Gingerbread House Recipes
and Ideas

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Basic Gingerbread House Recipe

Gingerbread house recipes can look rather intimidating but if done step by step or an easier version they can be great fun for kids and a chance for their creativity to shine.

Gingerbread Recipe
1 ½ cups packed brown sugar
1 ½ cups shortening
1 ½ cups dark molasses
¾ cup cold water
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground ginger
¾ teaspoon ground allspice
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons salt
7 1/2 cups all-purpose flour




In mixing bowl beat shortening, sugar, molasses and water together until well blended. Then add in baking soda, ginger, allspice, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Blend together and add flour. Form into a ball and chill for 1-2 hours. Roll out dough onto a floured surface and using templates or make your own cardboard house dimensions cut out pieces. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 8-10 minutes. Don't allow to brown. Lay your pattern pieces on top of the cooked gingerbread and trim if needed. The dough may have spread while cooking and you want your pieces to fit nicely together. Let cool and construct your gingerbread house.

Here is a pdf Gingerbread house template that you can download.


Buttercream Frosting
You can also use a royal icing but this isn't for eating. Since we all know how much kids love to eat as they go or lick their fingers (no matter how much we tell them not to!) we are including this frosting recipe for your kids gingerbread houses.
½ Cup shortening
3 ½ Cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon clear vanilla (other vanilla is okay also but the frosting won't have a pure white look)
¼ teaspoon almond extract
3-4 Tablespoons of milk(add less for a thicker frosting) In mixing bowl, add all ingredients and blend together. If using different colors separate into smaller bowls and add coloring.

Gingerbread Man Kit	Deluxe Holiday Cookie Kit

Putting Your Gingerbread House Together

Prepare a serving tray or square piece of cardboard for the base of your house. Pipe frosting on edges of sides and attach together. Let dry for 20-30 minutes. Then attach the roof. Let dry another 20-30 minutes or overnight if your kids can wait that long! Then let the decorating begin.

Gingerbread House Recipes: Decoration Ideas
Pretzel sticks for windows or fences
Miniature chocolate bars for roof tiles
Peppermint candies
Ice cream cones decorated with green frosting-(evergreen trees)
Chopped nuts for gravel
Gum drops
Jellybeans
Candy canes
Cake decorations or sprinkles
Mini marshmallows
and where ever the imagination takes you

Easy Graham Cracker Gingerbread House

Square box or small 8 oz. milk carton
graham crackers
White frosting
decorations
Place your box on a serving platter or tray. With the frosting attach graham crackers on each side of the milk carton. Then attach the roof with two crackers pointing up. Leave the house out to dry overnight. Then decorate however you choose.