GINGERBREAD HOUSE
Cooking: 20-30 mins
Ingredients
125g brown sugar
14 teaspoon salt
270 golden syrup (or substitute with a small amount of honey)
1 1/4 tablespoons ground ginger
80g soft butter
520g plain flour
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
extra flour for rolling
Method
Preheat oven to 170C.
In a large bowl, beat the sugar, salt, treacle or golden syrup, ginger and butter together with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and whisk until mixture forms a thick dough.
Place on floured work surface. Roll out to 7-8mm thick. Cut to template shape or use cutters or moulds. Place on a baking tray and bake in oven for 25-35 minutes or until slightly firm to touch and becoming golden.
Let almost cool on tray and with a hard sharp large flat spatula move to flat surface. Do not move while hot.
Royal Icing for decorating
500g pure icing sugar
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
3 small egg whites
Methods
Place sugar and cream of tartar in medium bowl, add egg whites, mix with an electric mixer until a thick, stiff and white paste, add more icing sugar if necessary. Put in piping bag and use to ensemble house.
Ensemble
Add icing to the base of the pieces, start with the front and lean against side walls. Use heavy glasses to prop up until icing starts to harden. then add the back wall. Allow to harden for approx 30 minutes. The add roof. You can use wooden skewers as beams to brace the roof. Sometimes if you roof is too thick and heavy this us necessary.
Decorate
Use whatever lollies you like to create the look you want and use the icing to glue them on and create patterns.
Also try cookie cutters or making mini gingerbread houses.
