Gingerbread House

Gingerbread Dough

• 1 cup shortening
• 1-3/4 cups brown sugar
• 1-1/4 cups white sugar
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 6 eggs
• 6 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon allspice

Preheat oven to 325°F degrees. Line several cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Using the dimensions in the , Gingerbread House Drawing cut out paper patterns for the walls, roof and chimney, and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream the shortening and sugars. Beat in the molasses and eggs. In another large bowl, sift dry ingredients. Combine mixtures well and then form into a smooth ball. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

On a well floured parchment paper, roll out a small amount of the dough until it is 1/4 inch thick. Place one of the paper pattern pieces on the dough and cut around the edges. Gently lift the dough with parchment paper and place it on a cookie sheet.

Put all scraps into a bowl and cover. Save these for the kids to play with, or to make gingerbread men.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until slightly firm. Let cool on racks until firm enough to handle. Carefully remove parchment paper and set the pieces aside to dry thoroughly overnight.

To make windows and the door: Cut out a rectangle for the door and squares for the windows from the appropriate side. Cut the window in half to make shutters. If you're feeling ambitious, fill the empty windows with crushed lifesavers before baking to form "stained glass" windows. Or, instead of actually cutting out the door and window(s), just score them and decorate appropriately for a closed-door effect.

To make the chimney: Cut out a rectangle big enough to hold all pieces of the chimney. When the baked dough is still warm and soft, lay the patterns on top and cut out the pieces.

Royal Icing

This recipe is for a single batch. You will probably need several, but if you make them all at once, keep them in separate bowls. Royal Icing dries very quickly and is like cement. Keep it well covered: one piece of plastic wrap touching the icing itself and another over the top of the bowl.

• 3 egg whites
• 1-1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 3-1/2 cups confectioners sugar

In a large bowl, beat the egg whites until they begin to foam. Add the cream of tartar and beat until the whites are stiff but not dry. Gradually beat in the confectioners sugar, beating for about 5 minutes until it reaches spreading consistency. Keep it covered and refrigerated until needed.

The Assembly

Pipe out the icing on the bottom and one end of one long wall and one short, put them together at a 90-degree angle, and hold them in place on cardboard with cans. Repeat with the remaining two walls, running a line of icing glue along the corners so that all the walls are glued together. Again hold walls in place until icing is dry. Let the roofless house dry at least 30 minutes until the icing is firmly set.

Run a thick line of icing along one long side of a roof piece. Stick the two roof sections together at an angle and set the two pieces on top of the house. Make sure that the roof overhang is the same at both ends of the house, although it is okay if it isn't perfect. Hold the roof gently in place until it dries (the pop cans should be the right height to support them). Let dry for half an hour.

While the roof is drying, attach the door to the doorway by running a line of icing glue down one side and along the base. Make sure the door is open wide enough to slide a small glow stick inside later (so you can appreciate the stained glass windows).

To attach the chimney, on one side of the roof near the peak, glue one angled piece to the roof. Glue the largest rectangle to the angled piece and then glue the second angled piece in place. Last, glue the smallest rectangle to the other sections. Hide any mistakes under a "snow" of icing.

If the pieces aren't exactly even and don't come together with exact precision, don't worry. Major differences can be filed down and smoothed out with sandpaper, and the Royal Icing can act as a filler.

Let the house dry until completely solid, preferably overnight. Then you can decorate with a variety of candies in any way you like! And you're guaranteed to have fun!