Gingerbread House

Construction Gingerbread Dough

750 g flour
1/2 t baking soda
4 t ground ginger
5 t pumpkin pie spice
1/2 t salt
12 T butter, room temperature
300 g brown sugar
2 eggs
1 C molasses

1-4 T ginger water from candied ginger or black tea

Whisk together flour, baking soda, spices, and salt.
Place butter and brown sugar into stand mixer bowl.
On medium speed, beat 2 mins or until smooth and creamy.
On high speed, beat in egg, molasses, and 1 T water.
On low speed, incorporate dry ingredients.

Add up to 3 T more water for a softer, smoother dough.

Divide dough into quarters.

Cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 4 hours.

Preheat oven to 350.

With plenty of flour, roll dough to 1/8" to 1/6".

Using cookie cutters or a bench scraper with templates, cut cookies.

Return extra dough to refrigerator or freezer to be rolled out again.

Bake until edges brown and cookies puff a bit.

For small or thin cookies, check after 6-10 mins.

For medium cookies, check after 11-15 mins.

For larger or thicker cookies, check after 16-20 mins, rotating once.
Remove from oven and immediately trim with templates and bench scraper.

If tops are uneven, gently press another baking sheet down to re-flatten.
Allow cookies to cool on baking sheets 10 mins.

Transfer to cooling racks.

Assemble and decorate with royal icing.

If desired, add buttercream, crusting buttercream, candy, etc.

Sugar free hard candies are made from isomalt.

If using sugar free hard candies or isomalt, crush into a powder.

Generously fill windows in the last 5 mins of baking if desired.

sallysbakingaddiction

LTK