Gingerbread House Recipe

Gingerbread House

Gingerbread House

MAKES 2 TRAYS

For the dough: double the amount of the ingredients used for the gingerbread men and women (see Gingerbread Men and Women)

For the garnish: 4 egg whites, 1 pinch salt, ½ cup + 2 tbsp (125 g) sugar, ½ cup + ⅓ cup (100 g) powdered sugar, ½ oz (15 g) starch, colorful nonpareils, mini chocolate cookies, M&M’s, Mini M&M’s, red-and-white peppermint candies, mini marshmallows, etc.

Additional: gingerbread house cookie cutters (specialty shop or Internet)

Prepare the gingerbread dough the day before baking, as described on Gingerbread Men and Women, and let it rest overnight at room temperature under a bowl. The following day, preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C) unless you have a convection oven, in which case preheat to 355°F (180°C), or a gas oven, in which case preheat to level 4. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, cut to size. Roll out the dough on a floured countertop, until it is about ⅛ in. (4 mm) thick. With the gingerbread house cookie cutters, cut out 2 gables and 2 rectangular house walls. Cut out windows and a door with a pastry wheel or knife. For the roof, roll out the dough thinner, and with rectangular gingerbread house cookie cutters, cut out four panels. Use the remaining pastry to roll out an 8 in. x 12 in. (20 cm x 30 cm) sheet and use it as a foundation.

Place all parts next to each other on the baking sheets and bake the gingerbread for 12–15 minutes in the oven. Take the trays out of the oven and, while the gingerbread is still hot,  remove it from the baking sheet using a spatula and place it onto a wire rack to cool.

For decoration, beat the egg whites and salt with the hand mixer until creamy. Sprinkle in the sugar slowly and continue to beat the mixture until the sugar has dissolved. Sieve powdered sugar and starch into a second bowl and fold the mixture into the egg whites carefully. Pour the egg white mixture into a piping bag with a round tip. With that mixture, glue 2 roof panels together on the long sides and allow to dry for about 1 hour. Next, use the egg white mixture to glue the 2 gables and 2 house walls onto the foundation at right angles. Support with glasses and let dry for about 1–2 hours. Glue both sides of the roof onto the gable with the egg white mixture. Now decorate the gingerbread house with the egg white mixture and colorful candy to your liking (see photo).