5 c Flour 1 ts Cloves
1 ts Baking soda 1 c Shortening
1 ts Salt 1 c Sugar
2 ts Ginger 1 1/4 c Molasses
2 ts Cinnamon 2 Eggs; beaten
1 ts Nutmeg
1. Thoroughly blend flour, soda, salt and spices. Melt shortening in
large saucepan. Add sugar, molasses and eggs; mix well. Cool, then
add four cups of the blended dry ingredients and mix well. Preheat
oven to 350F.
2. Turn mixture onto lightly floured surface. Knead in remaining dry
ingredients by hand. Add a little more flour, if necessary, to make
a firm dough.
3. Roll out dough on flat cookie sheets. Lay gingerbread house
patterns lightly on rolled-out dough and cut around edges with sharp
knife. Pick up scraps around cut pieces. Continue rolling out dough
and cutting out pieces on cookie sheets, making sure to keep walls,
roof and small pieces on separate cookie sheets. Bake one cookie
sheet at a time in preheated oven. Large pieces may bake as long as
fourteen minutes, depending on thickness . For small pieces, rolled
thinly, six or seven minutes may be enough. Check frequently to avoid
over-browning.
4. Remove from cookie sheets and cool about 30 minutes on wire
racks. Then cover a flat surface with paper toweling and place baked
pieces on it to dry overnight before assembling house.
5. Assemble gingerbread house using Royal Icing: 2 lb powdered
sugar, 6 egg whites, 1 tsp cream of tartar.
This dough is delicious and rolls out smoothly. The baked dough is
strong and rigid to support weight of candy and icing trims, and the
house is very easy to put together. The icing will dry quickly and
hold tight. Be sure to keep the icing covered with a damp cloth while
not using.
Here are the measurements of my gingerbread house pattern pieces: Side
Walls (2): 7 5/8″ x 4 7/8″ House Front & Back (2): 7″ x 4 7/8″ high at
sides, 8 3/8″ high at center Roof (2): 8 3/4″ x 6 1/8″ Chimney (2): 2
1/8″ x 2 7/8″ high at sides, 1 7/8″ high at center Chimney sides (2):
1 1/8″ x 2 7/8″ Door: 1 1/2″ x 3 1/4″ high at center (top is rounded)
posted by Jeanne Geake
Yields
1 house