
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



Wow! This would be amazing to win. My boyfriend loves to bake and doesn’t have a stand mixer,so he clearly needs one desperately. I have one that received from my grandmother when she passed away. It’s old, but full of love and memories. It would be difficult to decide if I wanted to give this to my boyfriend or keep it for myself!!
OH my yes I would lve to win.
I would LOVE to win this giveaway!!! Thanks for the chance 🙂
This would be so exciting if I would win … My daughter and I can make the gingerbread House and other Sweet recipies for the Cristmas Holidays. Thank you for allowing me to enter…. Good Luck to everyone ! Merry Christmas !
I would just love to win this mixer… been wanting one for the longest time, because I love to bake, but the price has always been a deterrent… crossing my fingers!!
i would love to win!!
I’d LOVE to win that mixer, I’m already thinking of all the things I could make with it (both sweet and savory)!
Christine Mayfield sent me!
I think it finally time for me to win one for these babies. I can feel it!
karen lamb partin sent me 🙂
I would love to win this mixer!! I SO need a new one (mine died)
What a beautiful piece of kitchen equipment….I would love to own one of these. I have always used a hand mixer, so this would be a first for me.
Christine Johnson Mayfield referred me!
LOVE THIS! I need a red one!
I’ve only been dying to have one of these mixers! I bake the most in my family (and that’s a lot!) and ever since I was a little kid, I have been dying to get one! Winning this would be amazing! <3
Mari Bolte sent me over here to win a couple of mixers for us!
I Would love to win this!!
I’d love a Kitchenaid!
Pick me, Pick Me! 🙂
This would be so great to win. I have been lusting after a KitchenAid mixer for as long as I can remember!
I would love to win a mixer!
I will be so happy if I win an Ultimate 7-Quart KitchenAid mixer!!!:)
Beautiful gingerbread houses! Thanks for the giveaway.
OMGosh, I would love to win one of these monsters!! All I own is a KA hand mixer. This monster is on my list of “to get” things.
I “like” Kitchen Aid on facebook.
This would be so awesome to have! I love love love the red color 🙂
I “like” Sweetopia on facebook.
Dena Marie sent me 🙂
I would love to win a kitchenaid mixer!!!!
i would love one in white 🙂 hubby refuses to buy me one for christmas despite pleading with him 🙁
best blog out there !
Yes!! I would love to win!!!!
I would so much love to get one of those Kitchen Aid mixers! You would make me sooooo happy!!!!
Mentioned you on FB!
Dena Marie sent me
Just burned mine up yesterday with double batch of cookie dough 🙁 Thanks for the chance to win!!
I would love to win a KitchenAid!!!
Thank you for the chance to win! Your website is Amazing!
I have longed for a candy red KitchenAid mixer for I don’t know how long. Fingers crossed that I win this.
This would be the ultimate Christmas gift to receive. Thank you
For the chance to try
Would love to win one of these….on my Wish List!
Ooooh hiiii yes please!
Would love to win! Wanting to start a pastry business on the side!!! NEED one of these!
I would be grateful for any color, I just need one for my new business that allows me to stay at home with my 6 children.
I would LOVE to win this!
I would love to add the candy red KitchenAid to our kitchen! The plan, if I were to win, is to take the KitchenAid & donate it to my youngest daughter’s class at school. She has cerebral palsy & uses switches & other devices for communication & daily activities. We have actually attached my current KitchenAid to a special switch so that my daughter actually controls it. She loves to turn it on & off! Thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to possibly win such an awesome product!
Pick me! Pick me! Any color, it doesnt matter!
I’d like to win….silver please!!!
I would love to win this stand mixer
I want to win pretty pweeeeeaaaase!!!