GINGERBREAD HOUSES
Thought we would fill you in with what’s going on with Santa just now,
as Christmas Eve gets closer and closer. He is, of course, frantically busy at
the moment. He’s working hard, with the help of his elves, putting the
finishing touches to the presents, checking the good children list and making
sure everything is in order for the big day! Of course, he’s also busy meeting visitors
in Lapland and is delighted when children come with families to Lapland to see
him.
When he has a bit spare time, Father Christmas does like to relax by
making gingerbread houses. He decorates them beautifully but does have to make
sure a cheeky elf doesn’t have a nibble of the gingerbread chimney!
This year a Gingerbread Town called Yurachako, made by the Japanese
shop Muji, has particularly inspired Santa. . The diorama of 100 houses is
installed in a Tokyo store but Father Christmas and everyone else can keep an
eye on life in Yurachako as there is a live stream.
If this gives you a craving to create a gingerbread masterpiece, Santa
has kindly offered his own recipe.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE THE HOUSE
250g
unsalted butter
200g
dark muscovado sugar
7
tbsp golden syrup
600g
plain flour
2
tsp bicarbonate of soda
4 tsp ground ginger
WHAT YOU NEED
TO DECORATE...
2
egg whites
500g icing sugar, plus extra to dust
A variety of sweeties, silver baubles,
chocolates, whatever your heart desire to make your home delectable and
delicious.
HOW TO MAKE
IT
Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Melt the butter, sugar and syrup in a pan. Mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda and ground ginger into a large bowl, and then stir in the butter mixture to make a stiff dough. Add a small splash of water if it is too dry.
Cut out your house’s template – you can draw your one or find some free templates on the webs. Put a quarter of the dough on a sheet of baking paper on and roll it to thickness of two £1 coins. Cut out one of the sections, and then slide the gingerbread, still on its baking paper, onto a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, re-rolling the trimmings, until you have two side walls, a front and back wall and two roof panels. Any leftover dough can be cut be used to make people, cats, dogs or as Santa likes to Christmas trees and reindeers.
Bake all the sections for 12 mins or until firm and just a little darker at the edges. When it’s cooled a little, trim the edges of templates again to give clean, sharp edges. Leave to cool completely.
Put the egg whites in a large bowl, sift in the icing sugar, then stir to make a thick, smooth icing. Spoon into a piping bag with a medium nozzle. Pipe generous snakes of icing along the wall edges, one by one, to join the walls together. Use a small cup to support the walls from the inside, then allow to dry for a few hours.
When it’s dry you can take away the supports and pop on the roof panels. Hold onto it firmly for a few mins until the icing starts to dry. Dry completely and then let your imagination run free as you decorate!
Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Melt the butter, sugar and syrup in a pan. Mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda and ground ginger into a large bowl, and then stir in the butter mixture to make a stiff dough. Add a small splash of water if it is too dry.
Cut out your house’s template – you can draw your one or find some free templates on the webs. Put a quarter of the dough on a sheet of baking paper on and roll it to thickness of two £1 coins. Cut out one of the sections, and then slide the gingerbread, still on its baking paper, onto a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, re-rolling the trimmings, until you have two side walls, a front and back wall and two roof panels. Any leftover dough can be cut be used to make people, cats, dogs or as Santa likes to Christmas trees and reindeers.
Bake all the sections for 12 mins or until firm and just a little darker at the edges. When it’s cooled a little, trim the edges of templates again to give clean, sharp edges. Leave to cool completely.
Put the egg whites in a large bowl, sift in the icing sugar, then stir to make a thick, smooth icing. Spoon into a piping bag with a medium nozzle. Pipe generous snakes of icing along the wall edges, one by one, to join the walls together. Use a small cup to support the walls from the inside, then allow to dry for a few hours.
When it’s dry you can take away the supports and pop on the roof panels. Hold onto it firmly for a few mins until the icing starts to dry. Dry completely and then let your imagination run free as you decorate!
Hope you have as much fun making your gingerbread house as Santa does!
Not long now until he’s heading for your chimney. And don’t forget it’s not
just at Christmas when you can pay a visit to Santa at home at Lapland. He’s
happy to have guests at any time of the year!
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