Title: Holiday (Gingerbread) Cookie House
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 whole wheat flour
- 1 1/4 white flour
- 1 1/2 cinnamon
- 1 ground ginger
- 1 ground nutmeg
- 1/2 butter
- 1/4 honey
- 1/2 molasses
- 1 egg
- 2 cream of tartar
- 1/2 honey
- 1/4 vanilla
- 2 instant nonfat dry milk powder
- 2 cream of tartar
- 2 honey
- 1/4 vanilla
- 1/4 instant nonfat dry milk powder
- 2
- 1
Instructions:
1. In Addition you will need: flat baking sheet, parchment paper or foil, lightweight cardboard, pencil, scissors, sharp knife, 9 inch square piece of heavy cardboard, Pastry bag with writing tip and star tip, candies, nuts, raisins, etc for decorating.
2. Sift together dry ingredients in a med bowl.
3. In a large bowl, beat butter until fluffy.
4. Beat in honey, molasses and egg.
5. With floured hands, work flour mix into moist ingredients until well mixed.
6. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.
7. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
8. Roll dough out onto it.
9. Return to fridge for 1 hour.
10. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
11. Trace on the lightweight cardboard outlines of a roof rectangle, 2 1/2"x4 1/2", front/back rectangle, 4 1/2"x3" and side pieces with a roof point on one end, 2 3/4" wide, 3" from bottom to diagnal cut, 2" at an angle to make the roof point.
12. Place the cut out pieces on the rolled out dough and cut around them with a sharp knife point, twice for piece, leaving the cut out dough on the pan and removing the dough between the pieces.
13. (you can roll this dough out for cookies) Make a tree for the yard if desired.
14. Bake on middle shelf until edges are slightly browned.
15. 10 to 12 minutes.
16. Remove from oven and cool completely on wire racks.
17. Make the decorator frosting by beating the egg whites and cream of tartar together until frothy.
18. Beat in honey and vanilla.
19. Slowly add dry milk, beating until stiff and glossy.
20. Place 1/2 of the frosting into a pastry bag with the writing tip.
21. Cover the rest as this frosting hardens quickly.
22. Draw on your doors and windows.
23. (if the frosting is too thick, thin slightly with honey. If not thick enough, beat in more dry milk) Line the edges of the cookie pieces as you work, gluing the house together and onto the foil covered heavy cardboard.
24. You will have to hold each piece together for about 2 minutes to allow frosting to dry and hold.
25. Tint the rest of the frosting with food coloring to finish decorating your house.
26. Maybe a wreath for the front door, curtains in the windows and to color in the door or to paint your house (thin out to brush on the paint, paint in thin layers, drying between layers) To make the vanillia frosting for snow and icicles, etc.
27. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until frothy.
28. Beat in honey and vanilla.
29. Gradually beat in dry milk.
30. If icing is not firm enough, add more milk.
31. Outline all the joints and the eaves (where the roof joins the house) of your house with this frosting.
32. If desired, form the icicles with the writing tip under the roof and outline the roof with candies or nuts by pushing them into the icing.
33. Beat about 1/2 cup of the dried milk into remaining frosting.
34. Spread out around the house creating snow.
35. Place candies or nuts creating a walk to the door.
36. Make"snowdrifts" in front of the windows.
37. Push trees into drifts.
38. To make a snowman, roll a 3/4 inch and 1/2 inch icing balls between your palms, pressing the two together.
39. Use small bits of nuts or candies to make his face.
40. Lightly press the snowman into the snow in the front yard, adding more frosting to secure him in place if necessary.
41. Roll out 2 long pieces of icing between palms to make snowdrifts and place them on each side of the walk.
42. Let house dry for 24 hours.