
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



Everything mini is way cute!! A new kitchen aid would be awesome 🙂
Always dreamed of owning a KitchenAid Mixer.
Thank you for a chance to win one.
Merry Christmas and Happy Baking Ya’ll,
Pat Potter
I love the gingerbread houses!!! What a cute idea! The mixer giveaway is pretty awesome too… 🙂 What wonderful marshmallows I could make with one!
I’d love to win the red one! I’ve rebuilt mine twice now, and it has a wobble and I don’t know how long it will last.
I would love to win!
I love Royal Icing and the hand mixer I have just doesn’t cut it!
I am super excited to have this tutorial and the opportunity to win one of these amazing mixers! Thanks and Merry Christmas!
Thank you for the chance to win! It’s an exciting raffle!!!
I would love to win! The red one is awesome!
Beautiful ginger bread houses!
I would absolutely love to have a Kitchenaid mixer 🙂
Oh my gosh these are the prettiest gingerbread houses I’ve ever seen. I would LOVE to win this mixer! I desperately need a KitchenAid … well everything!
I would love to win
If only I had a KitchenAid I could attempt to make one of these beautiful houses!! 🙂
oh.my.god. i love those minis! as a child i had a set of mini silverware that i “cooked & served” with all the time. it was my most coveted play item. unfortunately it’s been through a few brothers since then and undoubtedly missing many pieces.
as an adult, however, id love to see how that red mixer looks in my grownup kitchen!
These are so cute!! Love it!!
I would love to win! this would make my baking go so much faster =)
I would love to win this to give to my mom. She’s sacrificed so much for me, and has always wanted one of these but hasn’t been able to afford it. This would make her the happiest person ever!
So, first of all, this royal icing tutorial is AMAZING. THANK YOU. I cannot WAIT to get done with my final exams and go home for Christmas cookie baking now!
Second of all, I have been drooling over that gorgeous red machine for aaaages…so if you would like to toss one my way and save a broke college student $300 from buying it herself, I would be MOST grateful. 😉
Happy holidays, and happy baking!
Would LOVE to win one! I really would!!!
I’d LOVE to win! I do so much baking and dont have a mixer yet!
Oh wow…. a 7qt mixer… I am already so in love with this. Wish i could win this …have my fingers crossed 🙂
Would love to win this sure would put it to good use!!
It would be a Christmas miracle if I ever made a gingerbread house even half as lovely…or if I won something (I truly never win anything) haha
I would LOVE to win one!! I LOVE Kitchen Aid!!
I would love a mixer!
I would LOVE to win a KitchenAid mixer. I bought my daughter the pink one last year. I really need my own in red! Thank you so much!
I know someone that needs this for Christmas. To make me some awesome food.
could REALLY use this this year!
It is beautiful! The house and the mixer!!
I would love to win one of these mixers (Candy Apple Red would be perfect)! This would truly make my holiday!
I have been wanting a kitchen aid stand mixer for some time now. Would love to have one.
very cool stuff here! I hope I win as I’d like to take my baking to the next level 🙂
Love the gingerbread houses! Winning one of the mixers would make my year!!!
lovely ginger bread houses, Cant wait to try out the recipe!!!! I PRAY i win!!!! =) good luck everyone!!
I would LOVE to win. All I have now is a hand mixer:( Thank you and Merry Christmas!
I would love to win!
Beautiful gingerbread houses! I would love to win a stand mixer; using my old hand mixer is way less fun.
I have a bakery business I am starting up and this would be a dream come true if I could win this mixer! I’ve always dreamed of owning one!!
Love the black storm mixer,,
Thank you for the opportunity. This is a wonderful prize!
I love to bake and it would be amazing to have this beautiful kitchen aid mixer!
i love love love this mixer!!!
i love gingerbread! the houses look amazing… and that mixer ain’t too shabby either!
I have a bakery business I am starting up and this would be a dream come true if I could win this mixer! I’ve always dreamed of owning one!!
I would love to win one of these beauuutiffuulll new KitchenAid mixers :). I have one from the 1940’s, would love to try using a contemporary one 🙂
I have wanted one of these for years!!!!
My basic Kitchen Aid isn’t big enough for big batches!
OHHHHH I would love to win the silver or red one!
While my arms stay fit from using a hand mixer… You have no idea what I would give for one of these!!
I inherited my grandmother’s and my baking has never been the same. This mixer is essential in every kitchen. Thanks for the giveaway!