Decorative gingerbread house

Ingredients

• 250 g All‑purpose flour (Sift before use)
• 125 g Unsalted butter (At room temperature, very soft)
• 100 g Brown cane sugar (vergeoise) (If unavailable, replace with brown sugar)
• 1 Egg (At room temperature)
• 2 g Baking soda (About ½ teaspoon)
• 1 pincée Salt
• 10 g Gingerbread spice mix (About 1 tablespoon)
• 30 g Honey (Liquid, preferably mild)
• 100 g Ready‑made royal icing (Add 15 g water before use)
• 15 g Water (To rehydrate the ready royal icing)
• 10 cm² Edible gelatin sheets (Cut to window size)

Instructions

1. Prepare the gingerbread dough

   In the bowl, mix the flour, brown sugar, salt, baking soda and spice mix. Add the softened butter and work with your fingertips until a sandy texture forms. Incorporate the egg and honey, then mix until a homogeneous dough forms.

   Time: PT15M

2. Chill

   Form a ball with the dough, wrap it in plastic film and place it in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

   Time: PT1H

3. Roll out the dough

   On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to about 4 mm thickness using a rolling pin.

   Time: PT15M

4. Cut the pieces

   Use the cookie cutters from the kit to cut out walls, roof, windows and decorations (queens, fir trees, etc.). Reserve the scraps for other cuts.

   Time: PT20M

5. Prepare the baking sheet

   Place the cutouts on a sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

   Time: PT5M

6. Bake

   Bake the sheet in the preheated oven at 180°C for 12 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden.

   Time: PT12M

   Temperature: 180°C

7. Complete cooling

   Let the pieces cool completely on the rack, ideally overnight so they harden well before assembly.

   Time: PT8H

8. Prepare the royal icing

   Mix the ready royal icing with 15 g water until smooth. (Homemade option: beat 1 egg white with 180 g powdered sugar).

   Time: PT5M

9. Decorate the windows

   Fill a piping bag with royal icing, pipe a thin layer on the back of each piece then place the cut gelatin sheets sized to the windows.

   Time: PT15M

10. Assemble the house

    Glue the walls together with royal icing, hold each joint for a few seconds. Add the lighted garland inside, then place the roof, pressing quickly so it stays.

    Time: PT20M

11. Final decoration

    Use the remaining royal icing to draw snow patterns around the windows and add small pearls or decorative dots as you wish.

    Time: PT15M

Nutrition Facts

Calories

250

Protein

3 g

Carbohydrates

35 g

Fat

10 g

Fiber

1 g

Ingredient Substitutions

• Instead of All‑purpose flour: Whole wheat flour (will reduce lightness)
• Instead of Unsalted butter: Vegetable margarine (for lactose‑free version)
• Instead of Brown cane sugar (vergeoise): Brown sugar
• Instead of Egg: Egg white (to reduce fat)
• Instead of Baking soda: Baking powder (but slightly different)
• Instead of Salt: Sea salt
• Instead of Gingerbread spice mix: Homemade mix of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, clove
• Instead of Honey: Maple syrup
• Instead of Ready‑made royal icing: Egg white + powdered sugar (see instructions)
• Instead of Edible gelatin sheets: Edible rice paper

Equipment Needed

• Mixing bowl
• Kitchen scale
• Silicone spatula
• Rolling pin
• Floured work surface
• Cookie cutters (gingerbread house kit)
• Baking sheet
• Parchment paper or silicone mat
• Oven
• Cooling rack
• Piping bag with 1 mm tip
• Microplane or fine grater
• Plastic film
• Refrigerator

Critical Steps — Do Not Skip

• Chill (1 h)
• Bake at 180°C (12 min)
• Complete cooling (at least 8 h)
• Assembly with royal icing (hold the pieces)

Chef Tips from the Video

• Lightly grate the edges with a microplane to obtain perfectly flat surfaces before assembly.
• Use parchment paper rather than wax paper to prevent the dough from sticking.
• For a ‘glazed’ effect, apply a thin layer of clear glaze (very diluted royal icing) on the windows before attaching the gelatin sheets.

Troubleshooting

Storage

Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.

Freezer: Not recommended; the texture becomes too hard.

Room temperature: At room temperature, well protected from humidity, for a maximum of 3 days.

Make-Ahead Tips

• Bake all pieces the day before and store them in an airtight box.
• Prepare the royal icing ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator (it firms up).
• Assemble the house only a few hours before serving to prevent the icing from drying.