How to Make a Gingerbread House Ideas and Pictures

This recipe makes enough dough for one cottage, plus leftovers to make decorative pieces like doors, shutters, window ledges and and flower ornaments.

Decide what kind of Gingerbread house you want to build. Cut your patterns from cardboard - Make 2 roof pieces, 2 front and back pieces, 2 side pieces. Grease and flour 2 large cookie sheets 17 x 14. See some pictures of Gingerbread House Winners

Also see cake decorating tips

Gingerbread House Recipe

1 1/2 cups dark corn syrup
1 1/3 cups packed dark brown sugar
1 cup butter - no substitutes
7 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsps ground ginger
1 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt

In a large saucepan, combine the corn syrup, sugar and butter; cook and stir over medium heat until butter is melted. Pour in a large mixing bowl. Combine dry ingredients; gradually beat into sugar mixture (dough will be stiff). Chill for at least one hour. Roll dough to 1/8 inch thickness on a greased baking sheet. Cut into desired shapes using your patterns. Leave at least an inch space between pieces, because the dough will spread during baking. Remove dough scraps. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. While the pieces are warm, retrim if necessary. Cool for 5 minutes; remove from pan to wire racks to cool. Yields one small gingerbread house approximately 8 in. x 10 in.

Get ready to decorate. You really don't need a special icing. Just one that is thick enough to act as glue.

This picture is our first gingerbread house we ever made. Nothing special about it, but it was a good first tr.

The problem was, when do we get to eat it? We wound up waiting till after christmas, and then it was hard as a rock. All we salvaged was some of the candies.

Make the Icing

1 1/2 cups butter or margarine - soft
1 1/2 cups shortening
3/4 cup water
3 Tablespoons vanilla
12 cups powdered sugar

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and shortening. Add water and vanilla; beat until smooth. Gradually beat in sugar; mix well. Place a damp paper towel over bowl and cover tightly between uses.

Make the Roof - To make the roof of the gingerbread house cut out pieces to fit on top of the gingerbread house from cardboard. Squeeze icing on the upper edges of the front and back of the gingerbread house.

Carefully place your cardboard pieces on the front and back slants of the gingerbread house. You can make roof shingles from Triscuit crackers cut in half. Using icing attach the Triscuits to the roof in rows beginning with a bottom row then slightly overlap each row after that. If you prefer, you can put hard candy, gumdrops, licorice or chocolate chips to on top of the roof to decorate it instead. Like in this picture with NECCO candy wafers.

Decorate the Windows - If you cut out windows on your gingerbread house you can decorate them this way. Use a #5 tip to outline the windows and doors with white icing. If you would like to make shutters on your windows you can use the pieces of a Hershey’s candy bar.

Make Some Scenery - You could also get a little creative and decorate scenery around the gingerbread house like making a fence with pretzels. To make trees use a serrated knife and carefully score and cut sugar ice cream cones to desired heights. Then tint a portion of icing with green and use the leaf tip to decorate the trees. You can also make shrubs by using spearmint candies or decorating marshmellows with green icing using a leaf tip. When the frosting dries you can arrange the trees and shrubs around the house where you want by attaching it to the base with icing.

Make some Grass - If you want to make a path in front of the gingerbread house you could do this by cutting jellybeans in half lengthwise. Then arrange them cut side down in front of the door of the gingerbread house. To make grass tint coconut with green.

Suggested Decorations for a Ginger Bread house

1 pkg Triscuit crackers
Decorative candies and sugars
Pretzels
Sugar ice cream cones - for bushes
Spearmint or peppermint candies
Colored minature marshmellows
Jellybeans

Items Needed to Build it

17-inch x 22-inch display base - heavy duty cardboard or
cutting board or piece of plywood - covered with aluminum foil
Serrated knife or emery board - for filing
Food coloring
Small paintbrush
Pastry bags or heavy-duty resealable plastic bags
Pastry tips-#10 round, #5 round and #67 leaf
Spice bottles or other small bottles
Heavy-duty cardboard

To assemble the frame of the gingerbread house you will first test the cookie pieces to make sure they fit snugly together. If they don't you will need to file the pieces carefully with a serrated knife or an emery board to make the pieces fit.

To color the gingerbread house you will need to combine four tsp. of water and 1/2 tsp. of the food coloring that you would like the color of the gingerbread house to be. Carefully brush the icing onto the front, back and sides of the gingerbread house with a small paintbrush. Let it dry overnight.

Insert a #10 pastry tip into a pastry bag. Fill it two-thirds full with icing. Beginning with the back piece of the gingerbread house squeeze a wide strip of icing onto the bottom edge of the back piece. Postion the gingerbread house on a display base. Prop the gingerbread house up with spice bottles until the icing is firm about 3-4 hours.

To add the sides and front of the gingerbread house squeeze icing on the over edge of one of the side pieces and on the side edge of a back piece. Then align the pieces at a right angle making sure they are as tight as possible. Prop up these pieces also with spice bottles. Continue to repeat this step with the other side. For added stability, squeeze icing along the inside edge of all the pieces and on all of the corners.

Squeeze icing onto the bottom and side edges of the front piece and then position it with the other assembled pieces. Prop it up with more spice bottles and let it dry completely.

THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

"A Visit from St. Nicholas", also known as "The Night Before Christmas" and "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" from its first line, is a poem first published anonymously in 1823 and generally attributed to Clement Clarke Moore, although the claim has also been made that it was written by Henry Livingston, Jr.

The poem, which has been called "arguably the best-known verses ever written by an American", is largely responsible for the conception of Santa Claus from the mid-nineteenth century to today, including his physical appearance, the night of his visit, his mode of transportation, the number and names of his reindeer, as well as the tradition that he brings toys to children. Prior to the poem, American ideas about St. Nicholas and other Christmastide visitors varied considerably. The poem has influenced ideas about St. Nicholas and Santa Claus beyond the United States to the rest of the English-speaking world and beyond.

THE POEM

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;

And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,

Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,

Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow

Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,

I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,

And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;

"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!

On, Comet! on Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!

To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!

Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,

When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,

So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,

With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof

The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.

As I drew in my head, and was turning around,

Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,

And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;

A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,

And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.

His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!

His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,

And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,

And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;

He had a broad face and a little round belly,

That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,

And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,

Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,

And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,

And laying his finger aside of his nose,

And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,

And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.

But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,

"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night."

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THE SOLAR SYSTEM

Our solar neighborhood is an exciting place. The solar system is full of planets, moons, asteroids, comets, minor planets, and many other exciting objects. Learn about Io, the explosive moon that orbits the planet Jupiter, or explore the gigantic canyons and deserts on Mars.

What Is The Solar System?

The Solar System is made up of all the planets that orbit our Sun. In addition to planets, the Solar System also consists of moons, comets, asteroids, minor planets, and dust and gas.

Everything in the Solar System orbits or revolves around the Sun. The Sun contains around 98% of all the material in the Solar System. The larger an object is, the more gravity it has. Because the Sun is so large, its powerful gravity attracts all the other objects in the Solar System towards it. At the same time, these objects, which are moving very rapidly, try to fly away from the Sun, outward into the emptiness of outer space. The result of the planets trying to fly away, at the same time that the Sun is trying to pull them inward is that they become trapped half-way in between. Balanced between flying towards the Sun, and escaping into space, they spend eternity orbiting around their parent star. 

How Did The Solar System form?

This is an important question, and one that is difficult for scientists to understand. After all, the creation of our Solar System took place billions of years before there were any people around to witness it. Our own evolution is tied closely to the evolution of the Solar System. Thus, without understanding from where the Solar System came from, it is difficult to comprehend how mankind came to be.

Scientists believe that the Solar System evolved from a giant cloud of dust and gas. They believe that this dust and gas began to collapse under the weight of its own gravity. As it did so, the matter in this could begin moving in a giant circle, much like the water in a drain moves around the center of the drain in a circle.

At the center of this spinning cloud, a small star begin to form. This star grew larger and larger, as it collected more of the dust and gas that were collapsing into it.

Further away from the star that was forming in the center were smaller clumps of dust and gas that were also collapsing. The star in the center eventually ignited forming our Sun, while the smaller clumps became the planets, minor planets, moons, comets, and asteroids.

English Usage in the UK and USA

    

A light-heartedlook at some differences between English as spoken on both sides of the Atlantic. Spelling and pronunciation differences are not included."The British and Americans are divided by a common     language"George Bernard Shaw

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU by Olivia Olson

Enjoy this beautiful Christmas song from "LoveActually"a film I realy like and I highly recconmend you watching if you are a romantic person as I am...

VERBS

• IS _____                   SEND____________
• KNOW ______       HEAR____________
• NEED________      DO______________
• WANT_______      SING____________
• MAKE________     FIll _____________
• HANG ________   SHINE___________
• ASK __________  BRING___________
• WISH _________  SEE _____________
• STAY _________   COME TRUE ________
• KEEP __________ ASK FOR______________

CHRISTMAS VOCABULARY

Find these words in the song, translate them into your language and copy the sentence in which they appear.

Christmas =                                                 Mistletoe =

Toy =                                                           North Pole =

Fireplace =                                                  Saint Nick =

Presents =                                                   Reindeer =

Christmas day =                                          Lights =

Santa Claus =                                              Sleigh bells =

Christmas tree =                                         Sleigh =

Stocking =                                                   Make a wish =

Snow =                                                         Christmas´Eve(not in the song) =

SANTA CLAUS MESSAGE...

Santa Claus wants to tell every child and adult of the world that :      Remember to be nice!

The niceness means three different things.You must be friendly and helpful to each other. Secondly you must be good to yourself. It means that it is good to develop yourself by studying, exercising sports and writing letters, for example, and other good things. Thirdly you must be nice towards nature and animals. Kindness and peace are very important things to Santa Claus!

Santa Claus hopes that you will be kind and considerate in the future. He wants you to continue your good hobbies, too. And now, you are ready to visit my homeland and write your Christmas letters

All about British Life and Culture

Our project Britain website contains fascinating facts and information about England, Scotland and Wales (Britain), in a way that is easy to read and to understand for people of all ages and cultures.

Welcome to the Christmas Corner!

Christmas is coming soon and Oxford would like to help you create that special atmosphere by providing a range of resources especially designed for your classroom. Have a look at  OXFORD UNIV. PRESS-"Christmas Corner" with lots of resources for both, teachers as well as students. And.....Enjoy your Christmas!!!