Gingerbread House Instructions And Recipes

GINGERBREAD HOUSE RECIPE (VIDEO)

Steps:

• Print out my Sally's Baking Recipes Gingerbread House Template and cut out the shapes. Set aside for step 6.
• Whisk the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
• In a large bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar together on medium speed until completely smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg, molasses, and water on high speed. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine. On low speed, slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until combined. Cookie dough will be very thick.
• Divide cookie dough in half, flatten into discs (about 4-5 inches in diameter), and wrap each tightly in plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours or up to 3 days.
• Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line 2-3 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
• Remove each disc from the refrigerator and roll each out in between two pieces of parchment paper. Watch me do this in the video above- gingerbread cookie dough will stick to your counter no matter how much you flour it. Parchment is best. Roll out to about 1/4 inch thick. You want thick pieces for your gingerbread house. Lightly flour the underside of gingerbread house template shapes. (The dough is sticky and the paper may stick to it otherwise.) Using a pizza cutter or small knife, carefully cut the dough into the gingerbread house template shapes. You will need TWO of each shape. Re-roll dough scraps so you have enough dough for the whole house. Use any extra dough to create fun shapes using cookie cutters. I made a few gingerbread stars!
• Carefully arrange gingerbread house shapes onto prepared baking sheets, about 3 inches apart. If they lost some of their shape transferring to the baking sheet, straighten out the edges (see my video above).
• Bake house pieces for about 18-20 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Bake chimney pieces for about 12-13 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove from the oven and allow shapes to cool completely on the baking sheets or on the counter. A flat surface is KEY for cooling- the gingerbread house edges very slightly curl up otherwise. Cooled gingerbread house pieces can be made up to 1 week in advance, cover tightly and store at room temperature or in the refrigerator. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months, thaw at room temperature before using.
• Select a base for your gingerbread house. I used a wooden cake server. Watch my video above to guide you through constructing the house. Start with two pieces: the front of the house and 1 side. Using a squeeze bottle, run a thick line of royal icing on one long edge and one short edge of the side of the house piece. Stick it to your base. Use whatever you have around the house to help it stand up. You can see in my video that I use snack bag clips. You can also prop it up with soda cans, a tall cup, water bottle, etc. Run a line of royal icing along the bottom of the front of the house piece. Stick it to your base, adhering it to the side of the house piece. Hold the two in place for a few minutes until the icing is partially set, propping them up as necessary. Repeat with the 2nd side of the house piece and back of the house piece. Pipe royal icing inside any seams, inside and outside of the house, to fill any voids. Don't be afraid to go heavy on the royal icing "glue" - when it dries, it looks like snow! Allow it to set at room temperature for at least 1 hour before adding the roof pieces.
• The roof pieces will be placed on top of the house base. Run a thick line of royal icing on the inside edges of one of the roof pieces and adhere it to the base. Hold in place for a few minutes. Repeat with 2nd roof piece. Run a thick line of royal icing where the two roof pieces meet at the top of the house. Hold in place for a few minutes.
• The chimney is optional, but it's a lot of fun. I recommend putting together the chimney separately, then adhering to the roof. It's easiest to glue the chimney pieces together upside-down. Use thick lines of royal icing to assemble the chimney in the same way you put together the base of the house. (Except you're not adhering it to a base because it's going on the roof!) Allow icing to set by propping it up as necessary. Once set, adhere onto the roof. The chimney may not fit to the exact angle of the roof because both puffed up or lost some shape during baking and cooling, so use as much royal icing as necessary and you can cover any bare spots with buttercream during decoration.
• Before decorating, the icing on the entire house must completely set. Allow the entire house to set at room temperature for at least 3 hours, preferably 4-6 hours or even overnight before decorating. Cover and store leftover royal icing at room temperature or in the refrigerator during this time. It will be the glue for adhering candies to the house.
• Buttercream can be prepared up to 1 day in advance- cover tightly and store in the refrigerator overnight. Bring to room temperature before piping/decorating. With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the shortening and butter together on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add confectioners' sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to high speed and beat for 3 full minutes. Frosting will be very thick, which is what you want. If much too thick, add another splash of milk. Add a pinch of salt if frosting is too sweet. (I add 1/8 teaspoon salt.)
• Use buttercream, leftover royal icing, and candies for decorating. See my candy suggestions in the blog post above. I only used 1 piping tip for the entire house: Ateco piping tip #32. This is a small open star piping tip and you can watch me use it in the video above. Makes a lovely design.
• Don't forget to chow down on your beautiful creation if you're in the mood for eating it. Use your best judgment here, obviously the food will taste old after a few days!

GINGERBREAD HOUSE

Steps:

• Make half of the batch: In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together half the butter and half the sugar for 5 minutes, until fluffy. Scrape down sides.
• Meanwhile, sift together the dry ingredients - the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt - and set aside half.
• With mixer running at low speed, add two eggs, one at a time. Mix in 1 cup molasses. Scrape down bowl.
• In 3 batches, add half the dry ingredients, mixing just to combine. To prevent any flour from flying out, make sure the mixer is off when adding each batch, and drape a towel over it when mixing. Mix in zest of 1 lemon and 1 orange.
• Pull dough out of mixer, and wrap in plastic wrap, or transfer to a resealable plastic bag. Repeat Steps 1 to 5 to make the remaining dough. Refrigerate overnight.
• When ready to bake, heat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Roll out dough: For each square, weigh out about 20 ounces of dough. The goal is to end up with five 9-inch squares, so you'll roll them out a bit larger, bake them and trim off the edges.
• Lightly dust a large piece of parchment paper with flour. Place the chilled dough on top. Roll side to side and up and down to make a rough square shape. While you roll, make frequent quarter-turns so that the dough remains even.
• Roll until dough is about 10 by 10 inches and a generous 1/4-inch thick. Transfer to a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough. (Any dough left after the squares have been prepared can be rolled out 1/4-inch thick and used for cookies.) In the oven, the slab will rise to about 3/8- or 1/2-inch thickness, which will make the house extra sturdy.
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until even and firmly set. Place pans on racks to cool. To prevent bending and cracking, carefully transfer to racks by lifting parchment paper. When completely cool, stack the slabs, still on parchment, and set aside to dry out at room temperature for 3 to 7 days. (When ready to assemble, see How to Make a Gingerbread House guide for full instructions.)

GINGERBREAD HOUSE

Steps:

• Dough: In a large saucepan, cook the sugar, shortening and molasses on low, until shortening is melted and sugar is dissolved, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; add the cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Stir in flour, 1 cup at a time, until dough can be formed into a ball. , Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface; knead until even in color and smooth (not crumbly or dry), adding more flour if needed. Form into a log. Cut into five equal pieces; wrap in plastic. Cut patterns out of paper or cardboard., Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly grease the foil. Lay a damp towel on counter; place prepared pan on towel (to prevent slipping). Unwrap one portion of dough. Using a very lightly floured rolling pin, roll out dough directly on baking sheet to a 15x10-1/2-in. rectangle about 1/4 in. thick. Position patterns at least 1/2 in. apart on dough as shown. Cut around patterns with a sharp knife or pizza cutter; remove patterns. Remove dough scraps; cover and save to re-roll if needed. , Bake at 375° for 10-14 minutes or until cookie springs back when lightly touched. Remove from oven; immediately replace patterns on dough. Cut around the edges to trim off excess cookie. Cool 3-4 minutes or until cookies begin to firm up. Carefully remove to a wire rack; cool Repeat with remaining dough and patterns., Icing and Assembly: In a large bowl, beat the sugar, meringue powder and 3/4 cup water on low until blended. Beat on high for 8-10 minutes or until stiff peaks form, adding additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time, if needed. Place a damp paper towel over bowl and cover tightly until ready to use. , To assemble frame of the house, test your cookie pieces to make sure they fit together snugly. if necessary, file carefully with a serrated knife or an emery board to make fit. Fill decorating bag two-thirds full with icing. Beginning with the front of the house, squeeze a 3/8-in. wide strip of icing onto the bottom edge of the front piece. Position on the cookie base, 3 in. from the front edge of the base. Prop it upright with spice jars for 2-3 minutes or until icing hardens; remove jars., To add the sides, squeeze icing on lower edge of one side piece and side edge of the front piece. Align pieces at a right angle, making sure they are as tight as possible. Repeat with the other side., To add the back,squeeze icing on the bottom and side edges of the back piece; position with the other assembled pieces. For added stability, squeeze icing along the inside edge of all pieces and corners., To assemble the roof, working with one side at a time, squeeze icing on the upper edge of the slant of the front and back pieces on one side. Also squeeze icing on the adjoining side piece. Carefully place roof piece on the slants so that the roof's peak is even with the pints of the front and back. (There will be an overhang of 1/2 in.) Repeat with other side of the roof., To decorate, add a chimney if desired (see photo for assembly). Decorate the house with remaining icing, candies and cookies of your choice.

GINGERBREAD HOUSES RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
• Grease the bottom and sides of a heavy-bottomed pot (such as a Dutch oven) with nonstick spray. This will ensure the dough doesn't stick to the pot as you turn it out.
• Melt the shortening in the greased pot over medium heat. Add the molasses and sugar, bring to a boil, then turn off the heat.
• Gradually stir in 4 cups (500 grams) of the flour mixture, 1 cup (125 grams) at a time, making sure to fully incorporate each addition before adding more. You'll have some of the flour mixture left over.
• Dust a work surface with some of the remaining flour mixture. Carefully turn the dough out onto the floured surface and work in the flour mixture. (You don't want the dough to be too crumbly. You may have some flour mixture left over, which can be used for rolling out the dough.)
• Once the flour is incorporated, shape the dough into a 12-inch (30.5 cm) log and cut into 3 portions, 1 piece slightly larger than the others for the roof.
• Set aside the smaller pieces of dough in the pot (it still should be warm, but not hot), cover with plastic wrap, and put the lid on. You'll want to work with the dough while it's warm as it tends to harden at room temperature. If it hardens, simply microwave for about 30 seconds.
• On the floured surface, roll out the larger piece of dough to a rectangle about ½-inch (1 ¼ cm) thick. Using a house template, cut the 2 pieces of the roof and set on a prepared baking sheet, spacing about 1 inch apart as the dough will expand while baking.
• Roll out the rest of the dough and cut out the front, back, and sides of the house using the templates. Place on a baking sheet.
• Wrap the leftover dough in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 1 day. Microwave to soften and roll out to make decorations for the house or another gingerbread creation.
• Bake the gingerbread house pieces for 12-15 minutes, until they have hardened and baked through. Let cool completely.
• Make the royal icing: In a large bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar with an electric hand mixer until frothy. Gradually add the powdered sugar, 1 cup (120 grams) at a time, until the icing is smooth and thick. NOTE: The icing is used for gluing the house together. It's very thick. To use the icing for decorating, add about 1 teaspoon of water at a time to thin the icing to your desired consistency.
• Assemble the gingerbread house with the royal icing. TIP: Put the roof pieces side by side with the underside up (and the eventual exposed part of the roof down). "Glue" a cut piece of a paper shopping bag across these two pieces with royal icing. Place two small glass bowls on either side of this upside-down roof to prop the pieces up into a "V" shape. Let dry completely. When assembling, this will help ensure that your roof doesn't slip down the sides of the house.
• Decorate the house with more royal icing and your desired decorations.
• Enjoy!

EASY GINGERBREAD HOUSE

Steps:

• Cover a piece of heavy cardboard with aluminum foil or freezer paper, dull-side up, to make a base for the gingerbread house.
• Cut templates for the gingerbread house out of heavy cardboard or cardstock; label each piece.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 3 rimless baking sheets (or the back of rimmed baking sheets).
• Combine butter, brown sugar, molasses, and dark corn syrup in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat; stir until melted, about 3 minutes. Stir in lemon zest, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt, and mace until blended, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Sift flour into a large bowl. Stir into the butter mixture 2 cups at a time, mixing the last 2 cups by hand to create a warm, firm mass of dough. Place a large handful of dough on a greased baking sheet; roll out to 1/8-inch thickness. Keep remaining dough covered.
• Dust cardboard templates lightly with flour and place on top of dough; cut around templates with a sharp knife. Cut out doors or windows as desired. Cut shutters, door knobs, or other features from the scraps. Return remaining scraps to the covered pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until firm and slightly browned at the edges, 5 to 7 minutes for small pieces and 12 to 15 minutes for large pieces. Remove from the oven and place templates over the baked pieces; trim excess with a sharp knife to produce clean edges.
• Cool pieces on the baking sheet until firm, 5 to 10 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, 15 to 30 minutes.
• Combine confectioners' sugar, egg whites, cream of tartar, and white vinegar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; beat until icing is stiff and shiny, 7 to 10 minutes.
• Stick candies and decorations over gingerbread pieces using royal icing. Let icing dry until hardened, about 5 minutes. Assemble gingerbread house pieces using icing. Let stand until icing is dry, about 5 minutes.

HOW TO MAKE A GINGERBREAD HOUSE

Steps:

• Once the gingerbread slabs have hardened (a few days after baking), it's time to cut them into walls. We've created a printable template, but if you don't have a printer, we'll walk you through the process. We have options for cutting out a door and a window, but if you'd rather not bother, you can draw them on with icing instead.)Once you've prepared the recipe, you should have five 10-by-10-inch slabs of gingerbread. These will then be cut into neat 9-inch squares to serve as the walls and roof of your house. You can do this with a ruler, a 9-inch square of parchment or cardboard, or using our template. Lay the template onto the slabs, or measure out and mark a 9-inch square onto them. Using a bread knife or another large, sharp knife, trim off the edges of all five slabs. Save the trimmings: They can be used later for decorating. To cut the front and back walls, reserve the smoothest, most unblemished gingerbread square for the front of your house. Using the template as a guide, cut two of the corners to make the top into a peaked shape. Take a second gingerbread square, and, again using the template, cut it to match. Set this piece aside. It will serve as your back wall. For the side walls, use the template to cut one 9-inch square in half. For the roof, set aside the last two 9-inch squares. If you're not using the template, take your ruler, and find the precise center of the top edge of your front wall, about 4½ inches from either side. Mark it with the tip of a knife. Place one end of the ruler on the mark, and angle the other end down to measure a line to the right edge of the wall. When the line is 6½ inches long from point to point, you have the correct angle. Mark the line with the tip of a small knife. Repeat on the other side, drawing the same line from the top-center mark to the left edge of the wall. Then, use your large knife to cut through the lines, slicing off the top corners. To cut the back wall, place the trimmed front wall on top of it and cut to match, following the lines of the front wall. For the side walls, cut one 9-inch square in half, to make two rectangles, each one 9 inches tall and 4½ inches wide. For the roof, set aside the final two squares. You'll use the whole pieces. For the optional doorway, lay the front wall piece on a work surface and, using a ruler and the tip of a small knife, trace a doorway in the center of the bottom edge. It should be about 1½ inches wide by 2½ inches tall, wide enough so you can slide a tealight into the house. Cut it out, and set the door aside.You don't have to make a stained-glass window for your gingerbread house, but it's an easy way to make the project truly special. 1. To start, heat the oven to 350 degrees. On the front wall, cut out the window as indicated in the template, using a 2-inch round cutter. Lift out the gingerbread circle, and discard - or eat! (Our template shows just one window on the front wall, but feel free to put one on the back wall, or to use a different shape of cookie cutter, like a star or a diamond.) 2. For each window, unwrap three hard candies. Red, yellow or green work best, but you'll most likely want to stick to a single color. Using a large knife, cut them into three pieces. Place the blade on top of each candy and lean your weight onto it from above; it will snap into pieces. 3. Place the wall on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Put the candy pieces in the circle in a single layer (you may have some left over). 4. To bake, lay a sheet of parchment paper or a baking mat on top of the gingerbread slab, then another sheet pan on top of that. The weight of the top pan will prevent the melted candy from oozing out onto the bottom pan. Slide it all into the oven, and bake for 15 minutes.5. Remove from the oven, place on a rack and let cool at least 10 minutes. Lift the weighted sheet pan, and let the wall cool completely, until the candy is hardened. To remove, lift the wall, gently peeling the liner from the candy. 6. Once it is cool, you can pipe a thin horizontal, and then a vertical, line of icing across the window, dividing it into a grid, or simply leave it alone.
• The key to a great gingerbread house, royal icing is just a mix of confectioners' sugar, egg whites and lemon juice. It's a crisp, bright white that makes beautiful snowflakes, snow-covered roof tiles and icicles. It's the only icing you need for this project: Our recipe yields three cups, enough for constructing the house, but you'll want to make a second, thinner batch for decoration.With the slabs cut, it's time to start piping on decorations. It's much easier to pipe onto a flat surface, so for the neatest result, you'll want to decorate the walls before assembling the house. First, sketch out a plan for decorating the front and back walls, so they are (somewhat) symmetrical. And prepare your royal icing for construction. In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, make the icing you'll use to assemble the house by combining 1 pound of confectioners' sugar, 2 egg whites and 1 teaspoon lemon juice. For a softer icing, good for piped decorations, change the proportions slightly: 2 pounds confectioners' sugar, 5 egg whites, and 2 teaspoons lemon juice. If you need an even softer version for flooding, add lemon juice until the icing is runny, like thick glue. Keep any icing covered with plastic wrap pressed against the surface to prevent drying. Now, gather your materials. Mr. Yosses recommends thick, sealable one-gallon plastic bags for piping instead of traditional pastry bags. As long as it isn't overfilled, the plastic bag works perfectly, and, for this project, you won't need any special tips. Working with about 1 cup of icing at a time, scoop it into the bag and seal. Push the icing down toward one of the bottom corners. For the cleanest result, use a bench scraper or the back of a knife blade to push all the icing into one corner. Twist the bag tightly shut just above the icing. If you're going to pipe for construction, snip a hole about ⅜-inch wide off the corner. For decorating, snip a hole ⅛-inch wide. Rest the icing-filled bag in your right palm (or left, if you're a lefty), and tightly grip the twisted part of the bag in the crook between your thumb and forefinger. Squeeze your fingers and palm together, pressing lightly to pipe the icing down and out. If you need greater control, use your nondominant hand to guide and stabilize the tip while the dominant hand does the piping. Practice on a sheet of parchment paper, and, once you feel confident, think of piping as a bit like drawing. On your gingerbread house, you can make outlines of doors, windows, shutters, roof tiles and other architectural elements to make your house look more realistic. You can also pipe on decorations like dots, and curlicues. A snowflake can be as simple as three crossed lines, with a dot on each tip. Curlicues, scallops and garlands are traditional, and can be reminiscent of the gingerbread trim on Victorian houses. To cover a large surface with snow, thin the royal icing with lemon juice until it's quite runny, then spoon or pipe it over the surface, working from the outside in. This is called flooding, because the icing flows and fills the space on its own. The royal icing for construction dries to be very hard over time. It will set strongly enough to hold a wall in 10 to 15 minutes, so keep that in mind as you work. Thinned icing will not dry quite so hard, but that's usually not a problem because it's used only for decorating, not for building the structure.
• After baking, cutting and piping comes the trickiest stage, assembling the house. Many a gingerbread-house builder has watched in frustration as one side falls while another is being put up. But with the aid of some savvily placed props and some sturdy royal icing, you can quickly move on to the last - and best - part: adding the finishing touches. To assemble the house, you'll first raise the front wall, then the side walls, and finally, slide the back wall into place. To start, pipe a thick line of icing onto your board, using a 9-inch square cut out of parchment paper as a guide. Then take the front wall, and place the bottom edge along one line of icing. Prop the wall up as it dries with a can, jar or mug. Wait a few minutes between the steps to allow the icing to harden slightly. If the square you drew begins to harden, add more icing. Next, pipe the icing up along the straight edges of the front wall. Press the short edges of the side walls against the iced edges of the front wall and down into place. Make sure that the front wall sits inside the side walls at the corners. (This is important, because it will ensure the roof fits correctly.) This kind of corner makes for a sturdy house. Pipe more icing into both of the corner seams to strengthen the seal, and prop up the side walls with a mug or jar. Next, place the back wall: Pipe icing along the line you drew for the base of the back wall. Pipe icing up the edges of the side wall, and press the front wall into place inside the side walls. Let dry at least 30 minutes, checking occasionally to make sure the walls are straight and the icing seals are holding. Add more icing as needed. When the four walls are dry, place the roof, one side at a time. To do so, pipe a thick line of icing along the slanted edges of the house, and along the top of the side wall. Gently place the roof slab, adjusting so that the top of the roof lines up with the peak of the house. If the slab wants to slide down, remove it, add more icing and place again, propping it up from beneath with a ramekin or anything handy. Let it harden before attaching the other side. There will be a gap at the top, along the roofline. Fill it with icing.If you happen to have a 9-inch square box with low sides on hand, build the house around it. The extra support will be welcome. As you build, feel free to pipe with abandon wherever you see gaps. Royal icing is very strong when it hardens, and it will only add stability.While the icing is still hardening, don't be hesitant about taking things apart and putting them back together. If you place something that doesn't look quite right, you'll be happier in the long run if you redo it. Scrape any excess icing off the outside walls, but don't bother with the inside.
• Once the house is standing, the real fun begins. Here are two possible looks for your house: One is a romantic, snowy scene, with natural decorations like sliced almonds and shredded coconut, and the other is bright and bold, with candy canes, gumdrops, confetti sprinkles and hard candy. Follow one or the other, combine elements of each, or wing it and make your own.For this house, edible silver glitter, nonpareils, flaked sweetened coconut, pretzel rods, sliced almonds, shredded wheat, mini marshmallows and chocolate clusters would make for elegant decorations. If you want to make the whole thing to look a bit more Nordic, add some icicles. Use decorating icing to pipe a pea-sized blob onto the surface, leaving the tip in place. Then, without squeezing, quickly pull the tip away and up to make a pointy spike of icing. It becomes easier with practice. FOR THE DOORS AND WINDOWS • Decorate the door with a white border and a diamond-shaped window. • Use a mini marshmallow as a doorknob. • Pipe white window frames and panes, or a snowflake above each window. FOR THE ROOF • Pipe on gables, bricks or tiles. • For a thatched roof, use shredded wheat to make shingles. • Stick on nonpareils for a rustic look. • Dust silver glitter or confectioners' sugar on top for fresh snow. FOR THE WALKWAY • Sketch out a curved path to the front door. • Cover the path in royal icing, and pave it with Tootsie Rolls or sliced almonds. • Line the walkway on each side with marshmallows or chocolate clusters. FOR THE LANDSCAPING • Flood the area around the house with runny icing to make a smooth coat of snow, or use coconut sprinkled on top of a layer of royal icing to make a thicker sheet of snow. • The trimmed gingerbread edges can be arranged as a wall around the yard. • The sticks of green rock candy can be trimmed down to make trees. • Fresh sprigs of pine, holly or rosemary can be tucked around the base of the house or piled to look like bushes. • Stack a log pile by the side of the house, using broken pretzel rods or whole cinnamon sticks. Glue the logs together (and make it look snowy) with royal icing.Nonpareils, sugarcoated gumdrops, mini candy canes, round red-and-white peppermints, confetti sprinkles, Gummi Bears, gumballs, cinnamon candies, Chiclets and red licorice are great options for a colorful home. Use mini candy canes, placed facing each other, to make a heart shape on the walls. You'll want also to use food coloring to tint batches of royal icing, making a true red and a dark leaf green (like a holly sprig). But for the most vibrant results, use gel coloring. FOR THE DOORS AND WINDOWS • Decorate the door with a white border and a diamond-shaped window, then add a piped green wreath with red holly berries. • Stick on a small red candy as a doorknob. • Pipe white window frames and panes, then add green shutters. • Pipe green garlands or white snowflakes over each window. FOR THE ROOF • Stick Chiclets or Twizzlers snipped into pieces to look like bricks, or make green or red shingles by cutting sticks of chewing gum into small, moldable rectangles. FOR THE WALKWAY • Sketch out a curved path to the front door. Cover the path in royal icing, and pave it with cinnamon candies or confetti sprinkles. • Line each side with green gumballs or round peppermint candies. FOR THE LANDSCAPING • Flood the area around the house with runny icing to make a smooth coat of snow. • Cluster a family of Gummi Bears near the door. • Make bushes out of green gumdrops.

SIMPLE GINGERBREAD HOUSE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Melt the butter, sugar and syrup in a pan. Mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda and ground ginger into a large bowl, then stir in the butter mixture to make a stiff dough. If it won't quite come together, add a tiny splash of water.
• Cut out the template (download from the tips below). Put a sheet of baking paper on a work surface and roll about one quarter of the dough to the thickness of two £1 coins. Cut out one of the sections, then slide the gingerbread, still on its baking paper, onto a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, re-rolling the trimmings, until you have two side walls, a front and back wall and two roof panels. Any leftover dough can be cut into Christmas trees, if you like.
• Pick out the most intact flaked almonds and gently poke them into the roof sections, pointy-end first, to look like roof tiles. Bake all the sections for 12 mins or until firm and just a little darker at the edges. Leave to cool for a few minutes to firm up, then trim around the templates again to give clean, sharp edges. Leave to cool completely.
• Put the egg whites in a large bowl, sift in the icing sugar, then stir to make a thick, smooth icing. Spoon into a piping bag with a medium nozzle. Pipe generous snakes of icing along the wall edges, one by one, to join the walls together. Use a small bowl to support the walls from the inside, then allow to dry, ideally for a few hours.
• Once dry, remove the supports and fix the roof panels on. The angle is steep so you may need to hold these on firmly for a few mins until the icing starts to dry. Dry completely, ideally overnight. To decorate, pipe a little icing along the length of 20 mini chocolate fingers and stick these lengthways onto the side walls of the house. Use three, upright, for the door.
• Using the icing, stick sweets around the door and on the front of the house. To make the icicles, start with the nozzle at a 90-degree angle to the roof and squeeze out a pea-sized blob of icing. Keeping the pressure on, pull the nozzle down and then off - the icing will pull away, leaving a pointy trail. Repeat all around the front of the house. Cut the chocolate mini roll or dipped Flake on an angle, then fix with icing to make a chimney. Pipe a little icing around the top. If you've made gingerbread trees, decorate these now, too, topping each with a silver ball, if using. Dust the roof with icing sugar for a snowy effect. Lay a winding path of sweets, and fix gingerbread trees around and about using blobs of icing. Your gingerbread house will be edible for about a week.