Gingerbread houses

This week we made gingerbread houses.

A few years ago I would take the boys to a church that hosted a Gingerbread house decorating party. A gal had them made and supplied all the frosting and candy. It was so much fun and now we moved to another state and I believe she stopped doing it after having a couple kids-- I can't imagine the work! She must have made at least 20 houses each year.

I used this site as a guide.

I used my own gingerbread recipe- which makes wonderful gingerbread men.
I did use their recipe for the glue type frosting- it worked very well.

Here is a whole album on our gingerbread houses.

I had to make the dough one day, then let it set out all night to dry. Though, next time I will let it set for at least 24 hours, as there was some pulling away from the glue after they were built. The next day I glued them all together and then let them set for about 24 hours-- it was actually longer because I glued them on Friday and we decorated them on Monday.

Gingerbread Men
1/4 c. boiling water
1/2 c. butter
1 tsp. Baking soda
1 tso. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 c baking molasses
3 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 egg
1/2 c brown sugar
Melt butter in boiling water. Add all the other ingredients. Then chill the dough for 2 hours. Roll out and cut into shapes. Push red hots (buttons) into the men before baking. Bake at 350 degree for 8-10 minutes. Cool and decorate with frosting. Makes 24 cookies.

I had to make 2 double batches for 2 gingerbread houses- My houses were pretty big though. I used 8 1/2 x 11 paper and so the walls were 8 inches long. I probably could have gotten 3 houses out of it, if I had made them smaller. We'll have to see how the hold up over the next month- if they start falling apart I will make smaller ones next year.
I did have enough dough left over to make about 12 good sized cookies, which we enjoyed as well.

Credit for this recipe goes to my friend Sarah- who got it from one of her friends. :-)