Making a gingerbread house has always been a fun tradition during Christmas. With the right recipe, your gingerbread house will stay strong and sturdy, and it won’t seem like a daunting task anymore. In this post, we list down ten ways to make gingerbread houses and the perfect recipe to make your own gingerbread house this Christmas. Scroll down to take a look.
1. Classic Simple Gingerbread House
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This simple and classic gingerbread house is what anyone would envision when they think of a gingerbread house. The house is sure to stand on its own and is the perfect example of minimalist yet classy.
2. Gingerbread House With Traditional Decorations
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The whimsical colors of the candy are eye-catching and a perfect project for your kids to design. It’s fun, has a holiday feel to it, and your kids are going to be excited to get their creative juices flowing in the making of this gingerbread house.
3. Gingerbread House With Green And Red Decorations
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To make this gingerbread house, you’re going to need red and dark green frosting and maybe a bit of artistic skills. But nothing that a bit of practice can’t solve.
4. Gingerbread House With Snow Kissed Roof
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Yet another simple design, this gingerbread house is perfect for anyone who loves the bokeh effect. The snow-kissed roof, the minimalist design, and the light-colored gingerbread walls make this house a treat for the eyes.
5. Gingerbread House Decorated With Candy Canes And Marshmallow Cones
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If you’re a Christmas phile who doesn’t mind spending a few extra hours to create a unique gingerbread house, then this is for you. The house is decorated with marshmallow cones, candy canes, chocolate, and candies. Kids from your neighborhood are going to line up to take a look at your fun creation and possibly take a bite of it too.
6. Gingerbread House With Pink Roof
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If you don’t want a simple design but don’t wish to go over the top with colors, this gingerbread house is the perfect pick for you.
7. Gingerbread House With Colorful Candy
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Who doesn’t love a gingerbread house with a variety of candies and gumdrops? These houses are easy to make if you have an assortment of few candies by your side.
8. Gingerbread House With Marshmallow Decorations
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A treat to your eyes and your tongue, your kids are gonna love devouring this house. Designed with soft colors, you will need marshmallows, sprinkles, and icing in a few colors to complete this gingerbread house.
9. Mini Gingerbread House On A Mug
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Your Christmas can’t get any cuter than these mini gingerbread houses. They are perfect additions to your gingerbread house village or if you simply wanna munch on them with your hot mug of cocoa.
10. Snow Globe Gingerbread Houses
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Snow globe gingerbread houses have become a Christmas trend, and rightly so. We understand the obsession with these gingerbread houses. They also make the perfect centerpiece for your Christmas table.
How To Make The Perfect Gingerbread House
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If you’re planning on eating your gingerbread house, we strongly recommend this recipe made with orange and lemon zest. You can have it even weeks after baking, but if you’re simply planning to leave them out, that’s fine too. To make sure that the gingerbread comes out perfectly, make sure to take accurate measurements of all the ingredients. You will also have to make the dough in two batches since your average stand mixer won’t be large enough to make it in a single batch. To ensure that your gingerbread is hard enough during the time of assembly, it’s best to bake them a few days before. So, without further ado, let’s guide you to the perfect gingerbread house recipe:
What You’ll Need:
- Unsalted butter (at room temperature) – 454 g or 1 pound
- Dark brown sugar – 595 g or 2 ½ cups and 3 tbsp
- All-purpose flour – 1648 g or 2 ½ cups
- Ground ginger – 15 g or 2 tbsp
- Ground cinnamon – 15 g or 2 tbsp
- Baking soda – 1 ½ tsp
- Baking powder – ½ tsp
- Salt – ½ tsp
- Eggs – 4 (at room temperature)
- Molasses – 2 cups
- Zest of 2 lemons and 2 oranges
Directions:
- Prepare the first batch by adding the following ingredients: ½ pound butter and 1.25 cups plus 1 ½ tablespoon of brown sugar. Add them to a mixer with the paddle attachment and cream together until they are fluffy. Make sure to scrape the sides while mixing.
- Next, add all the dry ingredients that have been sifted before and set aside. This includes flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking powder, and baking soda. Ensure that you use only half the quantity for the first batch.
- Keep the mixture running on low speed and add eggs and molasses until they are well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients in three batches to the mixer. Turn the mixer off when adding each batch to prevent any flour from flying out. Now add the zest of a lemon and orange.
- Once combined, transfer the dough to a bowl and cover it with a plastic wrap. Repeat the same steps to prepare the second batch of dough. Refrigerate overnight.
- To bake, set the oven to 350°. Next, roll the dough by weighing 20 ounces of dough for each square piece. Roll out five nine-inch square pieces for the house. Make sure you roll them out a bit larger so that you have enough when trimmed off the edges.
- Next, dust a parchment paper with flour. Place the dough on top, and roll it out into square shapes. Make sure you roll from all the sides to get even thickness on all sides.
- Once you roll out five 10 x 10 inch squares with a quarter-inch thickness, transfer them to a baking sheet. After baking, the slabs will rise to a half-inch thickness.
- Bake the rolled out pieces until firmly set. Once baked, transfer them carefully to a rack by lifting the parchment paper. Set them aside to cool. You can leave them to set at room temperature for around five days before you begin to assemble.
How To Assemble The Gingerbread House
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Below are the steps you need to follow to construct the gingerbread house:
Step 1:
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After the slabs have hardened, you will have five 10 x 10 inch slabs. Next, neatly trim off one inch from all the sides by using a cardboard template.
Step 2:
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Once you have cut all the sides for the house using the template, it’s time to prepare the icing for piping and decorating. The royal icing can be prepared with just three ingredients: egg whites, confectioners sugar, and lemon juice.
Step 3:
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Once you have the icing ready, transfer it into a piping bag. You can start by decorating the slabs first.
Step 4:
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Once all the slabs are decorated, it’s time to assemble the house. Start by piping the bottom of a rectangular slab. Next, pipe along the edges of the slab, which you want to attach first. Make sure you don’t skimp on the icing.
Step 5:
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After piping and attaching all the sidewalls, it’s time to attach the roof. And voila! You have the perfect gingerbread house, ready to be eaten or left out for Santa.
Most gingerbread houses won’t take you long to assemble once you have the slabs ready with you. It all depends on how much effort you wanna put into it. Elaborate houses with detailed designs and structures will obviously take more time and effort. But once you get into the festive spirit, you are sure to enjoy building and decorating them.
