Gingerbread House Recipe
Pour un souvenir inoubliable que vos enfants garderont en mémoire, rien de mieux que la confection tous ensemble d’une Maison de Christmas en pain d’épices et bonbons. Voici les éléments que vous devrez prévoir à l’avance :
• sweets of all kinds (e.g. Smarties,
colored jelly beans, etc.)
(if you prefer to opt for a more
"health", we replace the candy decorations
with sliced almonds, walnut shavings
coconut, pine nuts, dried fruits
colorful (apricots, mangoes, etc.)
• relatively thick cardboard (you can
cut out a new box for example)
• transparent adhesive tape.
Gingerbread (walls and roof)
Ingredients
• 1 cup (250 ml) butter, softened
• 1 cup (250 ml) granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup (175 ml) fancy molasses
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) cooking molasses
• 6 cups (1.5 L) all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp (10 ml) ground ginger
• 1 tsp (5 ml) of baking soda and
another one of salt
• 1 tsp (5 ml) of cloves and another
of cinnamon.
Preparation
In a large bowl and using an electric mixer, mix the butter with the sugar; then add the eggs, as well as the fancy and cooking molasses.
In another bowl, mix well the flour, ginger, baking soda, salt, cloves and cinnamon; then, using a wooden spoon, gradually add this mixture to the first mixture (1.).
Separate the dough into four balls and wrap each one in plastic wrap and refrigerate them for at least two hours, until firm.
Between two sheets of wax paper, roll out one ball at a time until it is 5 mm (1/4 inch) thick. Draw rectangles or squares on one sheet of paper, cut them out, and apply them to the rolled-out dough. Then, using the tip of a knife, cut out the shapes. Place the "tiles" in the freezer for 20 minutes (or until firm) on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. You will have gingerbread tiles that will serve as the walls and roof of your house.
Transfer the cut-outs to a parchment-lined or lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 325°F (160°C) for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown and firm to the touch. Let cool flat.
The icing
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, combine butter or vegetable shortening with enough white sugar to form a smooth, but not runny, mixture (a spreadable dough). Place in the refrigerator to firm up.
The assembly
Make a cardboard cutout house (including a floor and a roof) so that everything balances. You can secure it with clear tape. Then "cement" the pieces together with icing. Decorate to your liking with candies and treats of all kinds, using the photo opposite as inspiration. You can thin a little icing for decoration.
