Modern Gingerbread House
Scott suggested we try to make a gluten free gingerbread house from scratch - and this is our final project! I told you we could make food fun :) We learned a LOT from this process & it took a wicked long time... but you know what every minute was worth it for this cute little thing that I could actually EAT along the way!
We made a lot of mistakes and tried so many different ways to build this house ... BUT we finally got the hang of it!
When you learn you have a food allergy/sensitivity your journey is going to look quite similar... you will make mistakes and you will try many different recipes & foods - some you will never wish you tried! The important part is to stick with it! It’s a journey but you can find joy in it
It’s so nice to have a husband that comes up with fun gluten free ideas & who is so patient and supportive!
If you feel like you need that kind of support - I’m your girl! (Check out the ALLERGY package to learn more.)
RESOURCES YOU WILL NEED TO MAKE YOUR MODERN GINGERBREAD HOUSE
Dough recipe from Our Food Stories
Gingerbread house templates from Oh Happy Day
Gingerbread house glue - we didn’t have cream of Tartar so we used lemon juice and it worked great!
We tried this caramel syrup to glue the gingerbread house…. READ THE REVIEWS! The recipe that is posted didn’t seem to work too well for us. It was very tricky to get right and turned out to be this weird crumbly sugar. The recipe posted in the comments should work :) We used this sugar mixture for the base then use the icing for the roof and the accessory pieces.
What we learned
Don’t try to do it all in one day! Spread it out over a few days.
Read reviews on the ‘glue’ you are using for your gingerbread house - the first time we tried it was a bust! (Reading reviews for baking is helpful as well.)
The gingerbread will expand a lot - a knife works well to trim it down to the size you need once it is baked. Make sure you cut it when its fresh out of the oven so it cuts easier and is less likely to break.
Be patient - with the gingerbread and the person you are making it with :) Communicate with each other!
Read ALL the ingredients and AMOUNTS you need before you go grocery shopping… we had to make a couple trips to the store.
We added a LOT of extra rice flour while we were kneading the dough - it was super sticky. If you happen to run out of rice flour like we did - put some in the freezer for about 15 minutes and then blend it up in your Vitamix (small batches at a time.)
Don’t keep the left over gingerbread and treats out beside you while you are making your house or you will eat disgusting amounts of it…..
Don’t be afraid to try something brand new! It was a lot of work but we were so proud and happy with our gingerbread house in the end and it was a super fun Christmas activity! Maybe even a new tradition? :)
xo erin