
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, what a great giveaway. I would love to win! Thanks!
Pick me! Pick me! Please??
Such a gorgeous mixer! Would love to make some cookies with one of those.
I would be very appreciative to win 🙂
I would love (LOVE) to win!
Wharf an awsomw giveaway! I hope I win!
Winning that mixer would make me very merry!
Would love to take one of these off your hands. Those miniatures are so cute and you should definitely try sieving some flour! (and take pictures)
Happy Wednesday! Oh how I would LOVE to win this contest! Please pick me! Have a GREAT week, everyone!
Wow! Getting one would be wonderful! I’ve had it in my Christmas list close to 5 years now!
I would LOVE to win, most people would 🙂 with 2 kids and a disabled husband I definitely don’t see one of these in my future! Pick me!
What a great giveaway! I’d love to win! 🙂
Oh my goodness I would love one of these!!! Fantastic giveaway!!
I, like all of these other lovely people would love to win. We all have our reasons…mine is that my mixer broke & since my hubby has been out of work since January of this year, a mixer can’t be a priority when other things need to be. So, this is like that job interview “why should I hire you?”
My reason isn’t any better, I just could really use it and I would love to win it. Those little house’s are darling 😀
Have a blessed Christmas!
I can’t remember if I posted before or not… If I did, I apologize for the double post. I really love this mixer, and really need one because the cheaper models wear out so fast making gluten-free doughs. I can’t afford to make bread very often because of the cost of the mixers. My Mom uses a Kitchenaid for her bread, though, and it has been lasting for years!
Hey, you have fans in Brazil too! Hoping to win this mixer! All the best and tks for such great site!
Amazing giveaway! Fingers and toes crossed that I win. 🙂
WOW! This would make an amaaaaaazing holiday gift! thanks for the chance 🙂
This would make life so much easier! Love the mixer.
This is amazing.
Wow… I’m with everyone else.
First of all: AMAZING Houses! I wish I still had the time to do such wonderful things 😛
Second of all, having just found out that I will basically be out of a job after Christmas and trying to regain custody of my son (how dare I choose to be a stay at home, homeschooling mom and not get a full time job while separated. I’m such a mooch to someone that earns 12x what I do now, that I don’t deserve to keep my child), the stresses have been so high… this would be such a blessing…
I want that KitchenAid!! I love it!!
I’d LOVE to win! This mixer is on my all time wish list!!
Thanks!
Ellie
Love Kitchen-aid and what a giveaway. I would love to win.
thanks,
Kim
Sherron Watson of Simply Gourmet Photography sent me 😀
I would be head over heals if I won.
I follow sweetopia’s blog sweet gift to win!
Wow great recipes! I’d love to win that great KitchenAid mixer!!
So pretty!
I would love love to win this. This would be great to help me make cakes for my family. Good luck everyone!
Hello,
Just like everyone else, I would LOVE to win this mixer. I do not own one….I only have a hand mixer for all my baking needs. So this would be very useful for me in the kitchen. Thanks for the opportunity!
Oh boy! Wow, even! A 7-qt bowl is a dream come true! Anything larger than what I have now to keep up with the orders for goodies that I make; would be incredible!
I would love to be entered in the drawing. I appreciate the opportunity to do so!
My thanks,
Lynn
It would be sweet* if I won! ;o) *pun intended
I would love her and hug her and squeeze her! 🙂 ahaha…
Love your houses!!! Would also love to win this amazing mixer – thanks so much for hosting!!!
I would definitely love to win this mixer.
My mom has had her KitchenAid mixer since before I was born and I will be 44 next Monday. I would love one of my own!!!!!
LOVE THAT MIXER!!! totally needing this!
Way beyond cakes by maven sent me@ Theresa J:
This is my dream mixer but can never afford to get one, it would be the perfect Christmas gift.
Would love to win this mixer!
Gorgeous houses! Wow!! Amazing and so beautiful!!! My word you are sooooo talented!! I wanna grow up and be like you!! 🙂
I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to win a KitchenAid Mixer!!!! Thanks for the chance to win!!!
Yaneri
Wow. Amazing as always. Thank you for all the amazing inspiration.
Neat and beautiful ideas!
I absolutely love baking and desperately need a Kitchenaid mixer. I actually had a Sunbeam stand mixer that worked well until it broke on Thanksgiving 🙁 I know that these are much better quality!
i would love to win who wouldnt i am in australia though. not sure if open to us. good luck to everyone. you are going to make 2 people very happy.
What an awesome giveaway! I would love to win!
One day! I will win one of these! Crossing my fingers!
@ Amber Andri:
And if I could choose I’d get a red one!!! 🙂
Your creations are adorable!