Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup light molasses or dark corn syrup
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons water
For assemblage and decoration:
- Melted white chocolate or Royal Icing (recipe follows)
- Gumdrops, licorice and peppermint, as desired
Directions
Gingerbread House:
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar, molasses, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and baking soda together until the mixture is smooth. Blend in the flour and water to make a stiff dough. Chill at least 30 minutes or until firm.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Cut paper patterns for the gingerbread house:
Two rectangles (figs. A and B), 3 by 5 inches, to make the front and back of the house. Two rectangles (figs. C and D), 3 by 5 1/2 inches for the roof. Two pieces for the ends of the house (figs. E and F), 3 inches wide at the base, 3 inches to the roof line, and slanted to a peak 5 1/2 inches from the bottom. Four smaller rectangles (figs. G, H, I, and J), 1 1/2 by 1 inch for the roof and sides of the entryway. And one piece (fig. K), 2 inches wide at the base, 1 1/2 inches to the roof line, and slanted to a peak 2 1/2 inches from the bottom for the front of the entryway.
Roll gingerbread dough out to edges on a large, rimless cookie sheet. Place paper patterns onto the rolled out dough. With a sharp, straight edged knife, cut around each of the pieces, but leave pieces in place.
Bake at 375 degrees F for about 15 minutes until dough feels firm.
Place patterns on top of the gingerbread again and trim shapes, cutting edges with a straight-edged sharp knife. Leave to cool on baking sheet.
Place royal icing into pastry bag with a writing tip and press out to decorate individual parts of house, piping on decorations, windows, door, etc., as desired. Let dry until hardened.
Glue sides, front and back of house together at corners using royal icing. Place an object against the pieces to prop up until icing is dry (it only takes a few minutes).
Glue the two roof pieces to the pitched roofline of the house. Then, similarly, glue the sides and roof of the entryway together with icing. Attach the entryway to the front of the house.
Continue decorating the house, glueing on gumdrops, licorice and peppermint, as desired.
Royal Icing:
- 1 pound (3-3/4 cups) powdered sugar, sifted if lumpy
- 1 to 2 large egg whites, or substitute 4 teaspoons packaged egg whites and 1/4 cup water
- 1 teaspoon almond extract, vanilla or lemon juice
Mix all of the ingredients together using an electric hand mixer, until the icing is smooth and thin enough to be pressed through a pastry bag with a writing tip. Add more lemon juice, if necessary.
Photo: Gingerbread House Recipe

















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By dps22387
on December 27, 2012
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Th dough for this recipe was too dry by just following the directions listed on the website. I had to add 2 more tablespoons of water before it would come together. Once baked, the pieces were too large to use because they no longer fit the pattern and it was too bready to be stable enough to use for construction. The only reason I gave this recipe 2 stars is because it had a great flavor and would be perfect for cookies.
By Rachelle Ruge-B...
on December 26, 2012
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Double the spices or taste the batter before adding flour. The flour covers them up so the taste should be strong. Kids loved it.
By hdcmd5_12405300
Demarest, 70
on December 25, 2012
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I made this with my daughters. We tripled the recipe and each made one. It was a lot of fun. I rolled the dough 1/4" thick. Also it should be noted that after baking the gingerbread shapes they need to be trimmed promptly because they crisp up very quickly. We never made gingerbread houses before, so we were all pleasantly surprised at our success. Thanks for the recipe.
Read all 37 reviews