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The Basics

The construction of your gingerbread house will closely follow the building concepts of a real house. Proper planning is essential. You can make the gingerbread ahead of time, making sure to let it thoroughly cool in a dry area before wrapping securely to store. Be sure to allot plenty of time to put the pieces together.

I've selected a recipe which can be used for not only a gingerbread house with icing, but also gingerbread cookies, so don't miss them! Here's a few simple tips:

Cut the basic structure templates for your house from posterboard and test first by taping the pieces together. If it will stand as made out of posterboard, then most likely it will be structurally safe for your gingerbread house.

Don't limit yourself to a plain box house. You can make virtually any shape, from igloo to Victorian to farmhouse. Or, use a loaf mold in the shape of a house to eliminate the construction steps.

Prepare a base for your house. Use a piece of plywood covered with foil, a large heavy platter or baking tray. You will want to be able to move the entire structure easily. You can use a sheet of gingerbread on top of the base if you wish, but it's not necessary.

Keep in mind that the dimensions of your gingerbread house will be restricted to the size of a 12-by 15-inch baking sheet, and cut your templates accordingly.
Maximum thickness for dough should be 3/8-inch. For houses larger than 6 inches square, use 1/4-inch thickness and for smaller houses, use 1/8-inch. Weight-bearing walls should be just slightly thicker.

If you want the walls covered in icing, you may need to thin the icing with a few drops of water and then spread gently on the sides before assembling. Let sit for the icing to dry.

When assembling, apply the "glue" icing using a pastry bag, and let sit for 30 minutes to set before actually assembling. This will help the pieces adhere better, resulting in a more stable structure.

When assembling, apply a generous (but not dripping) amount of icing glue to one side of the joint. Press un-iced piece to the iced edge and hold briefly until the icing sets. If you want more stability, you can also icing-glue the walls to the base.

For the icing decoration, use a pastry bag with various decorating tips or a knife. You can easily fill in gaps and smooth construction errors with icing and candy decorations. Wipe off smudges or drips with a clean, damp paper towel.

To apply candy decorations, dab a small amount of icing to the underside of the candy and hold in place until set.

You can use dough scraps to roll out added decorative cut-outs to be applied with icing glue. These cutouts can be impressed with designs before baking.
If you don't have time to do the baking, you can use cardboard or graham crackers and still show off your decorating skills.

Gingerbread Building Slabs Recipe

1-1/2 cups whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
2-1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons baking soda
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1-1/3 cups light or dark molasses
9 cups all-purpose flour
Icing cement (recipe below)

Whip cream and vanilla until cream holds soft peaks. In a large bowl, mix sugar, baking soda, ginger, and cinnamon. Stir in molasses and cream. Gradually add flour, mixing well. On a lightly floured board, roll out a portion of dough until it's flat but still thick enough to pick up easily without tearing. Place it on a greased and floured 12- by 15-inch rimless baking sheet.

Finish rolling dough on pan, supporting the rolling pin on equally thick wooden strips placed along opposite edges of pan. Use about 2 cups dough for each 1/8-inch-thick slab, about 4 cups for each 1/4-inch slab, and about 6 cups for each 3/8-inch slab. If cookies are not evenly thick, the thin areas bake darker in color and are more brittle.

You can bake up to 2 pans of dough at a time in 1 oven. Bake dough until fairly firm when pressed in center - in a 300 degree F. oven, allow about 1 hour for 1/8-inch-thick slabs; in a 275 degree F. oven, allow about 1-3/4 hours for 1/4-inch slabs and about 2-1/4 hours for 3/8-inch slabs.

After 30 minutes, remove pans from oven and place pattern pieces close together on the dough; with a sharp knife, cut around pattern edges; lift off pattern and scraps. (Later, bake the scraps to eat.) Return both pans to oven, switching their positions, and finish baking. Meanwhile, roll out remaining dough to make cookies and other special features.

When done, carefully loosen cookies with a spatula; cool on pan until firm, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool. Decorate and assemble structure with icing cement or wrap pieces airtight and store up to 1 month; cookies keep crisp longer, but do not taste as fresh. Makes about 9 cups dough, or 4-1/2 slabs 1/8 inch thick, 2-1/2 slabs 1/4 inch thick, or 1-1/2 slabs 3/8 inch thick. Each full slab is 10 by 15 inches.

Note: This dough can also be used to make gingerbread people and/or cookies.


Icing Cement
With an electric mixer, beat 2 large egg whites, 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar, and 2 teaspoons water until frothy. Mix in 3 cups sifted powdered sugar; beat on high speed until icing is stiff, 5 to 10 minutes. Use, or cover up to 8 hours. Makes about 1-1/2 cups.

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