Description
This classic gingerbread house recipe features a spiced molasses dough that is rolled out and cut into shapes to assemble a festive holiday decoration. The dough is rich with warm spices like cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg, then chilled, rolled, cut, baked, and dried to ensure sturdy, easy-to-assemble pieces perfect for decorating with sweet royal icing.
Ingredients
Scale
Gingerbread Dough
- ¼ cup butter, softened
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 egg
- ½ cup molasses, plus 2 tablespoons
- ¼ cup shortening
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
Gingerbread House Icing
- Ingredients for icing not specified in the original recipe but traditionally include powdered sugar, meringue powder or egg whites, and water or lemon juice
Instructions
- Mix wet ingredients: In a large bowl of a stand mixer, beat together softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add in the egg, molasses, and shortening. Beat until the mixture is well blended.
- Combine dry ingredients: In a separate large bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, ground cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, salt, and baking soda until evenly mixed.
- Mix dough: Gradually add half of the flour mixture to the molasses mixture, stirring until well combined. Add the remaining half and mix until the dough is smooth and well combined.
- Chill dough: Refrigerate the dough for 1 hour to firm up and enhance flavor blending.
- Roll out dough: Place a sheet of parchment paper on the countertop, set the dough on top, then cover with another sheet of parchment paper. Roll the dough to about ¼ inch thickness evenly.
- Cut shapes: Using a gingerbread house template and a dough cutter, cut out all needed shapes for the house. Transfer the cutouts on the bottom parchment paper to a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper carefully.
- Chill shapes: Refrigerate the cut dough shapes for 30 minutes to prevent spreading during baking.
- Preheat oven: Set the oven temperature to 300°F (150°C) to prepare for gentle baking.
- Bake gingerbread: Bake the dough shapes for 15 minutes until firm but not overbaked.
- Cool and dry: Remove pieces from oven and cool completely at room temperature overnight or longer to dry out thoroughly for easier assembly.
- Decorate: Once dry, use gingerbread house icing to decorate and assemble your gingerbread house as desired.
Notes
- Chilling the dough before rolling and after cutting is essential to prevent spreading and to keep the house pieces sturdy.
- Drying the baked pieces overnight or longer ensures they solidify and are strong enough to support icing and decorations.
- Using parchment paper while rolling and transferring the dough helps prevent sticking and makes handling easier.
- If royal icing is not prepared, powdered sugar mixed with egg whites or meringue powder can be used to create a strong adhesive icing.
