Gingerbread House Recipe & Frosting - Gluten-Free!

Making homemade gingerbread houses lathered with frosting and an excessive amount of candy has been a family tradition for years.  It turned out to be one of those really easy recipe conversions - and I find I don't even need to bother chilling the dough to press it out in a buttered cookie sheet.  It is easier to work with if I chill the dough first, but I'm generally looking for ways to cut corners.  Either way you do it, this cooks up wonderfully tasty and nice and firm. Perfect for making sturdy gingerbread houses that can hold a great quantity of candy. There's always little extra bits that we snack on.  You can even chill, roll and cut for shaped gingerbread cookies.  I've posted my instructions for gingerbread cookies here.  Same batter, just cooked for less time.  Have fun and enjoy! 

The instructions here make mini gingerbread houses, but you can easily scale up the measurements and make one big house instead.  We love making little houses since it means everyone gets to decorate their own gingerbread house.  

Gingerbread House Recipe & Frosting (another family recipe)

Makes 3-4 small gingerbread houses - yes, you can make larger houses with this recipe.  Give the dough an extra 5 minutes of baking if you're going to make larger houses.

Gingerbread:

Butter a cookie sheet OR line it with parchment paper and butter the edges (MY Favorite way).  Preheat oven to 300F/130C.  (If you'd rather chill your dough, you can wait and preheat your oven later)

Prepare the dough as followings and chill for an hour or two (chilling dough is optional!)  I find if I work quickly I can just press it in the pan and cook right away, which saves me time - but it is easier to work with and not as sticky if you chill it first)

In a mixer, combine with a paddle attachment (not a whisk attachment!): 
2 3/4 c Kristin's Gluten-Free Flour Mix (OR  1 ½ cup brown rice flour, ½ cup corn starch, ½ cup tapioca starch, ¼ cup potato starch + 1 tsp xanthan gum – OR your favorite GF flour mix (provided it contains some xanthan gum))
1/3 cup brown sugar

3 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ginger

1/8 tsp cloves

Add and mix in until nicely combined: 

1/2 cup oil

2/3 cup molasses

1 egg:

Press out dough on greased cookie sheet (no thicker than ½ inch) and bake for 25-30 minutes.  (You can use buttered hands to help press down if you find it sticky)

After removing the pan from the oven, place house patterns on hot gingerbread and cut immediately!  (House pattern below)

Carefully lift out pieces and cool on cake rack.   The gingerbread will be very hard when cool (if not, the pieces can be put back on the cookie sheet and baked another 5-10 minutes).  Note: the roof sections can break off if the dough is not thoroughly baked.

House pattern: make out of card stock or cardboard (I usually just cut apart a cereal box)

Roof: 3 x 2 ½ inches (cut 2)

Front: 3 x 2 ½ inches (cut roofline and door)

Back: same as front but without door

Sides: 2 x 2 ½ inches (cut 2)

Royal Icing:

Beat the following in a grease-free bowl until stiff: (If needed, add a bit more confectioner’s sugar (very slowly) until desired thickness)

3 egg whites (make sure NO yolk is in whites)

1 lb. confectioner’s sugar

½ tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp vanilla

Keep bowl covered at all times with damp cloth because this icing dries fast and becomes hard (the better to hold houses covered in candy together!)  You can pipe this frosting on, or you can just use a knife to apply (which we tend to do since we're working with little kids). Enjoy!

Candy ready for decorating!

Eating is the best part.

We love making tiny houses so everyone gets to decorate their own mini gingerbread house!

Gingerbread House Recipe & Frosting - Gluten Free! By Successfully Gluten Free!