Gingerbread anyone?

[Luanne]

Allison wants to make a house today, it's cookie baking day. And I usually buy one at Michael's. There is so much snow right now (read: Blizzard conditions) so no going out. Anyone have an easy recipe? I doubt we'll actually eat it.

[Laurie]

I bought a couple of those gingerbread kits from Target around Thanksgiving. My grown kids usually have a contest around this time on who can make the prettiest. Usually, my oldest son and his family (for some reason) their roof usually caves in. It's almost a family tradition that theirs falls apart. We have a lot of fun with the kits, and I usually by more icing.

[tlscrap]

Here's one:

http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/0 ... _house.php

I've looked at quite a few onlinek, but haven't found an easy one

[neith]

Don't have a recipe, but I did buy my mom a set of cookie cutters to make gingerbread houses and scenes (http://www.kaboodle.com/reviews/3d-ging ... ie-cutters) ... and last night Uatchet told me that I gave her a gingerbread kiss... good nose since I'd had Celestial Seasonings' Gingerbread Spice tea an hour before

Good luck!

[Judi in IL]

Ginny and I make a house for "Festival of Trees" every year. Here is the recipe we use:

4 2/3 C flour
1 C sugar
1 C shortening (Crisco-not butter)
2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 C molasses

Mix everything except molasses together with a pastry blender or using a dough hook on the mixer. When combined, work in the molasses until well blended. You will probably end up mixing it up with your hands. It will be a very stiff dough.

(if you don't have molasses, you can use corn syrup (NOT pancake syrup)-it will just make it a lighter color and not quite as fragrant.)

You can roll it directly in the pan, on parchment paper or on the back of the pan. It doesn't stick badly. I do not use my airbake sheets for gingerbread. It needs to be at LEAST 1/4" thick-better would be 3/8".
Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. If your edges need to be trimmed, do it as soon as it comes out of the oven. Let it cool on the sheet for a couple of minutes (not soft) then transfer to cooling racks.
Probably more than you needed to know, but I get carried away. HAve fun!

[Hasmom99]

Try this link to recipes on the Family Fun Magazine website. I have their cookbook from years ago and remember there was a kid friendly gingerbread recipe in it - also the gingerbread was not too strong so my kids liked the taste.

http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/special ... ookies_ms/

Scroll down the page and there is a category for gingerbread.

[paddlegal]

Got a box of Graham Crackers? It may not be ginger bread but you can glue a bunch of mini-houses with icing and have a whole village of cute faux gingerbread homes. I used to take DS to a friend's party each year that does it that way and he always enjoyed that. Just think of the possibilities...ranch houses, condos, oh...do I sound like I'm in CA?

Merry Christmas
Farley

[bethrich]

Farley, you're a hoot! But what a great idea! :idea:

[n8tvtexan]

oohhhh I think I'll be saving all these ideas for next year.

[InkPattie]

One year we went to a kids' festival, where someone had bought gingerbread cookies that were plain rounds, and they gave the kids frosting in squeeze tubes and things to stick on, and they had a blast making cookies. Sure, a gingerbread house would have been great, but the cookies could be store-bought and just a tube of frosting and some sprinkles would make it lots of fun.