Gingerbread house

Another holiday tradition at our house is to bake, assemble, and decorate gingerbread houses. This year, we decided we would just do one house and share the decorating. I don't really like the strong flavor of most gingerbread recipes, so here is the one I use:

Gingerbread dough ingredients:
3 3/8 cups flour
1/2 Tbsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup butter

In a saucepan, heat the brown sugar, corn syrup, and butter until the butter is completely melted and set aside. Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl and slowly add the sugar mixture until blended. Chill the dough until it's easy to handle, then roll out and cut into house pieces. Bake the gingerbread in a preheated 350 degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes.

When the pieces are completely cooled, I use royal icing on all of the seams to hold the house together and let it set up overnight. The next day, we use vanilla buttercream frosting to adhere the candy to the house.

First up, the candy selection:



Here is the house, assembled and glued together with royal icing, left to dry overnight:



...and finally, the finished house. Not a portion left undecorated!