Gingerbread House

Every year at Christmas time, my mother and her friends got together at our house and made Gingerbread houses. Frequently, I came home from school and found them still busy decorating and enjoying each others company. The house made a very tempting centerpiece throughout the holiday season but we were under strict instructions not to touch the house until after Christmas. Still, most of the icicles disappeared long before Christmas Eve. I continued the tradition with my own children. Once they were old enough, they each got their own side of the house to decorate. When we moved to Pennsylvania, we had fun visiting the Gingerbread House display at Peddlers Village each year at Christmastime.

2 3/4 cup sifted flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp baking powder
1 egg
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup oil
2/3 cup molasses

Mix all the ingredients thoroughly and roll into a ball. Place on an oiled cookie sheet measuring 17x11 and roll or press the dough evenly on the cookie sheet with your fingers. Bake for 30-40 minutes at 300 degrees.
Remove from oven and immediately place pattern on the hot gingerbread and cut. Lift out carefully and cool on rack. The gingerbread must be very hard when cool. If necessary, the pieces can be laid back on the cookie sheet and baked for 5-10 minutes longer. The roof sections will break if the dough is not thoroughly baked. Also, if you are not quick enough cutting your house pieces and the gingerbread starts to get hard, place back in oven for one minute or so to soften. Remove from oven and complete cutting of house pieces.
Do not refrigerate the baked gingerbread. Do not throw away the front door since it is used and decorated as part of the house.
Royal Icing:
3 egg whites, at room temperature
1 lb box powdered sugar
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
Beat egg whites with cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually add the powdered sugar. Beat until stiff. Try to do your house on a dry day. The humidity on a rainy day may keep the royal icing from becoming stiff enough to hold its shape.
Use royal icing to cement pieces of house to your base and to each other. Also use royal icing to add decorations to the house. Some suggestions: hershey's kisses, frosted shredded wheat cereal for the roof, candy canes, M&M's, Hershey bars,gumdrop leaves, silver balls, red cinnamon candies, mints, ice cream cones for trees. Use decorating tips to shape the royal icing and make icicles. Be sure to decorate the front, back, sides, and roof before cementing the pieces together. Additional decorating can be added to the corners and edges after building the house.