Gingerbread Houses

This is the recipe I have my students use every year
. The above house was made by two students and was display at the Hyatt Hotel!

Gingerbread Houses:

125 ml (1/2 cup) vegetable shortening
125 ml (1/2 cup) white sugar

1 egg

150 ml (3/4 cup ) molasses

685 ml (2 and 3/4 cups) flour

5 ml (1 t) ground ginger

3 ml (1/2 t.) each of baking soda, salt, ground cloves, and ground cinnamon

In a large bowl and using an electric mixer, beat the shortening with sugar.

Beat in egg and molasses.

In another bowl, stir together flour, ginger, baking soda, salt, cloves and cinnamon.

Using a wooden spoon stir gradually into molasses mixture. Mix well.

Divide dough into two portions.

Roll dough in between two pieces of wax paper until about 5 mm or 1/4 inch thick.

Preheat oven to 160 C or 325 F.

Remove top sheet of wax paper. Cut out your house pieces.
Bake on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper if you have it.

Bake one sheet at a time in the oven for about 10 to 12 minutes.

Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely!

To put the house together, make a royal icing with egg white powder that has been pasteurized!

I put my house together let it set and then ice and decorate with lots of candy.

I like to use frosted mini wheats for the snow-capped roof.

Good luck all!