YW - Royal Icing (for gingerbread houses)

ROYAL ICING

3 egg whites*

1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

4 cups (1 lb.) unsifted confectioners’ sugar

Food coloring (optional)

Vanilla, lemon, peppermint or other extract (optional)

*Meringue powder works just as well; use 1/4 cup meringue powder combined with 1/2 cup of cold water in place of the fresh egg whites.

 

Royal Icing  directions:

In a large bowl, whip the egg whites with the cream of tartar until foamy. Sprinkle in the sugar gradually, whipping all the while. The more you whip the icing, the stiffer it’ll be and the faster it will harden up. If you want to “paint” with the icing, you can use food coloring to create different colors and thin the icing  with a few drops of water so it will flow.

Note:   Royal icing needs to be kept covered, because it will dry quickly and become lumpy if exposed to the air. The easiest way to store the icing for long periods of time is in a plastic pastry bag or zip-top food storage bag. If you have disposable pastry bags, using an uncut bag as a sleeve for the bag you are piping from is an easy way to keep everything from drying out.

YW - Gingerbread

Gingerbread Recipe

6 cups all-purpose flour (+extra for kneading)

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup dark brown sugar, packed

4 teaspoons ground ginger

4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon black pepper (I use ½ teaspoon)

1 ½ teaspoons ground cloves

1 ½ teaspoons salt

1 ½ cup of dark unsulfured molasses

2 large eggs

Directions:

​In a large bowl, sift flour, baking soda, and baking powder together and set aside.

In a separate large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until the mixture is ​fluffy.  Add ginger, cinnamon, cloves, pepper, and salt.  Beat in molasses ​and eggs.

Mix the dry into the wet ingredients just until well combined.

​Divide the dough into thirds and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for ​30 minutes or more.

Heat oven to 350 F (177 C).  Roll out dough on a well-floured surface and cut into ​desired shapes or house.

​Bake for 12-15 minutes or until slightly firm.  Cool completely.