🏠 Gingerbread House

Ingredients

• Construction gingerbread

• ½ cup Vegetable shortening, or unsalted butter
• 1 cup Brown sugar, packed
• ¾ cup Molasses
• ¼ cup Water
• 5 cup All-purpose flour
• 1 tsp Baking soda
• ½ tsp Table salt
• 1 tbsp Ground ginger
• 1 tbsp Ground cinnamon

• Glue (stiff royal icing)

• 4 cup Powdered sugar, sifted
• 4 Liquid egg whites, pasteurized (from a carton)

• To decorate

• 1 cup Peppermint candy canes, small candies of your choice (optional)

Nutrition

Steps

You’ll need: mixer, rolling pin, paper or cardstock for templates, ruler and sharp knife or pizza cutter, 2 large baking sheets, parchment paper, piping bag, a cake board or tray to build on, small cans or jars to prop the walls.

1. Cut paper templates: two side walls 7 by 4 inches, two end walls 6 inches wide and 4 inches tall at the sides rising to a peak of 7 inches, and two roof panels 7½ by 5 inches.
2. Heat the shortening, brown sugar, molasses and water in a saucepan just until the shortening melts. Cool 10 minutes.
3. Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt and spices in a big bowl. Stir in the molasses mixture to make a stiff dough; knead it smooth with your hands.
4. Heat the oven to 350°F. Roll the dough ⅛ to ¼ inch thick right on sheets of parchment. Lay the templates on top and cut around them; pull away the scraps. Cut windows and a door if you like. Slide the parchment onto baking sheets.
5. Bake 12 to 15 minutes, until firm and a little darker at the edges. While still warm, lay the templates back on and trim any edges that spread, so the walls fit. Cool completely on the sheets, at least 2 hours or overnight.
6. Beat the powdered sugar and pasteurized egg whites for 5 minutes until very thick, like toothpaste. Keep it covered with a damp towel.
7. Build: pipe a thick line of icing on the board and stand a side wall in it. Pipe icing up the edge and press an end wall against it. Add the other walls the same way, propping them with cans. Let them set 1 hour before adding the roof panels, then let the whole house set 2 hours before decorating.
8. Decorate with icing “snow” and candy. This house is for display: after a few days on the table it’s dry and dusty. Break off a piece the first day if you want a taste.