gingerbread house nible mouse recipe

Planning and Building
Here are supplies you'll need:

• The pattern
• Gingerbread dough: double the recipe
• Rolling pin
• Cookie sheets
• Aluminum foil
• Plywood base or heavy cardboard, doubled to support the house
• Royal icing, recipe doubled
• Pastry bags and decorating tips
• Butter knife, palette knife or flat sandwich spreader
• A damp cloth for quick clean-ups
• Glue gun (optional)
   

Helpful tips:

• Allow a weekend to complete the house
• Have all supplies ready
• Read all instructions before you begin: you will need to double the gingerbread recipe to have enough dough
• Allow the gingerbread to cool thoroughly before assembling
• Make icing ahead of time
• Keep icing covered with a clean damp cloth (touching icing) and plastic wrap at all times to prevent it from drying out
• Adjust the consistency of the icing by adding more egg whites if the icing is too dry or more powdered sugar if it is too wet. It should be thick and stiff.
• Prepare the base for your house by covering plywood or heavy cardboard with several layers of foil
• Use canned goods from the pantry to stabilize the walls during assembly; remove them before adding the roof
  

The house that Jack built
Visualize the "yard." Will you have a walkway? Trees? A fence? Set the house at an angle for a pleasing presentation.
When assembling, apply a generous amount of icing to one side of the joint and press an un-iced side to the edge and hold until set. (See step-by-step articles for more photos.)
Apply icing-glue to the bottom of your pieces for more stability; adhere them to the foil/plywood base.
Allow 30 minutes for the front, side walls and back of house to dry and firmly set before adding the roof.
You'll need an extra pair of hands when adding and securing the roof.
Allow house to dry completely before decorating: a minimum of 4 hours, preferably overnight.

Problems?
Don't worry; you'll be able to fill gaps and cover errors later with more icing and decorations.
A fool-proof assembly method, if you're not going to eat the gingerbread, is to use a glue gun. Use icing to finish the look.
Icing can be kept at room temperature overnight. Be sure it is well-covered with a damp cloth and plastic wrap.

Gingerbread House Template

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Decorating

This is the fun part! The decorations you choose are limited only by your imagination.
You'll need:

• Royal icing
• Pastry bags and tips
• Cookie sheets
• Assorted candy (see step-by-step Gingerbread House articles)
• Butter knife or flat sandwich spreader
• Tweezers
• Knife
• Super glue (for adult use only; do not use if you will be eating the gingerbread house or candy)

Helpful tips

• Have a plan for decorating. Think about how you want your house to look and what candy should go where.
• Have candy and decorating supplies ready.
• Save time and make accessory items ahead of time: snowmen, trees, carts, candles and fences can be made while you're waiting for the house to dry.
• Apply candy decorations by putting a small dab of icing to the underside of the candy and hold it in place until set.
• Use extra dough scraps for decorative cut-outs.
• Keep the tip of your pastry bag covered with a damp cloth in between decorating to prevent hardening.
• Use tweezers to adhere small items to the house.
• You may need super glue to adhere top-heavy items, like lamp posts.

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Storage

Help your house survive the nibbles of your children!

• Moisture is a decorated cookie's worst enemy: display the house in a cool dry place.
• Cover at night to seal out moisture and dust; lightly drape a clean trash bag over the house and base.
• Gingerbread houses can last up to a year, if you choose not to eat them. Spray with a clear lacquer for maximum protection.
• Cover with a plastic bag and store in a box with some Styrofoam “peanuts” to protect house from damage.

 

 

 

 

Gingerbread House Recipe

This is a double batch of the Classic Gingerbread Cutouts recipe.
Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1-1/3 cups molasses
4 eggs
8 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 pounds confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
6 egg whites

Directions
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2.  In a large bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar until smooth. Stir in the molasses and eggs. Combine 1 1/2 cups of the flour, baking soda, salt, allspice, cloves, cinnamon, and ginger; beat into the molasses mixture. Gradually stir in the remaining flour by hand to form a stiff dough. Divide dough into 2 pieces.
3.  On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes. Place pieces 1 inch apart onto parchment-lined cookie sheets. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

IcingIn a medium bowl, sift together confectioners' sugar and cream of tartar. Blend in egg whites. Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat for about 5 minutes, or until mixture is thick and stiff. Keep covered with a moist cloth and plastic wrap until ready to decorate.



building the house: