I have never made these before. Dave used to make them as a kid, but they remind him of some sad things happening in his life at the time, so we don't do them now.

Do you make them? How long does it take you? Do you make it all from scratch, or do you buy a kit?

I have used the kits, we make graham cracker houses......

I want to make one with my cast iron mold this year. I made a chocolate house one year that turned out very cute. I need a good gingerbread recipe. Does anyone have a recipe that would be good for house building?

http://ww2.kingarthurflour.com/cgibin/htmlos.cgi/60216.3.1987132431756344650

I have a pampered chef ginger bread house mold so I use that and we put it together and the kids decorate them, they LOVE doing it!!

I also go the graham cracker houses they are easy and get if you have other kids over and they need something to do...

Eileen

I have the Pampered chef mold also - and I have used it to make centerpieces for Teacher Appreciation week. But the kids and I make gingerbread houses every year from scratch!! They get more elaborate (and more expensive!!) all the time - One year we made a castle that turned out awesome. We don't eat them though cuz evidently the animals lick them all night long while we are sleeping!! :yikes: I will post a picture of ours after we make it this year!!

I'm making a house from scratch for the first time this year. Can someone tell me how long they stay fresh for. We don't intend to eat ours, it will probably be given to the dogs but I'd like to know when I should make it.

They are good for at least a month even longer if you are not going to eat it - They are made with Gingerbread that is hardened and would need to be dipped to eat anyway - if you want it to stay up!! Like a pfefferness type of cookie. And the Glue is such a high proportion of sugar to water that it is almost like shellac - Air is not going to get to the insides!! What are you doing to decorate yours - We made "stained glass" windows last year so this year we are going to try to make pictures in the "stained glass"!! Its gonna be fun -
We usually do ours on my birthday every year - 10 days before Christmas and the candy and cookie still tastes great til after New year's = we only quit eating them when we discovered the licked spots and missing yard decorations!! :yikes: