Gingerbread House

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Combine flours, McCormick Organic Ginger Powder, McCormick Organic Ground Cinnamon, ground cloves, sugar and butter in a food processor. Process until mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
3. Whisk golden syrup and eggs together in a jug. With the motor running, add egg mixture and process until dough just comes together. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Knead gently until smooth. Cut dough in half and wrap in plastic wrap.
4. Meanwhile, cut paper patterns for gingerbread house; cut two 12 cm x 19 cm rectangles for roof; two 10.5 cm x 16 cm rectangles for side walls of house; and two 16 cm x 18 cm rectangles for front and back walls of house and add 14 cm gables with total height 28 cm.
5. Roll dough, 1 portion at a time, between 2 sheets baking paper until 5mm thick. Remove top layer baking paper. Using cardboard cut-outs as a guide, cut shapes from dough. Place gingerbread in a single layer on trays. Re-knead and re-roll dough as needed to cut shapes from dough. Line 4 baking trays with baking paper. Place gingerbread on trays. Bake, 2 trays at a time, for 15 minutes or until firm. Cool on trays.
6. Meanwhile make royal icing: Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add icing sugar, beating constantly until thick.
7. Use a knife spread icing to join wall edges together, start with a front and side wall, placing pins into adjoining wall edges to support joins until icing dries. Then join back and side wall, placing pins into adjoining wall edges to support joins until icing dries. You should have an empty house without a roof.
8. If house feels strong and dry enough. Use icing to attach roof to walls, using pins into adjoining sides to support roof until icing dries completely. Remove pins only when house is solid and dried.
9. Spoon 1/2 cup remaining icing into a snap-lock bag. Trim 1 corner of bag and pipe windows and doors on house and frost on roof edges. Allow to dry.