December 25, Gingerbread House

Ingredients

2x 3 and 3/4 cups plain flour
2x 1 and 1/2 tsp baking soda
2x 3/4 tsp brown sugar
2x 1/2 tsp ginger
2x 190g butter
2x 3/4 cup golden syrup

4 cups icing sugar
3 egg whites
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
Pebbles
Coloured drinking marshmallows
2 raspberry liquorice
1 pappermint candy lolly
1 candy cane

Method

Preheat oven to 180C.
Place first lots of flour, baking soda, ginger, butter and golden syrup in a food processor until ingredients mix together.
Put first mixture to one side then mix the second lots of flour, baking soda, ginger, butter and golden syrup in a food processor.
(You can use a mixer rather than a food processor, however, it takes longer).
Knead together both lots of mixture then press into lined/greased slice trays (i used 27 x 18 cm tray).
Cook each tray for 25 minutes.

Cut like this:



Icing

Whisk egg white till they for soft peaks.
Add icing sugar 1 tablespoon while still whisking.
Mix in remaining baking soda.

Putting it together

Hold walls in place using tall jars while piping icing into gaps.
Leave jars in place overnight while icing sets.

Decorate as below:



Pink sides = raspberry licorice
Marshmellows as guttering
Pebbles for door knob and window
Peppermint candy for window above door
Candy cane for door arch

Thanks to the Donna Hay magazine for gingerbread recipe (donnahay.com).