From Scratch Gingerbread House
 
Ingredients
Tools Needed
Ingredients for dough
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened -- pastured and organic if possible
  • ¼ cup brown sugar (organic so it's not genetically modified, like this one)
  • 1 large egg, organic and pastured if possible
  • ½ cup molasses (this is a great molasses)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup oat flour (we love Bob's Red Mill oat flour)
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour (this is a great organic all-purpose flour)
  • Pinch of unrefined sea salt (the best unrefined sea salt)
  • ¾ tsp baking soda (like this)
  • 2 tsp ground ginger (organic, non-irradiated spices like this brand)
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp ground nutmeg
Royal Icing Ingredients (adapted from Wilton Royal Icing recipe):
  • 2 egg whites
  • 3 cups icing sugar (organic, like this)
  • 5 Tbsp water
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract (this one is great)
Instructions
For the dough
  1. Whisk together your dry ingredients in a large bowl.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar for 3-4 minutes, or until light and fluffy.
  3. Add vanilla and molasses to the butter and sugar mixture and mix until well incorporated.
  4. Beat egg into the wet mixture.
  5. With a rubber spatula, slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. I like to do this in thirds, and usually finish off by incorporating everything with my hands.
  6. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate.
  7. After 2 hours, preheat oven to 350 degrees and line two cookie sheets with parchment.
  8. Remove dough from the fridge and roll out your dough on a floured surface. Roll to about ¼ thickness.
  9. Cut your house using cutters or a template. Place on lined cookie sheets and then place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
  10. Bake for 10 minutes at 350, then reduce to 325 and bake for another 10-15 minutes (depending on the size and thickness of your pieces). The pieces are done when they are firm to the touch.
  11. Let cool completely, assemble using royal icing, and then decorate.
For the icing
  1. Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat for 10 minutes.
  2. Your icing is ready when you can draw a line in it and it doesn’t disappear. If it is too thick, add more water. If it is too thin, add more icing sugar.
Recipe by Scratch Mommy at https://scratchmommy.com/how-to-make-gingerbread-house-dough-from-scratch/