Easter Gingerbread House

Make the cookie dough

1. Preheat the oven to 340F (170C). Put the butter, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of your stand mixer or a large mixing bowl. Beat together for at least three minutes, stopping halfway to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. 
2. Add the egg and beat until incorporated, stopping again to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. 
3. Add the flour, a little at a time, mixing it in until the dough comes together. You can mix in the last of the flour using your hands if needed.
4. Turn the dough out onto your worktop and use your hands to gently knead the dough until you have a pliable, non sticky, cookie dough the consistency of Play Doh. Divide the dough into three chunks, keeping any dough you are not using covered with plastic wrap to keep from drying out.

Roll out dough and cut out

1. Lightly dust your liner or baking parchment with a little flour. Use your rolling pin with ¼ inch rings to roll out the dough.
2. Cut out the house panels and any other cookies and transfer the liner (or paper) onto a heavy baking sheet, spacing the cookies slightly apart.
3. Repeat with the rest of the dough, gathering and using any scraps and bake the cookies in batches.

Bake the Cookies

1. Bake for 6-8 minutes for smaller cookies and 9-11 minutes for slightly larger ones.
2. Fill window / door cut out shapes with crushed candy to create stained glass windows.
3. Carefully transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool. You can file the edges with a Microplane zester to make them level and neat.

Royal Icing

1. Put the icing sugar, egg whites (from a carton is easiest), lemon juice and vanilla in a mixing bowl and start beating on the lowest setting until ingredients combine.
2. Increase speed to maximum and beat until the icing holds firm, stiff peaks.Transfer the icing into a piping bag (or a sandwich bag). Keep any icing you are not using immediately covered by placing plastic wrap directly on the icing as it dries very quickly.
3. If the icing is too thin you can add more icing sugar. If too thick, thin it with a little water or lemon juice.

Construct your Easter House

1. Spread icing on a small cake board or a plate.
2. Cut a tiny hole in the icing bag and pipe icing down the sides of the front panel of the house. Stick to the base and add the side panels, supporting them if necessary until the icing dries.
3. Once the bottom of the house is sturdy you can the roof panels on top, using icing to stick the whole house together.

Decorate

1. Stick your decorations using more icing until you are satisfied with the look.