Karen Gordon: Haunted Victorian gingerbread mansions can be fun and tasty

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I’ve been obsessed with Gingerbread houses ever since I first heard the story, Hansel and Gretel, by the Brothers Grimm. The idea of an edible house is simply magical.

For Halloween, I decided to create a haunted Victorian gingerbread mansion, complete with spooky tree, a resident ghost bride, tombstones and even miniature meringue bones; all edible, however, a little spookier looking than the fairy tale version.

Building a gingerbread house from scratch isn’t something you do, at the spur of the moment. It does take a bit of planning. If you’ve never built one before, it’s a lot of fun and a creative way to spend a couple of evenings. Here are 10 tips to help you build your gingerbread house.

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1: Start early! If you’re planning on building a haunted gingerbread house for Halloween, then this weekend is a great time to start. For reference, this house and all the details, took me about five days to complete.

2: You need a strong foundation! Not all gingerbread recipes are conducive for house building. To erect a structure, you need construction gingerbread dough which contains a lot more flour than your usual gingerbread cookie. While this recipe makes a hard and crunchy cookie, it is flavourful and delicious.

#3: Print and cut out your gingerbread house pattern ahead of time. While it may appear that you can “wing it” and cut out your dough on the fly, it is recommended that you print out your template, and trim it to size before you roll out your dough. This will help ensure that your gingerbread house will fit together nicely after baking. Google “simple gingerbread house template” for ideas and inspirations.

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4: Roll out your dough on parchment paper, with an adjustable rolling pin. To prevent tearing, place your gingerbread dough on a large, well-floured, piece of parchment paper. Generously flour the top of the dough, then using an adjustable rolling pin, roll out the dough to 1/8 of an inch thickness. Place your house pattern on the dough and working with an exacto knife or a sharp paring knife, cut out the template. Then, using a pair of scissors, trim the parchment paper to within 2 inches of the dough. Transfer the dough onto the baking sheet by using the parchment paper as handles. Bake the dough with the parchment paper attached.

5: Use royal icing to keep your house upright. There’s nothing worse than watching your gingerbread house slowly collapse. Royal icing, a mixture of confectioner’s sugar, cream of tartar and egg whites, whipped to a stiff consistency, will help keep your house together. Since royal icing dries quickly, it is important that you cover it with a damp paper towel when you’re not using.

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6: Use a sturdy base. Before you begin assembling your gingerbread house, select a sturdy base like a cardboard cake board or a cutting board. Plates, unfortunately, don’t work well due to their slight concave profile. Whatever you choose, do not cover your base with aluminum foil as the foil can easily tear and detach itself from the base. Always attach your gingerbread house directly onto the base.

7: Use a piping bottle to create details. My favourite way to pipe is with a piping bottle, outfitted with a piping tip, that I can hold and write like a pen. Using a piping bottle allows me to have better control when it comes to piping details on my gingerbread house.

8: Decorate the pieces before you assemble the house. It’s easier to decorate your gingerbread pieces when they are flat. Go ahead and decorate the walls, roof and any other structural pieces to within a ¼” of the edge. However, be careful not to overload the pieces with too much candy as gravity will prevent them from staying upright during assembly. Allow the pieces to dry fully. Once dried, pipe an “L” on the base with royal icing. Place two gingerbread house walls directly in the icing, then use a glass or two to help prop the walls upright. Allow this to dry before repeating with the remaining walls. For additional support, apply a row of icing on the outside wall where the walls meet, as well as on the inside wall. Allow the four walls to dry completely before adding the roof. To prevent the roof from sliding off, help prop them in place with a couple of glasses until the icing is dry. Add a generous row of icing where the top of the roof meets.

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9: If using sugar glass for windowpanes, pour your sugar on a dry day, and no earlier than two days before displaying your creation. While sugar glass is beautiful, it is rather finicky. Not only does it burn quickly in the microwave, but it’s also highly susceptible to the environment. If it’s been raining and there’s moisture in the air, sugar glass will begin to weep within a day or two. The melting sugar will seep into your gingerbread structure and will cause your house to weaken and collapse.

10: Allow your imagination to run wild when decorating your gingerbread house. For my haunted gingerbread house, I used sunflower seeds for roof thatching, black licorice string for roof spires, shredded wheat for the grass, and bran flakes for fallen leaves. Get creative! But whatever you choose use, be sure to lay them out in bowls ahead of time, for easy assembly.

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For more images of this haunted halloweenscape, as well as the templates and full instructions, please visit karentology.com

Construction Gingerbread Recipe

2-1/2 tbs (32g) shortening, room temperature

1/4 cup (86g) light or fancy molasses

1/8 cup plus 1 tbs (42g) brown sugar

1-1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1-1/8 cup (135g) all-purpose flour

1/8 tsp cloves

1/8 tsp allspice

1 tsp ground ginger

1-1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp salt

In a stand mixer, add shortening, molasses, brown sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed until light and creamy.

In another bowl, whisk together flour, cloves, allspice, ground ginger, cinnamon, and salt.

Gradually add the flour mixture to the shortening mixture, mixing in between until a dough is formed.

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Divide the dough into 2 pieces.  Working with 1 piece at a time, on a well-floured piece of parchment paper, roll out the dough with a rolling pin to 1/8” thickness.

Using a template and an exacto knife or sharp paring knife, cut out the shape of the house plus windows and doors. Remove dough scraps. Using a pair of scissors, cut the parchment paper to within 2 inches of the dough. Set aside and continue working on the other pieces.

Repeat for the rest of the walls and the roof.

Using the parchment paper as handles, lift and transfer the dough onto a cookie sheet, placing them 3 inches apart. Do not remove the parchment paper.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Working with 1 tray at a time, transfer the baking sheet into the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until dark golden brown.

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Remove the tray from the oven and allow the pieces to cool slightly on the cookie tray before moving them onto a cooling rack to continue cooling.

Once cooled, store in an airtight container until ready to decorate. Decorate with Royal Icing.

For royal icing

2 large egg whites

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

3 cups confectioners’ sugar

Add egg whites to a mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, whisk egg whites and cream of tartar until light and frothy. Add 1/2 cup of confectioners’ sugar at a time and mix on low until the sugar has been fully incorporated. Increase speed to high and beat until icing is very thick and forms stiff peaks. Transfer to a piping bottle or bag and use immediately.

Makes 1 simple gingerbread house

Karen Gordon is a Food Blogger from North Vancouver who shares her recipe creations online at karentology.com and on Instagram at @karen.t.ology