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Valentine's Day Gingerbread House decorated with candies.
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5 from 3 votes

Valentine Gingerbread House

This Valentine's Gingerbread House is so fun to make! Decorated with cute Valentines candies and colors, gingerbread houses aren't just for Christmas anymore!
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time1 hour 20 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: German
Keyword: Gingerbread House, Valentine's day
Servings: 24
Calories: 468kcal
Author: Echo Blickenstaff

Ingredients

  • 2 cups light corn syrup
  • 1 ½ cups light brown sugar firmly packed
  • 1 ¼ cups margarine
  • 9 cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • Royal Icing recipe below
  • Decorative cookies candies, sprinkles, etc.

For the icing:

  • 3 Tablespoons meringue powder or 3 egg whites, but if you plan on eating the icing, use the meringue powder
  • 6 Tablespoons warm water
  • 4 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

  • Print out the gingerbread house pattern, or use a pattern of your own. Cut out the pattern on light cardboard (I used a large cereal box).
    Printables and cut out light cardboard gingerbread pieces with scissors.
  • Click here for the gingerbread house pattern.
  • In a medium microwave-safe bowl, microwave corn syrup, brown sugar, and margarine for 1 minute. Stir, return to microwave for 1 minute.
    Glass bowl with corn syrup, brown sugar and margarine.
  • Stir, return for additional 1-1 1/2 minutes stirring every 30 sec until the margarine is melted and the sugar is completely dissolved.
    Stirring melted margarine sugar mixture with a wooden spoon.
  • In a large bowl or mixer, combine flour and salt. Add the heated sugar mixture. Blend in the mixer, or knead with your hands, into the dough.
    Glass mixing bowl with Valentine's Day gingerbread dough. Paddle on the side.
  • Combine the dough into a large mound and wrap it in plastic. Let dough rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
    Valentine's Day house dough wrapped in plastic wrap.
  • After 30 minutes, turn the oven to 350 degrees. Cut parchment paper the size of your cookie sheet, lightly flour and roll out a quarter of the dough at a time into ¼ inch thickness. This will make 2 houses, but you can make 3 houses rolling out the scraps of dough.
    If the dough is too hard, you can microwave it for 20-30 seconds. This softens the dough and makes it more manageable.
    Roll out Valentine's Day gingerbread house cookie dough and rolling pin.
  • Lightly flour the cardboard patterns and place them on the rolled-out dough, leaving a 1-inch space between pieces. For clean edges, cut with a pizza wheel. Remove and reserve excess dough.
    Cutting house dough with pizza cutter around cardboard shapes.
  • Grab the opposite edges of the parchment paper and transfer it to the baking sheet. Bake 16-18 minutes or until pieces are firm and lightly browned on the edges.
    Unbaked Valentine's Day gingerbread house shapes on parchment paper on a cookie sheet.
  • Keep baked pieces on pans for 20 minutes then transfer to cool completely on a cooling rack.
    Pieces of Valentine's Day Gingerbread House on cooling rack.
  • Once the pieces are cool, you can start assembling your house using the Royal Icing and decorative cookies, candies, sprinkles, etc. Every gingerbread house is unique - use your imagination and have fun!
    Valentine's Day Gingerbread House cut outs, royal icing in a bag and candies.

For the icing:

  • Blend all the ingredients together in a mixer, scraping the sides as you go.
    Glass mixing bowl with royal icing and whisk attachment on the side.
  • This icing hardens and dries out quickly. As you decorate your house, take out the amount you will need and leave the remaining icing in a bowl covered with a wet dishcloth or plastic wrap.
    Icing Valentine's Day Gingerbread House together with royal icing.

Nutrition

Calories: 468kcal | Carbohydrates: 91g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 189mg | Potassium: 79mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 55g | Vitamin A: 423IU | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 2mg