
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



I would love to be in the draw for the amazing mixer!! I too make large quantities of dough and icing!!!
Thank you!!
Ooh, I’d like to win!!
Would be a dream come true winning this one 🙂 .. Merry Christmas everyone..!
Love your site! And would love to win that mixer
I would love to win a Kitchen Aid in Candy Apple Red colour. I can´t wait for Christmas to have some time to try some of your cookie recipes and, if I had the Kitchen Aid it would be perfect. Thanks for such a great giveaway!!
I’d love to win one! I’ve never had a mixer before. Good luck to everyone. 🙂
I NEED a new Kitchenaid mixer!!! Mine started making funny noises and I am hoping and praying it gets through the Christmas baking I need to finish!!! Good luck to everyone who enters!!!
What an amazing competition! A new kitchenaid would be so welcomed in my home! With 2 young children my little mixmaster never stops, Love your Aussie friend wanting a kitchenaid xx
By the way, Shannon McMillan told me about this giveaway (via Facebook). 🙂
OH! I hope I win!
Would love, LOve, LOVE to win this for Christmas =D… Happy Holidays everyone!!!
What a great contest! Sure hope I win! Thanks to Sweetopia and KitchenAid for the opportunity!
I hope I´ll win the lovely dream-maker machine!
Marian Martin told me about the contest.
@ Natalie Schmidt:
Victoria Schuetze told me about this via Facebook!
Oooh, I would love to win your mixer!!! I’m the baker in my house!!! Love to bake!!! Hope I win!!!
I would love to win a kitchen aid
Love your pink gingerbread house and the Kitchen Aid in candy apple red!! Beautiful and helpful post. xoxo. L.
I would love to win this machine!!!!!
Marian Martin told me about the contest.
I would love to win a KitchenAid Mixer!
please let me win!
I would love one of these mixers! It would help with cake baking so much – love it in the silver!
learned to bake with my mom and her kitchenaid…..bought my own 15 years ago ….. now just purchased my sons theirs for their house warming presents! Great traditions and memories started and continue with Kitchenaid!
I would LOVE to win the 7qt KitchenAid!
Hi. I would really like to win this, i love to bake and my machine now is not as good as this one;-)
So i would love to win this 7qt KitchenAid…
I would like to win this fabulous Kitchen Aid!! 😀
Ohhh how exciting and what a lovely christmas present winning this would be 🙂
BrittaneyC sent me…and she REALLY needs this mixer!
What an amazing giveaway, you are very kind! What beautiful gingerbreads you have made! I have always wanted to make my own, maybe this will be the year to do it! Again thank your for your kindness what a wonderful thing to give away this time of the year! Merry Christmas to your family!
Beautiful Gingerbread Houses. You have a wonderful talent. I love to win this new mixer. I am a baker myself! Happy Holidays!
I partecipate for my friend…if I win i’ll give her KitchenAid!
I really hope I win.
My friend, Kelly S sent me 😀 She really wants to win too.
All I want for christmas is a new mixer:)
I like also the color red is Christmas. that would be nice in my kitchen!
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  Merry Christmas from Spain!!
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Love the pastel house the best! Would love to win. My KA mixer is 10 years old and still going strong but would love the bigger size!
Hello I am interested in apple red KA. It’s beautiful and impressive.
I participate, I’m from Spain and I am delighted to pay the postage if I have. Good luck to all!.
Hi! Beautiful houses that are drool worthy!
Thank you for the chance to win. I also thank you for all those recipes – your works are looking great!
Love your work and would love to win the Kitchenaid Stand Mixer!
I would love love love to have this mixer!
Love the Pink Gingerbread house. I would be ecstatic to win the Kitchenaid Mixer. I had one for more than ten years and would love to step up to a bigger one.
Wow I would really love to win this…been wanting one forever!! 🙂
Would really love one.
Ooooooh I would so kill for one of these!!!
Informative, inspiring and as always simply beautiful work!! To top it off an awesome give away!! Merry Christmas!
such a gorgeous mixer, but those gingerbread houses are adorable.
I would love this, I hate having to do small batches.
I would LOVE to win!!! An extra mixer always comes in handy!!
Rebecca Fentress Miller told me to sign up! I would love a new mixer!
I would LOVE to win one of these. I need one because I am making lots of cakes and dont have one yet.
It would be a great piece of equipment for my kitchen.
Thanks.
Please oh please pick me!!!!!