Gingerbread House Recipe
User Reviews
4.7
Gingerbread House Recipe
Description
The gingerbread dough combines butter, brown sugar, and molasses with warming spices like cinnamon, ginger, and cloves to create a flavorful yet sturdy base. The dough is stiff enough to roll out and cut into shapes, making it ideal for building gingerbread houses. Rosin parchment paper and flouring techniques help manage the sticky dough during rolling. The recipe allows for chilling the dough up to three days, giving flexibility for preparation timing.
The royal icing, made from powdered sugar, egg whites, and cream of tartar, forms a strong adhesive for assembling the gingerbread house. It can alternatively be made with meringue powder combined with powdered sugar and water. This icing dries hard and holds the house pieces securely together.
This recipe yields enough dough and icing to build one to two gingerbread houses depending on the size and complexity of pieces. The component flavors and textures make it suitable for both construction and edible decoration.
Substitutions in sweeteners can adjust the color and flavor intensity of the gingerbread, and using corn syrup or honey can lighten the final appearance. The dough consistency and icing thickness can be adjusted by adding water incrementally during mixing to achieve the desired handling qualities for assembly and decoration.
Ingredients
Gingerbread Dough
- 1/2 cup butter salted
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup molasses
- 2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 1 Tablespoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon cloves ground
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup water
- 6 cups all-purpose flour
Royal Icing
- 2 pounds powdered sugar about 8 cups
- 6 egg white
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
Instructions
Gingerbread
- Print out my Gingerbread House Template and cut out the shapes or design your own house. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the molasses and mix well.
- Add the cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt, and 1 cup of the flour, mixing until combined. Continue to add the remaining flour, 1 cup at time, alternating with the water until a thick dough comes together. Be sure to stop and scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl partway through. The dough should be stiff enough for rolling right away, although you can chill it in the fridge for up to 3 days, if desired.
- Roll out the dough on parchment paper to 1/4-inch thickness. This dough tends to stick even to floured counter tops, so parchment paper is pretty much crucial to your success. Be sure to flour the top of the dough and your rolling pin periodically so it doesn't stick.
- Place the pattern shapes on the gingerbread dough and cut out individual pieces using a pizza cutter for longer lines and a small, sharp knife for smaller shapes like doors or windows. Re-roll the dough scraps as needed until you have cut out all the pieces for your houses. If your dough is 1/4-inch thick, you should have just enough dough for 2 basic houses. Carefully transfer the pieces to baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
- Bake on parchment paper on two to three large baking sheets. Baking time depends on thickness of each piece, but generally the larger roof, front, and back pieces will take about 25 to 30 minutes. Smaller pieces like the side walls and doors will take around 20 minutes. The edges will be lightly browned when done and the pieces may still feel somewhat soft, but will continue to harden as they cool.
- Cool pieces completely before decorating. The gingerbread pieces can be made a week in advance and stored on the counter. Or you can freeze them for 2-3 months and thaw at room temperature before decorating.
Icing
- Combine the powdered sugar, egg whites, and cream of tartar in a large bowl. Beat well for 7-10 minutes until thick and forming stiff peaks. The icing should be pipeable. If needed, add additional powdered sugar to thicken the icing, or a little water, a couple teaspoons at a time, to thin.
Assembly
- Cover a sturdy board or surface with aluminum foil. "Glue" the front, sides, and back of the house together by piping thick lines of icing onto the pieces and holding them in place, propping them with canned goods if needed until the frosting sets, usually within just a few minutes. This is usually enough to continue decorating. The icing will continue to harden overnight.
- Add the roof after the walls have set up a bit and hold it in place for a couple of minutes until it seems solid. It's best to wait 10-20 minutes for the house to set up before proceeding with decorating.
- Once the house seems fairly sturdy, go ahead and decorate with remaining icing and candy.
- Display your finished house!
Notes
- For a lighter gingerbread color, replace the full cup of molasses with equal parts light corn syrup, molasses, and honey.
- Royal icing can be made using meringue powder mixed with powdered sugar and water as an egg white alternative.
- This recipe produces enough material for one to two gingerbread houses depending on the design and size.
- Rolling the dough between sheets of parchment paper reduces sticking and eases cutting.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 12servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 751 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 751kcal | 38% |
| Carbohydrates | 163g | 54% |
| Protein | 8g | 16% |
| Fat | 8g | 12% |
| Saturated Fat | 5g | 25% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 20mg | 7% |
| Sodium | 305mg | 13% |
| Potassium | 578mg | 12% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 113g | 226% |
| Vitamin A | 237IU | 5% |
| Vitamin C | 1mg | 1% |
| Calcium | 88mg | 9% |
| Iron | 5mg | 28% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.7
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