Making Gingerbread Men or Gingerbread House

With a lot of excited kiddos, we've learned to keep it simple. We've tried kits in the past, but sometimes the cookies are broken, the frosting doesn't stick, or the candies aren't what the kids would have chosen. Also, it gets hard to have them all crammed around one house. So, I get graham crackers and ready-to-spread frosting. I buy candies in bulk so I can choose what my kids like. Each kid can make their own little house and decorate it the way they choose. Have fun!

skip the trying to make it lol. go to your local craft store or walmart target etc and buy one of those kits. put the actual house together about a day before you want to decorate it. We do this with our kids every year. our kids are now 29, 23,22 and 16, 3 grandchildren and 3 spouses / fiance's have been added into the picture. we now use 6 kits (2 people to a kit) its lots of fun. put on some christmas music and off you go. if you have one set up a video camera to tape part of the goings on. it makes for some really great footage later on.

I made these just to add variety to my cookie trays. To my surprise, my kids LOVED them, ate them all (unfrosted) and asked for more. Personally, if I were going to build a house, I'd just buy a kit - but these cookies are excellent! I'm going to bake more, and then decorate with royal icing.

Colonial Williamsburg Gingerbread Boys:
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 cup unsulfered molasses(Note: No idea what'unsulfered' means, just used what I had)
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
4 cups all-purpose flour, unsifted

Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine the sugar, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and baking soda in a large mixing bowl. Mix well. Add melted butter, evaporated milk, molasses and vanilla extract (if desired). Stir until well combined. Add the flour 1 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition to prevent lumps. The dough should be very smooth and stiff enough to handle without sticking to your fingers. If necessary, add up to 1/2 cup additional flour to prevent sticking (I like to knead in some extra flour during rolling and cutting), and chill dough before using.

On a well-floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut with cookie cutters or a round biscuit cutter. It may be necessary to re-flour your surface several times to prevent dough from becoming sticky.

Bake on a lightly greased baking sheet (Note: I use parchment paper) for 10-12 minutes (I like my gingerbread soft so I always underbake - and there are no eggs here to worry about!). The cookies are done if they spring back when touched (but before the edges begin to brown!). Remove cookies immediately from baking sheet and cool on a clean countertop.

for the house I buy a kit which is nice b/c it has EVERYTHING you need! I got one at the grocery store for $9.

I use a Paula Deen recipe for gingerbread men. Only instead of 3 & 3/4 cups of flour I only use 3 cups. You can always add more if need be!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/gingerbread...

We don't do "gingerbread" houses here. We do "graham cracker" houses. Then everyone can make them as big or as little as they want and everyone can make their own. Have fun!

With a bunch of little kids, I do it with graham crackers... AND, I make the house for them. With a hot glue gun. :)

So the house is all ready. Then we just frost them and they get to decorate them with candy. That's how I do it to keep it simple, and the kids love it. Plus, the only eat the candy off of them, not the graham crackers. Hence the glue. We made houses in an hour yesterday. :)

For my frosting, I just whipped up 4 egg whites. Then I added a teaspoon of lemon extract. Then I added my powdered sugar in. It almost took the whole bag. Just mix it until the right consistency. I'm all about easy peasy.

I wanted to do this too and was thinking of just using graham crackers and icing. Seems cheaper and then let the kids eat it. I'm looking for a good icing recipe though.

I have made gingerbread houses with groups of kids at school before and girl scouts and daycare kids and my own kids,, and plan to do one with my grand daughter soon. But we dont go to the trouble of making the gingerbread. We use graham crackers and "ROYAL ICING". I have packed away my cook books getting ready to move so I cant tell you exactly how to make the icing, but google it and you will find its simple. Its eggwhites and powdered sugar and cream of tartar I think. You make a bunch of it to use as the glue/morter for the house walls and roof and to stick the candies on. You just break the crackers on the lines into squares, and make a little house! Use a serrated knife to gently saw them so they break straight and neater. Build the whole thing on a piece of cardboard covered with wax paper or freezer wrap. maybe10x10 inces is fine. Sometimes I stick them to a small empty milk carton to help give it strength. You can cut a square into two triangles to help make a pointed roof. Use lots of icing so it smooshes out at the corners and joints and seams. Then with a bunch of different candies, you just decorate it! I like to use necco candies like shingles for the roof. Small candy canes look so cute outside the door. Red hots, and gum drops and sprinkles and ribbon candy are so pretty! Candy corn, and jelly beans work great. You can make little pathways and fences and trees too. Its not so large that it takes forever and a kid can eat the stuff and not worry. After they are done making them they will dry and harden and last a long time. You can use the crackers full size and figure out how to make it a bigger house if you want, but really, the little ones are cute enough. Have fun and take pictures!

check out www.FamilyFun.com/magazine. their issue this month has a little tutorial. if you have older kids then they enjoy taking their time with their designs. I have realized that some of these projects should not be hurried bc they are the perfect opportunity to just hang out and let you kids talk and enjoy being together. Wilton (wilton.com for the cutters and recipes) makes gingerbread house cookie cutters so you can just roll out the dough and cut the shapes and bake, then trim em staright again when they come out of the oven. best advice is to assemble the houses one day and then do all the decorating another day after things have totally set.
I have done the graham cracker crust before which is great, easy, the kids will eat it all.... Honey Maid had holiday ones that are gingerbread so that seems like the perfect compromise! have fun!