Gingerbread Houses (Planning Ahead . . . )
Decorating By KatieTaylor77 Updated 8 Sep 2006 , 4:42pm by cheffie
I generally try to give homemade gifts during the holidays . . . this year I decided to do a single giant decorated cookie to each of my coworkers. For my family and close friends, I was thinking of making elaborate gingerbread houses. I am hoping someone will be able to answer these questions:
1) Does anyone have a good gingerbread recipe that will hold up well?
2) Is there a pattern anywhere online that I can download for the walls and roofs?
3) How far in advance can I bake the gingerbread, and do you think I could pre-bake them and freeze them? (To save time later.)
4) I was thinking of making royal icing snowflakes and attaching them to the houses . . . if I used wax paper to form the snowflakes do you think they would peel off?
I generally try to give homemade gifts during the holidays . . . this year I decided to do a single giant decorated cookie to each of my coworkers. For my family and close friends, I was thinking of making elaborate gingerbread houses. I am hoping someone will be able to answer these questions:
1) Does anyone have a good gingerbread recipe that will hold up well?
2) Is there a pattern anywhere online that I can download for the walls and roofs?
3) How far in advance can I bake the gingerbread, and do you think I could pre-bake them and freeze them? (To save time later.)
4) I was thinking of making royal icing snowflakes and attaching them to the houses . . . if I used wax paper to form the snowflakes do you think they would peel off?
Hi... I have made Ginger Bread Houses. I'll post the photo. I might be able to help you with a couple of your questions.
1) I have a ginger bread recipe that I can give you if you would like it. I use it on my ginger bread houses.
2) I don't know of any patterns online but the pattern is fairly simple to make. If you like I can give you the measurements of my pattern.
3) I'm not sure about this one but I'm sure that you could make them pretty far in advance. I see those pre-baked kits in the stores that come with ginger bread.
4) Making the snowflakes on wax paper would be perfect. They will peel off very nicely.
HTH,
Lazy_Susan
hi
if you type in google,something like free gingerbread house patterns,you should get lots of sites.I got patterns that way.
I love your house Lazy_Susan
I've made tons of gingerbread houses.. Used to make them with my daycare kids every year.. I have a good recipe posted.. It's easy to work with and tastes so good too.. I would make , assemble and let them harden for a few days before getting the kids to decorate them .. They would be so proud to take home their finished masterpiece..
Liz
Go to google and type in frankysattic. That site is incredible. It has free templates for several types of houses, past winners for like 56 years of the Grovepark Inn national gingerbread competition and many other things. The only bad thing is that the forum has not been kept up.By the way I am entered in the Grovepark competition this year. First year, Im excited. I am no way even near the competitors that will be there but it will be so much fun and I cannot wait until I see all of their work. Hope this helps good luck and have fun with them Cheffie 
Go to google and type in frankysattic. That site is incredible. It has free templates for several types of houses, past winners for like 56 years of the Grovepark Inn national gingerbread competition and many other things. The only bad thing is that the forum has not been kept up.By the way I am entered in the Grovepark competition this year. First year, Im excited. I am no way even near the competitors that will be there but it will be so much fun and I cannot wait until I see all of their work. Hope this helps good luck and have fun with them Cheffie
KatiTaylor77: Thanks for starting this thread. I was just thinking about GBH's last night.
Cheffie: Thanks for the tip on "frankysattic. I've already printed out two GBH's to plan on making.
Any other info would be greatly appreciated here too K'ly ^,,^
I have made them for years also (not fancy ones, just small easy ones!) Moisture is the enemy of a gingerbread house - DO NOT freeze the already made pieces.
One thing that I have done that is kind of cool is to put a strand of the battery operated christmas lights in the bottom of the house - when they are turned on, the wonderful smell of the gingerbread is really "turned on" too!
Im glad frankysattic helped . Some people use an acrylic spray after they are done with their houses to help preserve them. Of course they can only be used for show and not eaten after that.Also there are many other sites to get house plans I just type in gingerbread house templates or plans on google and go from there. And if you want to see spectacular houses go to google type in gingerbread houses and then click on images. Hope this helps 
Cheffie
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