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ginger bread house recipe fully decorated
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5 from 6 votes

Gingerbread House Recipe

This Gingerbread House Recipe is the perfect fun recipe to make this holiday season.  Double it or triple it to make multiple houses, print out the gingerbread house template printable, and grab the recipe for the gingerbread icing to glue it all together.  It makes for such a fun family project!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
drying time9 hours
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: gingerbread house recipe
Servings: 1 house
Author: Lisa Longley

Ingredients

  • 3 cups all purpose flour (read about measuring flour here)
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
  • 1/4 cup shortening
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons molasses
  • 1 egg
  • 1 batch gingerbread house icing

Instructions

  • In a large bowl whisk together the flour, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
    3 cups all purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves, 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat together the butter, shortening, and sugar until light and fluffy, about three minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then beat in the molasses. Scrape down the bowls again, and then beat in the egg.
    1/4 cup unsalted butter, 1/4 cup shortening, 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons molasses, 1 egg, 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • Add the flour mixture. Turn the mixer on low until it just begins to combine and then turn it all the way up, beating until it is just combined.
  • Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
  • Place a wet paper towel on the counter.  Put parchment paper on top of that.  Add the dough. Put another piece of parchment paper on top of the dough. Roll out the dough until it is a 1/4 inch thick.
  • Use my printable gingerbread house template and a sharp knife to cut out the pieces. Carefully fold the piece of dough onto a piece of parchment paper. Then use that parchment paper to transfer the dough to a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Continue until the pieces are all on two baking sheets.
  • Bake the pieces of the house for 15 minutes.
  • Allow the pieces to cool and then transfer the pieces to paper towels and allow them to dry overnight. This is a key step. They need to be dried out to hold up to construction.
  • Use my gingerbread icing recipe to construct your house. Put a large amount of icing on the bottom of one wall piece. Use a drinking glass to hold it up. (My preference is putting the glass on the inside of the house in case it dents the icing at the bottom.) Take another, connecting, wall piece and put icing on the bottom and side and place it next to the first piece, using another glass to hold it in place. Let those pieces dry and get stable.
  • Add the next two wall pieces, allowing them to dry in between each one.  Once all four walls are dry, add the roof pieces.  Once it is all dry and stable decorate. (Alternatively, consider decorating and allowing it all to dry before constructing.)