
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



KitchenAid for ever!!!
I would absolutely love to win! An amazing giveaway!
αχχχχχχ ειναι ολα τοσο τελειααααααααααααα το θελω αυτο το KitchenAid!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Have been wanting a mixer for years, but so expensive! Thank you for the opportunity to win one. Beautiful site, glad I found it!!!
I love to bake and this would speed up my process so much!! Hoping to win 🙂
I entered them all except tweeting, since i cannot remember my log in:) I would love to win.
A.mazing! I love, love, love the red. Thanks!
It would be so exciting if I could win this!! What an incredible giveaway!!!!
I would absolutely LOVEEEE to win!
I love Kitchenaid!
Ahhhh!!!! Dying for a KitchenAid Mixer it would be amazing to win and then I wouldn’t have to wait to get married and pray I get one as a wedding gift. lol
I would LOVE to win!! 🙂
This would make my holiday MERRY!
I’d love to win this for a princess in my family.
Oh my god this mixer is awesome!!
This would be such a dream! The medallion silver matches my kitchen perfectly.
This would be a wonderful Christmas present to myself 😉
LOVE that gingerbread house!!!
I couldn’t believe in my eyes!The gingerbread houses are so beautiful,I want one right now!I am 22 years old girl but I’m still 5 in my heart!I want so much a kithenaid mixer in apple candy red beause it’s a christmas colour!
i love Kitchen Aid
Oh my goodness! Those houses are adorable! Have you sifted the flour yet? 🙂
I would love the metallic silver
love kitchenaid and sweetopia!!! thanks for the opportunity to win!
Would love to win one of this for Christmas~
Speechless!!WOW!
I love it, I need it, I want it!!!!!! thanks
No kitchen is complete without a red kitchen aid!
what’s a christmas gift !!!
My friend Annette Williamson Belnap and I would both L O V E to win this mixer!!
Merry christmas to all!!!
Dear Santa,
If you have any sway with Random.org, I’d really like to win this. I promise to bake you a special batch of cookies!
Thanks, Cathy
Είναι πραγματικά το καλύτερο δώρο!!!!!!!!!!!
I would love to win a white Kitchenaid!
When I make sugar cookies all the dough overflows with my current mixer. So I have always wanted a kitchen aid mixer!
love the pink gingerbread house!!! 😀
Για την γυναίκα μου!
all perfect…..i m waiting for the kitchenaid
i would love to win the red one
Πόσο ωραίο είναι!!!!!!
I have always wanted one of these but the funds have never been there! Hoping I am the winner! =)
Thank you for the royal icing recipe! Your gingerbread houses are gorgeous and have given me some inspiration!
Πόσο πολύ το χρειάζομαι…….
Please, Santa, I’ve been a very good girl this year!!
Oh I hope I win! Its beautiful 🙂 Thanks for the fun giveaway!
that would be the best gift for me….. I just love it, but I can’t afford it….. 599euro are too much for me !!! Goodluck everybody !!! (I’m sure that I won’t get it anyway) Kisses !!!!
Αν το κερδίσω?????? Θα …τρελαθώ!!!!!!!!!
…..είναι τόσο όμορφο το θέλω!!!
Thank you for the icing recipe! I will have to try it out next week when I am off work. Now, if I only had one of those mixers.
i am dying for this mixer!!!!!!!!!
Would love the red one!!