How to Make Gingerbread Ornaments, Cookies & Houses

One amazing winter tradition is making gingerbread with your friends and family. You can make gingerbread cookies, gingerbread houses and more. Depending on what you want to do you can make gingerbread that is great for eating, or make structural gingerbread which will make your gingerbread house last for a long time in a nice dry environment. When you make your gingerbread make sure to bring along your fun loving and creative spirit and you will be sure to have an amazing gingerbread experience.

Gingerbread Cookies 

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup dark molasses
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup water

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Start by creaming together the butter and sugar. Once the butter and sugar is creamed, sift together the dry ingredients then blend the dry ingredients with the butter mixture and add the molasses as well. Finish by adding the water. Cover and chill for approximately an hour. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured, cloth covered surface. Roll out until the dough is about 1/4 inch thick. Then using a cookie cutters, a homemade patterns or free-hand, cut out the gingerbread cookies. You can decorate your cookies with dried fruit before baking. Bake the cookies for 8 to 12 minutes, until the cookie springs back up after being pressed. Cool the cookies on a rack, then finish decorating using decorators' icing.

Gingerbread Cookie Ornaments

To make ornaments:

1. Create a hole for the string to hang the ornament in the dough before cooking. 
2. Bake cookies 
3. Decorate
4. Thread string or ribbon through the hole and tie a loop
5. Use to decorate a tree, garland or as present name tags.

Gingerbread Recipe for Ginger Bread Houses

This recipe makes a strong gingerbread, which is great for making long-lasting gingerbread houses. This recipe makes enough for two small gingerbread houses.

2 cups light or dark corn syrup
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 1/4 cups butter
9 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp ginger
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

Before you begin making your gingerbread for a gingerbread house, you will want to have patterns cut out for each piece of the structure you are making. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Over medium heat, or in the microwave, combine the corn yup, sugar and butter, stirring constantly until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved. Add butter mixture to the dry ingredients and mix well until the dough is stiff. Allow the dough to rest at room temperature for a few minutes. Roll the dough out on parchment paper until it is about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick, making sure the thickness is even throughout the dough. Place your patterns onto the rolled out dough, making sure to use the space as efficiently as possible. Cut out your shapes and bake on a baking sheet with parchment paper for 12 to 15 minutes, until the gingerbread is golden brown. Allow the pieces to cool completely on the backing sheet. Then proceed to assemble and decorate your gingerbread house.

Royal Icing

This icing recipe makes great glue to hold together your gingerbread house. It is very sticky and dries into a very hard icing. Make sure not to over mix this icing recipe.

1 lb confectioners sugar
3 egg whites, or 1/2 cup egg whites
1/2 tsp cream of tartar

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Using a mixer on high, beat icing until it is thick and white. The icing should start to peak when it is stiff enough. Cover the icing to make sure it doesn't dry. If you want a colored icing, just add a drop of the desired color. Use to cement your gingerbread house together.