Is It Time to Make a Gingerbread House?

- by Mary May Larmoyeux - For more than three decades, our family has enjoyed making gingerbread houses together before Christmas. It’s a lot of fun and ... ... read more.

Making Gingerbread Houses

Subscribe to Grand Connection by Email

Friday's Grand Connection Fun
by Mary May Larmoyeux

Even though the fall wreath is on the front door, it's time to be thinking about making gingerbread houses. With seven grandchildren, it takes me a while to make all of the houses that our growing family will soon decorate. 

For more than two decades, our family has had a wonderful time making gingerbread houses before Christmas! Has your family made gingerbread houses during the holidays?

I use the following recipe, adapted from one printed years ago in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.  (See pictures of actual preparation.)

Gingerbread House Template

Basic Corn Syrup Gingerbread Dough

9 cups unsifted flour
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind (optional)
One and one-half tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups light corn syrup
One and one-half cups light brown sugar firmly packed
One and one-fourth cups butter or margarine

Combine flour, lemon rind, cinnamon, ginger, and salt in a large bowl. Stir together corn syrup, brown sugar and butter in a 3-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until butter is melted and ingredients are well mixed. Pour liquid mixture into flour mixture and stir until blended.

Form dough into a ball and knead until smooth and pliable. Roll out dough and cut into 1/4" thickness, using a lightly floured rolling pin. Cut out desired shapes for houses and gingerbread men. We cut out a cardboard pattern with three shapes (cut two of each shape):

roof—5 1/4" x 3 1/2"

side—4 1/4" x 3 1/2"

and peaked side 2 3/4" x 3 1/2" with triangle on top. The peak of the triangle is 4 1/2" from the base of the rectangle it sits on. 

You can make the houses as large or small as you like. The above recipe will make two small gingerbread houses and a few gingerbread men (use cookie cutters for them).

Put shapes on cookie sheets that have been sprayed or greased lightly with Crisco (or something similar). Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until shapes are firm and lightly browned. Cool shapes completely on racks before assembling.

Snow Frosting

3 egg whites (if possible, at room temperature)
1 pound box confectioners’ sugar
½ teaspoon cream of tartar

Place the above ingredients in a large bowl and beat at medium or high speed until stiff (approximately 5 minutes). Cover with damp cloth.

Makes about 2 cups.

Use the Snow Frosting to glue houses together, attach decorations and make icicles. After building house, allow frosting to dry at least one hour before decorating. I allow the houses to dry overnight.

The tradition of making gingerbread houses has been great fun for our family and has has created some wonderful memories.

What are some of the things that your family has done to make Christmas memories?

Have a great weekend,
Mary
http://www.marymaywrites.com/
http://grandconnection.blogspot.com
StoryWriting Studio


Photo and article © 2009 by Mary May Larmoyeux. All rights reserved.

Christmas traditions

Subscribe to Grand Connection by Email

Tuesday's Grand Connection Thought
by Mary May Larmoyeux

Hope that you had wonderful Thanksgiving holidays!

The day after Thanksgiving my Christmas preparations began. My 8-year-old granddaughter helped me make gingerbread houses. Her 10-year-old cousin will visit in a couple of weeks and we'll also make some gingerbread houses together. With six grandchildren and friends, we have a lot to make!

It takes work to bake and assemble so many gingerbread houses, but they are an important part of our family holiday traditions. Other traditions include making a bed for the nativity figure of Baby Jesus. We put a pile of pine straw by the manger. When someone does a secret act of kindness honoring Jesus, he/she secretly puts a piece of straw in the manger for Jesus' bed. On Christmas morning we put the Christ Child figure on the pine straw bed made to honor our Lord.

Helen Austin, a regular contributor to Encouraging Women with Hearts for their Homes ezine, often makes holiday potpourri (the non-edible type) at this time of year. She shares her recipe in the holiday issue of the free ezine. It also has articles about managing holiday stress, giving exceptional gifts, making wise Christmas choices, and much more.

What are some of your family's Christmas traditions?

Have a wonderful week,
Mary
www.marymaywrites.com
http://grandconnection.blogspot.com

Photo and post © 2012 by Mary May Larmoyeux.

Let's Make a Gingerbread House

Friday’s Fun

For almost two decades, our family has made gingerbread houses during the Christmas holidays. We have a great time doing this!

I use the following recipe, adapted from one printed years ago in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

Basic Corn Syrup Gingerbread Dough

9 cups unsifted flour
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind (optional)
One and one-half tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups light corn syrup
One and one-half cups light brown sugar firmly packed
One and one-fourth cups butter or margarine

Combine flour, lemon rind, cinnamon, ginger, and salt in a large bowl. Stir together corn syrup, brown sugar and butter in a 3-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until butter is melted and ingredients are well mixed. Pour liquid mixture into flour mixture and stir until blended.

Form dough into a ball and knead until smooth and pliable. Roll out dough and cut into 1/4" thickness, using a lightly floured rolling pin. Cut out desired shapes for houses and gingerbread men. We cut out a cardboard pattern with three shapes (cut two of each shape):

roof—5 1/4" x 3 1/2"

side—4 1/4" x 3 1/2"

and peaked side 2 3/4" x 3 1/2" with triangle on top. The peak of the triangle is 4 1/2" from the base of the rectangle it sits on.

You can make the houses as large or small as you like. The above recipe will make two small gingerbread houses and a few gingerbread men (use cookie cutters for them).

Put shapes on cookie sheets that have been sprayed or greased lightly with Crisco (or something similar). Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until shapes are firm and lightly browned. Cool shapes completely on racks before assembling.

Snow Frosting

3 egg whites (if possible, at room temperature)
1 pound box confectioners’ sugar
½ teaspoon cream of tartar

Place the above ingredients in a large bowl and beat at medium or high speed until stiff (approximately 5 minutes). Cover with damp cloth.

Makes about 2 cups.

Use this to glue houses together, attach decorations and make icicles. After building house, allow frosting to dry at least one hour before decorating. I allow the houses to dry overnight. To see more pictures of the gingerbread house assembly, visit www.marymaywrites.com.

It’s so fun for Pops and me to watch the grandkids make gingerbread houses now—brings back great memories while making some new ones.

Hope that you and your family will be able to make a gingerbread house together.

He is able,
Mary
www.marymaywrites.com
http://grandconnection.blogspot.com

Subscribe to Grand Connection by Email