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You are here: Recipes > Gingerbread House with Royal Icing

Gingerbread House with Royal Icing

Inspiration for decorating a Gingerbread House for Christmas, using Royal Icing and Ready to Roll Icing.Tip 1: If you are short on time you could buy a gingerbread kit and use the panels to decorate instead of making from scratch. Tip 2: Leaving enough time for the Royal Icing to set will ensure the house will stay upright and in one piece.Tip 3: Want to create your own design? Do a quick sketch first to capture your ideas, and print off any templates required so you are organised.

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Decorating ingredients

  • 250 g Renshaw Poppy Red Ready to Roll Icing
  • 250 g Renshaw White Ready to Roll Icing
  • 250 g Renshaw Lincoln Green Ready to Roll Icing
  • 250 g Renshaw Teddy Bear Brown Ready to Roll Icing
  • 400 g Renshaw White Royal Icing
  • Prepared gingerbread panels
  • Sweets of your choice - we used Dolly Mixture and Jelly Beans
  • Water, boiled and cooled

Instructions

Step 1

Prepare your equipment; small rolling pin, icing sugar, palette knife, disposable piping bag x1, piping bags either disposable of paper, No 2 piping nozzle, small paintbrush, scissors, spoon, 10” round board, pattern template, tracing paper, pencil, small pin, ruler, small Mr and Mrs Gingerbread (pre-made), small Christmas tree (pre-made), piping gel or edible glue, double sided tape.

Preparing the Royal Icing:

Step 2

Open the pot of Royal Icing and stir the pot with the spoon. Take 1/3 of the pot and half fill a disposable piping bag, with no nozzle attached. Reserve for assembly later on.

Step 3

Next, prepare another piping bag with the no. 2 nozzle.

Step 4

Take a dollop of Royal Icing and paddle it on a clean dry work surface from side to side to remove excess air.

Step 5

Half fill the piping bag with the Royal Icing. Place the tip of the nozzle in a clean, damp cloth to prevent drying out.

Decorating the Panels:

Step 6

Organise the panels of the gingerbread house into front and back panels, 2 side panels and 2 roof panels.

Step 7

To create the roof panels, use a waved roof template to trace the tile design onto tracing paper.

Step 8

Secure this to the first roof panel and trace with the pencil over the reverse side to transfer the print to the gingerbread.

Step 9

Using the no. 3 piping bag, pipe small beading over the top of the markings, working from left to right, top to bottom. Pat down any peaks of Royal Icing with a damp brush. Complete both roof panels and put to one side to set.

Step 10

Next work on the front panel. Using the ruler and the tip of the knife etch 2 central, horizontal lines across the centre of the house. Make sure you leave enough room at the bottom for the door and enough room at the top for the heart detail.

Step 11

Pipe over the top of the etched lines using the no 3 piping bag.

Step 12

Add details as seen in the image of the house.

Step 13

Next, use the same technique above to add detail to the back panel. This time etch lines 1cm apart to fill the back panel. On some of the lines attach the sweets with a small dot of Royal Icing. Add piped hearts, dots, flowers etc. between the other piped lines.

Step 14

On the side panels add a line of sweets attached with a small dot of Royal Icing.

Step 15

Pipe a free hand heart above.

Step 16

Allow all panels to set before assembly.

Step 17

On a clean, dry surface knead 1/8 of the poppy red icing until pliable.

Step 18

Dust the work surface with icing sugar and pin out the icing until 2-3 mm thick.

Step 19

Create the door by cutting 2 adjacent lines 1” apart. Trim the height to 2”, flat on the bottom and arched at the top. Add detail by lightly marking 5 vertical lines up the centre of door with the knife. Stick this to the front panel with a little water.

Step 20

Dust the work surface with icing sugar and pin out the duck egg blue icing until 2-3 mm thick. Cut out 2 small squares and attach either side of the door for the windows.

Step 21

Next knead 1/4 of the pack of Poppy Red Icing and 1/4 of the White Ready Icing. Shape each colour into a long rope and divide into 3. Twist 1/3 of each coloured icing together and roll the combined icings to create a candy cane effect.

Step 22

Attach one of the twisted ropes around the edge of the door to create the frame.

Step 23

Next create the window ledge by attaching the next twisted rope to the base of the window with a small amount of piping gel, trim slightly wider than the window. Use the remaining rope and complete the other window.

Step 24

Then take the last twisted rope, cut in 2 and curve over the tops into candy cane shapes. Attach these together at the top of the house to create the heart effect.

Step 25

Pipe lines for the window frame, and finish off any other detailing on the front including a piped uneven rope for a snowy effect on the tops of the windows.

Assembling the House:

Step 26

Once all panels are set and can be handled. Use the reserved bag of Royal Icing and pipe a thick line 13 from the back of the cake board.

Step 27

Place the back panel straight on this piped line and hold in place (extra pair of hands needed), then pipe a thick line on the inside of the panel for the 2 side panels to be attached. Position these on the outside of those piped lines.

Step 28

Then pipe a thick line of Royal Icing along the front edge of the side panels and attach the front panel.

Step 29

Lastly pipe a thick line on all the edges that will have contact with the roof. Attach the roof panel and pipe a line along the edge that will meet the other roof panel. Then attach the other roof panel. Allow to firm before continuing the decoration (1 hour).

Finishing Touches:

Step 30

To finish the roof detail, pipe a rope along the centre of the roof attaching sweets as you go. Then pipe large dots along the outer edge. Pat down any peaks with a damp brush.

Step 31

To pipe icicles, position the end of the piping just under that roof, start to pipe a large dot, continue with the pressure whilst moving the piping bag downwards. This will stretch the royal icing leaving an icicle effect.

Step 32

Apply Royal Icing to the board using the palette knife, once covered, clean off any excess Royal Icing and then dab through the icing with the palette knife or back of a spoon to create peaks.

Step 33

Attach the pre-made Mr and Mrs Gingerbread and the Christmas tree to the front of the house. We used Teddy Bear Brown Icing to make the gingerbread couple, then decorated with Royal Icing and left to firm up. The tree was made with Lincoln Green icing, rolled into a cone, then snipped with small scissors from bottom to top to create the branches.

Step 34

Attach ribbon around the board with double-sided tape.