How to Make the Perfect Gingerbread House For Christmas!

Christmas is nearly upon us and this little project is great fun for kids and grown-ups alike. It's relatively easy to make, it just takes a little bit of time and a little bit of sparkle.

Gingerbread
6 Cups of Plain Flour
½ Teaspoon of Baking Powder
4 Teaspoons of Ground Ginger
4 Teaspoons of Ground Cinnamon
½ Teaspoon of Salt
½ Teaspoon of Allspice
2 Eggs
1 Cup of Dark Molasses
1 Tablespoon of Water
12 Tablespoons of Butter
1 and a ½ Cups of Light Brown Sugar

Icing
2 Egg Whites
2 and 2/3 Cups of Powdered Sugar
Sweets of your Choice for the Decoration
Preheat oven to 170 degrees C

How to Make the Gingerbread
1. Whisk the dry ingredients together
2. Add in the butter and sugar and whisk until fluffy
3. Beat in the water, eggs and molasses
4. Beat in the flour bit by bit and knead once it's all in there
5. Add more flour if needed
6. Refrigerate the dough overnight
7. Measure out a front and back panel of the same size out of cardboard. These will need to have a point in the middle to create an apex with the 2 roof panels which are also the same size. Make 2 shorter sides of cardboard for the side panels.
8. Cut out these cardboard panels and lay them on top of the gingerbread dough. Cut out the various panels and lay on buttered greaseproof paper.
9. Place in the centre of the oven making sure there is plenty of room all around your gingerbread pieces in case they spread.
10. Cook for around 6 minutes and remove small side panels or until they brown around the edges
11. Cook for a further 7-9 minutes and take out larger pieces when they start to brown around the edges
12. Lay the templates over the corresponding pieces and cut off any overhanging bits that have spread in the oven.
13. Peel off the greaseproof paper and leave to cool
14. While you're waiting for the biscuits to cool make your icing. This will bind the walls and roof together.
15. Arrange one of the short walls next to an apexed wall and stick edges together with icing. Stick other short wall on other side of apexed wall and bind with more icing then find the last remaining wall to the back. Leave to completely harden.
16. Once the walls are arranged and fixed, you can begin to construct the roof. For an added surprise, you could fill the house with various sweets before you stick the roof onto the mini construction. Put icing all along the top edges of the walls and arrange the two roof panels together and bind with icing. Leave to dry completely. If any pieces crack or break completely- don't worry as you can simply use the icing to bind back together. It will give the house an antique look!
17. Now for the fun part! It's time to decorate! Get your fudge and stick together with icing in a brickwork pattern. This will make your chimney and this can be laid against the back of the house.
18. You could stick chocolate buttons onto the top of the construction in an overlapping style to create tiles. This looks particularly lovely with both milk and white chocolate buttons.
19. Decorate and place on a cake board. Cover the bottom of the board with more icing for a snowy affect and place fudge around the edge of the board to create a brick wall!

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