Okay, so I saw these adorable gingerbread house baking molds online and I just had to try them out. I’ve always wanted to make a proper gingerbread house, you know, the kind you see in movies, but I’ve always been way too intimidated. This seemed like a good way to dip my toes in.
Getting Started
First, I ordered the molds. They came in a set, with pieces for the walls, roof, and even a little chimney. Super cute! Then, I grabbed my favorite gingerbread recipe (the one from my grandma, of course!). It’s a pretty standard recipe, lots of ginger, cinnamon, and molasses. The smell alone makes the whole house feel cozy.
Mixing and Rolling
I mixed up the dough, which was a bit of a workout, to be honest. It’s a pretty stiff dough. I rolled it out, trying to get it to the right thickness according to the mold instructions. This was a little tricky, not gonna lie. Too thin, and it’ll break. Too thick, and it won’t cook evenly. I think I got it mostly right.
Baking and (Fingers Crossed!) Hoping
Then, I pressed the molds into the dough and carefully transferred the pieces onto baking sheets. Into the oven they went! I was seriously crossing my fingers at this point. I kept a close eye on them, and rotated the baking sheets,making it baked * kitchen smelled AMAZING.
The Big Reveal (and a Little Oops!)
I pulled them out of the oven and… mostly success! They looked pretty good! One of the roof pieces cracked a little, but hey, that’s what icing is for, right? I let them cool completely on wire racks. This is super important, otherwise they’ll be too soft to handle.
Assembly Time!
Once they were cool, it was time for the fun part: assembly! I whipped up a batch of royal icing – the “glue” that holds everything together. I used a piping bag to apply the icing to the edges of the walls and stuck them together. Then, I carefully added the roof pieces. It was a little wobbly at first, but the icing held up like a champ.
Decoration Station
Finally, I decorated! I used more royal icing, candies, sprinkles, everything I could find. I even made little “snow” drifts with extra icing. It was so much fun, and honestly, it turned out way better than I expected.
So, there you have it! My gingerbread house adventure. It wasn’t perfect, but it was definitely a delicious and fun experience. The molds made it way easier than I thought it would be. I’d totally recommend giving it a try!
