Description
Magical Christmas Gingerbread House brings sweet nostalgia from childhood memories of festive baking adventures. Delicate spices and intricate architectural details promise a delightful winter celebration you can enjoy crafting with family and friends.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour
- 6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup (95g) shortening
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150g) brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (120ml) molasses
Spices and Seasonings:
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Frosting and Decorations:
- 4 cups (480g) confectioners’ sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Royal icing
- Assorted candies
Instructions
- Craft precision paper templates for all gingerbread house structural components, ensuring exact measurements and symmetry.
- Sift together dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, creating a fragrant spice blend of flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and salt.
- Cream unsalted butter and brown sugar using an electric mixer for 2 minutes until light and fluffy, developing a rich caramel-like texture.
- Incorporate egg, molasses, and water into butter mixture, then gradually fold in dry ingredients until a cohesive dough forms.
- Segment dough into uniform portions, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for minimum 2 hours to enhance flavor and improve structural integrity.
- Between parchment sheets, roll dough to uniform 1/4 inch thickness. Carefully cut precise house pieces, creating two identical sets for symmetrical construction.
- Preheat oven to 350F. Bake house panels for 18-20 minutes, chimney pieces for 12-13 minutes, achieving crisp golden-brown edges.
- Allow all baked components to cool completely on wire rack, maintaining flat surfaces for seamless assembly.
- Use royal icing as architectural mortar, carefully joining wall sections. Stabilize structure with temporary supports, allowing base to set for 1 hour.
- Attach roof panels and chimney, ensuring structural alignment. Allow entire construction to solidify for 4-6 hours.
- Whip shortening and butter until smooth, gradually incorporating powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla for silky buttercream.
- Embellish gingerbread house with intricate buttercream piping, royal icing details, and decorative candy accents.
Notes
- Precision is key when cutting templates to ensure all gingerbread house pieces fit perfectly together during assembly.
- Chilling the dough helps prevent spreading and maintains crisp edges when baking intricate house shapes.
- Use parchment paper when rolling to prevent sticking and achieve uniform thickness for consistent baking.
- Room temperature ingredients create smoother dough and more even mixing, especially for butter and eggs.
- Prep Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 50g
- Sodium: 200mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 62g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 35mg