Recipe: Stoneware Gingerbread House Mold Recipe

Here is the base recipe and instructions that came with a stoneware gingerbread house mold that I have:

Before using the Gingerbread House Mold for the first time, wash in clear, warm water and towel dry. Now you are ready to bake!

Gingerbread Base
(To get the correct number of pieces, fill and bake the mold with gingerbread twice. It is only necessary to fill the chimney section once.)

3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened*
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg yolk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease mold with vegetable oil spray. Blot out excess oil with paper towel. Set aside. Combine flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar at high speed until light and fluffy. Add molasses and egg yolk and beat until smooth. Gradually add flour mixture and continue to beat until dough is thoroughly combined. Dough will be stiff and slightly dry. Gather dough into a large ball. Press half of dough firmly into greased mold. Wrap remaining dough in plastic wrap. Level off back of dough in mold using a serrated knife. Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Place a cooling rack over surface of mold. Flip mold and cooling rack together to unmold house pieces directly onto the rack. Let mold cool completely before refilling and baking. Lightly grease mold again before refilling.

*Do not substitute margarine for butter in this recipe.

Royal Icing
(This sticky icing acts as the "mortar" to hold the house together.)

1/4 cups powdered sugar
1 egg white (if eating use pasteurized egg white or reconstituted egg white powder)
1/8 teaspoon cream of tarter

Place all ingredients in a small, non-plastic mixing bowl. Beat on high speed until frosting is glossy and holds peaks, about 5 minutes. This frosting dries very quickly, so cover with plastic wrap when not being used. Frosting may be tinted with food coloring if desired.

Yield: approximately 1 cup. If covering large areas of the house with frosting, you may need to make two batches.

Allow the mold to cool completely before cleaning. If the mold is washed while still warm it may break. Wash the mold in clear, hot water. Do not use soap when cleaning the mold.

More help and ideas for assembling and decorating your house visit our Gingerbread House Workshop.