The iconic gingerbread house, a bit of confectionery magic, can be a fun activity for the whole family. Todd Naster, from the Culinary Institute of America shows Harry Smith and Julie Chen how.
Some notes about making the house:
Working quickly is very important as Royal Icing dries very fast once it has been piped. In order to keep it from hardening while you are working with it, store the icing in a sealed container with a damp paper towel directly on its surface.
If you don't have a pastry bag available, simply use a heavy duty resealable plastic bag with one small corner cut off for the piping tip, to decorate your house.
Be sure to let your assembled gingerbread house dry for at least one hour before adding the candy decorations. This way, you can ensure that the weight of the candies will not collapse your structure before the Royal Icing has set.
If the Royal Icing seems too thick, it can be thinned with a tablespoon of water.
It is best not to rush this process and to allow plenty of time between assembly steps so that the Royal Icing can properly dry.
For ease of piping, designs such as latticework can be piped on the pieces before gluing them together, but no candy should be placed until the house is assembled. The weight from the candy could make the house more likely to fall down while the icing dries.
Looking for healthier options when it comes to gingerbread house decorations? Try nuts, raisins, pretzels, dried fruit, or any other snacks that are readily available in the bulk foods section of most supermarkets.
Once you have completed decorating the gingerbread house, spread any leftover icing onto the base to look like snow.
Any leftover Royal Icing should be thrown out once the house is decorated, as it contains raw egg white, and should not be saved for later use.
For a finishing touch, sift a little bit of powdered sugar over the house for a "freshly fallen snow" look.
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