The making of the gingerbread house

It's become a bit of a tradition around these parts at christmas, the making of the gingerbread house. This year I vowed that I would not do it again, but alas, here we are two gingerbread houses later!

It is a fun exercise and one that always gets some ooooo's and aaaaahhhh's when it's handed over. It is, I must say, an enjoyable, but challenging activity!

This, my friends is NOT a kit. This is a make all and put all together kind of gingerbread house and the taste is something else!

Ingredients

125g butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg yolk

1/2 cup golden syrup

2 1/2 cups plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

3 tsp ground ginger

mint leaves and rasberry lollies

icing sugar to dust

Royal Icing: 1 egg white and icing sugar whisked together.

Method

So beat the butter and sugar until combined. Add the egg yolk and beat. Add golden syrup and mix with a wooden spoon. Fold in flour and mix in with ginger and baking powder. roll into a ball and cover with cling wrap and place in refrigerator for about an hour or until firm.

Place the dough betweek some baking paper and roll out and cut out your shapes. I cut two triangles and two rectangles, the rectangles long side has to be slightly bigger than the long side of your triangles. I also cut out a bigger square or rectangle for the base and some stars or trees for decorations.

bake in 180deg oven for about 10 minutes or until golden. remove and cool completely.

Make your icing and start to assemble your house by putting the icing in a piping bag or a ziplock bag with the corner cut out and piping the edges of the gingerbread and sticking it together onto the base.

When all is secure you can decorate the ouside however you choose. Then I take it and wrap it on a cake board with celephane and tie a pretty ribbon on top!

enjoy!