Name: Gingerbread House Recipe
Prep time: 1 h 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 cup butter; 1 cup brown sugar; 1 ¼ cup molasses; 2 large eggs; 1 tbsp cinnamon; 1 tsp ginger; 1 tsp salt; 1 tsp baking soda; 6 cups all-purpose flour; 4 egg whites; 6 cups confectioner’s sugar; ½ tsp cream of tartar

It’s like doing an edible craft!

Building a gingerbread house is one of our family traditions that the children really look forward to the week following Christmas. I usually bake it on December 30th. We decorate it as part of our New Year’s Eve festivities, and then break it and eat it on New Year’s Day. Sugar overload at it’s finest coupled with lack of sleep equals awesome.

I used to buy my kids those ready made gingerbread houses. They are largely not edible for anyone who doesn’t enjoy gnawing on cardboard or is over the age of six. But the kids liked making them and I was intimidated by the process of making a gingerbread house from scratch. I can barely build houses with blocks or legos how could I make one out of food?

A couple of years ago I decided to give it a try and I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to do. And how tasty homemade gingerbread is. This is different than gingerbread cake, by the way. I know I am stating the obvious here. But maybe not.

How To Make Gingerbread House

Customize your gingerbread house by making it from scratch. This homemade gingerbread recipe will not only make for a pretty house but a delicious one too.

Prep: 1 hr 30 mins

Cook: 15 mins

Total: 1 hr 45 mins

Serves:

Ingredients

For Gingerbread:

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 ¼ cup molasses
2 large eggs
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger, ground
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
6 cups all-purpose flour

For Royal Icing:

4 egg whites
6 cups confectioner’s sugar
½ tsp cream of tartar

Instructions

For Gingerbread:

Blend everything together.
Form into 3 or 4 thick patties.
Separate with wax paper and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
While the dough is chilling, make a house out of cardboard or heavy card stock. This cut out will be your template for cutting out the dough.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Once the dough is chilled, roll it out with a rolling pin. Sprinkle flour on both the surface and the dough to avoid sticking.
Cut out the pieces following your template.
Place them on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes.
Set them on a wire rack to cool completely.

For Royal Icing:

With an electric mixer beat the egg whites with 1 cup of sugar and the cream of tartar until smooth.
Add the remaining sugar a cup at a time. Keep saran wrap over the bowl.