Categories: Christmas, January
Ingredients
- 410g self-raising flour
- 125g unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
- 125g dark or light muscovado sugar
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 125g treacle
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 500g easy-spread royal icing
- 75g icing sugar, sifted
- sweets of your choice, to decorate and fill
- silver balls
Directions
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Grease and line two large baking sheets.
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Sift the flour into a large bowl and rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar and spices.
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Whisk the treacle with the egg, then pour into the flour and mix to a smooth dough. Wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes.
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eheat the oven to 200˚C/fan 180˚C/gas 6.
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Cut the dough into six – keep the unrolled dough covered until needed. You will need six pieces to assemble the house – two roof pieces, two side walls and 2 ends. Roll out each piece of dough and then, using the templates, cut out two roof pieces, two gable ends and two side pieces. Cut out a door and window shape from one gable end and a small window from one side wall. Put all six pieces and the door on the baking sheets and bake for 10-12 minutes until risen slightly and cooked. Leave for 2-3 minutes, then carefully remove to a wire rack to cool.
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To assemble the gingerbread house, spread royal icing along the bottom and sides of a side wall and press carefully on to the cake board. Spread more icing along the bottom and sides of the back end and secure the pieces together. Support the gingerbread with small glasses while you repeat the process with the other wall and front end until you have all four walls in place – make sure they are straight and well stuck together with icing, then leave to set for 30 minutes. (Fill with sweets, if you like.)
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Meanwhile, make the soft icing and and choose your sweets. Put the icing sugar in a bowl and add just a few drops of cold water until you have a smooth icing, that won’t run. Cover with a damp cloth and set aside.
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Next, spread the royal icing on to the foor pieces, using more icing to secure the roof in place. Then pull the icing over the edges with your fingers to form ‘icicles’. Use more royal icing to cover the cake board with ‘snow’. Put the soft icing into a piping bag and pipe around the door, windows, at each corner and to secure the door in place.
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Decorate the house with sweets, add a sugar swizzle stick tree if you like, then sit back and admire your creation.