Gingerbread House

How to Make Gingerbread and a Gingerbread House

Gingerbread Houses: Recipe and Construction Tips

Nothing says Christmas and winter holidays quite like a gingerbread house. They are perfect centerpieces and tasty treats all in one.

A gingerbread house is also a family activity, because they are just as fun to decorate as they are to eat.

Gingerbread houses can be as extravagant as your imagination; however, the more complex the design, the more difficult the construction. A good idea is to cut pieces of cardboard, arrange them into your conceptual gingerbread house design, and tape them into place.

If the structure will hold in cardboard form, it will likely hold with gingerbread.

Prepare a base for the house. A baking tray or platter is ideal. You want your base to be light enough to move around, but big enough to support your imagined house. Also, make sure it's clean enough to eat off...in case disaster strikes.

Okay. You have your concept. Let's make some gingerbread.

Gingerbread Ingredients

• 3/4 cup unsulphured molasses
• 3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter
• 3-2/3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten

How to Make Gingerbread

Heat the molasses on a stove or in a microwave. Make sure it does not boil. Stir in your butter until it's melted, and then let the concoction cool.

Whisk together your flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and brown sugar in a large bowl. Add your molasses and butter mix and stir until blended. Then add your egg and stir. When everything is thoroughly mixed together, refrigerate for an hour or until the dough is tough enough for rolling.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Divide the dough in half, place the halves between sheets of plastic wraps, and roll your dough until it's between 1/4 and 3/8 inches thick.

For walls supporting a lot of weight, make them thicker. For house additions or accessories, use thinner pieces that won't weigh so much.

Sometimes it's best to roll out one thicker tray and one thinner one. Refrigerate the dough when you're not rolling to keep it cool.

Cut out the structural components of your house using your cardboard test frame to size the pieces. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned at the edges.

It's important to allow the bread to cool completely before decoration.

If you're going to paint your house, thin the icing with a few drops of water before applying, and then let this dry before construction.

Use icing to glue the pieces of gingerbread together. Apply the icing generously to the joints and along all adjoining sides, and then allow it to sit for about a half an hour before assembly. This will ensure a stronger bond.

For extra stability, icing-glue the house to its base. Wipe off any blobs or smudges with a damp paper towel.

Build the Gingerbread House

Now it's time for the real fun. Decorate to your heart's (or stomach's) content.

Pieces of gingerbread can be used to create lawn ornaments or house accessories.

Ice cream cones with chocolate and almond bark and snow-covered coconut leaves are great for the front yard.

Fences can be made with chocolate-covered pretzels or candy canes.

Fruit slices, lollipops, candy corn, and gummy fruit all combine to make wonderful gardens.

Pile marshmallows in stacks of three to make snowmen. Line the roof with wafers for texture and style.

Chocolate chips are a wonderful lining for a front path made of cookies.

And, of course, cover the scenery with coconut to turn it into a true winter wonderland.

For inspiration on decorating your house, take a look at all of these photos of Gingerbread Houses at Gingerbread-House-Heaven.

Have fun. Eat well.