gingerbread construction {tips and tricks}

what is so wonderful about 

gingerbread houses

is that they are always

magical

even when they are a 

big. fat. mess

some years

i do an elaborate construction

(with assistance from hubster-of course)

like this

and sometimes

like this

and occasionally

simple 

like these

but no matter how

elaborate or simple

there are a few things that

are a constant

and 

important

today

i am sharing with you

some of my tricks

for stress free gingerbread house construction

Making Plans

-let the gingerbread dough rest in the refrigerator overnight before baking

-do not construct the house on the same day you have baked the gingerbread, give it a day to cool and settle

-if you buy pre-made gingerbread pieces, make sure they are dry before decorating or constructing

-to dry pieces out (especially in humid environment), place them on a cookie sheet and place in a slow (225-250F) oven until they firm up

Construction Management

-if using a purchased kit, do not, i repeat, do not use the frosting that comes with the kit to assemble the house. it will frustrate the dickens out of you.  make a nice big batch of Royal Icing (alton brown's recipe)

-if you are decorating with mainly candies and sprinkles, construct the house at least 12 hours before decorating---24 hours is best

-if you want the candies to stick, use royal icing.  if you want them to taste yummy, use frosting.

-assemble the walls of the house first, allow to dry for about an hour, then attach the roof pieces.

-prop the pieces up while they are drying, even if it looks like they are staying without a problem.

-allow the house to fully dry, before adhering it to a base

Custom Built

-if perfect corners and straight edges are your thing, use a micro-plane to shave the ends of the gingerbread pieces.

-if looking for a darker hue on your gingerbread, or to paint gum pieces to look like hardwood floors, simply mix a bit of coffee granules into vodka to desired color and consistency and paint it on.  the vodka will evaporate quickly.

-when piping intricate details, use a piping bag with a tip.  you will get consistent results and small detailed lines.

-when using the piping bag, do not over-fill, particularly if you have small hands.  put no more than a cup of royal icing in at a time.

-if you make a mistake and it really bothers you, wait until it dries to easily pick it off

-when doing intricate detail work, it is best to decorate the house before constructing. it allows for more freedom of motion

but most of all

have fun!

i would love to hear any tips you may have for stress free gingerbread construction

or

if you have a question about this topic that i didn't answer

please feel free to ask in the comments

gingerbread side-cars

i have made

gingerbread villages

chateaus

houses

for as long as i can remember

last year

i spotted

little gingerbread houses perched on a mug

from

not martha

(as far as i can tell--this is her original idea)

giddy and obsessed

as i have been known to get

i went to hubster

 he agreed to

make cookie cutters

(so i wouldn't have to knife cut each piece)

blowtorch in one hand

pliers in the other

he made these

i

in turn

made these

use your favorite gingerbread cookie recipe

bake as directed

cool

assemble and decorate

tip:

i plane the sides with a microplane to ensure straight edges

 these attach quite easily with

royal icing

(make it nice and stiff)

the wreaths are also made from royal icing colored green

piped with a no.63 tip onto parchment paper

sprinkles for berries

allow to dry overnight--remove carefully--attach with royal icing

i am using them this year

as place cards

piping names on the broad side of the house

and 

packaging them

like so

as gifts for friends

(you can get a template for the house from the not martha link above)

linking up to:
design dazzle
rook no.17
504 main