Tuesday's Tips & Techniques: Making a Gingerbread House

Begin {the day before} by mixing up a batch of homemade gingerbread.

The next day {a nice day of dry time makes for greater structural integrity in the finished project} lay out all your building pieces and a nice base to construct them on. In the past, I have used a nice thick piece of cardboard wrapped in foil, a very flat platter and our pick this year, a cake stand.

Use a pastry bag filled with royal icing to pipe lines of "glue" to lay a foundation for the walls.

Have members of your construction crew hold the walls in place while the icing dries a bit. This is a good spot to let the house set up while you get the baby dressed. After a while, go ahead and put the roof on.

Add LOADS of icing

a. to keep the structure together

b. to give the kiddies lots of sticky stuff to put the candy on

c. because it's fun

Let the kiddies loose with the candies.

I let them do whatever they wish.

{Pants are optional for this part}

Make sure to stop the construction now and again with the word "smile."

Be on the look out for four legged icing thieves.

Kick any thieves off the construction site.

 

Make sure to feed the baby plenty of sourballs. All at once.

Keep the crew working until there is not a speck of uncovered icing left.

Finally, snap cute construction crew shot in front of the tree.

Happy Holidays!!!