Gingerbread Dough
This dough bakes into a firm, sturdy cookie, making it appropriate for gingerbread houses, large cookies or ornaments. This recipe makes enough dough for one house plus accessories.
Ingredients:
5 1/2 cups unsifted flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
3 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 1/4 cup molasses
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla
**Royal Icing Recipe on other page
**Assembling Instructions also on other page
Preparation: In a large bowl, thoroughly blend shortening and sugar. Add molasses, egg and vanilla and beat until smooth.
In another bowl, sift dry ingredients. Gradually stir dry ingredients into molasses mixture. When mixture becomes too stiff to stir with spoon, work dough with
hands until completely blended. Separate dough into 4 balls. Wrap each in plastic wrap and chill a minimum of one hour. Dough can be refrigerated for up to two
weeks.
Baking & Construction Techniques: You may build your house in stages over a few days or a few weeks time. Bake pieces one day, attach pieces for
construction at another time, and add decorations even later.
Place a disk of chilled dough directly on aluminum foil cut to fit your baking sheet. Cover dough with plastic wrap and roll to 1/4" thickness.
For gingerbread house dimensions, cut patterns from waxed or parchment paper that include 2 pieces of the following:
* side walls which are 7" wide and 4" high
* end walls which are pointed are 5 1/2" wide and 8" high at the point
* roof panels which are 81/2" wide and 6" high
Remove plastic wrap, place pattern pieces for house (which you have cut from waxed or parchment paper), directly on dough, leaving at least 1/2" border
around pieces. Using a small sharp knife, cut around edges of pattern. Using your fingers or a small knife, remove scrap pieces of dough, leaving cut pieces intact
on foil.
Cut out doors and windows. Remove paper pattern pieces and place foil directly on a flat baking sheet. Bake at 325 degrees, 10 - 25 minutes, depending on size of pieces.
Gingerbread will darken, especially around edges, and feel firm to the touch.
Remove sheet from oven and allow gingerbread pieces to cool on sheet. Gently peel gingerbread from foil. You may store pieces lying flat in a cool dry place or
freeze in an appropriate container.
**Please see next pages for Royal Icing and Assembly Instructions.
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