We did it! Eight standing gingerbread houses made with homemade royal icing. It’s our first annual project and I couldn’t be more thrilled for our very first attempt.
Place royal icing into pastry bag with a writing tip and press out to decorate individual parts of house, piping on decorations, windows, door, etc., as desired. Let dry until hardened.
Glue sides, front and back of house together at corners using royal icing. Place an object against the pieces to prop up until icing is dry (it only takes a few minutes).
Glue the two roof pieces to the pitched roofline of the house. Then, similarly, glue the sides and roof of the entryway together with icing. Attach the entryway to the front of the house.
Continue decorating the house, glueing on gumdrops, licorice and peppermint, as desired.
The important part is to allow pieces to dry and hold before trying to attach more weight. We used boxes and jars to stabilize different parts.
Good news is that cracked pieces can be mended if you are careful.
Be very generous with the glue that holds it together. Wait until the house is stable before loading candy.
Royal Icing Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 egg whites
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon water (I add two when making the icing for the outside of house decorating and only one for the thicker icing to glue the house together).
Directions:
Mix all of the ingredients together using an electric hand mixer, until the icing is smooth. Scoop into a pastry bag with a tip attached. We like the Wilton disposable bags. You can see our full post here on Cougar Kitchen.
Do you make your own royal icing?