Building a Gingerbread House from Scratch

Spread it over two days

Most collapses come from rushing. Mix the dough the evening before. It needs at least 2 hours in the fridge and is easier to roll after a night. If you can, bake the pieces a day ahead too, so they dry and harden overnight. That leaves assembly and decorating as one relaxed afternoon with the kids. One batch makes one house with a footprint of about 6 x 5 inches (15 x 13 cm), with scraps left for a door or trees. For a bigger house or two houses, double everything. For a group of kids, make mini houses at half the template size instead. One batch makes about 4, and each child gets their own roof to load with candy. Plan one icing batch per 2 minis if they decorate heavily.

Bake for strength, not softness

• Construction dough uses very little baking soda so it doesn't puff. Roll it to an even 1/4 inch (6 mm) directly on parchment, so you never have to lift raw pieces and stretch them out of shape. Dough straight from the fridge cracks, so let it sit 10 minutes first. Then chill the cut pieces 10 minutes before baking to keep the edges sharp.
• A piece is done when the edges are a shade darker and the center doesn't dent when you press it, usually after 12-15 minutes at 350°F (175°C). An underbaked piece bows and sags later, so a couple of extra minutes is the safer mistake.
• Trim while hot. This is an adult job. Lay the paper template back on each piece the minute it comes out of the oven and recut the edges with a sharp knife. Once it cools, gingerbread snaps instead of cutting, and slightly puffed edges are why walls don't meet.

Glue in stages

Royal icing is your cement. It's right when a peak stands straight up without flopping. It crusts within minutes, so keep the bowl under a damp towel. Put the walls up first and give them 30-60 minutes, until a gentle nudge doesn't move the seams, before adding the roof. Give the roof at least another hour (overnight is ideal) before kids press heavy candy onto it. Sorting candy into bowls fills that wait. Soup cans make good props while things set. With very young helpers, decorate the front and side walls while they lie flat on the table. Let the decorations dry an hour, then assemble. The dough contains raw egg and flour, so keep little fingers out of the unbaked bowl.

Shortcuts and regional swaps

• Short on time or decorating with toddlers: buy pre-baked kit pieces and make only your own royal icing, which holds far better than kit icing. Graham crackers (or any flat rectangular biscuit outside the US) glued to a milk carton also work for little ones.
• No meringue powder (common in the UK and Australia): in the UK, royal icing sugar already contains dried egg white and only needs water as the packet says. Otherwise use 2 pasteurized egg whites, 4 cups (480 g) icing sugar and 1/2 tsp lemon juice instead of the powder and water.
• In the UK, use black treacle for molasses and plain flour for all-purpose. Avoid blackstrap molasses anywhere, as it tastes bitter. In Australia, December heat and humidity soften gingerbread, so bake and assemble somewhere air-conditioned and keep the house out of direct sun.