Thatched Gingerbread House 02 – Country Living

8. Heat oven to 350’F. Cover 3 large baking sheets with aluminum
foil. Roll out gingerbread dough, one half at a time, to a 10-inch
square, 1/8 inch thick, on foil-covered sheets. Leaving 1/2 inch
between pieces, cut out the following: One gingerbread front (pattern
9), one 6-by 2-inch rectangle for gingerbread side, 7 gingerbread
window frames (Pattern 10), 2 chimney sides (pattern 8), and 3
front-door overhang supports (pattern 11). For fence pieces make a 3
1/2-inch by 1 1/4-inch rectangle and an 8-inch by 1 1/4-inch
rectangle. For front door, make a 3-by 2-inch rectangle. Fo front
stoop, make a 2-inch by 1 1/2-inch rectangle and for window boxes,
make four 1-3/4-by-3/4-inch rec- tangles. Remove trimmings; reroll, if
necessary. Using knife, score gingerbread front, side, chimney sides,
fence pieces and front stoop to resemble stone. Score door and window
boxes to resemble wood.

9. Bake gingerbread pieces 12 to 15 minutes or until firm and golden
brown. While still wann, measure against patterns and trim off excess
caused by expansion during baking. Trim 1/4 inch off ends of one
front-door overhang support. Cool gingerbread on flat surface.

10. Prepare 2 recipes Royal Frosting. Use meringue powder if frosting
is to be eaten. Turn house frame on side; spread some Royal Frosting
on bottom edges of frame. Set house frame in position on base.
Holding house by roof, frost front, back, chimney and sides of house;
press gingerbread pieces onto frosted cardboard frame. Press all
window frames into place except the front left, allowing a little
frosting to extrude inside frame. Press window boxes in place under
front and back windows.

11. Generously frost roof, front-door overhang and side-window
overhang. Split shredded-wheat biscuits and, working from bottom to
top, press them in place on front-door overhang and roof. Press one
half biscuit in place on side-window overhang. Break off tufts of
shredded wheat for side of overhang. Set house aside to dry several
flours. Smoothly frost sides of chimney extension; set aside.

12. When pieces are dry, prepare the third recipe of Royal Frosting.
Measure out 1/2 C; cover tightly and set aside. Spoon remaining
frosting into decorating bag fitted with adapter and 1/4-inch round
tip. Pipe swirls of frosting at side eaves of house, front-door
overhang, and side-window overhang. Press the shorter gingerbread
door-overhang sup- port, with open ends against the house, to the
left under front-door overhang. Press another support to the right
under overhang; with remaining support beneath it. Hold until support
feels secure.

13. Pipe a border of frosting along bot- toms of roof, overhangs, and
along peak of roof. Set gum bears into frosting on roof. Pipe mat on
front-door stoop. Frost gum bear onto left side of porch. Pipe swirls
of frosting on top of chimney; press chimney extension into frosting,
closed end up. Pipe swirls of frosting on top of chimney extension;
set gum drop into place.

14. Place 1/4 C of reserved frosting into a custard cup; stir in
cocoa. If mixture is too stiff, add 1 drop water. Replace 1/4-inch
open tip on decorating bag with small writing tip. Wash 1/4-inch open
tip and place on small decorating bag; fill with cocoa frosting. Pipe
a double border of cocoa frosting at edges of chimney. Pipe a single
row around top of chimney. With white frosting, frost backs of
remaining front left window frame and window box. Press into place on
gingerbread front. Pipe doorknob onto front door, snow drift at top
of door, icicles at roof edges and along eaves, and swirls at top and
base of chimney extension.

15. Pipe frosting along edges of fence pieces; set up as pictured.
Pipe icicles along top of fence.

16. Color 1 T remaining frosting with red food coloring. Color
remaining frosting green. Place green frosting in small pastry bag
with leaf tip. Pipe garlands of leaves over door, second-floor
window, and down left front comer of house. Press candy cane into
comer garland. Pipe leaves at base of candy cane for support. Pipe
small evergreen tree at remaining comers of house and fence. Pipe
leaves into window boxes.

17. Remove writing tip from decorating bag of white frost- ing. Wash,
dry, and fill tip with red frosting. Replace on bag of white
frosting. Pipe red dots onto green leaves. Set house aside several
flours or overnight to dry,