I never had gingerbread houses as a child. However, when I married I gained a sweet sister-in-law, Beatrice Jackson, that taught me how to make them. I lost her recipe and I requested it from her this morning. She sent it and I am posting it here so I can find it easily.
Ingredients:
2-3/4 cups sifted flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon cloves
2/3 cup molasses
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
½ cup oil
Directions:
Mix thoroughly and chill several hours (overnight or longer). Roll dough on an oiled piece of foil. (It helps to place the foil on cookie sheet with sides, and then roll the dough while in pan.) Bake on foil-covered cookie sheet with sides at 300° for 20-30 minutes. Place pattern on hot bread and cut IMMEDIATELY. Lift out pieces carefully and cool on cake racks. The gingerbread should be very hard when cool. (If necessary, the pieces may be laid back on the cookie sheet and placed in the oven for 5-10 minutes longer.) The roof sections will break off if the dough is not thoroughly baked.
Make Royal Icing to use in the assembly and decorating of the gingerbread house. Royal Icing is can be located under the label of "Frosting," in this blog.
If decorator tips and parchment bags are used in applying icing to gingerbread, use a #4 writing tip to draw windows, and a #30 tip to cover cut edges along sides and seams and roof.
CANDIES may be a multitude of various colors and shapes: gumdrops, candy canes, mints, hard candies, chocolate chips, silver balls, colored sugar and sprinkles, etc. Be sure to place candies in icing right away before it hardens.
Draw windows and roof lines with icing. Add candies.
Use icing to fasten one side of house to foil-covered slab.
Put icing on seam of this piece, then add other sides of house, fastening in place with icing.
Very carefully, put icing along roof edges on ends of house pieces. Attach one roof piece at a time, holding until hardened. Repeat with other roof piece. Hold, and PRAY that it doesn’t fall in!
Attach door with icing and decorate its seams with icing.
Decorate outer seams of house sides with icing. Candy canes look nice in the corner edges.
Put icing along rooftop edge. Fasten chimney pieces together with icing. Attach chimney to roof. Decorate with candies.
May add icicles with writing tip. Decorate yard with icing and candies.
Use icing to fasten one side of house to foil-covered slab.
Put icing on seam of this piece, then add other sides of house, fastening in place with icing.
Very carefully, put icing along roof edges on ends of house pieces. Attach one roof piece at a time, holding until hardened. Repeat with other roof piece. Hold, and PRAY that it doesn’t fall in!
Attach door with icing and decorate its seams with icing.
Decorate outer seams of house sides with icing. Candy canes look nice in the corner edges.
Put icing along rooftop edge. Fasten chimney pieces together with icing. Attach chimney to roof. Decorate with candies.
May add icicles with writing tip. Decorate yard with icing and candies.
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