6 batches of my gingerbread recipe…
4 batches or 4 kg of royal icing…
and goodness knows how much candy later…
is what it took to make the 7 simple and whimsical gingerbread houses & gingerbread dollhouse facade I had planned to make this year.
I’m so happy I just managed to get them all done!
They’re why I haven’t posted in a while, but I wouldn’t have managed to even make them as fast as I did without my new, 7-quart bowl-lift KitchenAid mixer.
Sigh. It is a thing of beauty.
Not only is it pretty to look at, it’s pretty powerful too. It had no problem mixing the 6 batches of gingerbread I mentioned earlier. Amount-wise, with this mixer, I only had to make the dough twice! (3 batches at a time). For the royal icing, I only had to make 2 double-batches and still have leftover icing which I’ll use for decorated cookies.
To show you how I made the icing in my new mixer, I finally made another video – here’s a how-to on making royal icing for your gingerbread houses:
{Video} How to Make Royal Icing for Gingerbread Houses
Click here if you can’t see the video.
If you’d like to make royal icing for your gingerbread house(s), and would like printable recipes, I’ve included a single and double batch recipe here for you, as well as a classic royal icing recipe made with egg-whites especially for those of you who can’t find meringue powder. The first two recipes listed here are adapted from cakecentral.com’s user Antonia74. The recipe made with egg whites is adapted from the author of Gingerbread for All Seasons
You can find a template for a gingerbread house and a video on how I put the house together, HERE.
Royal Icing Recipe for Gingerbread Houses (One or Two Batches)
Click here for the Printable Recipe.
Royal Icing Recipe Made with Egg-Whites
Click here for the Printable Recipe
A quick note about royal icing – if you’d like more information on how to store it, how long it lasts etc., please click here and for a video on find royal icing consistency for decorating cookies, please click here.
It was completely worth the one hour’s drive to Toronto to buy the mixer (I had to drive there to get one as it’s a new model and the residential model is exclusively available to Williams-Sonoma right now. The NSF commercial mixer is more readily available. You can find it on Amazon here
You might be wondering by now what a ” gingerbread dollhouse facade” is. In fact, I didn’t know what to call it, so I just kind of made the name up. I know you’re not supposed to play with your food, but I couldn’t resist making a little gingerbread “house” that our H-banana could play with this Christmas. Truth be told I had wanted to make an all edible interior too, but time-wise, that was just not going to happen. I can’t wait to see how she reacts.
And another confession, I’m not sure who’s going to enjoy her gift more, her or I. Lol. I think I’ve fallen in love with miniatures.
I mean, really. Those little cookies are barely 1 cm long.
And oh my goodness, a little sieve and whisk! I want to try sifting flour with it! (No, haven’t done it yet… stress the yet).
By the way, there’s a tiny version of something in the ‘gingerbread dollhouse facade’ that I’ll possibly be giving you for Christmas – except it will be adult size. Can you guess what it is? Chances are, if you’ve read the title of this post, you already know 
.
You got it!
Ultimate 7-Quart KitchenAid Mixer Giveaway!
To celebrate the Holiday season and help you with your Christmas baking, I am hosting a giveaway for TWO 7-quart Ultimate KitchenAid Mixers!
You’ll be able to chose from the following available colours:
I am so excited and thankful that KitchenAid is sponsoring this giveaway for you! Good luck!
Here’s how to enter:
You have at least five chances of winning – each option below gives you one chance, and you’re about to see how there are even more possibilities.
Either use Facebook or your name and email to enter the contest below.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The contest is not running on Facebook and although I appreciate your comments on my Facebook page, those comments will not be entered into the draw. Again, you must leave your comments here.
*
Announcing the Winner of the *TWO* 7-Quart KitchenAid Mixers!
First of all, thank you to all of you who entered; I was delighted and touched by your sweet, funny and passionate responses.
I really WISH I could give away as many mixers as there were entries; you dedicated bakers and sweet-tooths deserve it!
There is one winning comment number though, and it is:
Congratulations!!
The winner is Nicole Irwin Cross, entry #16,754!
Please contact me with the best way to reach you so that you can claim your prizes.
Thank you to ALL of you how entered! Blessings to you this holiday season!
xo,
Marian
p.s. If you’d like to never miss a post, and/or receive more tips on cookie decorating, click on this button below to sign up for free:
p.s.s. I’ve linked this post to the talented TidyMom’s I’m Lovin’ It.
would love to win one for me and my frienddd!
This is a dream gift. Hope who ever wins enjoys it. Merry Christmas!
Tiffany Palmer sent me..we’d like to win, k, thanks!
I would love to win this and gift it to my mom!!
Awesome giveaway for the holidays!
please i want to win…be a santa to me please.
@ joyce:
Yay! Thanks lovey.
Yes, I’m quite sure one of these beautiful KitchenAid mixers, in RED, would be excellent for my holiday baking. Thanks for the chance!
Would love love love a bright shiny candy apple red kitchenaid mixer! Yummy!
Good luck to all, but I would love to win this for my best friend that deserves this more than person I know!!!
I don’t own a kitchenaid mixer, but would love to. My hand mixer is taking a beating with all my baking. Haha.
I would love to win this mixer. My friend Shea Harrison told me about your awesome contest.
I love it in red !
I would love to win one! Shea Harrison sent me.
Am entering this for my friend Erin! I would love to win her a kitchenaid
I am starting my pastry chef classes in January 2012. This mixer would make homework the easiest ever!! Not to mention make me a happy baker!!
Perfect for the new year.
Wow, Amazing giveaway, would love to win!
Would love to give this to my bud Jamie Waugh cause she’s a baking babe!
would love to win this for my daughter she is 17 and is in culinary arts, she seen this mixer and asked for it for christmas (can not belive a 17 yr old would ask for a mixer…lol). She absolutely loves it.This would definately make her christmas..
My husband has been wanting one of these for a while, it would be a great present.
Would love to win one! Kearsten M. sent me.
SWEET BEE CAKERY SENT ME :0). I would love this for Christmas!!!!
My all-time favorite color of the mixer is still the Raspberry one.. and some days I ponder spray painting all of my existing appliances that color.. But for now, I’ll take any color mixer. I’m finding out more and more about all the AWESOME attachments you can get for it. Did you know it can make RAVIOLI..?? Too cool.
Perfect time of the year for a KitchenAid!! Love it!
I want one!
My whole family has one (3 sisters and my Mom) Im the only one without one
I love to bake and it would be perfect!
I would love to win one of these!!
Kearsten McCoy sent me!
@ Tanya Mize:
Shea Harrison sent me!
Sweet Bee Bakery referred me to your giveaway! I would love to win one, I’m in desperate need of one please…:D
I so need one of these. I have one from the 70′s that is about to die. Kearsten McCoy sent me!
i would love to give one to my daughter and daughter in law! Merry Christmas!
I would freak out to have one of the huge mixers.
My wife, Teri Monday, sent me.. She wants one of these mixers sooo bad. And she’s been threatening to paint all the appliances something called ‘raspberry’..? Lord, help me. She promised not to if she wins a new mixer..
Just saw the Raspberry Ice mixer give away. So sad I missed it! Walked in the 3-Day for the Cure in Philly this yr and it was AMAZING. It’s now a everyday cause for me. Walking with such amazing Women n Men was a journey! I’d love the Susan G. Komen mixer! Keep fighting for a cure!
I think this mixer would make a million memories with and for my kids! I would love to win this mixer for myself and my friend!
OMG! I hope I am not too late to enter! I would soooo love to have a red one! Kitchenaids are the best! Thanks for the giveaway! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Would love to win the 7-Quart Ultimate KitchenAid Mixer!
My friend, Teri Monday, and i would sure LOVE to have one of these in our kitchens!
I’d love to win! I have a Kitchen Aid that I’ve had for 10+ years and I love it. The bowl is a little small for my uses now and it’s starting to complain from the intense amount I use it so a new one would be awesome!
Would love to win one! Liz Brueseke, my dear friend, sent me!
Oh how I would love a silver KichenAid mixer! Love,love, this. Plus just made
This mommy needs a new mixer!! Would save me more time rather than using my 7 year old hand held mixer! God Bless!
I would love to win this! What a great giveaway!
I would love to have a 7qt.
I would LOVE to have one of these mixers! They are amazing and would look so cute in my house!
I love your blog. I am just getting into cookies and so far I am just making the basics. Maybe I will be able to catch up with that candy apple red mixer. Beautiful! Thanks
Please please I would LOVE to have the red one!!!!
I would love to win!!!
I loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee it