The Baba Yaga Gingerbread House

A Baba Yaga Cookie House

Ingredients

Brown Royal Icing (Wilton recipe with less sugar)
White Royal Icing (Wilton recipe with less sugar)
Pretzels
Unassembled House
Powdered Sugar Dough

Royal Icing

The first batch I made of royal icing was a mess. I just threw it all in the mixer. I learned from that and did the sane and rational method on the second batch. Add liquid and meringue powder, let it whip. Slowly add the sugar until it's a good consistency. Getting a good brown color took a ridiculous amount of food coloring so if it comes up again, I'm going to reevaluate my approach to food coloring.

Decoration

I coated each side of the house with royal icing and arranged the pretzels for the log cabin look. I staggered the pretzels then went in and broke off pieces of pretzels to fill in the gaps. I did this for the roof too but it wound up being a little pointless considering I covered the roof with royal icing as snow.

For the door and window, I arranged the pretzels to make the gaps. I realized after the fact that I shouldn't have put the window on the opposite wall because that made it so either the window would be in the photo or the door but never both (live and learn). I added a piece of leftover Halloween chocolate for the door.

Assembling the House

I assembled the house with royal icing and used thicker pretzel rods on each corner, around the roof, at the top.

The Mistake

There was a tragic moment where I tried to execute my original plans for Baba Yaga's chicken legs. I had an idea about having the house on legs. Just thinking about it now, I can acknowledge how ill conceived the idea was. There was damage.

Repairs

I melted some sugar to reinforce portions of the roof that broke. It the first time I've worked with melted sugar. The melted sugar sets instantly, forms chunks and scares the crap out of me. I got the house back into shape and set it to dry for a day.

The New Plan

The next day (third day of housework) I made another batch of royal icing and a batch of sugar clay. Both wound up being too big and were incorporated into an improvised frosting recipe for a cake I'll make eventually.

The sugar clay was simple powdered sugar, water and yellow food coloring. I kept adding water until I got the right texture. I tasted it and the dough tasted like I injuring myself. This dough gave me a way to make chicken legs using pretzel sticks. I knew from the experience of the house falling apart that I wasn't going to make it stand. So Baba Yaga's house is sitting on her butt.

Finishing Touch

I attached a sprinkle with royal icing for a door knob and painted it with food paint to give a nice consistent look to the door.

I walked away knowing that if I kept messing with it then bad things would happen.