This easy cheerful gingerbread house recipe will please kids and grown ups.
Ingredients:
For gingerbread dough:
1. 3 3/4 cups plain flour, plus extra for dusting
2. 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3. 1 1/2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
4. 3 teaspoons ground ginger
5. 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
6. 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
7. 150g (5.2 oz), chopped
8. 1/2 cup golden syrup
9. 1 egg
10. 1 tablespoon milk
For royal icing:
1. 2 egg whites
2. 3 cups powdered icing sugar, sifted
3. 2 teaspoons lemon juice
For decoration:
1. 5 TeeVee Snacks malt sticks (chocolate fingers)
2. Green and yellow mini M & M's
3. 2 x 380g (2 x 13 oz) packets M & M's (use red, green, blue and yellow)
4. 9 x 17.5cm (9 x 6.8 inch) long red candy poles
5. 4 mini candy canes
6. Starlight mix
7. 3 sweet strawberry bricks, thinly sliced
8. 1 mini "Twix", trimmed to chimney shape
9. Flake bites or Flake chocolate bar
10.Mini waffle cones
11. Green gel food coloring
12. Fine desiccated coconut, powdered icing sugar for dusting
13. Packet of 4 "Flameless led tealights"
Method:
1. Make gingerbread dough: Place flour, sugar, bicarbonate of soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves and butter in a large bowl. Use an electric mixer on low speed to combine ingredients together until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs (if you like use food processor instead of electric mixer). Add syrup, egg and milk. Combine on low speed until dough just comes together. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured bench. Knead until just smooth. Shape dough into 3 discs. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 180C (350F). Line 2 large baking trays with baking paper. Take first disc from refrigerator, cut on half, roll out half between 2 sheets of baking paper until 5mm (1/4 inch) thick. Place "Front and Back" template on dough. Cut around template to form front of house; cut out rectangular door shape from front of house and place on baking paper. Use 3cm (1.1 inch) round cutter, cut out a round from front of house to form window. Transfer prepared "Front" together with baking paper on prepared tray. Roll out second half of first disc between two sheets of baking paper and cut around template to form back of house. Place on remaining prepared tray. Refrigerate dough on trays for 10 minutes or until dough is firm. Bake dough for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden and just firm to the touch. Stand gingerbread on trays for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
3. Repeat step 2 with second dough disc and "Wall" template. You need to cut 2 wall pieces from dough. Using 4.5cm (1.7 inch) heart-shaped cutter, cut 1 heart from the center of each wall to form a window.
4. Repeat step 2 using remaining dough disc and "Roof" template. You will need to cut 2 roof pieces from dough.
5. Make Royal icing: Whisk egg whites in a bowl until foamy. Add icing sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking until smooth and combined. Stir in lemon juice.
6. To assemble house: Spoon royal icing into piping bag fitted with round nozzle or use a snap-lock bag. Pipe icing along base and sides of 1 wall. Stand upright on cake board, using a glass for support. Pipe icing along the base and sides of front of house. Stand upright on cake board and attach wall, using glasses for support. Repeat with remaining wall and back of house to form house (if you like pipe more icing from inside house to reinforce). Stand for 1 hour or until icing has set. Remove glasses. Switch on Tealights and place inside house near windows and door.
7. Pipe icing along top edged of walls. Place 1 roof panel on house so bottom slightly overlaps. Use a glass to support under eave. Hold to secure. Pipe icing along top edge of roof panel. Place remaining roof panel on house. Use a glass to support under eave. Hold to secure. Stand for 2 hours or until set.
8. Attach with a little icing malt sticks and 1 green mini M & M to front door. Set aside. Using icing and long candy canes attach on roof, to corner house, trimming to fit. Hold to secure. Using icing and, attach M & M's to roof and attach chimney. Using icing attach 2 mini candy canes around each heart-shaped window. Hold to secure. Using icing to attach starlight pinwheels to house. Hold to secure. Using icing to attach strawberry brick pieces to front of house for windows. Attach green and yellow mini M & M's or any other decorations to the house. Pipe a little icing around frame of door; attach front door. Pipe remaining icing along edges of roof for icicles. Tint remaining icing with green gel food coloring to create green color icing. Pipe on top of mini waffle cones, use toothpick to create trees. Place on baking paper to set. Once set position around house. Arrange starlight pinweels in front of house for a path. Cut the Flake into pieces to resembles logs and arrange logs in front of house to resemble logs. Place fine desiccated coconut around house. Dust house with powdered icing sugar for snow..