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
Sarah Rubinstein says
dreaming of a mixer like that. It sends shivers down my spine thinking that i may have a chance of winning one 🙂
i will donate my handmixer to a worthy home. oh the time i could be saving with one of those.. Best of luck to everyone but I do hope I win.
Bonnie says
I would LOVVVVE to win the red one!!!! That pop of red is quite something. I have a metallic 5 quart pro-series, but I still find that not big enough!! My 20 egg whites that I was whisking the other day for a sponge cake almost went overboard!!!
Laurie says
It would be AMAZING to win one of those KitchenAids! Wow!
Erica Fields says
This would be fabulous if I won this beauty!! 🙂
Ashley :) says
I would love to win a kitchen aid. Dont get me wrong i love the old fashion way of mixing with a hand mixer. But Eventually when you making royal icing. You hadn mixer burns out -_-. So i would LOVE a kitchen Aid. My christamas dream would come true
Marie says
My husband & I both love to cook. He likes to make all kinds of breads and I love to bake just about anything. We would absolutely LOVE to win a Kitchenaide®!!!
Mary Franks says
I would love to win one of these mixers.
Carmel James says
Found you on Facebook via Sarah Normington. Am never letting you go now!
Kristen says
Oh man. . . .candy apple red mixer. . . .such an awesome name for an awesome product. This has been on my wish list forever, to win one would be a dream!
Terri Simmons says
I could really make a lot of cookies with that sucker. I would love to have a red one. Thanks.
terry says
would love an opportunity to win a kitchenaid stand mixer. how beautiful in RED!
Kristin T says
I would love to win a mixer!
Charlene Smith says
Would love to win this kitchenaid! You are my favorite cookie artist and have been such an inspiration!
Jolie V says
I was just talking with my friend (who has a mixer like above) about how I wish I had my own nice Kitchenaid one!
sharonne katz says
I would love to win a kitchen aid mixer.
Jessica says
Your blog site is so inspirational. I can’t wait to make gingerbread houses with the kids this weekend! I would love the kitchen aid in candy apple red. I love my kitchen aid, but I make giant cakes and am always having to do multiple batches. This would definitely cut my baking time in half!
Geneviève says
I’m dreaming of a white (no! red) mixer!
sharonne katz says
Oh and Karla Sceviour sent me.
Alexy Comtois says
I want one!!!!!!!!!!!
Aubrey Palmer says
This is a great video! And wonderful giveaway! I’ve wanted a KitchenAid stand mixer for YEARS!!!!
Roseanne says
I think this is so awesome for you guys to do! My daughter, Kira Atkinson, is a cake decorator and I would Love the chance for her and I to win! This 7qt KitchenAid Mixer would make a huge difference in helping her start her business! Pleeeeeease choose us! We Love KitchenAid!
Tina Fruzen says
I would love to win this awesome mixer!!
Kristen says
Julie Magar sent me to win this mixer!!!! 🙂
Roseanne says
Oh, I forgot to tell you, Kira sent me. C: @ Roseanne:
Irma Garcia says
This would be the greatest Christmas gift ever!! Crossing my fingers!!!
Susie says
I love love love gingerbread houses and would love to break in a new mixer by making some!!!!!! And I need a new mixer to accompany my old one!
cindy says
those houses are so dreamy and sweet! I want to live in one…and that mixer looks like a dream!
Randy says
Would like very much to give this to my wife for Christmas!
Sharolyn Tilton says
Oh my…how I would love to be able to have this sitting on my kitchen counter…no way would I hide it behind a cabinet door!! 🙂 My husband ALWAYS has the worst time Christmas shopping for me…winning this would just solve that!
Melinda says
Those houses are just adorable! Especially the ” gingerbread dollhouse facade”. Too cute!
Dawn Betts-Green says
My wife would LOVE this!
Caroline says
I would love a KitchenAid mixer! RED!!
Amy Stewart says
I could do soooo much with a KitchenAid Mixer. . . . dreaming about it right now!
lisa says
That mixer looks fabulous! Drool.
Elena says
I wish I would have seen this before my goddaughter and I began to make ours. These houses are amazing! If I win this would be an awesome Christmas! 😀
Carmen says
I am an addict. No really, it’s becoming a serious problem for me and my family. Want to know what I’m addicted to? Well, even if the answer is no, I’ll tell you anyway, I’m addicted to sugar cookies! Frosting them, eating them, perusing sites like SWEETOPIA, dreaming up new creations in my head, waking my husband in the middle of night to ask what colour scarves I should put on my snowmen this year. I guess the sugar cookie isn’t really so much of a problem, it’s the fact that I’m ill equipped to handle my addiction because I’m still using a hand held mixer that I brought nearly fifteen years ago at a supermarket. “Chug, chug, chug” goes my poor little mixer while it tries to churn through a single batch of dough. And “Darn it, hurry up!” says me while I’m in dough up to my eyeballs. Now, if I had one of those beautiful, shiny, oh-my-lord-I-want-to-die-just-looking-at-it Kitchenaide’s in my kitchen the whole world would be a happier place. Please choose me! Please, please, please! Oh and ps. everyone knows that Red goes faster! 😉
Harvinder Singh says
I would love to win this in Candy Red. Collen Cole sent me.
Mary Jane Ross says
would love to have this mixer to cook with my grandaughter that is 6 yrs. old!!! I think we would love a red one!!! thanks for all the great info. u give to us! u r the best!!!
Alison says
I would love to win the KitchenAid 7 qt stand mixer! Yvonne Gettins sent me here. Make sure we both get one 🙂
Stefanie says
I would LOVE the silver one!!!
Shiloh Hand says
Pleeeeease!!!! I love the red, silver or white ones especially!
Debi says
Cake Ball Love sent me…….love your stuff…and love Kitchenaid….my fingers and toes are crossed!!
Mary Jane Ross says
I would love the red mixer! your houses are awesome!!
Lindsay B says
I would love the candy apple mixer! Such a great color and the 7 quart size is amazing!
Debi says
Would love love love the red mixer. Cake Ball love sent me over…
Roseanne says
Kira is a fantastic cake decorator! She is trying to get her own business open and this would make it so much easier for her! Please Choose Kira! @ Kira Atkinson:
sam miller says
Mixers are like extra hands..One can never have enough! Merry Christmas!
Andrea Caruso says
Just moved and would LOVE LOVE LOVE a kitchenaid for christmas!! would definitely help my cookie making!!!
Diana says
I would LOVE to win the silver one!!!
Ellen M. says
I would lovvvvvvvvvvve to win!