‘Tis The Season For A Gingerbread House

With Jessa Greenfield, River and Terran’s Mom, the boys give tips for making a great gingerbread house.

 Listen to the step by step instructions on how to craft a gingerbread house that will impress all of your holiday guests (and provide a lot of fun in the process).

Check out the full recipes below:

Gingerbread Cutouts

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground clover
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1 egg
• 1 Tbs vinegar
• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Directions

1. In a mixing bowl bear shortening with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.
2. Add sugar, baking powder, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, and cloves.
3. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.
4. Beat in molasses, egg, and vinegar until combined.
5. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. stir in any remaining flour.
6. Chill dough for at least 3 hours.
7. Roll dough out dough on top of silicone cooking liners.
8. Place the gingerbread house stencil on top of the rolled out cookie dough and use a dull pizza cutter or a butter knife to ensure you don’t cut your silicone cooking liner.
9. Remove any excess dough from the house cut outs. If you desire to cut in windows and a door this would be the time to do it.
10. We use square cookie cutters to cut the windows out.
11. Now simply pick up the silicone baking liner being careful to not let the dough slide off.
12. Place the liner on to a baking sheet and bake at 350º for 12-15 minutes.
13. You are not going for soft cookies.
14. You want the gingerbread house to be dry and hard so that the house will be strong.

Royal Icing

Ingredients

• 3 Egg Whites
• 1/2 tsp Cream of Tarter
• 3 1/2 Cups Powder Sugar
• 1Tbs Water (if needed)

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir until smooth. If the frosting is too stiff add a small amount of water.