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Takes: 2 hours 20 minutes (plus chilling time)
Makes: 1 house
No nutritional information available.
Ingredients
- 250g butter, softened
- 220g brown sugar
- 350g treacle
- 2 eggs, separated
- 750g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- 2 tbsp ground ginger
- 2 tsp mixed spice
- 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- Small Swiss roll (or similar shaped chocolate bar for chimney)
- 600g assorted sweets
- 500g icing sugar, sifted, plus extra for dusting
- ½ tsp lemon juice
Method
1. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together in a bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the treacle and egg yolks, then sift in the dry ingredients and stir until well combined. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Cut in half. Form each portion into a disc and wrap in cling film. Chill for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 160°C/Fan 140°C/Gas Mark 3. Cut a sheet of cardboard into a 20cm square and a 20cm equilateral triangle. Roll one dough portion on a piece of baking paper large enough to cut out one square and one triangle. Cut shapes from the dough using the cardboard templates. Slide the shapes, still on the baking paper, onto an oven tray. Repeat with the remaining dough and cardboard templates - you will need 2 x triangles and 2 x squares.
3. Cut out a door and window from one triangle. Bake the door with the other shapes. Bake the shapes for 20 minutes, and the door for 15 minutes until firm. Leave to cool for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Trim the shapes to form straight edges, if needed.
4. Meanwhiles, using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites in a bowl until just forthy. Gradually beat in enough icing sugar until the mixture forms stiff peaks. Stir in the lemon juice. Spread a thin layer of icing on a rectangular cake board. Using the picture as a guide, assemble the gingerbread house on the board, using the icing to 'glue' together. Spoon the remaining icing into a piping bag, then pipe along all joins. Stick the door in place with icing.
5. Cut the base of the Swiss roll at an angle for the chimney, then join to the house with icing. Add a little water to a small amount of the remaining icing and use to pipe peaks of icing on the underside of the roof to represent snow. Pipe outline decorations on the window and door, then decorate the house with sweets, attached with icing. Dust all over with sifted icing sugar, then serve.
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