Create a gingerbread house from scratch!
- 1-cup light corn syrup
- 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a small pan, cook corn syrup, brown sugar
and vegetable shortening over medium heat, stirring until smooth. In a large
bowl, combine flour, ginger and cinnamon. Mix well. Add corn syrup mixture,
stirring until dough forms. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough -
maximum thickness for dough should be 3/8-inch. For houses larger than 6 inches
square, use 1/4-inch thickness and for smaller houses, use 1/8-inch.
Weight-bearing walls should be just slightly thicker. Cut out shapes; place 1
inch apart on baking sheets. Bake 10 to 15 minutes. Place sheets on racks; cool
slightly. Trim cookies; cool completely.
(You can make the gingerbread ahead of time, making sure to let it
thoroughly cool in a dry area before wrapping securely to store. Be sure to
allow plenty of time to put the pieces together.)
