Gingerbread House Recipe

Gingerbread House

Easy Gingerbread Dough Recipe

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Sift flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda and salt into large bowl.
2. Beat butter in another large bowl with an electric hand mixer at medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
3. Add brown sugar and beat 1 minute.
4. Add molasses and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
5. Add egg and beat until well blended, about 1 minute.
6. Reduce speed to low and beat in vanilla.
7. Add flour mixture and beat on low speed just to blend (Image 1).
8. Gather dough into ball and divide in half. Form each half into ball and flatten into a disk (Image 2). Wrap disks separately in plastic and chill until firm, at least 4 hours.
9. Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
10. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
11. Working with one disk at a time, roll out dough between two sheets of wax paper to 1/4-inch thickness (Image 3).
12. Use gingerbread house templates to cut out shapes (Image 4) and transfer to prepared sheets spacing 2 inches apart.
13. Gather scraps, roll out dough and cut more shapes if necessary.
14. Bake one sheet at a time until cookies are firm on top and slightly darker around edges, about 8 minutes for smaller shapes and up to 15 minutes for larger shapes.
15. Cool completely on rack. Line baking sheets with fresh parchment as needed.

Decorate Gingerbread House

For assemblage and decoration:

Melted white chocolate or Royal Icing, recipe follows

Gumdrops, licorice and peppermint, as desired

Royal Icing:

1 pound (3-3/4 cups) powdered sugar, sifted if lumpy

1 to 2 large egg whites, or substitute 4 teaspoons packaged egg whites and 1/4 cup water

1 teaspoon almond extract, vanilla or lemon juice

1. Place royal icing into pastry bag with a writing tip and press out to decorate individual parts of house, piping on decorations, windows, door, etc., as desired. Let dry until hardened. 
2. Glue sides, front and back of house together at corners using royal icing. Place an object against the pieces to prop up until icing is dry (it only takes a few minutes). 
3. Glue the two roof pieces to the pitched roofline of the house. Then, similarly, glue the sides and roof of the entryway together with icing. Attach the entryway to the front of the house. 
4. Continue decorating the house, gluing on gumdrops, licorice and peppermint, as desired.

Royal Icing:

1. Mix all of the ingredients together using an electric hand mixer, until the icing is smooth and thin enough to be pressed through a pastry bag with a writing tip. Add more lemon juice, if necessary.