How to make a Gingerbread House...

[leelastarsky]

In response to redblaze's lament over a gingerbread house kit last week, here's the recipe I've been successfully using for years.

The gingerbread in this is different to the sort you get in shops. This is much heavier. I suspect this is in fact real gingerbread. Fresh out of the oven it goes rock hard, but softens in the air over a few days. So it's best made a few days before Christmas. Plus then the wonderful smell permeates the house and makes it smell really christmassy!

The recipe says to let it cool a bit before cutting it, but I have found even waiting that long makes the edges too hard to cut. I always lightly scribe the pattern into the gingerbread with a sharp knife just before I put the tray into the oven. Then I cut to those lines as soon as I take it out.

You can NOT use frosting to 'glue' these houses together. You have to use Royal Icing, which goes rock hard and holds it all together very nicely. I have found (depending on the size of the house; little ones are not as much of a problem) that when you stick the roof panels on, they need to be chocked up from the bottom edge until the icing sets, or their own weight makes them slide off. I tend to use gingerbread scraps for this as the distance between the 'ground' and the roof edge can vary. I also like to leave the roof to set overnight. That way I can be sure it won't suddenly slide off when I glue the chimney on and put the finishing touches of icing and lollies along the ridge.

Here are some of the cakes I've made over the years-


This was a church I made for my kids school. (complete with jellybaby parishoners! ;~) )


After a few yrs making houses, I got bored and decided to make Rudolph and the sleigh instead!

And it's not just limited to gingerbread houses. I've made lots of different styles for my kids birthdays, including Rugrats, Are Real Monsters, Superman, Batman, Sesame Street and this Godzilla one -
I even made a Stonehenge for Halloween 2004! :~D

One year I did small(er) houses as gifts. That was some production, I can tell you! Unsurprisingly I ran out of space to house the bloody things and ended up with an entire village on my kitchen table!


You can see the sorts of lollies I use here -

I often fill the empty space inside the house with sweets as well; specially if the house is a gift. I did have a notion to make the Ark of the Covenant (a`la Raiders of the Lost Ark) one year, and fill it full of snakes, but decided it probably wasn't appropriate for Christmas. Heh.

Anyway, on to the recipe!
Hope you enjoy it! :~)

Comments

[almond-joyz.livejournal.com]

WOW..they look, gulp, good enough to eat!
BTW...THANKS for the Christmas card and picture. You have a whole fmaily of Potter-heads...I'm jealous!!

[leelastarsky.livejournal.com]

Well, they're not ALL Potter-mad, but they are ALL fanboys/girls, and they concented to go with the spirit of the card. Last yr we were the Incredibles cos that was the big movie last xmas. And it's fun to pick a theme that's very much in the consciousness of family and friends, even if they aren't the geeks that we are! ;~)

[bibliophile20.livejournal.com]

wow; I'm impressed; all that's left for you to do is a gingerbread Hogwarts and that would round it all out. :D

[leelastarsky.livejournal.com]

I did a castle for our Halloween party last yr. (that was the kids' cake. Stonehenge was for the adults! ;~) )

Also, I have seen a real (movie) Hogwarts done! I was completely awed by it. It was HUGE!! And have no idea where the link was. I'd suggest the Godric's Hollow site, but last time I was there their image galleries were down. :~(

[bibliophile20.livejournal.com]

one word: Whoa.

[texasmagic.livejournal.com]

Wow! I saved the recipe, in case I ever get brave.

[tearfulmooncm.livejournal.com]

WOW. Those are beautiful!

[suehypno.livejournal.com]

Holy cow!! You're a Christmas goodies maniac!! They look fantastic. I can just imagine the lovely smell that must flood your entire home for weeks.

[lomara.livejournal.com]

I think I like the Godzilla one the best! These rock! You are so crafty. Have you seen the gingerbread house contest that was on Food network a few weeks ago? These three teen sisters made Diagon Alley, and it was really well done. They won their division.

[leelastarsky.livejournal.com]

The Godzilla was one of my favourites. As soon as folks start breaking into a gingerbread house, it tends to look pretty sad and tragic. But the beauty of the Godzilla cake was that, even when the kids were breaking off the buildings and stuff, it just looked like the sort of destruction that usually accompanies Godzilla!! :~D

And, no I didn't that show - I don't think they run it here in Australia. ;~P Would have been awesome to see though! Gingerbread Diagon Alley.

[godrics-h.livejournal.com]

Whoa, truly inspiring!Awesome, Im going to try! Hey you know what would be good? Hagrid's Hut and of course, the Sydney Opera House!

[bonsaibetz.livejournal.com]

I made a couple gingerbread houses one year. One for my sister and her family, one for my brother and his family. ACK! What a lot of work. On one house, I sculpted curved shingles for the roof. That took a lot of work. I even did the lemon drop candy glass windows (with a real 10 watt lightbulb inside, wafers for the shutters, which I decorated and caramel block chimney. Two gingerbread houses. Yes, you are right, you do need to use royal icing.

My hat's off to you. Wonder houses you've done over the years.

[leelastarsky.livejournal.com]

Oh, yeah, I've done the crushed boiled lollies baked into the windows to make a stained glass effect! Needless to say, I only did it the once. ;~P Looked great...for about half a day, and then they started to EVAPORATE. Or maybe they were absorbed into the gingerbread, I'm not sure. I just know I watched them thin and start to vanish over 24hrs... It was the thought that counted. ;~P

[bonsaibetz.livejournal.com]

No, you have to use something like lemon drops, not lolly pops. Lolly pops have a not been brought to the same boil temperature that the regular hard candies have...at least that's how I understood it. If you try it with lemon drops, you should have better luck. My lemon candy drop windows lasted for weeks. My sister-in-law decided to put the one I made into storage, so it might have lasted for years, I don't know.

[redblaze.livejournal.com]

OH WOW!

If I was impressed by your talent before. . .It's nothing in comparison to now. . .Holy COW! look at all those beautiful houses. . .Really, they are amazing! You've inspired me. . .If I can, I will try one from scratch this year. . .

LOL! Having tried to make a gingerbread house. . .I can't help but bow down to your greatness!

They're awesome! I can't even decide which one I like the best. . .They are all amazing. . .I showed Christopher and he was VERY impressed :))

(((hugs you)))

Kele

[hikkup.livejournal.com]

Having just beaten up the royal icing for our Christmas cake, I am in awe of your upper arm strength to make enough to hold those creations together!

Merry Christmas!

[leelastarsky.livejournal.com]

Ooo, I use an electric beater... ;~P

Merry Christmas to you too, H Potter!! :~D

[hikkup.livejournal.com]

You know, one day I'm going to petition JKR for some sort of freebie to pay back the number of times the bank teller sniggers at my name... :P

[leelastarsky.livejournal.com]

*sniggers*

:~D

There's a reporter by the name of Harry Potter on the local news here, and every time I hear him report in (you know how they do - "this is Harry Potter, Canberra") I do a double take. ;~P He must cop heaps. *cackles*

Gingerbread Houses etc

[(Anonymous)]

As a recipient for many years of these delicious houses etc. I thoroughly recommend this recipe to all. Christmas Blessings to all Kates fans. Kate's Mum

Re: Gingerbread Houses etc

[leelastarsky.livejournal.com]

I don't know if you'll see this, but thanks! :~D *BIG HUGS*

am contemplating whether I should make some today or not...

[roniabirk.livejournal.com]

Those all look very impressive. =)

(here via mollys_cauldron)