Gingerbread House Recipe

Make the dough

1. Preheat the oven to 180° (350°F). Put the honey, molasses and sugar in a mixing bowl and heat in the microwave in two 30 second bursts. Add the spices, salt and baking soda and stir well to combine.
2. Add the butter and stir until it melts. Stir in the egg and then all the flour. Use a dough hook or spoon to fold the flour into the wet ingredients and then use your hands to gather the dough into a ball. You can use the dough straight away.
3. Divide the dough into three or four chunks, keeping any you are not using well covered to avoid it drying out.
4. Roll the dough out directly onto reusable baking liners or silicone baking mats. Dust with a little flour, only if necessary.
5. Cut out the roof, sides and front of the house, making sure two cut two of each. Space out on baking liner and place on a cookie sheet. Bake for 12 minutes (or slightly longer if the pieces are large) until the edges start to colour.
6. Transfer to a wire rack and allow the cookies to dry out and firm up *unless adding stained glass windows - see below! If baking ahead then place in an airtight container as soon as they have cooled down completely.
7. If you want to make candy stained glass windows then cut the shape of the windows (and doors or whatever else) but DO NOT remove it from the front house panel or sides etc.
8. Bake the cookies then take out of the oven and immediately use the cutters to press down on the windows/ doors while they are still soft. Use a small knife or scalpel to remove the windows.

File away the edges

1. Do this soon as the cookies are totally dry (or the next day). Use a microplane zester to file the edges of the panels so that they are not only smooth but straight and evenly sized.
2. Make sure to dust any cookie dust off the panels and keep your worktop clean, clean, clean as you will be adding candy windows next.

Stained Glass windows (and doors)

1. Fill the space with crushed boiled candy (such as Jolly Ranchers or Fox’s Fruit Candy). See tips for more options.
2. Bake the cookies at 170°C (340°F) for 2-4 minutes or until the candy melts and creates a beautiful stained glass window effect. Keep an eye on the cookies and take them out of the oven as soon as the candy melts.
3. Allow to cool completely then carefully lift off the baking liner. Keep in an airtight container unless using immediately– any moisture will cause the candy to weep and eventually melt.

Make the 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 half into a piping bag (or ziplock bag) and keep the rest covered by placing plastic wrap directly on the icing as it dries out if left uncovered.
3. Add a few drops of water or lemon juice to make the rest of the icing a bit thinner so that it flows easily. Transfer into silicone decorating bottles or piping bags fitted with small tips and use for fine decorating details or to decorate cookies.

Construct your GIngerbread House!

1. For a small gingerbread house. Cut a tiny hole in the piping bag and pipe icing along the sides of the front panel of the house. Pipe icing along the sides of the side panel and stick to the front panel, using a tin to keep it in place until it dries. Add the second side panel, again keeping it supported on the other side.
2. Add icing along the top edges of the side panel and position the second front panel on top – the tension between sides and front will keep the pieces in place. If the panels collapse don't get disheartened – just try again.
3. Once the bottom of the house is sturdy, which doesn't take very long, position the roof panels on top, using icing to stick the whole house together.
4. For a large gingerbread house (those are more suitable for the candy treatment) you can use a flat cake plate or cake board as the base. Spread a fairly thick layer of icing on the base then stick the front and side panels on before the icing hardens.

Decorate your Gingerbread House

1. Add any additional decorative details either by piping or by sticking on candy with icing. Dust the gingerbread house with icing sugar for that snowy effect. Admire your gingerbread masterpiece!