How to Make a Gingerbread House

Everything you need to make a classic gingerbread house.

By Kate MerkerPublished: Oct 24, 2012

1 Rating

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gingerbread cottage against a green background

Marcus Nilsson

Yields:

1 dz.

Prep Time:

30 mins

Cook Time:

30 mins

Total Time:

1 hr

Cal/Serv:

160

The warm flavors of molasses, cloves, and ginger meld together in these classic holiday cookies. Bring the family together for holiday fun to build and decorate your gingerbread house using ornamental frosting.

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Ingredients

5 cups
all-purpose flour
2 tsp.
plus 1 Tbsp ground ginger
1 tsp.
baking soda
1 Tbsp.
ground cinnamon
1 tsp.
freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp.
ground cloves
1/2 tsp.
kosher salt
1 cup
unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup
firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup
molasses
2
large eggs
1 Tbsp.
pure vanilla extract
Royal Icing for "glue"

Directions

1. Step 1In large bowl, whisk flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.
2. Step 2In second large bowl, using electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and brown sugar until creamy, 3 minutes. Beat in molasses, vanilla and egg until well blended, scraping side of bowl occasionally. Reduce speed to low and gradually add in flour mixture, mixing until incorporated (dough will be soft).
3. Step 3Divide dough into portions, and roll each between 2 sheets parchment paper to 1/4-inch thickness for main walls and 1/8 thickness for doors, shutters and other pieces. Cut out pieces (but leave them in place). Refrigerate, on cookie sheet, until firm and cold, at least 30 minutes (or up to 1 week, wrapped).
4. Step 4Preheat oven to 350º F. Pop out and arrange similarly sized pieces of dough on parchment-lined baking sheets spacing 1 inch apart. Reroll, cut and chill as necessary.
5. Step 5In batches, bake cookies, rotating baking sheets halfway through, until firm, 8 to 15 minutes (depending on the thinness and size of cookies). Let cool on cookie sheets 5 minutes, then transfer to on wire rack to cool completely.
6. Step 6Reduce oven temp to 175ºF. Arrange cookies on wire racks about 1/4 inch apart. Transfer to oven and allow to dry 1 hour.
7. Step 7When cookies are cool, prepare Royal Icing. Decorate cookies before assembling into houses. Once set, use Royal Icing as glue, placing only 2 cookie pieces together at a time and letting set before adding another.