Gingerbread House

In a large bowl, whisk together the shortening and boiling water. Add the brown sugar and molasses, and whisk. In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, salt, baking soda and spices. Beat the flour mixture into the molasses mixture until blended. Divide the dough into three portions. Wrap each one tightly in storage wrap and chill overnight.

Trace the full gingerbread house patterns onto waxed paper. Carefully cut them out. Trace the remaining (halved) patterns onto waxed paper as directed on the patterns, and cut them out.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. With a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out one portion of the dough to 1/8-inch thickness directly onto a lightly greased and floured baking sheet.

With a sharp knife, cut out two front and back house pieces. On one piece, score a window and a door. You will fully cut them out later.

Roll out the second portion of the dough. Cut out two 8-1/2-inch x 6-inch rectangles for the roof.

Roll out the third portion of the dough. Position the house side pattern on the dough, and cut out two pieces. On each piece, score two window outlines. Then, cut out one 2-3/8-inch x 1-3/8-inch rectangle for the left side of the chimney and a 1-3/8-inch x 7/8-inch rectangle for the right side of the chimney.

Roll out the scraps to cut out patterns for the sides of the chimney, the sides and roof of the porch, and the front, sides and roofs of the dormers. Score the dormer window outlines.

Bake the gingerbread cottage pieces until they’re lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool the gingerbread pieces for two minutes. Place the cutout patterns over the baked dough and trim off the excess dough with a knife. Cut out the door and windows completely. Set aside the door cutout, but discard the window cutouts. Cool the gingerbread pieces to room temperature on wire racks. Editor’s Tip: Once the gingerbread pieces have cooled, I like to take a Microplane and gently shave any uneven sides so they’re as sharp and even as possible. It makes assembling so much easier!

Prep the royal icing in small batches to avoid it from drying out. For one batch, take out a large bowl and combine 4 cups confectioners' sugar, 3 tablespoons meringue powder, 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar and 6 tablespoons water. Beat on low speed until stiff peaks form, 5 to 10 minutes. Place a damp cloth over the bowl and cover it tightly between uses. Editor’s Tip: Feel free to decorate the gingerbread house pieces before assembling them. It’s easier to decorate on a flat surface than at a 45- or 90-degree angle. However, it does make assembling a tiny bit trickier, so choose whichever feels best for you.

Now it’s time to start assembling the gingerbread house pieces! Pipe royal icing along the base and edges of the front wall and on one side wall. Align the pieces at a right angle, making sure they are as tight as possible, and place them on a cardboard base. Prop the pieces up with small cans so they keep their shape as the royal icing dries. Pipe icing again along the inside and outside edges for added stability. Repeat these steps with the back wall and the second side wall. Let all four pieces dry completely. Remove the cans. Editor’s Tip: Instead of cans, use a cereal box as a guide to ensure you have a 90-degree angle at the corners of your gingerbread cottage.

Generously pipe royal icing along the top edges of the house. Position the roof pieces so there is 5/8-inch overhang in the front and back. Prop the pieces up with cans, and let the royal icing dry completely.

On waxed paper, assemble the two dormers, one chimney and one porch roof with royal icing, using cans for propping as needed. Let the royal icing dry completely. Attach the dormers and chimney to the roof and attach the porch roof to the front wall with the royal icing, holding each for at least one minute or until set. Let the royal icing dry completely. Attach the front door to the front wall with royal icing.

Now that the base of your house is all set up, it’s time to turn up that Christmas playlist and decorate to your heart’s content! Place wafers or breakfast cereals as edible shingles for the roof, use royal icing to glue candies on the walls, place candy canes or peppermint sticks along the house's corners, and pipe on a Christmas wreath with green and red frosting. The only limit is your creativity, so have fun. We’ve linked some really great gingerbread house ideas below if you need a bit of inspo to get started.