Gingerbread House Recipe – A Festive Holiday Masterpiece
Category: Desserts | Servings: 1 Gingerbread House
This Gingerbread House recipe will bring the magic of the holidays right to your home. With its warm spices, crispy texture, and beautiful decorations, it’s sure to become the centerpiece of your festive season. Whether you’re building it as a family tradition or creating a stunning edible decoration, this gingerbread house is sure to impress. Follow the detailed steps to create each part of the house, bake it to perfection, and assemble it into a beautiful, sweet creation that everyone will admire.
Ingredients & Nutritional Information
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| All-purpose flour (00) | 845g |
| Whole eggs | 2 |
| Egg yolk | 1 |
| Butter | 275g |
| Granulated sugar | 400g |
| Honey | 125g |
| Ground cinnamon | 10g |
| Cloves | 3 whole |
| Nutmeg | 3g |
| Ground ginger | 7g |
| Fine salt | A pinch |
| Baking soda | 10g |
| Almonds | 300g |
| Granulated sugar (for caramel) | 350g |
| Water | 60g |
| Lemon juice | 1 tsp |
| Egg whites | 100g |
| Powdered sugar (for icing) | 600g |
| Chocolate candies | To taste (for decoration) |
| Smarties | To taste (for decoration) |
| Colored sugar pearls | To taste (for decoration) |
| Chocolate (for decoration) | To taste |
| Edible decorations | To taste |
| Nougat | To taste (for decoration) |
Instructions
Preparing the Gingerbread Dough
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Prepare the Dough: Start by placing the sifted flour, granulated sugar, cold butter cut into pieces, and all the spices (cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, cloves) into the bowl of a food processor. Add the baking soda and a pinch of salt.
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Blend the Ingredients: Turn on the food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand. This process is called sabbiatura, where the butter is incorporated into the flour to create a crumbly texture.
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Form the Dough: Transfer the mixture onto a clean work surface and form a well in the center. Add the honey, eggs, and egg yolk into the well, and gently mix until the dough comes together into a firm ball.
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Chill the Dough: Flatten the dough into a disc, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. This resting period will allow the dough to firm up and make it easier to roll out later.
Preparing the Almond Brittle
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Soak the Almonds: Place the almonds in hot water for about 2 minutes to soften their skins. Peel the skins off and set the almonds aside to cool.
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Prepare the Caramel: In a saucepan, combine the granulated sugar, lemon juice, and water. Stir occasionally over low heat until the sugar dissolves and the mixture turns a golden amber color.
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Add the Almonds: Once the caramel reaches the right color, remove from heat and quickly stir in both whole and chopped almonds.
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Cool the Brittle: Pour the hot almond mixture onto a silicone baking mat or parchment paper and spread it out evenly. Let it cool completely before breaking it into pieces. This almond brittle will be used for the fence around the gingerbread house.
Preparing the Royal Icing
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Make the Icing: In a mixing bowl, combine the egg whites and powdered sugar. Beat with an electric mixer until the mixture forms stiff peaks, and the icing is smooth and glossy.
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Transfer to Piping Bags: Divide the icing into two piping bags. Use one with a large round tip for assembling the house and the other with a smaller tip for fine decorative details.
Cutting and Baking the Gingerbread Pieces
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Prepare the Templates: To create the structure of your gingerbread house, you’ll need to make templates. For the front and back walls, cut a piece of paper that is 21 cm wide and 26 cm tall, including the roof height. For the side walls, use a 19 cm by 15.5 cm rectangle. For the roof, cut two pieces measuring 19 cm by 14.5 cm. Finally, for the door, use an 11 cm by 8 cm rectangle, and for the windows, use a 4 cm square cookie cutter.
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Roll Out the Dough: Divide the chilled dough into 6 portions. Roll out each portion into a 1.5 cm thick disc large enough to fit the templates. You can keep the dough you’re not working with covered in plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out.
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Cut the Pieces: Place your templates on the rolled dough and cut around them with a sharp knife. Don’t forget to cut out window shapes from the side walls and the front of the house.
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Bake the Gingerbread: Place all the cut pieces on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for 10-15 minutes for a static oven, or 8-10 minutes in a fan oven at 160°C (320°F). The pieces should be golden brown and firm to the touch.
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Cool the Pieces: Once baked, remove the gingerbread from the oven and allow it to cool completely on a wire rack before assembling the house.
Assembling the Gingerbread House
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Prepare the Icing for Assembly: Once the gingerbread pieces have cooled, start assembling the house. Use the royal icing to glue the walls and roof together. Begin by attaching the front and back walls to the base of the house, and then add the side walls. You may need to have someone assist with holding the pieces in place as you pipe the icing to secure the structure.
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Attach the Roof: After the walls have set, carefully attach the roof pieces using the royal icing. Hold the pieces in place for a few minutes to ensure the icing has time to set.
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Strengthen the Structure: If needed, insert a wooden skewer or toothpick at the junctions of the walls and roof for extra support while the icing sets completely. Leave the structure to dry for 1-2 hours.
Decorating the Gingerbread House
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Decorate the Facade: Start decorating the front of the house with royal icing. You can create snow-like effects by piping icing along the roof edges and walls. Add small decorative touches, such as candy pearls or edible glitter, for extra flair.
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Add the Window and Door Details: Pipe icing onto the door and windows to create trim, and add more decorative elements like small candies or sprinkles. You can also make a heart-shaped garland with sugar pearls.
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Decorate the Roof: Use royal icing to create a tile effect on the roof. For added decoration, scatter small colored candies like Smarties or sprinkle more edible glitter.
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Make the Fence: Place the almond brittle around the base of the gingerbread house to form a festive, crunchy fence.
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Create Pathways and Other Details: Use pieces of nougat to create pathways leading to the door. You can also form small decorations, like a chocolate bench using chocolate wafers, or make a chimney using chocolate pieces.
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Final Touches: Once all the major decoration work is done, carefully position the decorations like the snowman and trees around the house. You can also add some festive touches with more chocolate candies and icing.
Serving and Enjoying Your Gingerbread House
Your gingerbread house is now ready to be admired, and it can serve as both a decoration and a delightful treat for your holiday guests. The crispy gingerbread, combined with the rich royal icing and crunchy almond brittle, creates a memorable holiday experience. Don’t forget to take plenty of photos before the house is devoured by excited guests!
This Gingerbread House will not only be a wonderful center of attention but also a festive treat to savor during the holiday season.
