How to Build a Gingerbread Cottage

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Decorating pre-fab gingerbread houses is a great way to spend time with loved ones, but a homemade gingerbread house is nothing short of a personal accomplishment. I cherish the process every year: smelling cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger as the dough bakes, piping the intricate details for hours, and holding my breath as I glue the pieces together, hoping with every atom in my body that it works out (it always does).

Even for the experienced baker, the idea can be daunting. Culinary producer Josh Rink perfected his recipe, breaking down the process step-by-step so yours will turn out just like his spectacular Christmas cottage (i.e. book-cover worthy!).

My biggest piece of advice is to give yourself time. Let your baked gingerbread pieces dry out at room temperature for a few days to become sturdier. Then, after decorating each piece (unassembled, so you have a flat surface to work on), let the royal icing dry overnight. Once you’re ready to assemble, take your time gluing the pieces together. Getting the placement right is essential to creating a sturdy structure. Patience is key, but I promise it’s more than worth it. Oh, and make sure to have a camera nearby when you’re finished!

Materials

• Dough: The right gingerbread dough recipe creates a sturdy, stable structure for the cottage. There are many purposeful ingredient choices here, like using shortening instead of butter so the dough doesn’t spread, adding spices to give it an aroma and skipping the leavening agents so the dough bakes the way it’s shaped.
• Royal icing: Gingerbread houses are traditionally decorated and glued together with royal icing, a type of icing made with meringue powder for stability.
• Mixer: A hand mixer or stand mixer makes it easier to mix the gingerbread dough and royal icing. If you have both, I recommend the stand mixer for the gingerbread dough since the dough can be thick. Save the hand mixer for the royal icing so you have more control.
• Storage wrap: Storage wrap is absolutely necessary here. The gingerbread dough needs to be wrapped tightly so it doesn’t dry out in the fridge overnight.
• Printed-out patterns: Print out the gingerbread cottage pattern and carefully cut each one out. I like to take my time with this step so they’re as perfect as possible. Turn on a Christmas movie—the animated version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas is only 26 minutes long!—so the task feels festive.
• Rolling pin: Use a rolling pin that isn’t tapered at the ends so the gingerbread dough rolls out as smoothly as possible.
• Knives: Multiple knives come in handy when making a gingerbread house. A chef’s knife is great for cutting the gingerbread pieces, a paring knife is helpful for more intricate cuts like the windows, and a serrated knife works well for shaving off the sides of big pieces for perfect edges.
• Rasp-style grater: This is my secret weapon for the best-looking gingerbread house! The small teeth on a rasp-style grater, like a Microplane, scrape off any craggily edges of the gingerbread pieces so they’re perfectly precise.
• Aluminum foil and cooking spray: To keep the gingerbread pieces from sticking as they bake, line baking sheets with aluminum foil spritzed with a little cooking spray. Parchment paper also works, just don’t use waxed paper because it can burn in the oven. Try to find your flattest baking sheets for this task. Anything warped or curved will bake the pieces as such.
• Piping bags and tips: The prettiest piped icing happens with real piping bags. Sure, you can fashion one out of a zip-top bag in a pinch, but it’s worth seeking out the real thing for ease and better control. An assortment of piping tips is helpful for creating all sorts of different designs. Smaller tips are best here for more intricate piping.
• Cans: A few regular-sized and small-sized cans (like green chiles or tomato paste) are handy for support, propping up the gingerbread pieces as they dry, so you’re not stuck holding them in place until the icing sets.
• Decorative pieces: These are all optional, but I love using sugar cones for pine trees, coarse sugar and edible glitter for a sparkly snow effect, sprinkles to add dimension, and red and green food coloring to create piped-on leaves and holly.

Downloadable Gingerbread House Template

Download the PDF

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Make the dough

Use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat 2-1/4 cups shortening and 2 cups granulated sugar until fluffy, five to seven minutes. Beat in 2 large room temperature eggs, 1 cup molasses, 2/3 cups light corn syrup, 2 teaspoons ground ginger, 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon and 1 teaspoon ground cloves until combined.

Add 8-1/2 to 9 cups all-purpose flour, 1 cup at a time, until the dough can be formed into a ball. Turn it onto a lightly floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth and easy to handle, adding more flour if needed.

Cover the dough with storage wrap to prevent it from drying out and refrigerate it for several hours or overnight.

Step 2: Trace the patterns onto the dough

Trace the printed-out house patterns onto sturdy paperboard. The gingerbread dough is a little greasy, which can make regular printer paper go a bit soggy. Carefully cut out the templates, removing the window and door openings as shown on the pattern.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray it with cooking spray. Divide the dough into six pieces, covering each one with storage wrap to prevent it from drying out. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll one-sixth of the dough directly on the foiled baking sheet into a rectangle that’s about 1/4 inch thick.

Position a house pattern on the dough. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the quantities noted on each pattern piece. Remove the pattern and dough scraps, and reroll the leftover scraps as needed. Depending on how long the process takes, you may need to store the leftover dough in the fridge to keep it firm.

Using a sharp knife, score outlines to mark the windows indicated on the pattern, but do not cut all the way through. Cut out the windows on the dough where indicated.

Step 3: Bake the gingerbread

Bake the gingerbread dough pieces in a 350°F oven until the edges just begin to brown, 12 to 14 minutes. Remove the baking sheets from the oven and immediately replace the paperboard house patterns on the still-hot gingerbread. Cut around the edges to trim off the excess gingerbread if necessary for the most precise edges possible.

Cool the gingerbread pieces on the baking sheets until firm, about 10 minutes. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Repeat this process with the remaining dough and patterns. Once all the gingerbread pieces for the house have baked and cooled completely, test the pieces to ensure they fit together well. If needed, trim the edges with a serrated knife, or gently file them with a rasp-style grater for perfect edges.

Step 4: Make the royal icing

In a large bowl, beat 1 cup water and 3/4 cups meringue powder until the mixture is frothy. Gradually beat in 12 cups confectioners’ sugar until the mixture is smooth. Continue to mix until the royal icing is glossy and holds peaks. If needed, add water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the desired consistency is achieved. Keep the icing covered with a damp cloth.

When it comes to the ideal consistency, I like to use very thick royal icing for gluing the house pieces together and thin royal icing for decorating. The thinner icing is much easier to work with for intricate detail work. Trust me, too-thick icing will hurt your hand if you try to pipe it!

Step 5: Decorate the house’s two side pieces

Fit a piping bag with a piping tip with a small hole, like a Wilton #2 tip. Fill the piping bag with royal icing, then grab one of the house’s side pieces. Using a mandala approach, start at the center of the two windows and work outward so you don’t smudge the icing as you work.

If any of these designs feel unfamiliar, try testing them out on a rubber spatula. That way, you can scrape the royal icing back into the bowl when you’re finished practicing. No waste!

• Outline the windows: Pipe a line through the center of each windowpane, then pipe two lines to fill out the entire cross. Pipe a line around the perimeter of each window. For a decorative look, pipe a second perimeter around each window that’s 1/4 to 1/2 inch outside the first perimeter. Squeeze small dots between the two perimeters.
• Add decorative lines underneath the windows: Underneath the window, pipe one line and add a dot on each end. Make sure the line and dots extend to just outside of the largest window perimeter. Pipe a second line underneath that’s slightly smaller, then an even smaller one underneath that. Finally, pipe a dot underneath the center of the third line, and add three petals around the dot, one underneath and two on the side.
• Add a scallop pattern above the windows: Pipe a scallop pattern around the sides and top of the windows. Pipe a single dot inside each scallop. Pipe a larger dot above the top of the window, then one single petal right above it, making the shape of an exclamation point. Pipe three petals on each side of the exclamation point, angling them downwards. Finally, pipe a small dot underneath, then a slightly larger dot underneath the small one.
• Pipe pretty flowers along the bottom edge: Starting at the center bottom part of the side piece, pipe a straight line upwards until it reaches somewhere in the middle of the second or third line underneath the windows. To make the flower, pipe a shape at the top of the line that’s similar to the bottom of a boat, then fill it with small dots, almost taking the shape of a setting sun. Pipe two rows of leaves on the line. Pipe dots and small leaves or blades of grass on either side of the flower.

Step 6: Decorate the house’s back panel

Grab the back panel and decorate it using the same piping bag and piping tip. Refill the bag with royal icing as needed.

• Outline the windows: Pipe a line through the center of each windowpane, then pipe three lines to fill out the entire cross. Pipe a line around the perimeter of each window. Squeeze small dots around the perimeter close enough that they’re just barely touching the line you just made. Pipe another perimeter line, this time connecting both windows with one single perimeter line. Once you reach the top area, curve the line and dip it slightly at the center of the windows into a heart-like shape. Pipe a second perimeter line 1/4 inch outwards, following the same shape as the previous perimeter line.
• Add petal patterns above the windows: Squeeze a large dot of icing where the outermost perimeter dips slightly in the heart shape. Pipe three petals around the dot, two on the sides and one on top. Pipe this same pattern on the sides of the window, just where the perimeter line starts to curve down. Finally, pipe a single line of small dots all across the top of the windows, curving with the patterns.
• Add a decorative line above the petals: Pipe a line that starts 1/4 inch out from the line of the dots you just added. As you pipe, curve the line into three curves, one around each petal, so it looks similar to a cloud. Finish the line on the other side of the window from where you started. Pipe concentric lines underneath the ends of the curved line you just piped.
• Decorate the top of the panel: At the top point of the piece, pipe three concentric dots, starting small and getting bigger as you go downwards. Pipe a curved banner underneath, forming something similar to a Cheshire cat’s smile. Pipe three upside-down exclamation points, one underneath the curved banner and two framing the sides. Pipe two lines along the edges of the top part of the piece, starting all the way at the point and extending them to the roof’s edges. Pipe alternating small and large dots underneath the lines.
• Pipe pretty flowers along the bottom edge: Pipe two flowers and one small flower along the bottom of the panel, similar to the ones you piped on the side pieces.

Step 7: Decorate the house’s front panel

Grab the front piece and decorate it using the same piping bag and piping tip. Refill the bag with royal icing as needed.

• Outline the circular window: Squeeze very small dots down the cross-sections of the windowpane, then squeeze small dots around the outside perimeter of the window. Pipe a perimeter circle around the dots, then pipe another perimeter circle 1/4 inch outside the first perimeter.
• Decorate the top of the panel: Similar to the decoration on the top of the back piece, pipe two lines along the edges of the top part of the piece, starting all the way at the point and extending them to the roof’s edges. Pipe alternating small and large dots underneath the lines.
• Outline the door: Starting 1/4 to 1/2 inch away from the front door cutout, pipe a curved perimeter line that follows the shape of the door. Pipe another perimeter line that’s 1/4 to 1/2 inch outside the first perimeter. Squeeze small dots between the two perimeters, similar to the dots on the side piece windows.
• Add decorative lines on either side of the door: On either side of the door, pipe a small vertical rectangle and surround it with a larger rectangle. Pipe one large dot with one petal on top and one underneath, like exclamation points sharing the same dot. Squeeze four very small dots in the open spaces. Underneath the vertical rectangles, pipe a small horizontal rectangle and surround it with a larger rectangle. Pipe three dots in the center.
• Pipe snowflakes near the circular window: Pipe one large dot about an inch above each of the vertical rectangles, making sure there’s plenty of space around each one. Pipe four petals around each dot, then pipe two concentric dots in between the four petals, getting smaller as they move outwards. These should resemble snowflakes when you’re finished.

Step 8: Add a wreath on the house’s front panel

Place a portion of the royal icing into a bowl and tint it with green food coloring to your desired hue. Fit a new piping bag with a leaf piping tip, like a Wilton # 67 tip, and fill the piping bag with green frosting. If you have a cake turner, place the front gingerbread piece on it now. If you don’t have one, no worries!

Pipe leaves around the circular window, starting the motion on top of the interior perimeter circle and pulling outwards to create the leaf. Spin the gingerbread piece as you pipe each leaf. Once you have a full ring of leaves, add a second layer of leaves on top to create a full look for your wreath.

To add a bow to the bottom of the wreath, fit a new piping bag with a piping tip with a small hole, like a Wilton #2 tip. Fill the piping bag with red frosting. Add a tied bow to the bottom of the wreath. If a bow feels too advanced, just pipe three dots to resemble holly.

Step 9: Decorate the door

Use the piping bag with white royal icing and a piping tip with a small hole, like a Wilton #2 tip. On the door piece, pipe small dots along the cross-section of the windowpane. Pipe a curved perimeter line that follows the shape of the window. Underneath the window, pipe a large dot, then pipe three teardrops at the dot’s four, six and eight o’clock. Fill the four spaces in between with small dots.

Pipe a curved perimeter line around the outside of the door, following the shape of the door. Then, move inwards by 1/4 inch and pipe another, smaller door perimeter. Pipe one line at the bottom center of the door going upwards, stopping just before the teardrop. Pipe two lines next to the center line, stopping just before they hit the teardrops.

Step 10: Let the icing dry

Let the royal icing dry completely at room temperature. This can take several hours or overnight.

Step 11: Assemble the house panels

Now that all the pieces are decorated, it’s time to bring them together! Choose a platter that will act as the gingerbread house’s base. The best platter is completely flat, as curved platters will create an uneven base. It’s also best to avoid wooden platters, as the frosting can seep into wooden boards.

• Secure the back panel: Squeeze a wide strip of royal icing onto the bottom edge of the house’s back panel. Position this piece, icing side down, on a platter or display board so that the completed house will be centered once the remaining three sides have been attached. Prop with small cans until the icing is firm, three to four hours.
• Add the side pieces: Squeeze icing onto the bottom edge of one of the side house pieces and onto the side edge of the back piece. Align the two pieces at a right angle as tightly as possible. Prop them up with cans. Repeat with the other side. For added stability, squeeze icing along the inside edges of all pieces and corners.
• Add the front panel: Position the door canopy pieces over the door opening and secure with icing, supporting with a can or glass until the royal icing has dried. Squeeze icing onto the bottom and side edges of the front of the house and position them with other assembled pieces. Prop the front piece up, and let all four pieces dry completely.

Step 12: Add the roof

Pipe royal icing along one edge of the roofline. Lay one roof piece over the icing. Allow this piece to dry, then repeat with the second roof piece.

Step 13: Add the chimney

Invert the chimney pieces so the points that fit over the pitch of the roof are pointing upward. Pipe royal icing along one edge of the back of the chimney. Press one side of the chimney into the icing and secure it at a right angle. Repeat with the remaining pieces to form the chimney, propping them with cans around the outside to support them. Let the pieces dry completely.

When the chimney is set and ready to handle, place it along the peak of the roof wherever desired. Secure the chimney onto the roof with additional icing.

Step 14: Pipe details onto the roof

Use any remaining royal icing to pipe designs onto the roof, chimney and canopy, decorating as desired. To create the shell pattern seen here, use an Ateco 821 tip. For added sparkle, sprinkle the roof with coarse sugar, edible glitter or luster dust while the royal icing is still wet.

Step 15: Add the door and trees

Carefully affix the door with royal icing.

To decorate the outside of the cottage with trees:

• Build the tree base: To create evergreen trees, cut or stack ice cream sugar cones to create multiple different tree heights. They’ll look more organic if all the trees aren’t the same size. For added visual interest, use pretzel rods to create the tree trunks, securing the pretzel rod inside the sugar cones with icing.
• Add green leaves: Place a portion of the royal icing into a bowl and tint it with green food coloring to your desired hue. Add the green royal icing to a piping bag fitted with a leaf tip (you can use the same one that you used for the wreath) and pipe green royal icing leaves around the cones to resemble evergreen trees.
• Add decorative touches: If desired, decorate the trees with red nonpareils and top them with star-shaped sprinkles. Pipe the trees with additional white royal icing or sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar for snowy accents.
• Arrange the trees: Arrange the trees around the house, attaching the pretzel rods to an extra piece of baked gingerbread for support. Use additional white royal icing or coarse sugar to create snow-covered ground.