Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Gingerbread House #2


Making a Gingerbread House is a Christmas tradition I started last year, with this delightful little creation.  I just love the neat, tidy and slick look of last year's, but I decided it was time to get the kids involved.  This recipe was from www.taste.com.au.  As I explained last year, I have a mould that I use, which makes the whole process so much easier!  I absolutely love the finished product this time - yes, it's messy.  Yes, it has teeny fingerprints on parts.  Yes, the lollies are randomly-placed and falling off in parts.  But we had a great time doing it and creating Christmas memories :-)

Ingredients
3 1/2 cups self-raising flour
1 cup plain flour
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
185g butter, chopped
1/2 cup golden syrup
2 eggs, lightly beaten

Royal icing
2 eggwhites, lightly beaten
3 cups pure icing sugar

lollies, to decorate

Method
Combine flours, ginger, cinnamon, sugar and butter in a food processor. Process until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Whisk golden syrup and eggs together in a jug. With the motor running, add egg mixture and process until dough just comes together. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Knead gently until smooth. Cut dough in half and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until well chilled.

Roll dough, 1 portion at a time, between 2 sheets baking paper until 5mm thick. Remove top layer baking paper. Using cardboard cut-outs as a guide, cut shapes from dough. Place gingerbread in a single layer on trays. Freeze for 15 minutes or until firm.

Preheat oven to 180°C. Line 4 baking trays with baking paper. Place gingerbread on trays. Bake, 2 trays at a time, for 15 minutes or until firm. Cool on trays.

Make royal icing: Using an electric mixer, beat eggwhites until soft peaks form. Gradually add icing sugar, beating constantly until thick.

Use icing to join walls together, placing unopened cans of food to support walls until icing dries. Use icing to attach roof to walls, using cans to support roof (to prevent it from slipping off walls) until icing dries completely.

Spoon 1/2 cup remaining icing into a snap-lock bag. Trim 1 corner of bag and pipe windows and doors on house and frost on roof edges. Allow to dry. Spoon remaining icing into snap-lock bag. Pipe a little icing on the back of each lolly and attach to house to decorate. Dust roof with icing sugar.

Happy little helpers!
What a team :-)




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