Gingerbread House and Royal Icing

An easy to make holiday tradition that's fun ... for kids from 1 to 92.

30 minutes

Medium

A classic gingerbread recipe that makes a sturdy building material and just about the most perfect icing to glue it all together!

This recipe for a gingerbread house and royal icing is a classic and a ton of fun! When I was very little, Grandma Jackie would make a gingerbread house each Christmas and have it up on the mantel the whole holiday season. She even had a little mirror put down as an icy lake and little figurines of ice skaters to place on top. It was magical and I can remember being so excited to see it each year as a little boy.

When I found Grandma’s recipe for gingerbread in her recipe tin I was so excited! And with SO MUCH time at home this year, I figured it was now or never to give it a try. I had never really made a gingerbread house before or royal icing, but my husband, Scott, had. So he was enlisted. We were both super impressed with both the gingerbread recipe and the royal icing recipe. The gingerbread tastes good, but boy does it create very strong walls, roofs, etc. And the royal icing is like a very thick paste. It’s like a perfect glue to holds things together.

Both of these recipes are definitely for construction not consumption – and for that purpose they are a dream! If you’re looking for a gingerbread to bake and eat, I’d suggest looking for a different one and royal icing that really work for building, is never great to eat. However, if you’re looking to build a magical gingerbread house this year – this is the recipe to use for sure!!

I hope you give this a try. Grab your family and spend a few hours building a masterpiece and letting your creativity shine. I DEFINITELY want to see pictures of anything you build so please post them in the comments below or tag me in them on Instagram (@bdhbakes).

Steps:

Preheat Oven to 375º
Mix Dry Ingredients
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, ginger and cinnamon. Whisk to fully incorporate.
Combine the Eggs and Sugar
In a separate bowl (the bowl of a stand mixer, if you have one), mix together the eggs and the sugar with the paddle attachment for about a minute or two to fully combine.
Add the Molasses and Melted Shortening
Microwave the shortening just until it's melted. You don't want it hot so zap it for about 20 seconds first and then stir. Continue heating and stirring in 10 second increments until it is just melted. Add it and the molasses into the eggs and sugar mixture and mix for about one minute.
Add the Dry Ingredients
Now, add the dry ingredients a cup or so at a time mixing between each addition. Be sure that each cup of dry ingredients is fully incorporated and there is no longer any dry bits before adding the next. Continue until all the dry ingredients have been added to the wet.
Kneed and Roll
Once all the ingredients have been combined, tip the dough out onto a lightly floured workspace. Kneed it lightly until the dough is one big ball. Next, you'll want to roll it out. If you're planning on building a house or similar construction, it is important for your cutouts to hold their shape. The easiest way to achieve that is to roll the dough out onto parchment paper that has been cut to the size of your cooking trays. This makes it easier to transfer later. This recipe created enough dough for two cooking trays. Roll the dough to about 1/4 inch thickness.
Cut Out Your Shapes
Now for the fun! Cut out the shapes you want. If rolled out on parchment, cut out the shapes and pull away the unwanted dough. The dough will spread slightly in the oven so be sure to leave some room around each piece. The extra dough can be rerolled and use to cut more shapes.
Bake For 10-12 minutes
Bake the cutout shapes in the preheated oven for about 10 to 12 minutes. You want to see just the start of some darkening around the edges. Allow to cool completely!
Make the Royal Icing:
Combine the Egg Whites and Cream of Tartar
In a VERY, SUPER CLEAN bowl, add the egg whites and the cream of tartar. It is imperative that there is no grease, oil or fat (especially any egg yolk) in the bowl or the mixture. Mix on low until frothy and then slowly increase the speed until you start to have soft peaks.
Add the Powdered Sugar
Once you have soft peaks, begin to add the sugar about a tablespoon at a time. Continue until all of the sugar has been added.
Mix Until Glossy
Continue mixing until you have a glossy, thick frosting. It should be the consistency of thick paste. Use immediately, keeping a damp paper towel on top of the bowl whenever you're not actively taking some out to use.
Assemble!
Now, you can use the frosting to assemble your house and decorate it or any cookies. Piping bags will certainly be a big help here. This icing is like glue and will really cement pieces together. If you're using the frosting just as a decoration or to decorate cookies, you can water it down a bit with small (SMALL) amounts of water. HAVE FUN!!!