For Halloween but it is over....
Anyway, you roll out the dough, cut the house shapes, then transfer the huge houses to baking sheets. These were so big, I could only fit two on a half-sheet pan. But you could make smaller ones for sure!
Then you just make a batch of Royal Icing, put it in a piping bag with a small tip, and go to town!
Here’s the simple Royal Icing recipe:
ROYAL ICING
2 pounds powdered sugar, sifted
1⁄3 cup whole milk
2 egg whites
2 pounds powdered sugar, sifted
1⁄3 cup whole milk
2 egg whites
Beat all ingredients with a mixer until thick and glossy. Add more powdered sugar if it seems too thin (size of eggs can affect consistency.) Just play with it until it’s right. The icing should be stiff enough to “stand still” when piped and not run.
My cookbook shows lots of different ways to decorate the cookies to look like gingerbread houses.
The possibilities are endless, and you never have to worry about standing them up, gluing them together, and praying fervently that they stay together.
And look at what you can do for Halloween!
Just make everything look wonky, crooked, throw in a ghost, and whatever other spooky things you can think of. This is a really simple version, but just think of the possibilities: black licorice snakes, spiders, candy corns…the possibilities are endless.
And here’s a really fun idea, whether you do it for Halloween or Christmas: Bake up a bunch of cookies, make up a bunch of Royal Icing in several disposable piping bags, assemble little dishes of candies and sprinkles, and have a cookie decorating party for the kids! Whether it’s an after school get-together or a slumber party, this’ll keep them occupied for a long, long time!
Just have a broom nearby for the cleanup.
And several damp washcloths for icing-caked fingers.
(But that’s part of the fun of the holidays!)
