Gingerbread House decorating party

December 15, 2011

We decorated gingerbread houses last week.  SO FUN!  I'm going to share my super secret recipe for the most perfect gingerbread house decorating party.  Please pay careful attention.
Assemble your little house the night before so the icing will harden up and will withstand heavy-handed candy application!
 First, invite the three most adorably cute and sweetest little sisters visiting from Australia.
Next, put lots and lots of candy out in nana's cut crystal bowls.  Cut crystal is the key here.  This is a very fancy occasion and if there ever is a time to make use of your pretty things, it is for candy at Christmas time.  Little girls notice the sparkly table and are very appreciative guests. 
 Add giggles.
 And also add one great-grandmommy.
When finished, present these candy cottages to the daddies and grandaddies.
My recipe is for very sturdy gingerbread, perfect for building projects.  It does taste really good though, and if you plan on eating and not building, you can bake it for less time and it won't be as hard.  I've passed this recipe on to many people and every one has good luck with it so I'd love to know if you use it. 

Gingerbread House Recipe

Bring to a boil: 3/4 C shortening, 6 oz (3/4 C) molasses, 3/4 C sugar, 1 1/2 Tbls. vinegar
Pour this mixture into a heavy duty mixer and add: 4 1/2 C flour, 3/4 t. salt, 3/4 t. soda, 1 t. ginger, 1 t. cinnamon.  Add 2 eggs and mix.  Dough is best worked soon or it will be difficult to handle.  Roll 1/8" thick and cut shapes.  Bake at 350 F for approximately 20 minutes.  Loosen cookies with spatula, turn off oven and return cookies to oven to rest for about an hour to harden. 

Use Royal Icing to act as the edible glue to assemble houses together and affix candy.  I use Wilton Meringue Powder and powdered sugar and follow the recipe on the container.


Over the years I have made perhaps a thousand of these 8" men.  I'm not kidding.
This makes about twelve 8" men or three 6" houses.  My house cookie cutters are from Wilton years ago, a quick internet search and I found quite a few, but they seemed bigger than this one I have.  I double the recipe above and have made dozens for parties in past years.  You can start baking these in October and store in shirt boxes and assemble the night before you plan on decorating.   Recipe is easily doubled.

My son had a gingerbread decorating party every year until he was 18.  It was a tradition even the cool teens were reluctant to give up!

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Kristen Rettig

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2 Comments

  1. AnonymousDecember 15, 2011 at 3:44 PM

    Thank you yet again for sharing!! You are always so generous with your creative efforts and recipes. It is very fun to read your posts, so thank you!! Merry Christmas!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. GailDecember 15, 2011 at 6:28 PM

    Looks like a wonderful, fun tradition! Thanks for sharing with us!

    ReplyDelete

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