Making a gingerbread house can be a fun activity during the holiday season, creating a beautiful and edible Christmas decoration. This easy gingerbread house will also fill your kitchen with delicious smells of Christmas baking. It’s the real deal, so you will need to bake the gingerbread pieces ahead of time and stick them together with icing. Then it’s simply a matter of decorating it with some favourite store bought treats. It’s the perfect marriage of baking and crafting that is guaranteed to impress this Christmas.
Ingredients
Method
Easy gingerbread house
Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until combined. Beat in golden syrup and egg yolks. Sift in flour, spices and soda; stir to combine. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Divide dough in half, cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate for 1 hour
Preheat oven to 160°C/325°F. Cut cardboard into a 20cm (8-inch) square and a 20cm (8-inch) equilateral triangle (all the sides are the same length). Roll one dough half on a piece of baking paper into a 5mm (¼-inch) thickness
Using cardboard templates, cut out one square and one triangle; remove excess dough. Slide shapes, still on baking paper, onto a large oven tray. Roll out remaining dough half; cut out another square and triangle; remove excess dough. Place, still on baking paper, on another oven tray.
Cut out a door and window from one triangle (keep door shape, discard window); place door on tray with other shapes; bake door about 30 minutes; bake larger shapes for about 40 minutes or until firm. Stand shapes for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool
Make glaze; while the gingerbread is still warm, combine sugar, water and gelatine in a small microwave-safe dish. Microwave on MEDIUM (55%) for 30 seconds; stir until sugar dissolves.
Make royal icing; Lightly beat egg whites in a small bowl, on low speed, with an electric mixer until just broken up; do not whip into peaks. Beat in the icing sugar, a tablespoon at a time, to get the required piping consistency, then stir in juice. Cover surface of icing with plastic wrap to prevent drying.
Brush all gingerbread shapes with the glaze while still warm; stand until cool. Spread a thin layer of icing on the covered board (to use as a non-slip base). Assemble gingerbread house on board, as pictured, using icing to secure pieces together; stand until set. Sprinkle desiccated coconut on board around the house. Spoon icing into a piping bag, pipe along all joins. Position the door in place with icing. Stand until set.
Thin a small amount of remaining icing with a little water; pipe peaks of icing on the underside of roof to represent snow/icicles. Stand until set. Using a small plain tube, pipe an outline around the window and door. Decorate house with sweets; secure to house with icing.
Test Kitchen tips
- The gingerbread house can be assembled up to 1 week ahead; store in an enclosed box in a cool dry place.
- If weather is humid, assemble 2 days ahead.
- Use leftover gingerbread dough to cut out snowflake and other Christmas-themed biscuits for gifts or a Christmas tree.
- Instead of cutting out a window, you could do what we’ve done in the picture; use a heart-shaped cutter to cut shape from dough; attach to house with a little icing, stand until set.
What is the tradition of the gingerbread house?
Gingerbread houses have a history that dates back to around the 16th century in Germany and became even more popular after the Brothers’ Grimm published their version of ‘Hansel and Gretel’ with its iconic house made of sweets. These days, gingerbread houses are made all around the world at Christmas time, including in Australia.
They’re particularly popular in the UK, US, Germany and Norway. In fact, the Norwegian town of Bergen claims to have “the world’s largest gingerbread town”. According to the Visit Norway website: “Every year since 1991, kindergarteners, schoolchildren, local businesses, and thousands of other volunteers have participated in the construction of Pepperkakebyen in Bergen. Here, you’ll find everything from tiny homes to local landmarks, trains, cars, boats and international signature buildings.”
But even if you don’t build a whole town for Christmas, making your own gingerbread house is a great family activity and could easily become new tradition in your home (if it’s not already).
