Recipe: Christmas Cookie House with Decorator Icing (using a gingerbread house mold)

CHRISTMAS COOKIE HOUSE



FOR THE COOKIE DOUGH:
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons Spice Islands Ground Ginger
1/2 teaspoon Spice Islands Ground Saigon Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Spice Islands Ground Allspice
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup Karo Light OR Dark Corn Syrup
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter OR margarine
Gingerbread House Mold*

FOR THE DECORATOR ICING:
3 egg whites OR pasteurized egg whites, at room temperature
1 box (16 ounces) powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon Spice Islands Cream of Tartar

FOR DECORATING:
Assorted candy for decorations such as small colored candies, gumdrops, peppermint candies, or colored sugar crystals colored candies, peppermint candies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

TO PREPARE THE COOKIE DOUGH:
Stir flour, ginger, cinnamon, allspice and salt in a large bowl. Combine corn syrup, brown sugar and butter in a small saucepan; stir over medium heat until butter melts. Stir syrup mixture into flour mixture until well blended. Divide dough in half.

Spray Gingerbread House Mold with cooking spray. Press half of dough into one side of mold. Roll back and forth over mold with a rolling pin to make sure all depressions in mold are completely filled with dough. Trim excess dough from mold.

Bake filled mold 20 to 25 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool 5 minutes; carefully remove cookie pieces from mold. Cool completely on wire racks. Cool mold until it can be handled.

Repeat steps 3 and 4 with remaining half of dough to make second half of house. (Chimney may be omitted unless 2 chimneys are desired.) Excess dough can be rolled on lightly floured surface and cut into shapes to make cookies. Bake cookies on baking sheet at 350 degrees F for 10 to 13 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove from baking sheet; cool on wire rack.

TO PREPARE THE DECORATOR ICING:
Beat all icing ingredients in a large bowl at low speed of electric mixer until blended. Increase to high speed; beat 5 to 7 minutes until stiff peaks form. Icing dries out quickly; keep covered with a damp cloth at all times. Icing may be colored by beating in a few drops of food coloring. Makes about 2 cups.

TO PREPARE THE TO ASSEMBLE HOUSE:
Cover a 13-inch square of heavy cardboard with foil. If desired, draw a 4x4-1/2 inch rectangle in center as a guide for base of house. Fill pastry bag fitted with plain tip with Decorator Icing.

Join walls: Pipe icing along side edge of front wall of house. (Front and back walls have doors. Side walls have pointed tops and windows.) Stand front wall and one side wall on cardboard base, pressing side wall into icing along edge of front wall to form an "L" shape when joined. Pipe extra icing along inside seams for extra strength. Hold in place for a few minutes until icing sets. Repeat steps to form an "L" shape with remaining back wall and side wall. Attach the two "L" shaped pieces together by piping icing along exposed ends; press together carefully to form house. Let stand 10 minutes to set.

Attach roof: Pipe icing along top edges of house. Place roof panels into position, pressing gently into icing to form a peak where panels meet. Pipe icing along top peak to join two roof panels. Hold in place until set. To attach chimney, apply generous amount of icing to back of chimney and press into position at one end of house.

Decorate house: Use icing to accent lines, windows and doors of house and to attach candies to roof and chimney. Add a candy pathway. Decorate cut-out cookie people and attach to base with icing.

*Gingerbread house molds are available from a number of online sources. (Shop for Gingerbread House Molds)

Makes 1 house, 6x6x5-inches high and 6+ cookie people
Source: Karo Syrup, ACH Food Companies, Inc.