Gingerbread

I'm totally on a Martha Stewart kick right now. This gem of a gingerbread house, that comes from Martha's website, looks so beautiful. But why is it outside? I don't know. But it certainly makes for a gorgeous photograph. Our family and I make a gingerbread house every year and, believe me, it looks nothing like this one.

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve and I'm so excited. I love this time of year. I love seeing my extended family, eating turkey, listening to carol's and going tobogganing with my family.

2 more sleeps!

Molasses-Gingerbread Cookie Dough
Ingredients:
Makes enough for one house, plus embellishments

1 1/4 cups packed dark-brown sugar
3/4 cup unsulfured molasses
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 1/4 cups milk
1 tablespoon baking powder
6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions:

1.Combine brown sugar, molasses, butter, spices, and salt in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until sugar is dissolved, about 10 minutes. Stir in milk. Remove from heat, and let cool.

2.Pour milk mixture into a mixing bowl; add baking powder and flour. With an electric mixer, and beginning on low speed and increasing to medium, beat until well combined. Divide dough in half; shape into disks. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate overnight. Dough can be frozen up to 1 month; thaw in the refrigerator before using.

Ingredients:
Makes one house

Molasses-Gingerbread Cookie Dough
All-purpose flour, for dusting
Caramel Syrup
Royal Icing
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions:

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll out gingerbread dough to about 1/8 inch thick. Chill until firm, about 1 hour. Lightly dust top of dough with flour. Place templates on top and cut out shapes with a paring knife. (Use a small utility knife to cut out the windows.) Transfer shapes to parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until just beginning to brown, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely.

2.Make caramel syrup, and assemble house.

3.Place royal icing in a pastry bag fitted with a medium plain tip (No. 5 or 6). Pipe to outline windows, doorway, and edges of chimney, including top and base. Outline the four joining points of house, sides, and top of roof. Decorate roof: Starting at the top, pipe a horizontal line of icing in a scallop pattern, making curves in even intervals; pipe another scalloped line so the peaks join the scallops above them in the middle. Pipe icicles around edges. Dust roof with confectioners' sugar.