Choosing a theme is a very important step to think about before you start decorating and constructing your gingerbread house. That way you don’t have to handle the gingerbread every time you … It makes for an impressive table centrepiece and is more forgiving to make. If you have more time and patience, we highly recommend making your gingerbread. Out of a garage workshop in her Innisfil, Ont. Muller says you can glue together a standard 5-inch tall house all at once. Pecans, pistachios, pine nuts, and cashews are also used on the house. This is a key tip for making a homemade gingerbread house that turns out right: Once the pieces are on the cookie sheet and ready to bake, double check to make sure they match the pattern pieces. “When it’s neat and clean, that’s when it looks the best … so I just prefer royal icing, it’s easy to clean and it glues very strong.” She cautions against applying the icing too thick as it dries quickly and the gingerbread won’t have enough time to absorb it—which makes it more likely to come apart in the long run. But with an 8-inch tall house, she suggests gluing the walls and then waiting at least five hours before attaching the roof. The most popular and common decoration ideas can be found by doing a quick search on Google, Pinterest or this article about the most popular gingerbread decorations ideas. She favours white icing for her embroidery and lace designs, but once in a while, she’ll use colour. The main issue of making your own house is that it requires more time and preparation. Beatriz Muller is an architect and engineer, but not in the way you’d think. If you eat it, you won’t break your teeth. So this is hard for me, but many times, when it comes to decorating my gingerbread house, things don’t go as planned. Additional royal icing will attach candy canes, chocolate chips, and other favorite candies to your gingerbread house. Tips and tricks for decorating gingerbread houses with kids. “If it’s crooked, it stays like that. These templates can range from the popular Victorian style pattern to the more classic style gingerbread house. 7 Tips for decorating a beautiful gingerbread house Determine your color scheme– there’s a lot going on with gingerbread houses! Because I do that, it spreads in the oven a little bit so the edges dry sooner than the middle, even if you bake at a lower temperature.” She likens the consistency to butter cookies—it melts in your mouth, but it’s firm to the touch. Building a gingerbread house with soft gingerbread is like trying to build a house on a foundation of sand. I hope these 10 gingerbread house tips and tricks inspire you to try building your own gingerbread house! “When I use paper templates I cut them a little bigger. Only make it from scratch if you will truly enjoy that part of the process! We will say this one more time, use more icing on the corners of each piece of gingerbread before you connected them is highly recommended. This allows you to make a smaller or much larger gingerbread house. To make the best royal icing to decorate your Gingerbread houses, use this simple recipe. This means that before you start putting your gingerbread walls up, do your best to have thick royal icing on hand, plus thicker gingerbread to make the house more stable. Once more, do your best to choose a template that will fit your gingerbread theme before you bake your gingerbread. Make sure you hold gingerbread together for 15 seconds after you apply the frosting. Reply. Which leads us to our next tip. Do you best to have at least an additional set of gingerbread as a back up just in case there are any broken pieces. For a lighter-looking one, she uses a recipe for honey gingerbread (and usually uses white sugar). St. Joseph Communications uses cookies for personalization, to customize its online advertisements, and for other purposes. Done and done. Turn a plain gingerbread house into a log cabin with strategic placing of the decorations. Muller’s gingerbread house, “At Water’s Edge”, won third place at the National Gingerbread House Competition in North Carolina in 2017 (Photo: Beatriz Muller). The walls slid together, the frosting was too watery, and if a gingerbread man tried to move in, he would have been killed by a collapsing roof. In this instance using red M&Ms, green dots and white royal icing would be encouraged. Lay out everything—clear a large portion of your countertop or kitchen table for your cookie pieces, icing, piping bags and tips, candy melts, gumdrops, sprinkles, and … These cut out and edible decorations can take your gingerbread house to the next level by adding more of a holiday theme that cannot be done with traditional candy. Cover your base with … You can store your fresh gingerbread in a tin container for up to 7 days as a back up. Feast your eyes on these amazing gingerbread houses. She also, on occasion, adds food colouring to the latter recipe. Jennifer Verrill teaches annual Gingerbread House Workshops at Verrill Farm, so we were thrilled when she shared her design tips with us. These gingerbread house ideas and time-tested tips and tricks for planning, assembling, and decorating your creation will help you along the way. Before you outline your design, use a spatula to fill in the shape of the door with icing. … When it’s flat, you have the support of your hands or elbows on the table, the angle of the hands, it doesn’t shake.”. Before you start constructing, know that a gingerbread house with the best foundation will make the activity. According to Krupa, the top tip for gingerbread house decorating is to take your time when it comes to the prep work. The best type of icing to use is royal icing because it dries hard and is long lasting – perfect for keeping your gingerbread house put together throughout the holiday season. I make everything—even the biggest buildings—with soft gingerbread cookie. If you can keep to a color palate (like red, green and white or all shades of blue, etc. All you need is just a few tricks here and there to make a beautiful, edible piece—and yummy.”. This way, she can trim the edges and have enough consistent gingerbread to work with. Required fields are marked *. So I have to just sort of go with the flow. This tip is highly recommended if you have children decorators. “You need support in your hands, if you’re piping without the support you can never get the accuracy that you’re aiming for. While it’s propped up, use additional icing to make sure the doors, walls and roof stick. December 2, 2013 By Mary. Lastly, keep this holiday tradition alive. Holiday tips for decorating a gingerbread house from Shayna Seymour and her family. Gingerbread House Ideas and Tips. If they are even a little bit off, you must trim them up so they match exactly.It makes the building stage so much easier. It is the holiday season and that means, its time to make and decorate gingerbread houses. Additional decorations like Santa and reindeer cutouts can also be added to give the gingerbread house a special touch. “If you see the cookie start bending, that’s where you put the support.” After she trims all the gingerbread pieces to their exact measurements, she also seals the cut edges with royal icing—as though she were painting them. Whether gingerbread decorating is new to you, or a cherished family tradition, Central Market is here to help. The first gingerbread house I ever built was condemned. For more advanced themes, like a log cabin, keep to darker more rustic looking candies and decorations like Hershey kisses. There are many gingerbread templates and patterns that are available online. You can’t move it.”) As for using melted chocolate, she says it’s messy and hard to clean. The green icing also serves as the door frame as well as the window trimming, giving the house beautiful holiday greenery. To give some honest advice on assembling and decorating a gingerbread house we had a go at making one ourselves and it’s fair to say that it didn’t exactly go to plan. We would recommend that you make a gingerbread house no later than 3 days before christmas for a few reasons. Cover the bottom half of the sides with Brach chocolate stars to resemble logs. In place of bricks and mortar, she uses gingerbread and icing. 2 eggs whites. Your email address will not be published. A box of gumdrops or peppermint candies topped with a label that invites guests to bring them to the party to use at decorating time. Our three houses can only be touched by the house maker so mine lasts until Christmas while all the candies are eaten off their own creations. So we asked her for her best gingerbread house building tips. All the supplies are included and the gingerbread is pre-made. By making gingerbread houses an annual tradition, you will be able to have a set day every year to rekindle relationships. “I was always doing small gingerbread houses, and one year I said I’m going to make one that’s bigger.” Someone told her about the competition in North Carolina, where 150 gingerbread enthusiasts were ranked in creativity, difficulty and precision. Patience will pay off when building and decorating your gingerbread house. Gingerbread House Decorating Tips. Additional decorations like Santa and reindeer cutouts can also be added to give the gingerbread house a special touch. My tricks for gingerbread house decorating is to get my two kids their own pre-made houses. Assembling and decorating a gingerbread house is a great way to embrace the festivities and will result in a lovely Christmas decoration for your home. how soon before christmas should one make a gingerbread house. Clever use of green frosting, paired with white frosting form the base of the roof pattern. In a mixer, beat the egg whites until frothy. “A lot of people are afraid of making that type of cookie when building because they think you need hard cookies to make the house, but you really don’t. 7 Tips For The Perfect Gingerbread House From A Gingerbread Champion How to make the most beautiful—and delicious—house this season. From Christmas trees to European-style homes to an edible replica of New York City, Muller is somewhat of a gingerbread queen. “And then I kind of got bored,” she says. I’ve had walls cave in, cookies crack and a candy decorated roof slide off its yummy foundation. Therefore, it's best to allow the gingerbread to sit for a bit in order to go somewhat stale. Why it’s important to find a theme before decorating is ensure that you have all the needed supplies, plus this will shape how you will make your gingerbread house (if it’s from scratch). 5. It’s used to hold the house together, to glue your colorful candies into place, and can be used as a stand-alone decoration … Muller is a gingerbread champion—most recently, she won second place at the National Gingerbread House Competition in North Carolina (where she placed first in 2016 and third in 2017). Christmas themes with green, red and white accents. Muller says the typical template found on the internet tends to be A-frame style houses, meaning four walls and an A-shaped roof. 1 tsp vanilla. In short, gingerbread house kits are the best option for kids and those who just want to decorate. You can leave it white, or use gel food coloring … Generally speaking, making your own gingerbread house, if done correctly, will lead to a more stable house compared to most kits which could have broken gingerbread. To outline your door, we suggest using a smaller round tip, like a tip 2 or 3. This is one of the most common mistakes in gingerbread houses. “It looks nice [and] neat.”, “The final step should be gluing everything together and doing the final touch-up. © Copyright 2021 St. Joseph Communications. Once you start putting up the walls and doors, an easy trick is to use any type of canned food as a way to prop up your gingerbread. Have additional pieces of gingerbread on hand if you are baking. This means, making your gingerbread house will be an easier feat and more enjoyable. By Radiyah Chowdhury By Radiyah Chowdhury Updated December 2, 2019 To make sure your candy fits the theme you may want to choose specific colored candies. “I put in a little colour. Readers can also use this classic gingerbread recipe to make houses, but roll out the dough to a quarter inch thick to make them sturdier. Lastly, once its time to eat your gingerbread house, it will taste one hundred times better than any store-bought kit. Your email address will not be published. This is a great opportunity to bring family and friends together. There are many advantages and disadvantages to both. Also, you will need to make sure you have the proper molds or templates for the gingerbread house walls, doors and base ready to go. “Different people have different ways of doing it, I’m sticking with royal icing. by admin | Nov 6, 2020 | Gingerbread Houses | 3 comments. home, Muller creates intricate buildings made from the holiday-favourite treat. Nikki says: December 13, 2017 at 4:19 pm. Nutty No-Bake Gingerbread House This graham cracker-based gingerbread house gets its rustic walls and roof from whole almonds and sliced almonds. I always use it, I think it’s the strongest,” says Muller. (Some people use caramelized sugar, she notes, but the problem with that is the effects are quickly permanent once glued. By the time she ventured into the gingerbread circuit, she’d already collected accolades in various wedding cake competitions. She’s been running her bakery, Cakes By Beatriz, for more than 15 years. For the best outcome, take your time while decorating and constructing. If you have children who just want to decorate and enjoy the activity, think about getting a kit. This allows for now just a cleaner design, but a more cohesive looking house. Cooked Gingerbread Cooling Instructions: When allowing your gingerbread to cool, I suggest using a cooling rack. Girls Night Gingerbread House Party!? Seams need to be sealed, piped, but decoration is done flat on the table,” Muller says. The most common gingerbread house candies include Hershey kisses, m&ms, and dots. Not only will it be tough to stick together due to its moisture content, but it will also struggle to hold up under the weight of all the added icing and toppings. See our full disclosure here. But, Before you start rounding up the kids and grand kids for this fun holiday activity, here are some of the most important gingerbread house tips from our expert bakers to help get you started. In 2018, she competed on Food Network’s Holiday Gingerbread Showdown and walked away with the $25,000 cash grand prize. To decorate a gingerbread house, you're going to need a lot of icing. These cut out and edible decorations can take your gingerbread house to the next level by adding more of a holiday theme that cannot be done with traditional candy. WINDOWS AND DOORS. 3-4 cups powdered sugar. The icing is one of the most important components of your gingerbread house. Every gingerbread house needs a colorful door! Thanks for stopping by! “It snowballed from there.”, Muller’s gingerbread house, “Dream House,” won first place in the National Gingerbread House Competition in North Carolina in 2016 (Photo: Beatriz Muller). Here are some favorite tips and tricks: How to Decorate Gingerbread Houses with Kids. But once the holidays hit, she and her staff (referred to as “gingerneers”) are back in service with custom orders for gingerbread art. She submitted her piece—a two-foot-tall “Dream House” inspired by the painter Daniel Merriem that she spent 340 hours constructing before driving it down to North Carolina—and she won. A flyer or postcard printed with an image of a gingerbread man. Get the tutorial at Life Made Sweeter. And ideally, you shouldn’t move the house for at least 24 hours after you’ve finished it. What I thought would work, end up being a disaster. I make blue and red, you can give colour to gingerbread and it’s beautiful,” she says. Muller relies on a German recipe for molasses gingerbread—one she says she’s been using forever—to create a dark brown cookie. I make the dough, I roll it to a quarter inch [in thickness]. Gingerbread House Hacks : Tips for Easy Construction and Decoration Tuesday, December 8, 2020. The benefit of baking your gingerbread houses is that you have more flexibility in design and control of how your house will look and feel. 1) This will ensure your frosting doesn’t crack (as much) due to internal home temperatures 2) keeping the gingerbread smell fresh and 3)keeping all the items of the house still somewhat fresh for those who want to pick and eat after the celebrations. It can be difficult to re-decorate a piece of gingerbread, so take your time. Once you have your theme and template chosen, its time to think about the candy and decorations that you would like to use. You must purchase the proper baking ingredients for your gingerbread house. Each template should come with walls, doors, roof and window outlines for you to follow. But a quarter inch is fine for the average house.” She cuts the templates a little bigger—an extra quarter inch around—because the type of gingerbread she uses tends to spread once in the oven, and the edges dry quicker than the middle. Updated December 2, 2019, Muller’s gingerbread house, “Perspective”, won second place at the National Gingerbread House Competition in North Carolina in 2019 (Photo: Beatriz Muller). That’s the size that I use unless they’re really big buildings, and then I’ll go a little thicker. In my years of decorating gingerbread houses each Christmas season, I have had plenty of mishaps. Here’s the Never-Fail Gingerbread Recipe and while you’re at it, try a Gingerbread Sugar Scrub or Chewy Gingerbread Cookies! Now, before you start decorating your gingerbread house, it’s important to figure out which route you will take, either baking your gingerbread from scratch or purchasing a pre-made kit. Keep the gingerbread on the parchment paper you baked it on. This will make it plenty durable. “I use real gingerbread, not construction gingerbread [like the ones you find in the gingerbread kits at the store]. Start with your basic gingerbread shape and add icing sugar over the sides (do this in sections so it will remain sticky.) Decorating gingerbread houses makes for a fun craft project that will transport you back to cool winter afternoons as a child, and let your imagination run wild. I focus on the fact that my kids are having a blast. You’re brilliant. You’re bound to find some inspiring ideas for decorating … This post may contain affiliate links. Here are some easy gingerbread house decorating techniques that can transform your drab gingerbread house into a festive home bursting with Christmas cheer! How to make the most beautiful—and delicious—house this season. Most beginner gingerbread house makers, decorate after the house has been built. 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