Make your own Gingerbread House
1. Get Some Inspiration
Do searches online (we recommend Pinterest) for "Gingerbread House"
and be inspired by the designs, take note of what you like and what you don't. Most importantly, read through all the 10 steps before you begin.
2. Get Ready To Pipe!
Have a comfortable work top to do this, such as your dining table.
You may want to place the parts on a large plate or a chopping board. Identify all the parts of the Gingerbread House.
You will start by piping the designs before assembling the pieces together to make your Gingerbread House.
3. Get Piping!
Make a tiny snip, about 1-1.5mm wide, off the end of a piping bag. Holding the piping bag in a comfortable position, pipe random squiggles/lines on the plate so that you get the feel of the royal icing. If the opening is too small, making it difficult for the royal icing to flow out smoothly, snip a tiny bit more. It's important that you do not end up with an opening that is too big. Keep piping on your plate to get comfortable with the motion.
4. Start Creating!
Let the fun begin! You can start with any of the pieces. The good thing about royal icing is that it's very forgiving. Made a mistake? Fret not! Just let it dry and set for a few minutes in the freezer and simply scrape off the part you don’t like. Pipe again!
Pro tip: Do not pipe any details too close to the edges yet. You will be handling the pieces later on when you are “cementing” them together and may smudge the pipings close to the edges.
5. Leave to Dry (Part 1)
The pieces should dry and set fully before you attempt to assemble your Gingerbread House. This will take anywhere between 8-12 minutes.
6. Let's Assemble!
Snip off a larger opening of one piping bag, about 3mm wide. Start with the House Back and the two House Sides.
Pipe along one edge of a House Side and immediately stick the House Back to it at a right angle, flushing the bases perpendicular to your work surface. It should stick together within 10s.
Do the same to the next House Side. At this point, your Gingerbread House can stand on its own! Using the same process, pipe more royal icing to the opposite edge of the two House Sides and stick the House Front to them. Voila! Your Gingerbread House foundation is done!
7. Roof It Up!
Before sticking the two Roofs on your Gingerbread House, place the Roof pieces over your house so you have an idea of where they should go. Once you are ready, pipe the edge of one half of your Gingerbread House and stick one Roof. Repeat with the other Roof.
8. Make Way For Santa!
The Chimney is the final piece to stick onto your Roof. Simply pipe some royal icing on the Chimney base and stick it to one Roof. Now, Santa can “drop in” at any time! You may also want to touch up your design or add more designs, especially on the edges of the Gingerbread House and where the two Roofs meet.
9. Leave to Dry (Part 2)
10. Let it Snow!
Once your Gingerbread House is dry and ready, you can transfer it carefully to your display plate or display stand. Take a sieve and dust the snow powder over your Gingerbread House, for that snowy effect!
Surround the Gingerbread House with holly leaves, pine cones or other Christmas ornaments to complete the festive mood! HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
