the egg whites, water and cream of tartar until foamy.
• Gradually add the powdered sugar.
• Beat until stiff.
• Use at once.

Steps:

• Cover a piece of heavy cardboard with aluminum foil or freezer paper, dull-side up, to make a base for the gingerbread house.
• Cut templates for the gingerbread house out of heavy cardboard or cardstock; label each piece.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 3 rimless baking sheets (or the back of rimmed baking sheets).
• Combine butter, brown sugar, molasses, and dark corn syrup in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat; stir until melted, about 3 minutes. Stir in lemon zest, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt, and mace until blended, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Sift flour into a large bowl. Stir into the butter mixture 2 cups at a time, mixing the last 2 cups by hand to create a warm, firm mass of dough. Place a large handful of dough on a greased baking sheet; roll out to 1/8-inch thickness. Keep remaining dough covered.
• Dust cardboard templates lightly with flour and place on top of dough; cut around templates with a sharp knife. Cut out doors or windows as desired. Cut shutters, door knobs, or other features from the scraps. Return remaining scraps to the covered pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until firm and slightly browned at the edges, 5 to 7 minutes for small pieces and 12 to 15 minutes for large pieces. Remove from the oven and place templates over the baked pieces; trim excess with a sharp knife to produce clean edges.
• Cool pieces on the baking sheet until firm, 5 to 10 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, 15 to 30 minutes.
• Combine confectioners' sugar, egg whites, cream of tartar, and white vinegar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; beat until icing is stiff and shiny, 7 to 10 minutes.
• Stick candies and decorations over gingerbread pieces using royal icing. Let icing dry until hardened, about 5 minutes. Assemble gingerbread house pieces using icing. Let stand until icing is dry, about 5 minutes.

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.