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Gingerbread Houses

© Angelica R. Van Norman

Gingerbread Houses

'Tis the season for sweets and treats.....and the yearly tradition to create the gingerbread house. So grab the family and a bag full of goodies and settle into the kitchen for some sweet construction.

The Gingerbread

There are a couple of choices these days as far as the gingerbread itself goes. There is the option to get out the mixer and whip up a batch of your grandmother's gingerbread recipe, or stop by your local grocery or craft store to pick up a gingerbread kit. Kits come either with the house ready to assemble or pre-assembled.
Just in case you've lost grandmother's recipe:

Gingerbread (Allrecipe.com)

Ingredients

• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 cup shortening
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup molasses

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Melt shortening in a saucepan large enough for mixing the dough. Mix in sugar and molasses. Combine the flour, salt, baking soda, nutmeg, and ginger; gradually stir into the pan, using your hands to work in the last bit. Dough should be stiff.
3. On a floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4 inch thickness, and cut out as desired. Make sure the gingerbread is of uniform thickness, or the edges may burn before the center is done. Place pieces onto cookie sheets. Find a pattern for your gingerbread house at Lin's Craft and Culinary Creations .
4. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Let cool for several minutes on the cookie sheet, then remove to racks to finish cooling.

The Icing

Typically, Royal Icing is the choice for assembling gingerbread houses, including adding the decorations. Gingerbread kits come with a special blend of Royal Icing that hardens faster and more solid. But often times, additional icing is required.

Royal Icing (Wilton.com)

• 3 Tablespoons Wilton Meringue Powder
• 1 lb. (4 cups) confectioners' sugar
• 6 Tablespoons warm water*

Beat all ingredients until icing forms peaks (7-10 minutes at low speed with a heavy-duty mixer, 10-12 minutes at high speed with a hand-held mixer). Recipe makes 3 cups; this can makes 5 3-cup batches.

NOTE: Keep all utensils completely grease-free for proper icing consistency. * For stiffer icing, use 1 tablespoon less water.

This icing becomes the "glue" to hold the pieces of your house together. Apply generously, and allow icing to harden well before decorating.

The Decorations

This is where the fun begins. Ideas on how to decorate your home in various styles, are abundant. Here are a few.....

Style One

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