Gluten Free Gingerbread Houses and Gingerbread Men makes day 5,6 of Mama’s 25 Days of a Gluten Free Christmas!
Gingerbread houses are a tradition in my family. I started making this a tradition when my first born, Gracie, was nearly 2 years old. I can still remember the innocence she had as she placed each candy onto the house, not in any particular place for any rhyme or reason. When the kids were young I had to be very careful about when I told them we were going to do the houses. If I wasn’t careful I would pay the consequences of hearing constant nagging and whining until I just would drop everything to get them started.
This was taken when Gracie is 13. This year she just wanted to do is make a Gingerbread man that she named Nick. I think she would have done a house if I would have let her have her own house to do. This year she is 16 and on our holiday baking day she asked are we making gingerbread houses. I just had brain surgery and am in the midst of a long recovery, so I told her not this year. All three of my kids were really sad. So I am hoping to make them each a kit to put under the tree for Christmas. I don’t have the money or the ability to shop this year so I thought that would make a wonderful gift for them. Cassie, my second born, age 11, at the time this was taken, now 14 and quite the beautiful young lady, had very particular things she wanted to do with hers, and she wasn’t going to let time stand in her way. You can definitely tell she has way surpassed the age of just getting the candy on as fast as you can. And then my baby, she is then 6, and now 9 had a million ideas about what she wanted to do. She tends to be more like me in this arena, everything had to be symetrical. LOL! It will be fun to see what she wants to do with hers this year. She is very creative and particular. The night we made these we had the joy of sharing the tradition with some friends who came over and hung out. Benjamin and Briana shared making a house. They were fun to watch with all the ideas they had popping out of their heads. They even made a log pile outside their house. I will post updated pictures this year, if my plan works. It will take a lot of energy to make the kits, but we have never missed a year making the houses, so I can’t miss this year.
From start to finish, the houses took 6 1/2 hours to make, considering the time it took make the dough, refridgerate the dough, make the templates for the houses, roll the dough out, baking and decorating. It was definately a chore, but a lot of fun and will hold priceless memories in me and the children’s lives. Make Gingerbread Houses a tradition in your family too! AND REMEMBER KIDS AND ADULTS BOTH ARE NEVER TOO OLD TO MAKE A GINGERBREAD HO– USE!
Gingerbread House and Gingerbread Cookie Dough
(See templates for houses below)
Ingredients:
4 1/2 cups Mama’s Almond or Coconut Blend Flour
2 tsp. xanthan gum
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1 cup butter or dairy free margarine, room temp.
3/4 cup molasses
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, xanthan gum, salt, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon and ground cloves. Mix to combine. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, cream together butter, molasses, sugar and vanilla. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add egg and mix until combined.
Slowly, add flour until all flour is mixed in well. Place dough on large piece of plastic wrap. Wrap tightly and place in refrigerator for 1-2 hours or until chilled.
Roll dough out on generously floured surface about 1/4 inch thickness. Place template onto dough and cut out with a knfe. Cut out two of each template. Gently move to baking sheet. Bake for 15-17 minutes.(Check by gently pressing your finger in the center. When it begins to firm it is done. It will finish getting harder while cooling. Ovens may vary.) Allow to cool on baking sheet for 1-2 minutes. Gently remove to cooling rack, being careful not to break.
If making Gingerbread men, follow directions for rolling out. Sprinkle with coarse sugar or leave plain for frosting. Bake for 12-14 minutes.
NOTE: This recipe of dough will make 1 large Gingerbread house and 6-8 Gingerbread Men OR it will make 2 small houses and 2-3 Gingerbread Men. (The smaller houses are easier to transfer off the baking sheets.)
Royal Icing:
3 egg whites
1 pound powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. cream of tarter
Mix all ingredients in mixer for about 7-9 minutes or until stiff peaks form. Be sure to keep covered with plastic wrap touching icing at all times or it will dry out. This icing drys fast.
This recipe can be doubled.
