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
jodie says
Lucy Machado sent me to this… and boy would i love one … 🙂
Fabiola says
I would LOVE to receive a Kitchen Aid for Christmas!!! Can’t wait to share all my baked goods with friends and family. That’s what holidays are all about.
Patti says
What a SWEET-looking mixer! I’d love to perch this baby on my counter…great giveaway. Merry Christmas!
LaBeBa says
LUCY MACHADO SENT ME!!! =))))))))
melissa moberg says
Lucy Machado sent me =)
charlie says
I would love to win this! I have been wanting a kitchen aid mixer for years! 🙂 winning it would make me the happiest house wife in the world ! To be able to make my baking for my family and friends easier !!! Boy would I die for this!! Would make my Christmas!
Emily says
I SO want one of these in red! Beautiful! Thanks for the chance!
Becky says
I would love to win this! The large family my husband and I have and all the goodies I make, this would make everything so much easier! And red is my favorite one!
Danielle says
Such a great give-a-way! I’m a college student who loves to bake(especially sugar cookies!) and a kitchen aid mixer would be amazing to have!
Anna P says
What a wonderful giveaway and incredible gingerbread houses!
Kacey Shoupe says
I love the miniatures–so adorable! Thanks for the giveaway chance, so exciting!
Tricia Lynch says
I would love to win one of these mixers. I have always wanted one.
Katie says
I just made a huge batch of sugar cookie cut outs and I had to use a hand mixer! I am pretty sure I nearly burnt it up!! This would make my life SO much easier!! 🙂
Amy says
This is really beautiful! I would LOVE to win this!
Linda S says
I am moving in to my new home tomorrow and would love to be able to win a Kitchenaid Mixer! Your gingerbread houses are fabulous!!! So talented!
Elissa says
You’re so thoughtful and generous! I have the perfect spot for one of these beauties 😉
Susan says
I would love the opportunity to win a KitchenAid Mixer…candy apple red/Christmas red…would be so appropriate this time of year!! If I do win, my grandson & I are going to tackle a gingerbread house together!! What a fun memory we would make:)
Thanks for the opportunity! Merry Christmas!!
Jaime Searles says
Winning this mixer would be a Christmas wish come true!!!
Melanie Ashcraft says
I would absolutely love to win this amazing mixer! It would totally make my day. Thank you so much for the chance to win!
FreeSpiritEater says
What I wouldn’t do for a kitchenaid 7 quart mixer ::sigh:: thanks for hosting the giveaway! =]
FreeSpiritEater says
I tweeted the giveaway! =]
FreeSpiritEater says
I like Kitchenaid on Facebook! =]
FreeSpiritEater says
I like Sweetopia on Facebook! =]
FreeSpiritEater says
I liked this blog post on facebook! =]
Jenny says
I want one of these so bad. I just spent 2 hours mixing the batters for Italian rainbow cookies and my arms are killing me!
JennieS says
wow. that would be awesome if i won! thanks for hosting this giveaway!
Melissa Snapp says
This Army wife would LOVE to have a new mixer for Christmas. It sure would make all those batches of cookies I send to my hubby when hes deployed soooooo much easier to make!!!
nancy K says
I would love this to help me improve my baking skills, and make my cookie making experience a lot better! 🙂 Merry Christmas Marian, to you and your family!
Lynne Laino says
I would LOVE to win that beautiful, powerful KitchenAid mixer in Candy Apple Red! What a beauty she is!
Erika Domboroczky says
That would be so awesome if I won! Great addition to my baking addiction. 🙂
Kimberly MacKinnon says
I would love one!!!
Vicki Szpylman says
My sister shared your site with me. LOVE IT!! Would love to win a new mixer too!
Amy Johnson says
I would love to win a Kitchenaid moxer for Christmas! I love baking for my friends and family.
Kara H says
Would love to win a Kitchen Aid mixer… I am just learning how to bake!!
Jessica says
Love your blog and would LOVE to win the Kitchenaid!
Jane says
I would LOVE to win the Kitchenaid! I’ve been wanting one since I was a kid!
Teresa says
Love your site and would love, love, love to win a new mixer!!!
Kathy Dentato says
I’m so glad I found this blog! I love the miniature kitchen!! My mother had a shadowbox with some miniature kitchen items that I now have hanging in my own kitchen. My Kitchen Aid, also inherited from Mom, is beginning to wear out after years of faithful service! I would love to replace it with the larger, 7-quart model.
Alexandria McLaughlin says
i would love to win.
Pam says
Oh the things I could make with with that beautiful mixer 🙂 It would definitely be a very merry Christmas for me!
Danielle C says
I have been dreaming of getting one. What a great Christmas present this would make!
Kate says
Oh, I so would love a pretty pretty Kitchen Aid ! Please enter me to win !
Erica Zentgraf says
What a great giveaway!!! Thank you Amy Davis for the info!!
Lizzi Sofge says
This has been in my wish-list for years 🙂
Kelly (Mikulecky) Woodland says
oooooh- I was sent over by Kit’s Creative Cakes {http://kitscakes.blogspot.com/2011/12/sweetopia-has-sweet-give-away.html} and boy am I glad she linked you up! I would DIE for a silver one of these babies! love the site, love gingerbread houses…
Mary Elisabeth Buckner says
Thanks for the chance to win an awesome mixer!! I’ve been wanting one for years!!
Allison says
I would love to win this mixer!
Michelle H. says
This is an amazing mixer.. I would love to follow all my Mom’s recipe’s with this mixer… And I can share all my recipes with Amy Davis too.
Tammie Kennedy says
I love to bake, this would be awesome to win!!