Gingerbread House Cookies

prep time:: 30 minutes
total time:: 2 hours

Makes 8 large, 24 small

Connie Reeves

Gingerbread cut in house shapes and covered with candies

ingredients

Cookies

1/4 c butter
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c dark molasses
4 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp soda
1/2 tsp cloves
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp salt

Frosting

3 egg whites
1 lb powdered sugar
3/4 tsp cream of tartar

Decorations

wafer cookies
M&Ms
gumdrops
chocolate chips
sweet tarts
gummi bears
any other candies you can think of

directions

Prepare and bake gingerbread

1
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Blend butter, sugar, and molasses. Sift flour, soda, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. Add sifted ingredients to butter in 3 parts with 1/3 c water. Dough should be dry, not sticky.
2
Lightly flour table, rolling pin, and cutters. Roll to 1/4" thick. Cut into gingerbread house shapes or use cutters. Spray Pam on baking sheets. Bake for 10 minutes.

Prepare frosting and decorate

Beat egg whites, powdered sugar, and cream of tartar for 10 minutes. Keep cool or chilled until ready to spread on cookies. Add decorations to cookies.

notes

I got this recipe in 1987 when living in Monterey going to language school. Lauraleen introduced me to her friend, Patti, in San Francisco, who made these each year with nieces and nephews. We made these with your friends a number of years.

Source: Patti