Hack Your Gingerbread House

The holidays aren't complete without having to struggle over constructing the infamous gingerbread house.

Even when purchasing a premade kit, somehow it never looks like the one on the front of the box. Here are some tricks to make decorating your gingerbread home stress-free and fun!

Start With the Foundation

While you can always resort to using hot glue to weld the house together, it is more traditional to work with icing. The packs of icing that come with kits are often not enough or don't provide a good hold. Royal icing is the perfect way to create cement-like icing to keep your house sturdy and stable. The recipe is super simple:

Ingredients:

— 2 large egg whites (at room temperature)

— 3 cups powdered sugar

— ½ teaspoon cream of tartar

Steps:

1. In a mixing bowl, whip egg whites until foamy, then add cream of tartar. Continue to mix for about 30 seconds.

2. Add powdered sugar slowly, adding a little bit at a time and mixing well.

3. After the powdered sugar is well blended, turn the mixer on high and continue beating the frosting until thick and the icing holds its shape (about 3-5 minutes).

4. Store well covered.

Keep Your Station Tidy

There is nothing worse than chasing gumballs and sprinkles across the floor after spilling them. To avoid the mess, use small bowls to hold your candies and to avoid a sugary disaster. Also, feel free to use other candy or sweet treats to decorate your home. Marshmallows, candy canes, cotton candy, and even sugar cones can work great as decorations for building the perfect winter wonderland.

Decorate then Assemble

To prevent an icing and candy mess, decorate panels of the house beforehand and let dry completely. It is easier to pipe decorative icing and decorate on a flat surface than when the house is already sitting up. Although this makes the assembly slightly more precarious, the decorations will be able to withstand more as the holiday season goes on. By coordinating your decorations, you can create a beautifully cohesive home!

Use Supports

Nothing is worse than trying to place the gingerbread roof and the whole house caving in on itself. Along with stronger icing, using another object or an extra set of hands makes it easier to ensure everything sits upright. Use a tissue box or small graham cracker supports to keep the walls parallel. You can also periodically place your gingerbread house in the fridge to help the icing set.

I hope these tips help make your holiday season stress-free and sweeter than ever.

Happy Holidays and…

Be Well, Auburn.