Anyone have a good gingerbread house recipe??

Thanks!

-- Amy Richards (tiggerwife@aol.com), November 14, 2000

Answers

Well no, I don't have the recipe, but I remember as a child the greatest gingerbread house in which the snow on the roof and the ground was made from white icing sprinkled with sugar, and there were various colored candies decorating the eaves of the roof, the borders of windows, etc., and colored hard candy was melted in the oven to make the windows, and a light was put inside and it was the coolest, most fascinating Christmas decoration! Gosh, now you've really got me thinking... it creates sort of a whole other world that draws you into it... even if you haven't been a child in decades!

-- Leslie A. (lesliea@home.com), November 15, 2000.

This is so easy and convenient, but you'll have to e-mail me your postal address so I can send you the pattern

Gingerbread House Recipe: 2 3/4c. sifted flour (I use whole wheat)...1/2t. salt...1t. ginger...3t.baking powder...1t. cinnamon...1/8t. cloves...1/3c brown sugar...2/3c molasses...1 egg...1/2c. oil...mix...chill or freeze til ready to use. I usually don't even chill it.

preheat oven 300*...20-30 minutes.

Line jelly roll or cookie sheet with foil and oil foil. Spread out dough on foil. Bake for about 20 minutes. Make sure it's still soft enough to cut. Lay out pattern on gingerbread and fold on lines and cut gingerbread. Cut out windows and door. Bake longer if necessary to harden. Cool. Glue together with royal icing.

Royal icing:3 egg whites...1/2t. cream of tartar...1# box powder sguar (make sure it's a one # box...beat til peak...you must keep the bowl covered with a damp cloth, can be stored in fridge.

Use this to glue the house together as well as glue on candy, etc. You can use any kind of candy, gum, pretzels, chocolate or carob chips, cotton for smoke coming out of the chimney, make a fence our your house, use your imagination and have lots of fun.

I'm going to do a log cabin one this year with a different recipe. Since it's going on 4am, I'll have get that recipe out later.

I personally like the Candy Land type. Have fun, let the kids help if you have them, or they can do the same with graham crackers.

Enjoy!

-- Cindy (atilrthehony_1@yahoo.com), November 15, 2000.