Gingerbread houses, anyone?

**yankeegal** · 11-17-2006, 12:12 PM

Just finished this house...tough to do in this warm, humid weather(the royal icing just doesn't dry well) but it is finally done! I don't remember which website I got the templates from, but the design is called "Fairytale Cottage"

**Katybird** · 11-17-2006, 12:19 PM

Wow! Like all your creations is is gorgeous! I love the fairytale look of it. You are so talented and creative.

**nuisance26** · 11-17-2006, 12:21 PM

~Wow!That's nice!And yummy looking too. How long did it take to make?~

**oct2667us** · 11-17-2006, 12:23 PM

Awwwww I love it . I might do one if i can get off the pc long enough lol

**guest32** · 11-17-2006, 12:23 PM

Hey yankeegal...Do you think maybe you could do a tutorial of your cookie making/decorating? They are just so beautiful! I'm sure I'm not the only one who would like to know the secrets to such adorable cookies!! What cookie recipe do you use.....I know you use royal icing, but the *decorating* part has me stumped!

**danni** · 11-17-2006, 03:10 PM

Wow it is beautiful!!! We make one for christmas and halloween. But the twins and Emily decorate it.

**yankeegal** · 11-17-2006, 05:11 PM

Thanks gals....
Nuisance26-it took about 3 days-but it was really because of the humidity(believe it or not in November in Maine, no less!) I bake one day, decorate the next, and then put it together...

Danni-you should post some pics...I bet they are great.

Mermaid59-For my cookies, I mostly use a sugar cookie recipe called "No Fail Sugar Cookies" you can find it here: http://www.kitchengifts.com/nofailsugarcookies.html
It doesn't spread out so the cookies keep their shape, and you can "flavor" it as you like. Sometimes I use almond extract instead of the vanilla or add a teaspoon of cinnamon to spice it up a bit. I like it because it is not overly sweet, so it does well partnered with the royal-which is soooo sweet!

Some general tips:
Always work with chilled dough. I make my dough the day before I bake so it has time to set up. I always bake on parchment paper. Always preheat your oven. After you cut out your cookies with a cutter, put them back in the fridge for at least 15 mins.( I never used to do this, but it does help the cookies keep their shape)

Pick a couple of shapes you feel comfortable with...I think people get overwhelmed because they try to do too much. Make lots of the same cookie but use different shades of a color or some decorating/sanding sugar to make them different.

Experiment with different icings...I like royal because for me it is the easiest to work with..but it took me quite awhile to get the hang of it. My icing would be too thick or thin and I had to play with it to get it just right. There are lots of different recipes out there.

Look around what you have for inspiration...My first paid order of cookies were Christmas trees with dots, swirls, and lines. I used different shades of the color green and put some sugar around the edges of some of them. Very simple. I think I copied them from a napkin. Christmas cards, plates, wrapping paper,etc... have all kinds of simple designs that you can use for inspiration.

Check out your local craft stores-their baking sections are improving and they have lots of gadgets that can make decorating a little less daunting.

I will work on a cookie decorating tutorial-just might be a little while as the holiday baking season is in full swing here. Look around the web as well-there are a lot of helpful sites out there.

Hope this helps for now! Happy decorating! And post pics!

**YankeeMom** · 11-17-2006, 05:12 PM

The kids & I like to make them every year, but the past two years, the stupid thing has fallen apart before we could decorate it

Yours looks beautiful, any pointers?

**JustJoy** · 11-17-2006, 06:32 PM

Wow! Awesome job!

**northernmom2boys** · 11-17-2006, 06:43 PM

I had a feeling you would put my gingerbread house to shame lol
Your creations are beautiful,almost too beautiful to eat

**yankeegal** · 11-17-2006, 06:49 PM

Heather-
This year I actually decorated it-the windows, door and such before I assembled it. I was unsure of how it would go-but it actually ended up being easier.
As far as assembly goes-When I bake my pieces-I overbake them on purpose-and then leave them on the baking sheet to cool completely-I want them as firm as possible. I roll them out to about a 1/4 inch thickness before baking.
When I put it together-I do the sides first, and use various kitchen items to help brace it. (I have a big glass jar and some tall drinking glasses that I use) I let them set up over night. Then the next day I put the roof on. The royal icing on the sides had dried to that lovely cement hard consistancy so it was really stable when I attached the roof. It didn't fit perfectly-never does-but I just fill in the gaps with royal icing acting as snow accents.
Hope this helps!

**lottaLove** · 11-17-2006, 07:10 PM

Those are some great pointers! I'm in a baking kinda mood now

**tervsforme** · 11-17-2006, 07:22 PM

I agree. I'm in a baking mood also. I'm going to be sending cookies to all my relatives this year. Normally I decorate them fairly simply, but maybe I'll try using royal icing. I was always intimidated with it. Thanks for the pointers!