Gingerbread House

Make your templates, they are definitely worth being made in card so you can use them again.

Preheat your oven to 180C/Gas Mark 4. Line 3 large baking trays with baking parchment.

In a pan gently melt the butter, sugar and syrup in a pan. In a large mixing bowl sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger and make a well in the centre.

By this time your butter will be almost liquid. When the butter mixture looks like liquid, remove from the heat. Pour this into the well in the centre of your flour. Using a wooden spoon bring the mixture together to make a dough and then using your hands bring into a ball.

Wrap in cling film, squash slightly and place in the fridge to chill for about half an hour, however if you donâÂÂt have a full 30 minutes throw it into the freezer for a few minutes.

Roll the dough out on a floured surface to about half a cm thick. Using your templates cut out the shapes. On the four wall sides cut out window shapes, add as many as you want, although leave a space intact on the one of the pitched walls for the door.

On one of your pitched walls cut out a hole what will enable you to slide in a tea light.

Transfer to your baking trays (leave space between the pieces as they may spread). You will have some dough left over; you can use this in a number of ways. You could make a chimney for your house, or some trees. You could try to make some window shutters or doors. You could even make stained glass biscuits to hang on your tree.

Take your boiled sweets and whizz in a food processor until they are broken a bit. If you donâÂÂt want to use a food processor put the sweets into a bag and bash with a rolling pin. Place the broken sweets in the window holes you have cut out. Completely fill the window holes and leave no gaps.

Bake in the oven for 12 minutes until firm. Leave to cool a little on the tray. Take your templates again, place onto of your biscuits and trim off any excess what could have formed when baking in the oven. Transfer to a cooling rack and leave until completely cool.

Find yourself a suitable serving plate. You will probably need a sizeable one; a wooden board would look quite effective. Place the base on the plate. You know need to make the icing glue. In a bowl whisk the egg whites and icing sugar until smooth. Spoon and scrape into a piping bag with a plain or star shaped small nozzle. Pipe a strip of icing along the bottom of each wall and stick upon the base. Make a rectangle shape and try to keep it an exact shape as this will make it easier when attaching the roof. Support each side with the wooden blocks or anything else to hand.

Run another strip on the inside joint of each wall. Take your support cards and fold. Then glue to the inside of the house to support the walls further. Next, run the icing between the joins of the walls.

run the icing along the top edges of the pitched wall and the top of the plain walls. Place the roof sides upon the top of the walls. Hold the roof in place as the icing sets. Run the icing along the top join of the roof. This is the general structure of your house now it is time to decorate.

Decorate however you wish, with which ever sweets and chocolate you like best.

Remove the wooden blocks or any other outside supports you have used.

Lastly take your extra icing and sift over the house and cover with âÂÂsnowâÂÂ. Slide a lit tea light into the house (you should have cut a hole for this purpose before).