Need gingerbread houses in your life ASAP? I’ve been making this recipe, and these little gingerbread houses, with my kids for more than a decade, and it’s one of their very favourite Christmas traditions.
I know, I know… gingerbread houses can be the extra hassle you don’t need mid-December, but I promise these beauties not only look pretty, and make your kitchen smell better than any Christmas-themed candle, but they taste great too.
The recipe in the photo below will make two little houses or download my recipe and template by clicking the PDF link ⬇️
If you’re a newbie, here’s my top tips:
Use unsalted butter, or else they taste quite salty when eaten a week or so later.
Make it easier on yourself and spread this job over three afternoons (day one for baking, day two for glueing the houses together and dat three for decorating). This way the gingerbread has a chance to firm up on the first night (but keep them on the trays or cooling racks so they stay flat), and the glue has a chance to set properly, making it structurally sound (so the house doesn’t slide apart when you attach the first lolly).
Buy yourself a little extra peace and quiet by asking the kids to draw/plan their decorated houses beforehand, working out if they want windows/paths/chimneys/snowmen etc. Or if they’re older, get them to do an online supermarket order with the lolly wish-list, so they understand what the gingerbread houses cost and are more discerning with their lolly choices.
Divide the lollies into bowls per house/kid BEFORE you start decorating. That way there’s less squabbling. And a bonus bowl for the supervisor/s is a very good plan too.
If your family is already over-sugared, ditch the lollies and decorate the houses with just icing, Swedish style.
Oh .. and here’s a final tip: Accept they’re going to be demolished by little fingers the moment you’ve taken your photos (or sometimes before!) and if you hand over the reins (or in this case, the icing and decorating) to your kiddos, they mightn’t look picture perfect but they’ll be pretty special.
I hope you enjoy these gingerbread houses as much as I do. And if you received the Summer 2023 newsletter and used the direct link to the templates I supplied, please print the templates at 50% if you want sweet little houses like mine (or you can print at the 100% size supplied on their website, but you’ll only get one house per batch of gingerbread above). Happy baking! x Maya