
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



My daughter is dying to have one of these!! I am sure any color of a KitchenAid is the right one!!
Those gingerbread houses are beautiful!
My friend Linzy let me know about the giveaway, but I’d love a shot at winning a mixer too!
i <3 kitchen aid mixers and it would be a huge upgrade from using my hands every time!!
Simply beautiful!
Wow, gorgeous work!
Such cute gingerbread houses. I love the KitchenAid!!
Oh, those gingerbread houses are gorgeous!! I love the way you’ve decorated them in colour themes 🙂 and your gingerbread facade is exactly what my kids have been asking for for years now…so much fun! Thanks for the chance for the mixer- I don’t own one yet and can think of so many uses for it!
very beutiful!
I have always wanted one of these and never been able to afford it. I hope I win!!!!
[email protected]
I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to win the mixer and love love love the work on those precious ginger bread houses
I would love to win one of these beautiful machines! THank you for the entry!
Kelly on FB
I would love to win this so I could share with my kids who love to bake as well! A pretty red one!
I’d love to win! It’s always been a dream of mine to own my very own Kitchen Aid mixer.
I like the white one for my wife..
I would love to win, it would really help with my baking!
The gingerbread houses are beautiful!!!!
I would LOVE to have a new Kitchen Aid mixer, especially the red one!
thank you for the chance to win!
Your gingerbread houses are amazing!
Oh, I have such KitchenAid Mixer-envy. I would SO love to have one of these.
I have the smallest of the Kitchen Aids and trying to double batch cookies is impossible. I would love to win this.
Your gingerbread houses look amazing!! How gorgeous.
I’d love to enter the kitchenaid giveaway!
Would LOVE a new KitchenAid. Merry Christmas!
LOVE those cute gingerbread houses.
I want to win. I think I am one of the only baker’s without one, lol.
Adorable! I am planning to make a Swedish-style gingerbread house this year & I could really use the mixer!
Beautiful! My daughter wants the pink gingerbread house for her room! She is 3!!
The gingerbread houses are beautiful! I would really love to win!!
What beautiful gingerbread houses!
I cannot turn down a chance to win a KitchenAid Mixer. 🙂
Love that you’re sponsoring this giveaway! Your gingerbread houses are awesome!
I would love to have one of this I love baking with my family thank you
I would love to win!!!
I would give this to my 77 year old grandma. It’s her birthday tomorrow, and she’s been wanting a new mixer for years. The family cannot afford to get her one though.
I’d love to win the red one….but for my mom! She taught me all I know about baking. She loves the red KA mixers but has never been able to afford one.
I’d love to win a mixer in candy apple red.
What cute houses and what a great giveaway! I would love to win. Thanks = )
Love to win the mixer!!
I would love to win!!
I was just drooling over this beautiful machine this past weekend. I would LOVE to win!
I love to bake & I’ve always wanted a Kitchen Aid stand mixer. I’d love to win one.
What beautiful gingerbread houses!!! I really wish I liked gingerbread. After an over-eating mishap when I was 6, I just can’t seem to stomach the taste. 🙁
I would LOVE to win! I’ve always been a fan of kitchen aide!
Thanks for the opportunity and I ADORE the gingerbread doll house! Beautiful! I am still in awe…
Thank you for the amazing opportunity- Happy Holidays!
I just can’t imagine
I would love to have a Kitchen Aid mixers.
I would LOVE to win this beauty!
I love your work! My daughter loved the pink gingerbread house and wants to make one just like that! I won’t lie Im pretty partial to it as well! =) Ive always wanted a kitchenaid mixer and would love to win one. It would be a great Christmas gift for me & gives me an oppurtunity to share my love of baking with my family without the hard labor of doing everything by hand! Thanks for the oppurtunity!
Candy Apple Red would be my choice. Thanks for giving us a chance to win one of these awesome mixers!
Love these mixers…..
waiting to hear that i have won this kitcheaid mixer.
Next year, because there’s not time this year, these will grace MY kitchen!