Home sweet Gingerbread home

A traditional gingerbread house made with…Gingerbread! Lots of candy bits and endless possibilities. By Wilton, their pre-baked Gingerbread House Kit makes it easy(ier).

Looks like gingerbread, but it is graham crackers! (And Oreos and Nilla wafers – yummy) And if you do not care for gum drops (st-icky), use M&Ms.

Does not look like gingerbread but looks like a sugar coma bliss and will set your quirky personality (if you have one) apart from the rest.

Now, you might be looking at these houses and thinking, “I don’t have time for that.” Yes, they may take a few hours to construct and decorate and if you are doing this with little ones, that is especially way to long to keep them interested. But if you want to start a tradition without feeling like you are a professional baker, this petite house only takes 30 minutes and three ingredients and should accomplish everything you want to accomplish by building an edible home.

Here is a gingerbread recipe from Eleni’s Cookies.

The Ultimate Gingerbread Men*

• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup light (mild) molasses
• 1 cup butter or margarine (2 sticks)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 large egg
• about 5 cups all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 375. In cup, stir baking soda into molasses. Set aside until frothy.

In large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat butter with sugar, ginger, cinnamon, allspice and salt until creamy. At low speed, beat in molasses mixture and egg (mixture may look curdled). Gradually add 4 3/4 cups flour; beat just until blended, occasionally scraping bowl.

On lightly floured surface, knead dough until thoroughly mixed, kneading in remaining 1/4 cup flour if necessary. Divide dough in half; wrap half with waxed paper and refrigerate until ready to roll out.

On floured surface, with floured rolling pin, roll remaining half of dough slightly thinner than 1/4 inch. With assorted cookie cutters, cut dough into as many cookies as possible; reserve trimmings. Place cookies 1/2 inch apart on ungreased large cookie sheet. Reroll trimmings and cut out more cookies.

Bake cookies 8 to 10 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool. Repeat with remaining dough.

*Not limited to men, this is an EEO cookie recipe – you can make ladies, trees, donkeys or dreidels  – whatever suits your fancy!