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, Teresa Layman.
You can find a template for a gingerbread house and a video on how I put the house together, HERE.
I bought most of my candy at Old Thyme Confections 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 THE PRINTABLE RECIPE HAS A TYPO! IT SHOULD SAY 1 KILOGRAM (KG) ICING SUGAR, NOT 1 pound (lb).
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), as the amount of icing I went through for the houses and the facade was really something!
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
Kristen LyBarger says
I have wanted one of these for the longest time! I love to bake and this would help so much! Great giveaway! Merry Christmas to everyone! 🙂
Sharon says
What an amazing mixer – and I love the color! This would look awesome in my new kitchen – I’m looking for a new house:-). LOL
Tammy Creevan says
Those are the most awesome gingerbread houses I’ve ever seen. What talent!!! I want to learn to make one.
Lauren says
I would absolutely love to win one of these!!!!!
Linda Cartwright says
Wow, this is an awesome give a away. Love your gingerbread houses!
Diane M. says
My daughter loved the pink gingerbread house. Would love to win the stand mixer, so we could bake even more together. Love your blog.
Ginny. Roy says
What an amazing job on your gingerbread houses & doll- love them all. I’m not half as good as you but would live this mixer-would be a great help in the cakes I love to make & decorate!
Melissa McCartney says
Totally inspired to go and make a rocking gingerbread house like yours – just gorgeous if only I had a kitchenaid to help me – thx for the chance to win one 😀 merry Xmas Mel xxx
Aud W says
I’d love to win the red mixer!
beth says
Candy Apple Red?!?! What a perfect machine! Love it, love it, love it.
Kim M. says
WOW…would love to win the mixer. LOVE your blog!
SiliOleGma says
Ooooh I’ve wanted a mixer like this just forever.
tona says
such a gorgeous gingerbread house. you have inspired me to make one this year. happy holidays
amy says
This would make for some awesome cookies!
Carrie Funk says
I’d love to win this, my son is always borrowing my mixer for he and his girlfriend!
Lisa Barrett says
I Would love to win!!!
staysea says
The gingerbread houses are so fun!! && the mixer is hot!
Lorie Molina says
i hope this raffle would make my christmas wish come true 🙂
meagan says
Love it! Would use it tons with my daughter 🙂 I want to win this, please….. pretty please! LOL What lady wouldnt 🙂
Megan Sawatsk says
Didn’t get one as a wedding gift…better late than never:D
Camilla Groskopf says
I would LOVE to win this mixer! I bake ALL the time and my little KitchenAid is chugging along at this point!
Josephine Goh says
Would love to own one of this mixer as a Christmas present!
Wish me luck! (^_^)
Yazeli says
I love the pink one(:
My dad loved ginebread houses and it would be cool to make one for it’s birthday on dec.19(:
Stephanie says
I love your blog used some of your recipes last week, they were great! I appreciated all your help. I was looking for a new mixer, this would be great to win!!!!!
Kelly Neal says
Even though I would love this in my kitchen, my husband would like it more. That means I’d actually cook!
Carla says
Your gingerbread houses are stunning! I’d love to win a mixer to make my own (and more) 🙂
Debbie Bowman says
Love your site! Oh my goodness!! Your gingerbread houses are absolutely adorable!
rhibrix2 says
Beautiful houses. Thanks for the opportunity to win. 🙂
Laureen P. says
Great giveaway! Would love to win the mixer!
selipster says
Lawdamercy…that is a beautiful mixer. Yes, please!!!
Shannon Smith says
I would LOVE to win a mixer:)
Katie Probandt says
I liked Kitchenaid on FB!
Katie P
Victoria says
The houses looks super fun, and the mixer looks pretty cool too!
Sandie Mackintosh says
Thanks so much for the chances to win the mixer! I used to have one of the classic ones, but when my kitchen was destroyed by a roof leak, My mixer was lost too. Would love to win and be able to replace it with the “Ultimate” mixer!
Katie Probandt says
I liked Sweetopia on FB!
Katie
Wanda k. says
Absolutely fantastic to have a drawing for the mixer. I am glad to see gluten free recipes here also. Thanks for your hard work.
Wanda K. says
I would love to win a Mixer, I think I know what color I would even get.
JoAn GODFREY says
i ablolutely love that doll house. the little kitchen aid is fantastic.
love that red mixer too.
i shared the contest on facebook too.
i don’t have a blog.
Sarah Trefny says
I like KitchenAid on Facebook!
Maria P. says
I’ve wanted one of those for a long time, I’d love to win it. Your gingerbread houses are stunning!
Ena Hitt says
would be a dream to own one of these wonderful machines!!
Tammy Bowser says
Oh wow, what a great item to have a chance to win. I would love to bake with this!
Synda Glasure-Haag says
I would LOVE To have a Kitchen-aid Mixer…..can never seem to be able to afford one ,but it’s always on my dream list !!!
Linda Smith says
I would Love to own a red (or any color for that matter) kitchen aid mixer. I started really wanting one several years ago when I took the Wilton’s courses of cake decorating.
Ally says
This is so great
Lana Bilyy says
I would love to win one of these kitchen aid mixers. Wow what a talent you have on creating those ginger bread houses.
Jennifer says
I would love to win a KitchenAid Mixer…it would be awesome:)
Laurie Underwood says
Kitchen Aid? Yes please..:-)
Yael Kaufman says
Those look amazing 🙂 And a 7-Quart mixer?! I’ve never heard of such a thing but it sounds like a thing of beauty 🙂 What a lovely holiday gift that would be!!!
Deb Krause says
Oh how I’ve wanted a mixer for soooooo long! Great Contest!
Your gingerbread homes look amazing 🙂