don't bake when humid
longer you bake it, the harder it is
let stand for a week to dry out
2 3/4 Cups Flour
1/2 t. Salt
1 t. ginger
1 t. cinnamon
1/8 t. cloves
3 tsp. baking powder
1 egg
2/3 Cup molasses (light or dark) - do after oil in same cup for easy pouring
1/3 Cup vegetable oil
Mix all ingredients
Mold a piece of heavy duty foil to a 17x12 cookie pan.
Spray the foil with Pam or oil lightly
Evenly press and smooth out the dough onto the foil (cover dough with a large piece of plastic wrap to avoid sticking).
Roll and press dough into all corners evenly - can use a glass or rolling pin
Bake at 300 F. for 25-30 minutes.
Place pattern pieces on hot gingerbread right out of the oven. Cut immediately with knife
Let cool 5 minutes
Lift out and place on cooling racks
The gingerbread must be hard when cool.
House will collapse with soft pieces.
If necessary, pieces can be placed back on cookie sheet and baked for 5-10 more minutes.
Allow gingerbread to dry out.
Do not stack pieces, even when dry unless you put a soft dishtowel or paper towel between pieces.
Snowy Icing
1/3 rounded cup meringue powder and 3/4 cup water (or 6 egg whites or powdered egg whites and water)
1 t. cream of tartar
2 lbs powdered sugar +
damp kitchen towel
Beat ingredients thoroughly with electric mixer in a large bowl.
Beat about 5 min until frosting stands in stiff peaks.
Add more powdered sugar if icing does not stand in stiff peaks after 5 minutes
Keep bowl covered at all times with a damp cloth.
This icing dries very quickly and becomes very hard.
Cover ends of decorating tips with wet cloth or wet paper towels.
Candy must be set into icing immediately (upon application) or it will not stick.
Assembling the House
Use a cake decorating tube and desired tips (#16 and #18 star tips are useful).
Decorate sides, back and front pieces while they are laying flat
Roof is easiest to decorate after it is on the house.
To make candy windows crush hard candy of desired color (yellow for generic or colors for stain glass), Lay gingerbread piece with crushed candy in window on foil covered cookie sheet and place in oven at 400 F for 5 minutes (checking on it). It takes more crushed candy than you think. Let harden overnight.
1 - Make a large "L" with frosting on cardboard base, the approximate size of the BACK and SIDE of the house.
2 - Pipe frosting along back edge of SIDE. Place the two pieces at right angles along the "L". The will hold each other up nicely!
3 - Pipe an "L" on card board for the other side and the front of the house. Pipe frosting along all SIDE edges. Put SIDE and FRONT in place.
4 - use zig-zag piping movements to decorate corners of the house.
5 - Roof: pipe frosting along all roof lines of standing house. Place ROOF pieces on. Add more frosting along top where roof sections meet and under eves of the house to secure them in place. Glue on chimney and door with frosting. Now decorate the roof. Use zig-zag piping movements to finish off roof edges. Make icicles with decorating tip via a downward motion.
Candy Ideas
Icicles - heat blue hard candy and stretch it. It will harden quickly. It is thin and fragile.
Ice skating rink - melted blue mint candies
Large trees - use pointed ice cream cones, add green to your frosting or use green candies
Bushes - green gumdrops
Woodpile - pretzels
Door - part of a Hershy Bar
Stone wall or bricks - cut snickers bars, or nuts in icing
Siding - pretzels
Shingles - cut in half frosted mini-wheats, triscuts, golden grahams, licorice nibs, pecan halves or cut stick gum for the color you want.
Thatch roof - shredded wheat
Fence - pretzels icinged together.
Steeple - sugar cone rolled in icing and layered with almond slivers
Palm tree leaves - green fruit roll ups
Coconuts - whoppers
Vines - grape vines dipped in chocolate with wax
