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Recipe for a Gingerbread House
Ingredients:
Dough
3/4 C butter
7/8 C packed dark brown sugar
1 t lemon zest
1-1/2 T lemon juice
½ C molasses
2 eggs
3 C all-purpose flour
2 t baking powder
1 T ground ginger
½ t cinnamon
2t ground allspice
Icing
6 egg whites
4 (16 oz) boxes confectioner’s sugar, sifted
Directions
1. To make a gingerbread house that fits together easily, you will want to take the time for this step. First cut out templates in thin cardboard of the desired-sized house. Templates for a 4-1/2”x8” house: a side wall, 4-1/2 x 8 inches; an end wall, 4-1/2x5 inches; a triangular gable, 4-1/2x3x3 inches; and a roof rectangle, 4-1/2x9 inches. Tape the rectangular end wall piece to the triangular gable piece: match the long side of the triangle, 4 1/2 inches, to one of the 4 1/2 inch sides of the end wall. NOTE: For bigger houses, remember to have the roof template 1” longer than the wall piece and the long side of the gable piece to match the side wall.
2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, and molasses. Gradually beat in 2 eggs. Sift the flour, baking powder, and spices together; stir into creamed mixture. Wrap dough in parchment paper, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
3. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 6 portions, 2 slightly larger than the others. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the 4 smaller pieces to approximately the size of the side wall and the end wall with gable templates; cut out two of each. Roll out remaining dough, and cut into two rectangular roof pieces. Transfer gingerbread onto greased baking trays.
4. In a preheated 375 degree F (190 degrees C) oven, bake gingerbread for 10 minutes, or until crisp. When removing from the oven, leave the gingerbread on the baking trays for a few minutes to set, then transfer to wire racks. Leave out overnight to harden.
5. In a large bowl, lightly whisk 2 egg whites. Gradually beat in approximately 5 cups confectioners' sugar. The icing should be smooth and stand in firm peaks.
6. To assemble the house: Spread or pipe a 9-inch line of icing onto a cake board (or aluminum foil-covered cardboard), and press in one of the side walls so that it sticks firmly and stands upright. If necessary, spread or pipe a little extra icing along either side to help support it, like a foundation. Take an end wall and ice both the side edges. Spread or pipe a line of icing on the board at a right angle to the first wall, and press the end wall into position. Repeat this process with the other two walls until they are all in position. Leave the walls to harden together for at least two hours before attaching the roof. Spread or pipe a thick layer of icing on top of all the walls, and fix the roof pieces in position; the roof should overlap the walls to make the eaves. Pipe or spread a little icing along the crest of the roof to hold the two pieces firmly together. Leave overnight to set firmly.
7. When ready to decorate, make the remaining icing. In a large bowl, lightly whisk 4 egg whites, and mix in remaining confectioners' sugar as before. Use this to make snow on the roof, and to stick on various candies (M&M, red hots, gumdrops, licorice strings, shredded coconut) for decoration. Finish with a fine dusting of sifted confectioners' sugar.
Other stories set during the Christmas holiday time written by Linda are:
A sweet western historical, The Ring That Binds released by Prism Book Group, is set in the small mining town of Aspen, Colorado. This title spent seven weeks on the Top 100 western historical list.
Blurb: 1886 --Widow Celina Innes struggles to run her dress shop and pay her late husband’s debts for the sake of her four-year old daughter, Keena. Following his dream for silver was a mistake and Celina has sworn her independence. Co-owner of Toussaint’s General Store, Mikel, wishes to make this proud woman’s life easier. He slips treats to the child hoping to please Celina. When illness strikes Keena, Celina turns to Mikel for help and they work together all night, deepening their friendship. But when the crisis ends, Mikel disappears and Celina learns he wishes to increase his stores. How could she have been so wrong about him? Can a woman sworn to put down roots and a man seeking more riches find happiness?
Wishes On A Star is included in Sweetwater Springs Christmas, an anthology of short stories by eleven authors set in the 1895 world created in Debra Holland’s poplar western historical Montana Sky series
Blurb: Free-spirit Richelle Quaid is outspoken, confident and a little bit spoiled. She sets tongues wagging with her bloomers and bicycle but also catches the eye of visiting rancher Landon Howard. An incident with her bicycle causes his prize colt to bolt into the cold Montana night. As Richelle and Landon track the animal together, they can’t fight their growing attraction. Will a wish made on a star foretell their future?
For a complete listing of Linda’s titles, go to her website www.lindacarroll-bradd.com
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