Gingerbread House

Ingredients

• Gingerbread Dough
• 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• ⅓ cup molasses
• ⅓ cup packed brown sugar
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• Royal Icing
• 3 egg whites, room temperature
• ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 pound confectioners' sugar
• Decorations
• Assorted candies (gumdrops, peppermints, candy canes, hard candies, mints, etc.)

Instructions

1. 

   1

   Prepare the dough. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, and baking powder. Add the molasses, brown sugar, oil, and egg. Mix until a smooth dough forms.

2. 

   2

   Chill the dough. Wrap the dough tightly and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, until firm.

3. 

   3

   Roll and cut the house pieces. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Roll the dough onto a lightly oiled sheet of aluminum foil to about ¼-inch thick. Place the pattern pieces on top and cut out all of the house sections.

4. 

   4

   Bake and cool. Transfer the foil to a baking sheet and bake for 20–30 minutes. While the gingerbread is still warm, trim the edges if needed. Allow the pieces to cool completely on a wire rack. The gingerbread should be very firm before assembly.

5. 

   5

   Make the royal icing. In a large bowl, beat the egg whites, cream of tartar, and confectioners' sugar until stiff peaks form. Keep the bowl covered with a damp towel whenever it is not being used to prevent the icing from drying out.

6. 

   6

   Assemble the house. Using the royal icing as glue, assemble the walls and roof on a foil-covered piece of sturdy cardboard or a serving board. Allow the structure to set until stable before decorating.

7. 

   7

   Decorate and display. Decorate the house with assorted candies, pressing them into the icing before it hardens. Allow the gingerbread house to dry completely before moving or displaying.