How to make a gingerbread house

‘Tis the night before Christmas! Why not help your child make a classic gingerbread house?

Technically, yes, this gingerbread house is not a quick project to take on, but it’s lots of fun for children and tastes yummy.

Gingerbread ingredients

• 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour 
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 3/4 cup (150g) brown sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup (120ml) dark molasses
• 1 Tablespoon (15ml) water
• Royal icing (the “glue”)
• Assorted sweets
• Buttercream icing (for an easy buttercream icing recipe, click here)

Method for making a gingerbread house

1. Help your child mix flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and salt in a large mixing bowl. 
2. In another large mixing bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar together on medium speed with a hand mixer until smooth and creamy (about 2 minutes). 
3. On high speed, incorporate the egg, molasses, and water. 
4. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients slowly on low speed until combined. The cookie dough should be thick.
5. Assist your child in dividing the cookie dough in half, flatten into discs and tightly wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least two hours.
6. Preheat the oven to 177 degrees Celsius. Use parchment paper or silicone baking mats to line two or three large baking sheets.
7. Take each disc out of the fridge and roll it out between two pieces of parchment paper to a thickness of about 1/2 centimetre. 
8. Flour the underside of the gingerbread house template shapes lightly. Cut the dough into the gingerbread house template shapes with a pizza cutter or small knife. Each shape will require two templates. Reroll dough scraps until you have enough for the entire house. Use any leftover dough to cut out fun shapes with cookie cutters. 
9. Arrange gingerbread house shapes on prepared baking sheets, spacing them a few centimetres apart. Straighten out the edges if they lost some of their shape while transferring them to the baking sheet.
10. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned. Cook the chimney pieces for 12-13 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned. Allow shapes to cool completely on the baking sheets. 
11. To assemble the house, begin with three pieces: the foundation, the front, and one side of the house. Apply a thick line of royal icing to one long edge and one short edge of the house piece with a squeeze bottle. Attach it to your foundation. Use whatever you have lying around the house to prop it up. Make a line of royal icing along the bottom of the house piece. Stick it to the side of the house piece and stick it to your base. Hold the two together for a few minutes, propping them up as needed, until the icing is partially set.
12. Repeat with the second side of the house and the back of the house. To fill any voids, pipe royal icing inside any seams, both inside and outside the house. Don’t be afraid to use a lot of royal icing “glue” — it dries to look like snow! Allow it to set for at least 1 hour at room temperature before adding the roof pieces.
13. The roof pieces will be affixed to the house base. Apply a thick line of royal icing to the inside edges of one of the roof pieces before attaching it to the base. Hold the position for a few minutes. Rep with the second roof piece. Run a thick line of royal icing across the top of the house where the two roof pieces meet. Hold the position for a few minutes.
14. We recommend assembling the chimney separately before adhering it to the roof. It’s easiest to assemble the chimney pieces upside down. Assemble the chimney with thick lines of royal icing in the same way you did the house base. (With the exception that you’re not attaching it to a base because it’s going on the roof!) Allow the icing to set, propping it up as needed. Once dry, apply to the roof. Because both the chimney and the roof puffed up or lost some shape during baking and cooling, use as much royal icing as needed, and cover any bare spots with buttercream during decoration.
15. The icing on the entire house must completely set before decorating. Allow at least 3 hours, preferably 4-6 hours, or even overnight, for the entire house to cool before decorating. Cover and store leftover royal icing at room temperature or in the refrigerator. 
16. Help your child ice the house with butter icing and decorate with gumdrops, M&Ms, peppermint swirl candies, sprinkles, edible metallic beads, marshmallows and coconut for “added snow”.