Gingerbread House Construction - Towers, Turrets, and How to Make Rounded Cookies.

Ever want to make a tower out of gingerbread? Or a rounded bay window? You came to the right place to learn how to do it.

Gingerbread Competitions on the Food Network always have beautiful and unique houses. I love when they create rounded castle turrets, or towers but couldn't find an article online on HOW. So, bake along with me as I teach you how to create rounded gingerbread cookies.

Gingerbread Dough

• 2 cups granulated Sugar
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 tablespoon water
• 4 eggs
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon, clove
• 2 tablespoons ginger
• 6 cups flour + more for dusting surface

Stand Mixer or mixing bowl.

Baking tray

Rolling pin

Parchment paper

Knife, or pizza cutter (if cutting long, straight edges)

Cooling rack

Rounded object (can, rolling pin, ect.) for molding baked gingerbread

Oven, or toaster oven (esp. if your pieces are smaller. I find this easier and faster than a larger oven.)

Spatula

Fridge/Freezer

I used this recipe I found online. Follow along there for more tips, too.

Ingredients:

Gingerbread Dough

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 tablespoon water
• 4 eggs
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon, clove
• 2 tablespoons ginger
• 6 cups flour

Steps:

1. Warm 1/2 cup honey in microwave for 30 seconds, and mix with 2 cups granulated sugar in mixing bowl with paddle attachment.
2. Wipe down sides, and add 1 tbsp water and mix on slow.
3. Add 4 eggs, 2 tsp cinnamon, clove, 2 tbsp ginger and mix until well combined, scrape sides of bowl.
4. Add 6 cups flour gradually, until just combined.
5. Switch paddle attachment to a dough hook and mix for several minutes. If dough is crumbly, add water. If too wet, add flour. Finished dough should be pliable, and sit together nicely.
6. Pour out mixture, separate, make rounds with plastic wrap and chill dough until ready to cut.

**In this step we will be using the measurements I needed for my piece. Adjust for your own project**

I recommend baking pieces individually, on similar sized baking sheets. Always cut gingerbread directly on baking sheet to avoid stretching while moving.

If you are wishing to cut windows or other details made from cookie that cannot be added later this is the time to add it!

1. Preheat your oven to 325 F
2. Lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin. Take your chilled dough and roll it out to a 1/4" thick. Place back in fridge to chill once more while you prepare your pattern.
3. Cutting Pattern: (cut directly into dough, or make paper pattern)
   • 5"x4" - rectangle, 1/4" thick dough (x2 if full circle desired)
4. Take your dough out of fridge, mark pattern with ruler , cut using a pizza cutter for easy straight lines.
5. Remove excess dough, place cut pieces in fridge/freezer until oven is heated.
6. Bake 15-20 mins, until edges brown.
7. While cookie bakes, place your round mold (rolling pin, can ect.) onto the cooling rack.
8. When cookie is done, remove from oven, use a spatula to remove the cookie and place it on the mold.
9. Slowly smooth/hold the warm cookie around the mold while wearing and oven mitt. Do this for about a minute or 2 while it slightly sets its shape.
10. Let cool on mold.

Once your pieces are cool they should be perfectly rounded in your desired shape.

If wanting a full tower simply glue the two sides together with either icing or actual glue (I prefer hot glue!)

If you're nervous about breaking pieces some always bake extra, about 10 mins behind the first batch. That way if one breaks you have another ready to shape while its still warm. If you bake it with the same batch it might be too cool by the time you broke your first piece.

This year I am using this method to build the windows from Olivanders Wand Shop from Harry Potter out of Gingerbread. I'll be adding fondant details to the trim, and a gelatin or plastic sheet as "glass" windows. If it goes well I will be building more shops for Diagon Alley.

Thanks for reading. Let me know if you have any questions or tips for gingerbread house building.If you make some gingerbread houses from Halloween or Christmas (or whenever really) share your creation with me here.