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Gingerbread House Party

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Throw the best birthday party ever!

by: Mary Ann Ross and Kimberly Lainson

Whether pre-bought from a local bakery or made fresh in your oven, Gingerbread Houses give your children and teenagers the opportunity to transform your home with wonderful aromas and festive decorations that are oh so good enough to eat…. they love being creative and enjoy it all the more when they can eat their art supplies. From the very simple designs for those busy moms and dads to challenging art project for those artists among us, we’ve got it all. We’ve also included some gingerbread recipes for holiday gifts, Hanukkah and potlucks… Let the decorating begin!!!

Graham Crackers - 

Milk or juice carton base

 

 

 
Gingerbread Flat Sheets from Wilton Cookie Molds

 
Log Cabin Directions

 

Not an architect or contractor? You don’t have to be to make gingerbread houses. Use orange juice and milk cartons and decorate with plain graham crackers, frosting and candies. Shoe boxes and other sturdy boxes are perfect as the structure and by adding a cardboard angled roof and voila, instant house ready to be cemented with a basic white frosting and gingerbread siding.

Too busy to bake? Ask your local bakery to make you gingerbread "sheets" for walls, roofs and doors. If you feel challenged by this adventure, a local craft stores and mail order catalogues have gingerbread house molds that make it easy to create your building. Don’t forget the fabulous Rice Krispies treat recipe, these easily mold to shapes. Put holiday ginger potpourri in your teakettle on a low burner on your stove and it will fill the house with the aromas of the season.

Too busy but want to bake? Use a gingerbread mix from your grocery store.

Children’s Party? Sure, why not. Make it simple by taking the no-bake alternative and using graham crackers, prepared store-bought frostings, mini candy decorations and milk cartons. Create a one-sided gingerbread house invitations from brown construction paper and trim with buttons, scraps of material, lace trim and write the party details on the back. Prepare a work area by laying down plastic tablecovers and give each child a large white Styrofoam plate as their personal palette. Allow 1 to 1-1/2 hours for decorating and be sure to encourage the children with ideas (see below). Everyone wins an award, such as "most beautiful", "most frosting used", "most holiday decorations", "cleverest", etc. The children will take their artwork home with them, so for refreshments, present each guest with a gingerbread boy or gingerbread girl with their name in frosting on it or pancakes in the shape of gingerbread boys and girls. Remember to have lots of hot chocolate and whipped cream! While the children are eating their treats, read them the Gingerbread Boy story (see end of this article).

 

 

"Foundation"

Cover your work area with a plastic tablecover or waxed paper for easy clean up. If your house will have an outside (lawn, gardens, etc.), use a large heavy-duty piece of cardboard covered in aluminum foil. For smaller versions, use large Styrofoam white plates. Be sure to use basic white frosting to "cement" your house, trees, lampposts, etc. to the base.

"Blueprints"
You will find plans for one-room house, Victorian house, chapel, country store, log cabin to help you build your gingerbread house. Offer suggestions to the children that a gingerbread house can also be Santa’s Workshop, a reindeer barn, Mrs. Claus’s kitchen, toy shop or even a replica of your own home. If you live in the big city, then why not make an apartment building using a tall milk container and adding lots of windows.

"Building Supplies"

Bread sticks (logs, rafters and beams), shredded wheat cereal (thatched roofs), wafer cookies (roofing tiles), mini chocolate candy bars (doors, shutters and shingles), Candy Kisses (church bell and roof decorations), lollipops (road sings), jelly beans (fireplace stones), fruit leathers (window shades), ice cream cones (trees), and candy canes with gumdrops (lamp posts) are just some ideas. For a more complete list of building supplies and their uses, click here.

"Construction and Finishing Touches"

Step by Step instructions are all laid out but remember to let the kids have fun… and enjoy the mistakes because it will cause even more creativity that you would ever have imagined!

General Plans

Dormers and Windows

Set-up time: Allow gingerbread structures/frosting to dry overnight so they will be stable.

"Landscaping"

Flower cake decorations (garden), gumdrops (bushes), brown sugar (walkways and flowerbeds), pretzel sticks (fence posts), nuts (stones) and rock candy (rocks).

"Christmas Decorations"

Use Life Savers (wreaths), Red Hots and M&M candies (Christmas tree balls), white frosting (snow), powdered sugar (frost), melted hard candies (stained glass windows), colored sprinkles (Christmas lights), Fruit Loop cereal (Christmas railings) and marshmallows (snowmen) are some ideas.

"People and Animals"
Animal Crackers (add scarf decorations), Graham Cracker Teddy Bears (decorate in Santa suits), buy ready made from your bakery and for homemade, use cookie cutters or trace stencils onto cardstock and use for pattern on the cookie dough. Using a little blob of frosting, the people and animals will stand up on the base or to the sides of the house.

 

BASIC GINGERBREAD RECIPE

ROYAL ICING CEMENT (not edible)

ALMOST BUTTERCREAM CEMENT (edible)

FONDANT (to make ornaments)

 

 

GINGERBREAD GIFT RECIPES

Good Old Fashioned Gingerbread Cake

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
3/4 salad oil
1 cup molasses
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
2-1/2 cups sifted all purpose flour
2 well beaten eggs

Topping for Gingerbread:

4 tablespoons melted butter
4 tablespoons flour
1 cup brown sugar
4 tablespoons cinnamon (or less if desired)
1 cup nuts (optional)

 

Directions:

Combine ingredients in the order given, dissolving the soda in the hot water. Turn into a greased square or oblong pan and bake in a moderate oven, 350 degrees, about 40 minutes.

Topping for Gingerbread

Put it on top of the gingerbread batter before baking.

This recipe is from old Cookbook
Author Unknown

 

Hanukkah Gingerbread Box

 

Celebrate the Festival of Lights with this cute gingerbread box. This is a great gift for children to give to one another and can be filled with a dreidel or gold chocolate coins.

Materials Needed:

Gingerbread, frosting in white, blue and gold. Coins or other items to fill it with. Cardboard and scissors

 

Directions:

First create a box model with the cardboard and use this as a stencil for the gingerbread dough before baking or use a cardboard box with cement frosting to adhere gingerbread cookies or graham crackers. Decorate the sides and tops, perhaps create a menorah with lights using prepackaged frosting. Fill with gold chocolate coins, candy or a dreidel and tie.

Gingerbread Drops

Ingredients:

1 cup shortening
1-1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/3 cup molasses
2 eggs
1 tablespoon milk
3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Directions:

Beat shortening in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. Beat till well combined. Beat in molasses, eggs, and milk till combines. Beat in as much flour as you can with mixer. Stir in any remaining flour with a wooden spoon. Stir in raisins and nuts. Drop dough by rounded teaspoons onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a 375-degree oven about 8 minutes or until bottoms are lightly brown. Cool on wire racks.
Makes about 90 cookies

 

Gingerbread Baked in Jars

Ingredients:
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (hold the spoon over the 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves / bowl and shake.
3/4 cup margarine, softened
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup molasses

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325-degrees (NO higher).
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda,
baking powder, salt, ginger, cinnamon and cloves.
Stir in margarine, water and molasses until well blended. Divide batter among the 5 jars (they should be about 1/2 full). Place jars onto a cookie sheet or they'll tip over. Bake in preheated 325-degree oven for 35 minutes or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Move the jars around in the oven while they're baking, so they'll bake evenly. Have your HOT lids ready. Take one jar at a time from the oven and place a lid on, then the ring. Tightly screw on lids. Allow jars to cool on your countertop. Once the jars are cool, decorate with round pieces of cloth. Unscrew the ring (the lid should be sealed by now) and place a few cotton balls or a wad of batting on top of the lid (makes it poof-y on top) then a piece of cloth (about 3" larger than the lid) on top and screw the ring back on. Decorate as desired.

Gingerbread Dough in a Blender

Ingredients:

1 stick margarine, cut in slices
1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon iodized salt
1-3/4 cup flour
1 egg
vanilla ice cream

Directions:

Heat oven to 350°F. Put butter, water, molasses, sugar and ginger in blender container. Blend until smooth. Add rest of ingredients (NOT ice cream) and blend until smooth. Pour into greased 9-inch pan and bake for 45 minutes

 

Quaker Oats Gingerbread Men

Ingredients:

1 cup butter or margarine; softened
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 egg
1/3 cup molasses
3 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1-1/2 Cup Quaker Oats, uncooked -- (quick or old-fashioned)

Directions:

Beat butter until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating until fluffy. Add egg; beat until light and fluffy. Blend in molasses. Sift together flour, soda, salt and spices. Add to creamed mixture; blend well. Stir in oats. Chill dough at least 1 hour. Roll out on lightly floured board or canvas to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut with floured gingerbread man cutter. Place on greased cookie sheets. Bake in preheated moderate oven (350 degrees F.) 10 to 12 minutes; cool. Decorate with confectioners' sugar frosting, red cinnamon candies, semi-sweet chocolate pieces and raisins.

 

More, More and… MUCH MORE!!!!

23 Gingerbread Recipes

http://www.neosoft.com/
recipes/cakes/

 

 

20 Gingerbread House Photos

http://www.gingerbreadlane.com
/showcase.html

 

Virtual Gingerbread Houses, Gingerbread Boy, Girl and Teddy Bear to send e/mail

Michael’s Arts & Craft Store

http://www.michaels.com/crafts
/ginger.html

 

History of Gingerbread

http://wwwiz.com/issue04
/wiz_d04.html

 

NECCO Wafer Gingerbread House

http://www.necco.com
/gingerhouse.htm

 

Replica of Chateau Frontenac Mansion

And a German Gingerbread House

http://www.culture.fr/culture/noel/
angl/legimg/epice.htm

Unbelievable what you can do with gingerbread… how about a gingerbread boat? Gingerbread Carousel? Gingerbread Windmill? They’ve got them plus Noah’s Ark and a Barnyard. You’ve got to check out this fabulous site filled with information, photos and how-to’s

The KitchenLink.com

http://www.kitchenlink.com/cgi/
public_frames?page=holiday/gingerbreadphotos

 

Cookie "Casa" (a must see photo)

Virtual Texan

http://www.virtualtexan.com
/food/cookie.htm

 

Triscuit Teddy House

http://www.nabiscorecipes.com
/recipeBox?op=2502&recipe=41722&rev=0

 

Tudor House (a must see photo)
Collette’s Bakery

http://homearts.com/gh/food
/c8ghgb16.htm

 

Charming Candy House

Takes the Cake Bakery

http://www.nabiscorecipes.com/
recipeBox?op=2502&recipe=41722&rev=0

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Gingerbread Man
A story from long, long ago…

Once upon a time a little old woman and a little old man lived in a little old house. One day the little old woman decided to make a gingerbread man. She cut him out of dough and put him in the oven to bake. After a while she said to herself, "That gingerbread man must be ready by now. "She opened the oven door. Up jumped the gingerbread man, and away he ran, out the front door. As he ran he shouted, "Run, run, as fast as you can, You can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man!" The little old woman ran, but she couldn't catch the gingerbread man. He ran past the little old man, who was working in the garden. "Run, run, as fast as you can, You can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man!" The little old man ran, but he couldn't catch the gingerbread man. The gingerbread man ran past the cow at the well. "Run, run, as fast as you can, You can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man!" The cow ran...but she couldn't catch that gingerbread man. He ran between two picnicking bears. "Run, run, as fast as you can, You can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man!" The bears jumped up and ran after him. They ran, and ran... but they couldn't catch that gingerbread man! Soon, the gingerbread man came to a fox lying by the side of a river. He shouted, "Run, run, as fast as you can, You can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man!" I've run away from a little old woman, a little old man, a cow, and two picnicking bears, and I can run away from you! But the sly fox just laughed and said, "If you don't get across this river quickly, you will surely get caught. Hop on my tail, and I'll carry you across." The gingerbread man saw that he had no time to lose. He quickly hopped onto the fox's tail. "The water's getting deep," said the fox. "Climb up on my back so you won't get wet." And the gingerbread man did. "Oh," said the fox. "The water's even deeper! Climb up on my head so you won't get wet!" And the gingerbread man did. "It's too deep!" cried the fox. "Climb onto my nose so you won't get wet!"And the gingerbread man did... Then, with a flick of his head, the fox tossed the gingerbread man into his mouth. His jaws snapped shut... and that was the end of the gingerbread man!

 



 

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