| gingerbread |
Pipe details on doors, windows and sides of house, allow to dry completely. Place base piece on heavy cardboard so the house can be moved with ease. Stick together the pieces with icing, in this order: back, one side, back support pillars, front, front support pillars, other side, roof pieces, chimneys. Allow each section to dry for at least 5 minutes, holding it, before proceeding, and wait until base is completely dry before attaching roof. Attach assorted sweets for decoration. Allow to dry overnight before moving. |
| 350g honey |
|
Heat gently, stir until butter melts and sugar dissolves |
Knead first in the pan then briefly on a flat surface, adding more flour if necessary. Wrap in plastic, leave at room temperature one hour. Roll out two rectangles, one 9x13 inches, one 10x13 inches, and cut out pieces for house. Also cut out several support pillars. Bake in moderate oven 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Trim, if necessary, while warm. Leave to cool on baking sheet. |
| 300g sugar |
| 175g butter |
| 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon |
|
Remove from heat, stir in |
| 2 teaspoons ground cardamom |
| 3/4 teaspoons ground cloves |
| 3/4 teaspoon ground aniseed |
| 3/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg |
| 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger |
| 675g flour |
sift |
|
Gradually stir in, until dough pulls away from sides of pan. Cool 5 minutes |
| 2 teaspoons baking powder |
| 2 teaspoons baking soda |
| 1 large egg |
beat lightly |
Beat in |
| royal icing |
| 6 egg whites |
|
beat until frothy |
Icing should be thick enough to form an icicle which does not drop off a spoon. Keep covered with foil while not in use. |
| 750g icing sugar |
sift |
beat in 50g at a time, then beat 5 more minutes |
Prepare templates beforehand, for a house about 15x20cm. It is far more precise if all pieces are cut out immediately after baking. This takes speed and asbestos fingers. But it does mean that far less icing is needed, which is a good thing.
Here are some ideas. Sugar flowers can make a candy garden. Extra dough can be iced with chocolate to make roof tiles. Windows can be glazed with melted boiled sweets. Liquorice allsorts and dolly mixture and chewy strings can make doorposts, firewood bundles, chimney smoke and crazy paving. Smarties are good everywhere.