2 3/4 cup sifted flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon ginger
2/3 cup molasses
1 egg
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/8 cup oil
for icing:
3 egg whites at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 pound powdered sugar
candies for decorating such as gum drops,
candy canes, hard candies, etc.
This is one of my most treasured recipes. It was given to Ma'am by Diane Wilson, a neighbor who made
them for all of the neighbors every Christmas. I have copied it directly from the original, and added a few
of my own notes in brackets, the pattern can be viewed here. Lining the baking sheet with parchment
paper makes for easy removal. Also, it is a bit easier to decorate if you assemble the house first and let
it set for an hour or more before decorating.
Mix all ingredients thoroughly and chill for several hours (overnight or longer). Roll dough on oiled
[parchment paper lined] cookie sheet and bake at 300 degrees for 20 -30 minutes. Place pattern on hot
bread and cut immediately. Lift out carefully and cool on cake rack. [If using parchment paper remove
bread first, then cut and put on cake rack.]
The gingerbread should be very hard when cooled (if necessary, the pieces can be laid back on a
cookie sheet and placed in the oven for 5-10 minutes longer). The roof sections will break off if the
dough is not thoroughly baked.
Make the royal icing: beat all ingredients in mixing bowl until icing stands in peaks, then keep the bowl
covered at all times with a damp cloth as this icing dries very quickly and becomes very hard. [don't
stress out about this too much, you have plenty of time before it dries out if you keep the cloth over it]
If decorator tips and parchment bags are used in applying use a number 4 writing tip to draw the
windows and a number 30 tip to cover the cut edges along the sides of the house and the seams
between the roof and house. [You can use a ziplock bag with the end snipped off if you do not have a
decorator bag and tips, or just frost with a knife.]
Candies (to be selected from a multitude of various colors and shapes) gumdrops, candy canes, mints,
hard candies, etc. Be sure to place the decorative candies in the icing before it hardens.
The house should not be frozen or stored in air-tight plastic containers or bags.
