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Gingerbread House Recipe RV

Gingerbread House Recipe

Grab the recipe for the gingerbread dough below to make your own gingerbread house from scratch!
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Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 1 hour
Servings: 4 people
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

Gingerbread House Dough
  • 2 1/2 to 3 Cups Flour Start with 2 1/2 cups and reserve 1/2 cup flour and use if needed to thicken dough
  • 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
  • 2 tsp Ground Ginger
  • 2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
  • 1/4 tsp Ground Clove
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 10 tbsp Salted Butter Slightly Warmed
  • 3/4 cup Brown Sugar packed
  • 1/4 cup Sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup Dark Molasses
  • 2 tsp Vanilla extract
Royal Icing
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp Meringue Powder Or 2 tsp Light Corn Syrup (use less water), Or 2 egg whites from pasteurized eggs only (use less water)
  • 3-5 tbsp Water Use water sparingly- add it a tbsp at a time
  • 1/4 tsp Salt

Equipment

  • 1 Hand Mixer
  • 1 Parchment Paper Roll
  • 1 Rolling Pin

Method
 

Gingerbread House Dough
  1. In a large bowl, whisk together all your dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, spices, and salt.
    In another medium bowl, use a hand mixer to cream the butter and sugars together. Then add the egg, molasses, and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth.
    Gingerbread House Dough Mixing Wet Ingredients
  2. Fold the wet and dry ingredients together with a wooden spoon. You can use your hands to knead the dough a few times to bring it together. It should be more on the dry side (like cookie dough). If your dough feels too moist, add a little extra flour. If it’s too dry, add a teaspoon of water at a time until it holds together.
    Gingerbread House Dough
  3. Once the dough is brought together, split it in two, and wrap both doughs in plastic wrap and shape into discs. Place these discs in the refrigerator and allow to chill for about a half hour while you prep the cutting station.
    Gingerbread Dough Discs Chilled Ready to Roll Out
  4. Grab the free Gingerbread House Template Printable and cut out the shapes for the parts of the house. Remember, you will need two of each house part.
    When you are ready to roll and cut your gingerbread house shapes, lay parchment paper on your counter and put a portion of dough on top. Either flour the top of the dough lightly or place a second sheet of parchment over the dough and roll it to an even thickness using a rolling pin.
    Use your house templates to cut out walls, roof panels, and unique pieces for your gingerbread house (or in my case, an RV). We recommend leaving the dough shapes on the parchment paper and picking up the parchment paper and simply transferring them to baking sheets. This way, you won't ruin your dough cut-outs by trying to lift them off of the paper.
    Gingerbread House Cutting Dough Shapes
  5. Bake at 350°F for about 7-9 minutes on one side, then rotate the baking sheet and bake another 7–9 minutes. Smaller or thinner pieces may take less time. You want the edges to just begin to darken. This helps ensure the gingerbread will be firm for building.
    Let the pieces cool completely on the baking sheet or a flat wire rack before assembly. Do not stack pieces before cooling, as this can cause breakage.
  6. Create a strong base:
    1. Use a board or tray covered with foil or parchment.
    2. Pipe royal icing along edges where walls meet.
    3. Attach the front panel and one side first, then prop with cans or jars until partially dry.
    4. Continue with the other side and back panel, piping icing into all seams to strengthen the bonds.
    5. Let this basic structure set at room temperature for at least an hour before adding the roof.
    6. Glue roof panels once walls are stable, holding them in place as icing sets.
    7. After the house structure is secure, start decorating!
    Gingerbread House Recipe RV
Royal Icing (the glue for the house)
  1. Royal icing is essential for holding your house together. It dries hard and strong, and it's perfect for gluing walls and roof pieces.
    Traditional royal icing is made with meringue powder, powdered sugar, and a little water until combined. You can use egg whites from pasteurized eggs in place of the meringue powder- just use less water if using egg whites (the sugar and acid as well as the heat from the pasteurization of the eggs, should make it safe to eat).
    In substitution of the meringue powder or egg whites, you can use light corn syrup, but this will make the icing take longer to dry.
    ***Remember to add water sparingly to the ingredients; add a little at a time and mix until you get the consistency of icing.
    Load the royal icing into a piping bag and use decorating tips, or a Ziplock bag with one of the bottom corner tips cut off, and pipe generously along the edges of the gingerbread pieces when building.

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