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How to Make a Gingerbread House Recipe

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  • Author: Sara
  • Total Time: 8 hours 15 minutes
  • Yield: 8 servings

Description

Create a charming and delicious gingerbread house using a homemade gingerbread dough and royal icing. This detailed recipe guides you through making and assembling a classic gingerbread house with perfectly cut cookie pieces and sturdy royal icing, along with decorating tips to bring your festive design to life. Ideal for holiday celebrations, this project requires some advance time for chilling and assembling but yields a beautiful centerpiece that doubles as an edible treat.

Ingredients

For Gingerbread Dough

  • 12 ounces (1 1/2 cups) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 3/4 cups dark brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon molasses
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 7 3/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 teaspoon fine salt

For Royal Icing

  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 large egg whites
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

For Decoration

  • Assorted candies, cereals, pretzels, sprinkles, etc.

Instructions

  1. Make the Gingerbread Dough: Gather all ingredients for the gingerbread dough. Cream the butter and brown sugar in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment starting on low then increasing to medium speed until smooth, light, and fluffy. In a separate liquid measuring cup, combine eggs, molasses, and water. Gradually add the liquid mixture to the creamed butter and sugar while mixing on medium-low speed until fully combined. Add the flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, cloves, and salt to the bowl. Mix starting on low to avoid flour flying, continuing until the dough forms a ball. Divide the dough in half, shape into rectangles, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
  2. Roll and Freeze the Dough Sheets: Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper and roll each dough portion between two sheets of parchment paper to 1/4 inch thickness, filling the sheets as much as possible. Stack the rolled dough sheets on a baking sheet and freeze for at least 3 hours or overnight. Freezing dough helps achieve clean, precise cuts for the house pieces.
  3. Cut Out Gingerbread House Pieces: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove one frozen dough sheet from the freezer, peel off one parchment side, then flip and remove the other side for easy transfer. Place your cardboard or poster board template pieces over the dough and cut out shapes using a chef’s knife. Transfer the cut pieces onto parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving 1 inch spacing between pieces.
  4. Bake the Gingerbread Pieces: Bake the pieces for 12-15 minutes, or until the dough sets and is dry to the touch. Remove baking sheets from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool. Once cooled, store the pieces flat on parchment-lined baking sheets, wrapped tightly with plastic wrap at room temperature until ready to assemble.
  5. Make the Royal Icing: Combine powdered sugar, egg whites, lemon juice, and cream of tartar in a stand mixer bowl fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on low speed, gradually increasing to high until the icing is stiff yet pipeable. Transfer some icing to a piping bag fitted with a 1/4 inch tip and cover the remaining icing with plastic wrap until ready to use.
  6. Assemble the Gingerbread House: Arrange the four wall pieces upright on a cake board or platter to outline the house. Trace the house base on the board, remove the walls, and pipe a thick line of royal icing on the traced rectangle. Place the wall pieces upright on the icing and pipe additional icing along seams to join walls securely. Allow walls to dry for 1 hour.
  7. Attach Roof and Secure Construction: Pipe thick lines of icing on top of the walls and attach the roof pieces. Pipe icing into the seams of the roof for additional stability and allow drying for at least 1 hour, or 3 hours if attaching heavy candy decorations.
  8. Decorate the House: Using additional royal icing and assorted candies, pipe decorative elements such as shingles, window frames, and wreaths. Use small offset spatulas or piping bags with decorative tips to add variety. Dust the finished house lightly with powdered sugar for a snowy effect. Allow the completed gingerbread house to dry thoroughly for at least 24 hours before displaying.

Notes

  • Freezing dough sheets before cutting ensures cleaner, more precise edges and helps the dough maintain shape during baking.
  • Use a chef’s knife, not a pizza roller, for cutting to achieve straight edges.
  • If edges are uneven after baking, carefully trim with a serrated knife or microplane to even out opposing pieces.
  • Broken pieces can be repaired by gluing them back together with royal icing.
  • Decorate while icing is still wet for better adhesion of candies.
  • Adjust royal icing consistency by adding powdered sugar to thicken or water to thin, one teaspoon at a time.
  • Stiffer royal icing dries faster and bonds better.
  • Store finished gingerbread house in a cool, dry place; edible quality lasts about 3 days, decoration lasts about a month.
  • Dough can be frozen wrapped tightly for up to 3 months before baking.
  • Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Find it online: https://sarabaking.com/how-to-make-a-gingerbread-house-recipe/