Kids DIY Gingerbread House
Let’s start putting that “fun-things-to-do-with-the-kids-during-holidays” plan together and why not start with a fun gingerbread house that can sit comfortably next to the Christmas tree? Make this easy kids DIY Gingerbread House
For your very own gingerbread house, you need a dough recipe that has structural qualities. In other words, you need a recipe that will not puff up and distort the shapes, and that is firm enough to support lots of decorations.
Ingredients
1 cup of liquid glucose
1 cup golden syrup
1 ½ cups light-brown sugar
1 ¼ cups margarine
9 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cloves
Make your House
1.Before you begin the actual recipe, print out a pattern given in this article recipe. Cut it out and transfer to light cardboard and cut again.
2.In a medium microwave-safe bowl, heat the liquid glucose, golden syrup, brown sugar, and margarine until the margarine has melted and sugar has dissolved completely. Stir until smooth.
3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves.
4. Add the syrup-sugar-margarine mixture, making sure it’s cool enough to squish the dough until it’s smooth and comes away from the sides of the bowl.
5. Wrap the dough in plastic and let it rest for at least 30 minutes at room temperature. This is a good time to wash up the dishes and get your baking pans, rolling pin, and pattern pieces ready.
6.If the dough is too hard or unmanageable, you can microwave it for 20 to 30 seconds.
7.Heat the oven to 180 degrees.
8. Roll out the dough 1/4-inch thick onto a sheet of parchment cut to fit your baking pan. Edgeless pans or those with only one edge are the best.
9. Lightly flour the cardboard patterns and place them, floured-side down, on the rolled-out dough, leaving a 1-inch space between the pieces.
10. Try to fit as many as you can without crowding.
11. For clean edges, cut with a pizza wheel.
12. Remove and reserve excess dough.
13. Grab the opposite edges of the parchment paper and transfer to the baking sheet.
14. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until pieces are firm and lightly browned around the edges. Cool completely before removing from pans.
15. Re-roll dough scraps for the remainder of the pieces.
16. Assemble and decorate your gingerbread house as you see fit.
Decorating your House
The icing works like an edible glue that holds the gingerbread house together. This icing recipe will harden once dry, which is the key to keeping your gingerbread house from falling down. Scoop the icing in a piping bag so that you can easily assemble your house.
Ingredients
- 450 gm of sifted icing sugar
- 3 large egg whites at room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
Watch a video on how to make this gingerbread house right here on The Spruce Eats.
Featured, compiled, photos and video by The Spruce Eats by Barbara Rolek
