The Trials and Tribulations of Making a Gingerbread House

I Made a Gingerbread House

First "Gingerbread" House in years

I made my first gingerbread house when I was little. It was hard. I haven't really progressed much since then. Of course, I haven't tried to make one since then.

The house is chocolate cookies because I had the ingredients for chocolate cookies and I made up a recipe. I used meringue powder for the royal icing and a recipe that I had never tested before.

So much went sideways but sideways is exactly the way I like it.

Bake Off

I drew the house pattern out on cardboard with a pencil and a t-square. It went as well as this kind of project ever goes for me. I forgot key details like accounting for the thickness of the cookie.

The dough was an improvised chocolate recipe. I rolled out the dough and cut out each section of the house twice. I wasn't thinking far enough ahead to cut a window or door. I learned with this first house that I really need to get my dough thickness under control.

I cut out a couple extra pieces to replace sections that didn't come out well. I left the rest of the dough in the fridge in case I needed to redo another section.

The Pavee Siding

Ingredients
Unbaked House
Nonpareil sprinkles

I wet the house a little then coated one side the entire house with nonpareils. The nonpareils did not burn or melt in the oven. It gave a very nice consistent appearance.

The Glue

Half of a gingerbread house is royal icing. Not in quantity but significance as a decoration and glue to assemble the house.

I used Wilton's recipe for the royal icing. The recipe was too simple. I followed it without considering the recipe too hard and that's my mistake. I threw all the ingredients in the mixer and let it run. The next batch I mixed the recipe the logical way where I whipped the meringue powder and water then let that run. I added the powdered sugar a little at a time like a sane person. But with the first batch, the royal icing came out too thick. I made it work.

I was able to make a snowman out of royal icing by rolling it into balls. This was one of the first parts my nephews tore off when I gave them permission to destroy the house. Then they went after the sprinkles. This is where I will acknowledge the boys would have been just as impressed with a pile of sprinkles.

Conclusion

It was a mess, a problem and chaos and I did it.