Let’s build a gingerbread house together! After you finish decorating your house, snap a picture and send it to us habitatsummitcounty@gmail.com We will share your house on social media and you will be automatically entered into our gingerbread house contest! The winner of the best gingerbread house will receive a $20 ReStore gift card! Our contest begins today, December 7th and will continue until December 17th! The winner of the best gingerbread house will be announced on December 21st!

This is the perfect project to work on with your family. Just like decorating gingerbread houses with your family this holiday season, Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, communities, and hope.

While you’re here…..

Prep Time: 1hr and 15 min
Bake: 375 Degrees F
Cook: 15 mins
Create a homemade or premade gingerbread house!
*If you choose to buy a set, skip steps 1-5.

Gingerbread Ingredients:
½ cup (1 stick) butter
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup light molasses
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons water

For decoration:
Icing
White chocolate
Gumdrops
Licorice
Candy Canes
Sprinkles
M&Ms
Peppermints
Any candy of your choosing

Icing Recipe:
1 lb (3 cups of powdered sugar)
1-2 large egg whites
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Step 1. First, we will start with making the gingerbread dough. Mix brown sugar, molasses, butter, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and baking soda together. Once these ingredients are added and mixed well, then add the flour and water until the dough becomes stiff. Let the dough chill for 30 mins or until firm.

Step 2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Step 3. Follow the cut-out house template instructions:
Front and back of house- 2 rectangles that are 3×5 inches
Roof- 2 rectangles that are 3×5 ½ inches
Ends of the house- 2 pieces that are 3 inches wide at the base, 3 inches to the roofline, and slanted to a peak 5 ½ inches from the bottom.
Roof and sides of the entryway- 4 smaller rectangles that are 1 ½ by 1 inch
Front of the entryway- 1 piece that is 2 inches wide at the base, 1 ½ inch to the roofline, and slanted to a peak 2 ½ inches from the bottom

Step 4. Using a rolling pin, evenly distribute the gingerbread dough to the edges of the cookie sheet. Place patterns onto the rolled-out dough. Cut carefully around each of the pieces, but leave it in place to bake. It’s advised to use a sharp straight-edge knife for the best results!

Step 5: Bake at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes or until the dough feels firm. Trim the shapes using the sharp-edged knife and place patterns on top of the gingerbread dough. Leave the dough in place while it is cooling. In the meantime, mix the ingredients for the icing.

Step 6: Place your icing into a pastry bag with a writing tip. Now it is time to decorate the windows, roof, cracks, etc!

Step 7: Use your icing to glue the sides of the house (front and back of house) together. Place an object against the gingerbread pieces to prop up until the icing is dry.

Step 8: Continue to glue the two roof pieces to the pitched roofline of the house. Repeatedly, using the icing glue sides and the entryway roof together. Attach the entryway to the house.

Step 9: Finally add candy and icing to the house until you get desired results. Now you have the perfect gingerbread house!

The recipe is taken from Food Network> https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/gingerbread-house-recipe-1963254