Making Gingerbread Houses
Gingerbread houses, gingerbread men, and just good old fashioned Gingerbread bring the taste of Christmas to life. From Hansel and Gretel to gingerbread fashioned ornaments, gingerbread is associated with Christmas and is a favorite during the holiday season. Whether it is eating it or admiring a beautifully constructed gingerbread house, this delectable delight is sure to please in any fashion. Here are some recipes so that you too can enjoy the wonders of Gingerbread this holiday season.
Gingerbread Dough Perfect for Creating Gingerbread Houses
1-cup butter at room temperature
1 3/4 cups brown sugar
1 1/4 cups white sugar
2 tablespoons molasses
6 eggs
6 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon allspice
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars; beat in the molasses and eggs.
In another large bowl, sift dry ingredients. Combine mixtures and knead into a smooth ball. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
Roll out dough until it’s 1/4 inch thick, on a well-floured surface. You will use this dough to create your house pieces. You can also use this dough to create Gingerbread Men. For Gingerbread Men, simply draw out your pattern piece on cardboard, or if you have cookie cutters, use them. Embellish your Gingerbread Men with raisins, frosting, M&Ms and other candies.
Icing/Glue for Construction
The icing is simple to make, but it dries quickly. Therefore it is best to make up a small batch at a time.
3 egg whites
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
3 - 3 1/2 cups icing sugar (powdered sugar)
In a large bowl, beat the egg whites until they begin to foam. Add the cream of tartar and beat until the whites are stiff but not dry. Gradually beat in the icing sugar, beating for about 5 minutes until it reaches spreading consistency. Keep it covered and refrigerated until needed.
Patterns and Assembly
Use cardboard pieces for the basic pattern of your gingerbread house and lay Gingerbread dough on pattern pieces. You will basically cut out your gingerbread shapes from the cardboard patterns, and then bake them on an aluminum foil covered cookie sheet that has been greased and lightly floured at 320’ for 25 minutes. Remove all traces of foil from Gingerbread shapes once pieces are cool enough to touch. Let all pieces remain at room temperature overnight before assembling your house.
You will need 2 rectangular shapes for the roof- 7’by 11’. Two rectangles for the walls, 5” by 8”. Two bases for the front and back of the house measuring 5” by 9”. Cut a door in one of the bases (for the front). You can make a chimney for your house by fashioning a pattern that is 2 ½ inches tall for the front, and 1-½ inches tall for the back. Let your creativity run wild as you find various candies to embellish your gingerbread house.
You will also need a base for the house, plywood works great. Line it with aluminum foil and begin assembly. You should begin by adding the side walls first, then the front and back. You may need to hold them steady as the icing/glue dries. It should take approximately 15 minutes for the walls to stand on their own. Once all of the walls have been assembled, let stand for at least 30 minutes, to ensure its stability.
Next, you will want to assemble the roof pieces. Make sure that you are not sparing with the icing/glue. Create more batches as you work. You will find that the icing will glue to near cement like quality. After all pieces have been assembled, let the house dry overnight. In the morning, decorate with your choice of candy.
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