A gingerbread house is not difficult. You just need to take it in three stages: the dough one evening, the baking the next day, and assembly and decorating the day after. That gives the pieces time to harden, and the grandchildren can decorate in peace.
Black Month pack What you need
The recipe makes one house, with a little dough left over for small biscuits.
For the dough:
- 200 ml golden syrup
- 150 g sugar
- 150 g butter
- 100 ml water
- 750 g plain flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cloves
For assembly:
- 200 g sugar
For the icing:
- 1 egg white
- About 200 g icing sugar
Measurements of the pieces
Cut the template out of card before you start. The measurements give a house that fits on an ordinary plate.
| Piece | Number | Size |
|---|---|---|
| Long wall | 2 | 18 × 12 cm |
| Gable wall | 2 | 12 cm wide, 12 cm high at the side, 20 cm high at the peak |
| Roof | 2 | 20 × 14 cm |
How to bake the pieces
- Heat the syrup, sugar, butter and water until everything has melted, and let it cool to lukewarm.
- Mix the flour, baking soda and spices, and stir it in. Knead to a firm, smooth dough.
- Wrap the dough, and leave it in the fridge overnight.
- Heat the oven to 175 °C.
- Roll the dough out to about 5 mm on baking paper, and cut out the pieces directly on the paper.
- Cut out the windows and door now, while the dough is soft.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the pieces are firm and dark at the edges.
- Straighten the edges with a sharp knife while the pieces are warm.
- Let the pieces lie flat until the next day, and they will harden.
How to put the house together
Melt 200 g sugar in a wide frying pan until it is light brown. Dip the edges in the sugar, and hold the pieces together until they stick. It goes fast. The sugar is very hot, so this is a job for adults. Keep a bowl of cold water next to you, for your fingers if you get sugar on them.
Put the walls up first, and let them stand for a few minutes before the roof goes on. If you want to decorate the walls while they lie flat, do it before assembly and let the icing set. Then it will not run.
Icing to decorate
Stir 1 egg white with about 200 g icing sugar to a thick icing. It should hold its shape when you pipe it. Use a piping bag, or cut a small hole in a freezer bag. This is the part the children like best.
How long the house lasts
The house stays looking good for several weeks if it is kept dry, away from steam from the stove. If you want to eat it, do so within two weeks, while the biscuits are still clean. The dough left over can become ordinary gingerbread biscuits, which you put in a tin with less air.
Food Container 1,600 ml589 NOKContainer, lid and pump in the same pack. The pump draws out the air and charges with the included USB-C cable.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the house fall down?
Most often the pieces are not hard enough, or the edges are uneven. Let them dry for a day, and use plenty of sugar glue.
Can I use shop-bought gingerbread dough?
Yes. Roll it thicker than for ordinary biscuits, about 5 mm, so the walls are strong.
How long can the dough be kept?
About a week in the fridge. See how long gingerbread dough lasts.
Can the gingerbread house be eaten?
Yes, but after a few weeks in the living room it is more decoration than food.
Want to bake even more ahead of time? See Christmas baking ahead of time.
For the gingerbread biscuits left over
The leftover dough turns into small biscuits, and they fit in the food container.
See the food container →- Pump included
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- Lid with clips
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- Transparent container