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Roof Template

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Wall Template

Ingredients:

For the Gingerbread Dough
375g (3 cups) all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves or allspice
85g (6 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened
150g (3/4 cup) packed light or dark brown sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
125ml (1/2 cup) molasses or golden syrup

For the Royal Icing (the "glue")
4 large egg whites
600g (4 cups) powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 tsp lemon juice or cream of tartar (optional, helps with stiffness)
For Decoration
Assorted candies, gumdrops, sprinkles, candy canes, etc.

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Our German Heritage Recipe Cookbook

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Directions:

Part 1: Make and Bake the Gingerbread

1. Combine dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and all spices. Set aside.
2. Combine wet ingredients: In a separate large bowl, beat the softened butter and brown sugar until smooth. Mix in the egg and molasses (or golden syrup).
3. Form dough: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture on a low speed until a stiff dough forms. You may need to use your hands toward the end.
4. Chill: Divide the dough into 2 or 3 equal portions, flatten into discs, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or overnight). Chilling helps prevent the pieces from spreading during baking, which is crucial for a sturdy house.
5. Prepare templates: While the dough chills, print and cut out a house template from paper or cardstock (you will need 2 roof pieces, 2 side walls, and 2 front/back walls with pointed tops).
6. Roll and cut: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll out one portion of chilled dough between two sheets of parchment paper to about 1/4 inch (6mm) thick. Lay your paper templates on top and use a sharp knife to cut out the shapes. Carefully remove the excess dough.
7. Bake: Arrange the pieces on the lined baking sheets and bake for 12–15 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the pieces feel firm.
8. Cool: Let the gingerbread pieces cool completely on the baking sheet to harden before moving them to a wire rack.
9. Optional stained glass windows: If desired, you can place crushed hard candies in the window cutouts halfway through baking; they will melt into colorful "glass". 

Part 2: Assemble the House

1. Make icing: In a large bowl, beat the egg whites and lemon juice (or cream of tartar) with an electric mixer until frothy. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar, one cup at a time, and continue beating on high speed until the icing is very stiff and holds its shape (about 7-10 minutes). The icing must be thick like toothpaste to act as glue.
2. Set up: Transfer the icing to a piping bag fitted with a medium round tip. Plan to build the house on a sturdy base, like a cake board or a piece of cardboard wrapped in foil.
3. Glue the walls: Pipe a thick line of icing along the bottom edge of the back wall piece and place it on your base. Immediately pipe icing along the bottom and side edges of a side wall piece and press it firmly against the back wall and the base. Use heavy cans or mugs to prop up the walls while the icing sets for 15 minutes.
4. Finish walls: Repeat the process for the second side wall and the front wall, ensuring all joins have plenty of icing inside and out.
5. Add the roof: Once the walls are stable (ideally after an hour or even overnight), pipe generous lines of icing along the top edges of the walls. Place one roof panel, holding it in place for a moment. Add the second panel, pressing them together at the peak and using props if necessary until the icing sets.
6. Let dry completely: Allow the entire structure to dry and harden completely before decorating, preferably overnight. 

Part 3: Decorate

1. Decorate: Use the remaining royal icing as "glue" for all your candies, sprinkles, and decorations. The sky is the limit!. Pipe icicles along the roofline or use chocolate buttons to create roof tiles. 

Here is a decent video on how to assemble your Gingerbread House

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