Recipe: Mrs. Latour's Best Ever Gingerbread House - Humidity Proof Gingerbread

Humidity Proof Gingerbread

Just don't let your kids eat it, they are liable to end up with a chipped tooth.

MRS. LATOUR'S BEST EVER GINGERBREAD HOUSE
(who is she? I don't know)

3 cups all purpose flour
1 1/8 cups sugar
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 cup honey
3/4 tsp each cinnamon, ground cloves, ginger

Sift all dry ingredients together and mix thoroughly. Combine eggs and honey. Add to dry ingredients. Mixture will be very stiff. If unable to mix, add 1 T. of honey. Do not add too much or the dough will be too sticky. Pat in to a ball. Knead the dough on a floured surface to combine ingredients. Place dough in a bowl, cover tightly and let stand at room temperature a few hours or overnight, until the honey is absorbed. Preheat oven 325 F. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/8" thickness. Dust pattern pieces with flour and lay them on the dough. Cut out with the point of a sharp knife.

Carefully transfer pieces with a spatula to a lightly greased cookie sheet. Baking time 12 minutes for the walls, doors and shutters. 15 minutes for the roof pieces or until gingerbread is lightly brown. Remove immediately from cookie sheet and lay flat on wire rack to cool.


Allow to cool thoroughly before decorating. I roll it out on the cookie sheet instead. This stuff is tough, and if you microwave it for 10 second intervals, it does soften. Try 10 seconds, if not soft enough, 10 more, etc. Also, if you use parchment, it makes it much easier to transfer.