How to make the perfect Gingerbread House

This blog first appeared on Food 24 but has been edited to update
If you want to get in on a little of that Christmas magic, here is the guide to your perfect gingerbread real estate!
The Perfect Panels
The first step is to bake your panels (walls and roof). To simplify assembly, it is advisable to have the straightest pieces that you can. This is achieved by having “no-spread” gingerbread. There are even “gingerbread plywood recipes” that are very strong and no spread, but in my experience they can’t really be eaten.
Cutters vs templates
You can either use a cutter or a paper template to cut out the raw dough. Roll the pieces quite thick (6-10mm) and place the rolled dough onto your cookie tray before cutting so that you don’t have to pick it up after you have cut it out, which can cause stretching. To use a template, cut out the paper template and cut around it carefully with a sharp, non-serrated knife.
The Baking
Bake in a moderate oven, and leave the panels to starts to firm in the oven. If they seem to be darkening, turn the oven temperature down and leave to firm up.
Decorating tip
The key to decorating is to do all the decorations on the side panels before assembling your house while they are lying flat.
The Paint
If you want your house to have a “painted wall” effect, use a 15-second consistency royal icing to flood the sides. (See recipe below) Ten second icing is a slightly runny icing that will form a flat surface 10 seconds after you pull a spoon through it. If the icing is too runny it will run right off the sides of the cookie and if it is too thick it won’t form a flat surface.
For raw cookie walls leave out this step.
The plaster
For all your piped decorations, sticking on sweets and sprinkles, and sticking the house together use stiff peak royal icing. Stiff peak means that it will keep it’s shape once piped.
Use a piping bag or squeezy bottle to make it easier to apply the stiff royal icing. Decorate the sides and roof of your house with piping, sweets and sprinkles.
Construction
Once the sides and roof have been decorated leave them overnight to harden. Then, begin construction by propping up one side against a full food can (eg baked beans). Apply stiff royal icing at all the joins and leave the walls to set before adding the roof. Make sure that the sides are placed in the correct position relative to the gable walls for the roof to fit (eg sides inside the gable, check this with the roof to see what fits best based on your cutter or template). Once the joins are starting to set (15-20 minutes) add the roof. You might need to prop it up on something to prevent the roof from sliding off. Leave to set for a further 15 minutes. Now decorate the house even more (more really is more when it comes to gingerbread houses!).
Top tip: don’t forget to remove the support can before you put the roof on!
The inside, windows and doors
Don’t forget to cut windows and doors while the dough is raw. Some people put a tea light candle inside the house to give it a rosy glow. The light will shine from the openings, do not, however, leave these unattended as they may cause a fire hazard.
Minis
You can also make mini “cup sitter” ones, too adorable
Once the house is decorated, display it as part of your Christmas décor, and encourage small children to each the yummy sweets off the house a la Hansl and Gretl. Don’t forget to decorate the garden around your house!