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
Pepi says
Hi, I hope to win.I also hope you can sent it ti Greece
Victoria K says
So cute, and so glad Yael (^^^) showed me this!
Yahaira says
Thank you for the opportunity to win this mixer. If I was to win I would choose the red one
Laura says
I would LOVE the Candy Apple Red Kitchenaid!!!! OOOH I hope I win 🙂
Beth Pickett says
7 quarts!! Schwoooo!!!! Certainly must be why those gingerbread houses look so cute and amazing. Please enter me so I can make lots of cute and amazing gingerbread houses, too!
Marsha Marie says
I know I have about a bajillion-to-one chance of winning this mixer but I would ABSOLUTELY *LOVE* to win the medallion silver mixer!!! OH, the possibilites! I’ve got toes, fingers and eyes crossed! Come on, all-knowing and powerful Universe – hook me up! *PRAYS*
Amber says
Merry Christmas from Oz. I love the whimsy in those houses. Hope you have a wonderful holiday.
Preethi says
I want to bake as awesome as u too!! Would love to win the mixer!!
Larissa Muir says
I would sooooo Love to win a Kitchen Aid!! I am in LOVE with your ginger bread houses and especially the doll’s house one!! OMG the mini red kitchen aid is just tooo cute!! The Kitchen Aid would definitely be put to good use in this house and hoping one day l may receive the ultimate gift or maybe l will just have to buy one for myself!!
Cassie Captain says
I so need this! I love it! I hope I win!
Alycia says
This is the best giveaway ever! I use my mom’s kitchenaide mixer all the time and would LOVE to have one of my very own!
susan contreras says
What an amazing giveaway!!
Stacy says
What an awesome mixer! Would love to have it!
Carol says
RED is my favorite color!!! I want this soooo bad!!!
Rachel V says
Would Love to have the Candy Apple Red mixer…been dreaming of one for 10+ years now!
Stephanie Erickson says
What an amazing opportunity! I would be so grateful and elated to win a beautiful, shiny red one!
Trisha G says
Red is my favorite color!! I’ve been wanting one for years!
Jaime says
I would LOVE the red one!!
Larissa Muir says
Oh and Kristy Neville sent me!! Hope we win!! YAY!!
Phoebe Cofield says
My business would really be improved with that beautiful mixer.
PJ Ford says
Trying to learn about baking so happy I came across this page. Hope I win…Thanks for the chance
GLORIA says
I want the candy apple red one!
Emma says
Love, love, LOVE the red one! Thank you for a chance to win a new KitchenAid mixer in your awesome giveaway!
Rosie says
Yessss, I’d love to win the red kitchen aid please!!! Thank you soooo very much!
Jessie Conejo says
Love the mixer so much!!!! Hope I win!!! Oh, and your site is great! I’ve spent many a hours on it. haha 🙂
ΑΝΑΣΤΑΣΙΑ ΜΙΧΟΥ says
I LOVE THIS MIXER.GREAT SITE.THANK YOU.
Sara H. says
I’d love to win the silver mixer!!
Christopher Huff says
Been dreaming of this mixer for years. Hope to win!
Connie M. says
i would be able to make so many more lovely French Macarons
RITA PERVOLARAKI says
all are just perfect. Merry Christmas
Mariangeles Galván says
gingerbread houses look like fairy princesses! I love them!
Rebecca says
It would be my Christmas dream come true if I was lucky enough to win a kitchen aid. Red would be the perfect colour for the festive period 🙂
Teresa Searcy says
I would love to win the mixer….
Renee says
I would love the red one…what a dream!
giota says
I love,love your blog and what a great gift.Hope i win
Melanie Hoppe says
♥ I´d love to win the red one! It looks very “Christmassy” to me… perfect for making cookie dough and icing! ♥
I hope you´ll all have wonderful Christmas Holidays!
Greetings from Germany,
Melanie
Ruth Jones says
Would love to win a mixer. Gorgeous gingerbread houses too!
Julie Lane says
These machines are just the best!
Thanks.
Julie
zoi dimitriadou says
I’d love to win the red kitchen aid please!!! good luck to all of us!!!
Sibylle says
Thanks for the great give-away!!!! I love your page and the help you give, I started cookie decorating a year ago and it turned out to be so much fun. One of these big Kitchen Aid Mixers would be a dream come true.
Ειρήνη says
Would love to win a mixer.Thanks
Monica Zaragoza says
Love all the gingerbread house, So Cute!! I would love to win a mixer in medallion silver would make baking soo much more fun!!
Lynn Lauver Baumeister says
I WOULD LOVE TO WIN A BEAUTIFUL KITCHENAID MIXER!!
Your instructions on Royal Icing and Gingerbread cookie recipe have been so helpful as I plan a Gingerbread decorating party for my grandchildren. THANK YOU!
Sofia says
I always like art in my food They are just fantastic, wow ,cooool .Merry Xmas
Glykeria Bacharidou says
The gingerbread house is really amazing!!!
as for the mixer…simply perfect!! I would love to win the red one!!
Αλλα Κοτσιδου says
einai telia , sas eyxaristo pou kanete me ta xeria sas tosi nostimia!
Tracey Millichap says
Would just love to own one and wouldn’t care what colour, the gingerbread houses are just fab love the pink one especially xxxx
Coralie says
Winning a Candy Apple Red Kitchenaid would make my day! Hang on, what am I talking about…it would make my whole YEAR! :o)
Debbie H says
I would LOVE a red KitchenAid but even more than that I would LOVE to make gingerbread houses that look like yours!!
eleni sakka says
i want to win!!!