
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



I’d love to win!! Especially since my rinky dink one I had is broken!!
I’ve always wanted a KitchenAid Mixer…I would love to win! Thanks
Sibylle De Mott sent me. We would like to win the kitchenaid mixer, too
Gorgeous gingerbread houses!! Would love to see the candy apple red mixer sitting on my kitchen counter!
ooooooh, i really wont to win a Kitchen aid! i love it!!! wich me good luck!!!! :)))
hay, i’d love to win a new mixer!
I love this mixer! Hope to win!!!
GOOD LORD haha…so many comment. This is too much for me lol..
LOVE your post sweetie, your gingerbread houses are DELUXE..I need to try it out!!
I would looove to win a mixer..I would be the happiest niner ever :-))
So awesome to see another post from you. Cant get enough.
Much love,
niner 🙂
The perfect present for Christma’s….i wish i could have it so i can make much more bisco for my little prince…tnx…
I love it!!!
I would LOVE to win a new mixer! My current mixer is terrible! Would love to have something like this to work with!
Fabulous!!! I want it!!!
I love this mixer! Hope to win!!!great present!!!!
Hope to win!!!
“I love this mixer! “
It’s perfect!!!I hope to win this mixer!!!
I would love to win! Thanks! Nicole
Love your blog… I’d love to win one of those kitchen aids….
Would love to win a kitchen aid. Love your gingerbread houses, might tackle it if I win!!!
Gorgeous gingerbread homes and awesome giveaway. Would be a dream come true to win one of these!
hi Marian can you be my Santa…..would simply love to have the Kitchen Aid..HAPPY HOLIDAYS
I’ve always wanted a Mixer. I don’t have…so I hope my first mixer will be the KitchenAid Mixer!!!!
That is so awesome. I would love to have that mixer.
The black storm seems like the perfect color and name to make it through any amount of mixing! Love them all. Thank you.
Would love to win! I have always wanted one!
I sue do love your gingerbread houses! They ae adorable and look delish! I would love to mix some up with my kids, especially if I had the beautiful Kitchenaid! 🙂 Merry Christmas! :))))))
I would loooove to win 🙂
It would be awesome to win!
My friend, Rachel Valencia, told me about this contest!!
a red kitchen aid is my DREAM! Pretty houses!
Love that Candy Apple Red! Please choose me! 🙂
Emma Bluemel sent me here!
Love your page and adore kitchen aid. Merry Christmas to all!!!
It is beginning to smell a lot like Christmas!
Hope to win!!! Thanx
I love to bake and this mixer would be perfect!!!
I would love to win the mixer! 🙂
Love this mixer and love your blog!
I would love this !! In red!!
I would adore winning one of these, as mine has seen its better days and can’t handle the heavy mixing jobs anymore.
I LOVE your pink house – I think it’s the prettiest little gingerbread house I’ve ever seen!! Beautiful job!!
It would be so great to win this!
Isabel B told me about this contest love the mixer:)
Your gingerbread houses are amazing! I would really like this huge 7 qt. mixer in red or black. I’m not too picky.
Your gingerbread houses are gorgeous! And that tiny kitchen? Adorable!
Thanks for the chance to win a mixer!
I would LOVE to win! 🙂
Pretty please, with cream cheese frosting on top, let the winner be me 🙂
Oh Im in love with the candy apple red =)..Beautiful gingerbread houses 🙂
I love this mixer! Hope to win!!!
What a dream come true that red mixer would be!
I would love a KitchenAid! I’m still using a handheld electric mixer!
@ Charlene Trowbridge:
By the way, I saw this contest shared by Michele Massie.