Gingerbread House

This year I thought it would be fun to make a gingerbread house. For years now I have wanted to make one, but I have never actually sat down and made one. So this year I wanted to make sure that I finally sat down and make one. I also wanted to make the gingerbread myself instead of buying the kit, even though the kits would have been way easier. Going into this I had no idea how time consuming making a gingerbread house was. It took me so long to roll and cut the gingerbread pieces that I didn't even decorate it until days later. I had fun decorating it but then that was time consuming too and I didn't have time to put a lot of time into decorating it. So for my first gingerbread house I think I did an ok job. Next year I will plan out my time better.

Gingerbread House

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup unsulphred molasses

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 cup all purpose flour

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Add and stir in the sugar and molasses until sugar is dissolved and is no longer gritty. Remove from heat and set aside to cool to lukewarm. In a separate bowl whisk together the 4 1/2 cups flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, pour in the lukewarm butter mixture, and beat to blend everything together. Work in the 1/2 cup of flour beating until the dough forms a ball ands pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Remove the dough from the bowl and knead 3 or 4 times on the counter until smooth and pliable. Wrap well and refrigerate until dough is cool. After refrigerating roll out and cut out house shaped pieces or gingerbread men pieces. Bake in a 350*F oven for about 12-15 minutes or until color darkens.

Royal Frosting

3 tablespoons Meringue powder

4 cups sifted powder sugar

7 tablespoons lukewarm water

Place meringue powder and powder sugar in a bowl, mix until blended. Add water and mix for 7-10 minutes at low speed until the icing loses its sheen. Place in a piping bag or a ziploc bag with a corner snipped off. Buy various candies and decorate the house however you like.

Gingerbread recipe comes the Joy of Cooking cookbooks and the Royal Frosting recipe comes from Wilton.

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