Decorative gingerbread house

Decorative gingerbread house is a medium French recipe that serves 8. 250 calories per serving. Recipe by Once Upon a Time Pastry on YouTube.

Prep: 1 hr 55 min | Cook: 12 min | Total: 2 hrs 37 min

Cost: $6.16 total, $0.77 per serving

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

Dietary info: vegetarian, low-calorie

Allergens: gluten, lactose, egg, honey

Last updated: April 7, 2026

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Decorative gingerbread house

Recipe by Once Upon a Time Pastry

A fully glazed gingerbread house, ideal for decorating your Christmas table. The dough is spiced, baked to a crunchy texture, then assembled with homemade royal icing or ready‑made. The result is a small biscuit greenhouse, illuminated by a garland and decorated with windows made of gelatin sheets.

MediumFrenchServes 8

Shop all ingredients on Amazon in one click • Printable PDF with shopping checklist

Source Video
10h 30m
Prep
32m
Cook
1h 19m
Cleanup
12h 21m
Total

Cost Breakdown

$6.16
Total cost
$0.77
Per serving

Critical Success Points

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

Safety Warnings

  • Handle the oven with gloves to avoid burns.
  • Use the cookie cutters carefully; the blades are sharp.
  • Do not consume raw royal icing if you are sensitive to raw egg whites.

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