Gingerbread House and Icing

By: Kirsten Layer

Recipe Information

Total Time: 2 hours; 90 minutes active

Build your own holiday gingerbread houses and join in on the fun!

Gingerbread House Ingredients

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled

  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda

  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger

  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

  • ½ teaspoon ground allspice

  • ¼ teaspoon salt

  • 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

  • ¾ cup packed light or dark brown sugar

  • 1 large egg, at room temperature

  • ½ cup unsulphured or dark molasses (I prefer Grandma’s brand)

  • 1 Tablespoon water

Gingerbread House Instructions

  1. Whisk the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.

  2. In a large bowl using a handheld mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar together on medium speed until completely smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg, molasses, and water on high speed. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine. On low speed, slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until combined. Cookie dough will be very thick.

  3. Divide cookie dough in half, flatten it into discs (about 4-5 inches in diameter), and wrap each tightly in plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours or up to 3 days.

  4. Preheat oven to 300°F. Line 2-3 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats to bake.

  5. Roll dough to ¼ inch thick. Use scissors to cut out house stencils (print stencils here!). Place stencils on top of rolled-out dough and trace with a kitchen knife, being sure to cut the appropriate number of shapes. Transfer dough to baking sheets and bake for 45-50 minutes. If dough spreads during baking, trace the outline again with a kitchen knife while the dough is warm for precise lines. Let cool before assembling.

Icing Ingredients

  • 2 cups powdered sugar

  • 2 Tablespoons water, more or less as needed

Icing Instructions

  1. In a medium bowl, stir together the powdered sugar and 1 Tablespoon of water until dry. Add another Tablespoon of water. It will be clumpy but keep stirring until smooth. If it needs more water, add 1 teaspoon at a time.

  2. You want it to be smooth but thicker than your typical icing so it doesn't run off the gingerbread house. To check if it's the right consistency, dip a spoon in the icing and raise it above the bowl. The icing should remain on the spoon when turned over. If it drizzles off, add 1 to 2 Tablespoons of powdered sugar. Add more water as needed to thin out the consistency.

  3. Place in a zip-top bag and snip off the end to decorate your house. Enjoy!

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