These don’t end up being the most beautiful gingerbread houses on the block, so if you are trying to keep up with the gingerbread Jones’s then these may not be for you. But if you want a cute structure that the kids can help with from start to finish (and you don’t need any kind of fancy tool or template) then stick around for my “tutorial”. The kids had a ball since this project was totally hands on instead of a sit back and let mommy do it kinda thing.
Kid Friendly Mini Gingerbread Houses
Ingredients:
1 stick of butter, slightly softened
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 dark brown sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
1 Tbsp. ground ginger
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. baking soda
2 Tbsp. water
Betty Crocker Cookie Icing (This stuff is awesome- it goes on super easy and sets up solid but still tastes yummy)
You will also need:
a ruler
pizza cutter
rubber bands
How to make Kid Friendly Gingerbread Houses:
Combine flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and baking powder-set aside.
In the bowl of your hand or stand mixer combine butter, brown sugar, and molasses until smooth and creamy.
Slowly mix in flour mixture a 1/2 cup at a time until just combined.
Cover and place dough in refrigerator for 30 to 60 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees, line baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat mat.Remove dough from refrigerator, let soften for 5 minutes then roll to 1/4″ thickness on a well floured surface. Lay down a ruler (I rubbed mine down good with an antibacterial wipe and let it dry first) Use your pizza cutter to cut on either side of ruler.
Turn ruler the opposite way and cut on either side again creating small squares. Carefully pick up gingerbread squares using a spatula to avoid distortion.
Bake for 13-15 minutes until edges are lightly browned. Cool completely on a wire rack.
For each mini gingerbread house you will need 6 squares, Cut the tip off cookie icing, run it down just on the inside of one square and on the end of another to form a corner joint. Do this with 4 until you have a basic square then gently wrap with a rubber band and let sit until icing hardens. When dry add the roof at an angle being generous with cookie icing.
Once all icing is dry add more to the roof and sides as needed to be snow and also glue to hold on whatever small candies you choose to decorate with.
Have fun!
- 1 stick of butter, slightly softened
- ¼ cup molasses
- ½ dark brown sugar
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp. ground ginger
- 1 Tbsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. ground cloves
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 2 Tbsp. water
- Betty Crocker Cookie Icing
- a ruler
- pizza cutter
- rubber bands
- Combine flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and baking powder-set aside
- In the bowl of your hand or stand mixer combine butter, brown sugar, and molasses until smooth and creamy.
- Slowly mix in flour mixture a ½ cup at a time until just combined.
- Cover and place dough in refrigerator for 30 to 60 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees,
- line baking sheet with parchment paper or a mat.
- Remove dough from refrigerator, let soften for 5 minutes then roll to ¼″ thickness on a well floured surface.
- Lay down a ruler
- Use your pizza cutter to cut on either side of ruler.
- Turn ruler the opposite way and cut on either side again creating small squares.
- Carefully pick up gingerbread squares using a spatula to avoid distortion.
- Bake for 13-15 minutes until edges are lightly browned. Cool completely on a wire rack.
- For each mini gingerbread house you will need 6 squares,
- Cut the tip off cookie icing, run it down just on the inside of one square and on the end of another to form a corner joint.
- Do this with 4 until you have a basic square then gently wrap with a rubber band and let sit until icing hardens.
- When dry add the roof at an angle being generous with cookie icing.
- Once all icing is dry add more to the roof and sides as needed to be snow and also glue to hold on whatever small candies you choose to decorate with.
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