Feels Like Christmas Again...

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Yes it has been quite a while. I have been very busy and tired. I am sorry. But Christmas is the time for forgiveness. So forgive, forget and read this new post. ^_^
This post is about this year's Gingerbread House that my colleagues and I made at the retreat. It was very hard work and the house stretched our patience to the strangest limits, but all said and done, I feel like a proud mother. :)
This year I have a new recipe for construction gingerbread. This one is even more durable and sturdy, but DO NOT make the mistake of eating it. It tastes just like sawdust. In my next post I will give you recipes for edible gingerbread. The delicious, rich, gingery, spicy kind. Wait for that. Also have a royal icing recipe which sticks like cement.

 CONSTRUCTION GINGERBREAD

 Ingredients:

 Flour                       13.5 kg
Sugar                       3.4 kg
Eggs                         10 nos.
Butter                      900 g
Dark Caramel          500 g
Water                       4 kg
Ginger Powder        200 g
Clove Powder          100 g
Baking Powder         15 g

 Method:

  • Make a firm dough by mixing together all the ingredients.
  • Roll it out to your desired thickness (the gingerbread will not rise too much on baking).
  • Cut out desired shapes (cut out stencils with cardboard in advance).
  • Dock it well to prevent air pockets from forming.
  • Bake at 180*C for about 30 minutes, till very hard.

ROYAL ICING

Ingredients:

Icing Sugar       1125 g
Egg Whites        250 g
Lime Juice        15 g

Method:
  • Mix all the ingredients together till smooth and lump-free.
  • Do not incorporate air.
Once you have both, get constructing!!

Here are pictures of our gingerbread house this year.


Front Facade

Roof and Chimney

Porch and Front-Facing Rooms

Left-Facing Rooms

Kitchen to the Right

Back of the House

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