BLOGMAS DAY FOURTEEN: GINGERBREAD HOUSE

As Christmas is just around the corner, i wanted to do something different what i haven't done before. So here is a recipe i used to create a small gingerbread house and gingerbread men.

For the gingerbread you will need:

700g plain flour

2tsp bicarbonate of soda

4tsp ground ginger

2tsp ground cinnamon 

250g butter

350g light soft brown sugar

2 eggs

8tbsp golden syrup 

For the royal icing (to act as glue for the gingerbread house) you will need:

1 egg white (only)

200g icing sugar (sieved)

squeeze lemon juice

Sweets/Candy to decorate as you desire

Template design method:

Take some thin paper/card and cut out your desired design.

The measurements used for this gingerbread house are: 

Base: 20cm/20cm

Sides: 12cm/18cm  x2

Front: 17.5cm/17.5cm/17.5cm (Triangle)

Back: 17.5cm/17.5cm/17.5cm (Triangle)

Gingerbread method:

Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, ginger and cinnamon together into a bowl. Add the butter and mix to breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar.

In a separate bowl lightly beat the egg and golden syrup together, add to the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix until the mixture binds together. Empty the dough out, knead lightly until smooth, wrap in cling film over night in the fridge. 

Next day...

Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 4/180c/350f. Line two baking trays with greased-proof paper. Roll out the dough to about half a cm thick. Cut out shapes using the templates made, place gingerbread on the baking trays and bake for 15/20 minutes until golden brown. Once out of the oven leave to cool in the trays for about 5 minutes, then place the templates back onto the shapes and trim to size whilst still warm (as they might have spread out whilst in the oven). Then transfer to a cooling rack and leave to cool completely (over night if possible). 

As i had some gingerbread dough left i decided to make gingerbread men. All i did to do this was roll out the left over dough and use a gingerbread man cutter. Place the gingerbread men on a greased-proof papered tray and cook in the oven for 10/15 minutes until golden brown.

Next day...

Time to decorate. To make the royal icing, whisk the egg white for a few minutes until slightly frothy. Slowly add the sieved icing sugar a little at a time beating into the egg white each time. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and beat until all the icing sugar has been incorporated. Then you are all ready to stick the house together.

Put the base of the house down onto a board as this will make it easier for you to turn and move the house around whilst decorating. Use the icing to glue the sides in place, then the front and the back. Then all that is left to do is have some fun decorating your house as you desire.  

I was really pleased with the way it turned out. Have a go yourself and have some fun...

Katie ♥