Gingerbread house
Whether you’re looking for a lovely, eye-catching homemade gingerbread house centerpiece for your Christmas dinner, some delicious cookies for the kids’ festive spread, or a beautiful addition to your dessert table, this recipe covers it all. Spend some time making these adorable creations and enjoy a classic holiday treat all season long!
Ingredients for Your Homemade Gingerbread House
Classic Gingerbread Dough Ingredients
- 120 gr butter (room T)
- 200 gr powdered sugar or sugar
- 130 g honey
- 1 large egg (room T)
- 390 g flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp soda
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp cloves
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
Royal Icing Glaze Ingredients
- 1 egg white
- 150 gr powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- vanilla
Step-by-Step Gingerbread House Instructions
-
Prepare the perfect gingerbread dough
Start by beating the butter and icing sugar in a mixer bowl. Add the egg and honey, mixing until everything is well combined to create your dough base. (If you don’t have powdered sugar, you’ll need to heat the butter, sugar, and honey on the stove until the sugar dissolves. Once the mixture cools down to 50 degrees, add the egg. The rest of the steps for preparing the dough remain the same.)
In a separate bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients: flour, salt, baking soda, and the warming spices (ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg).
Gradually add these dry ingredients to the butter mixture and stir until the dough is smooth and uniform.
Shape the dough into a rectangle, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and let it chill for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator. Leaving it for a full day is even better for developing that deep gingerbread flavor.
-
Baking your gingerbread house pieces and cookies
Preheat your oven to 350 F (180 C). Roll out the dough between two sheets of parchment paper or on a lightly floured board. Try not to add too much extra flour, and turn the dough frequently to keep it from sticking. If your kitchen is warm, I strongly recommend popping your cut cookies and house pieces into the refrigerator for about 20 minutes BEFORE BAKING. This helps them hold their shape perfectly.
Place the cut-out shapes on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper and bake for about 12 minutes until they are golden and fragrant.
Let the baked gingerbread cool completely on a wire rack. Once cooled, store your cookies and house components in an airtight container to keep them fresh.
Decorate with Royal Icing Glaze
Beat the egg white with the powdered sugar and lemon juice on low speed until it becomes fluffy. Stir in the vanilla and transfer this royal icing to a cornet or piping bag. Now comes the fun part—decorating your cooled cookies and house pieces with your homemade icing.
