How To Cook and Decorate a Gingerbread House

Create a Gingerbread Christmas table centrepiece

A beautifully made gingerbread house, covered in candies and lollies is a good addition to the Christmas table. Here is a completely homemade gingerbread house recipe including how to bake, construct, and decorate with candy and lollies. When it comes to decorating gingerbread house its up to your imagination.

INGREDIENTS

• 6 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 4 teaspoons ground ginger
• 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves or allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 1/2 sticks (12 Tbsp) butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar

• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup dark molasses
• 1 tablespoon water

• 5 malt stick lollies
• 51 green M and M’s minis
• 2 x 380g packets M and M’s
• 4 mini candy canes
• 19 red and white starlight mint pinwheels
• 3 sweet strawberry bricks, thinly sliced
• 2 yellow jubes, halved horizontally
• 1 green and white marshmallow twist
• 30g Flake chocolate bar
• Icing sugar, for dusting

METHOD

Step 1
Make Gingerbread Dough: Place flour, sugar, bicarbonate of soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves and butter in a food processor. Process until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add syrup, egg and milk. Process until dough just comes together. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until just smooth. Shape dough into 3 discs. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Step 2
Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan-forced. Line 2 large baking trays with baking paper. Roll out 1 dough disc between 2 sheets of baking paper until 5mm thick. Place ‘Front and Back’ template on the dough. Cut around the template to form the front of the house. Place on 1 prepared tray. Cut out rectangular door shape from the front of the house. Place on tray. Using the template as a guide and a 3cm round cutter, cut out around from the front of the house to form a window. Re-roll trimmings. Place ‘Front and Back’ template on the dough. Cut around the template to form back of the house. Place on remaining prepared tray. Using the template as a guide and a 3cm round cutter, cut out around from the back of the house to form a window. Refrigerate dough on trays for 10 minutes or until dough is firm. Bake dough for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden and just firm to the touch. Stand gingerbread on trays for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Step 3
Repeat step 2 with second dough disc and ‘Wall’ template. You will need to cut 2 wall pieces from the dough. Using a 4.5cm heart-shaped cutter, cut 1 heart from the centre of each wall to form a window.

Step 4
Repeat step 2 using remaining dough disc and ‘Roof’ template. You will need to cut 2 roof pieces from the dough.

Step 5
Make Royal Icing: Whisk egg whites in a small bowl until foamy. Add icing sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking until smooth and combined. Stir in lemon juice.

Step 6
To assemble the house, spoon Royal Icing into a snap-lock bag. Snip off 1 corner. Pipe icing along base and side edges of 1 wall. Stand upright on cake board, using a small glass for support. Pipe icing along the base and sides of the front of the house. Stand upright on cake board and attach to the wall, using another glass for support. Repeat with remaining wall and back of the house to form the house. Stand for 1 hour or until the icing has set. Remove glasses.

Step 7
Pipe icing along top edges of walls. Place 1 roof panel on the house so bottom slightly overlaps. Use a glass to support under the eave. Hold to secure. Pipe icing along the top edge of the roof panel. Place remaining roof panel on the house. Use a glass to support under the eave. Hold to secure. Stand for 2 hours or until set (see notes).

Step 8
Using a picture as a guide and a little icing, attach malt sticks and 1 M and M’s mini to the front door. Set aside (do not attach to the house). Using a picture as a guide and a little icing, attach M and M’s to the roof. Pipe icing along top of the roof and attach 1 red candy pole. Hold until secure. Using a little icing and 4 of the remaining red candy poles, attach poles to corners of the house, trimming to fit. Hold until secure. Using a little icing and remaining red candy poles, attach poles to the base of the house, trimming to fit. Using a picture as a guide and a little icing, attach 2 candy canes around each heartshaped window. Hold until secure. Using a picture as a guide and a little icing, attach 10 starlight mint pinwheels to the house. Hold until secure. Using the picture as a guide and a little icing, attach strawberry brick pieces to front and back of the house for windows (2 at the front and 3 at the back). Using a picture as a guide and a little icing, attach jubes to front and back of the house. Hold until secure. Using a picture as a guide and a little icing, attach remaining green M and M’s minis to the house. Pipe a little icing around the frame of the door. Using a picture as a guide and a little icing, attach the door to the front of the house. Using a picture as a guide and a little icing, attach green marshmallow to the roof as a chimney. Hold until secure. Pipe remaining icing along edges of roof for icicles. Using a picture as a guide, arrange remaining starlight mint pinwheels in front of the house for a path. Cut the Flake into pieces to resemble logs. Arrange logs in front of the house in a stack. Dust house with icing sugar for snow. Serve.