Sunday, November 26, 2006
Recipe: Gingerbread House
INGREDIENTS
DOUGH:
- 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
- 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 3/4 cup dark molasses
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3-1/2 to 4 cups all-purpose flour
DIRECTIONS
In a mixing bowl, beat butter until fluffy. Beat in sugar, molasses, egg, ginger, cloves and salt until well mixed. Gradually add lour, 1 cup at a time, until dough can be formed into a ball. Using remaining flour, lightly flour a wooden board. Turn dough onto the board; knead until smooth and not sticky, adding more flour if needed. Cover and chill several hours or overnight.
Meanwhile, referring to diagrams below, cut patterns out of a shoe box or cardboard. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly grease foil. Lay a damp towel on the counter; place prepared pan on towel (to prevent slipping). Using a heavily floured rolling pin, roll out half of the dough directly on the baking sheet to a rectangle about 1/8-in. thick. Position the patterns at least 1/2 in. apart on dough. Cut out two of each pattern piece with a sharp knife or pizza cutter; remove pattern. Remove dough scraps; cover and save to re-roll if needed.
Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until edges just begin to brown. Do not overbake. Remove from oven; immediately replace patterns on dough. Cut around the edges to trim off excess cookie if necessary. Cool 10 minutes or until pieces begin to firm up. Carefully remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough and patterns. Dough scraps may be cut into gingerbread people and used to decorate house.
ICING AND ASSEMBLY:
- 4 cups (1 pound) confectioners' sugar
- 3 tablespoons meringue powder
- 5 to 6 tablespoons warm water
- Decorating bag
- Large dot (#12) decorating tip
- Spice jars
- Green food coloring
- Starlight mints (shingles)
- Caramels (chimney and mailbox base)
- Sugar cones (trees)
- Thin butter ring cookie (wreath)
- Red-hot candies (ornaments on trees, bow on wreath)
- Colored sprinkles (decorating wreath and trees)
- Red licorice (doorway)
- Fruit-stripe gum (shutters and mailbox flag)
- Sixlets (window and walkway)
- Fruit leather (walkway)
- Tootsie Rolls (large for mailbox, small for woodpile)
- Thin pretzel stick (mailbox post
- Mini pretzel twists (fence)
In a mixing bowl, beat the sugar, meringue powder and 4 tablespoons water on low until blended. Beat on high for 8-10 minutes or until stiff peaks form, adding additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time, if needed. Place a damp paper towel over icing bowl and cover tightly until ready to use. *Meringue powder is available where cake decorating supplies are sold.
To assemble the frame of the house: Test your cookie pieces to make sure they fit together snugly. If necessary, file carefully with a serrated knife or an emery board to make them fit. Fill decorating bag two-thirds full with icing. Beginning with the front of the house, squeeze a 3/8-in. wide strip of icing onto the bottom edge of the front piece. Position on a cutting board or display surface, at least 3-in. from the front edge of the base. Prop it upright with spice jars for 2-3 minutes or until icing hardens; remove jars.
To add the sides and the back: Squeeze icing on the lower edge of one side piece and side edge of the front piece. Align pieces at a right angle, making sure they are as tight as possible. Repeat with the other side. Squeeze icing on the bottom and side edges of the back piece; position with the other assembled pieces. For added stability, squeeze icing along the inside edge of all pieces and corners.
To assemble the roof: Working with one side at a time, squeeze icing on the upper edge of the slant on one side of both the front and back pieces. Also squeeze icing on the adjoining side pieces. Carefully place one roof piece on the slants so that the roof's peak is even with the points of the front and back (there will be a small overhang front and back.) Repeat with other roof piece.
To decorate: Add mints to roof, attaching with icing. For the chimney, stack caramels along one side of house, using icing between; top with an icing "smoke cloud". Add green food coloring to a portion of icing; frost sugar cones and butter cookie to make trees and wreath. Decorate with red-hots and sprinkles. Referring to photo and using candies and cookies as directed in list of ingredients, add doorway, wreath, windows, shutters, walkway, trees, logs, mailbox and fence. Yield: 1 house.
From the Kitchen of: Lana at 12:51 AM
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