
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



Your gingerbread houses are so beautiful. I love how simple yet elegant they look. Amazing! Would love to win a KitchenAid mixer for Christmas.
I would LOVE to win!
Oh. Em. Gee! I love that mixer in candy red can you say Christmas! Would love love LOVE to win this for a little present for myself. Love the blog and tutorials, great inspiration! Happy Holidays!
I would love to win a mixer! Those gingerbread houses are adorable!
I would never have to ask Santa for anything ever again!
My Husband is the cook in the house and has always wanted one of these. this would make the best Christmas Gift for him.
I’d love to win one!!
This would rock my world in the kitchen!!! Love the Candy Apple Red
It would be fabulous to win one of these! 🙂
I would love a Kitchen Aid! It would really help out with all the holiday baking. 🙂
I really really need a 7 qt. Kitchen Aid mixer! I’m starting Patisserie and Baking school at Le Cordon Bleu next month (!!!) and need something better than a hand mixer for my homework. Please, please, please pick me!
KitchenAid is the BEST!! I would love the medallion silver one!!God Bless!!
I love the houses!! Happy Holidays!!
With 10 kiddos one of these would be great to have around the house for baking and making dinner.
I would love to win & I love your gingerbread houses!
I WANT, NEED TO WIN
Boy howdy, would I love to win that!
i would love to win the black one for my daughter,she is 14 and an aspiring pastry chef
I would so love to win! I have been baking more and more, and this would be a LIFESAVER!
OOwwwhhhh, I would love that… I could double my daily bread batch… and cut the time consumption in half all at the same time… So pretty in red!
i’d love to win. i bake a lot of goods. my buddy amy rouse sent me!
I would love to have this Kitchenaid! I would love my Friend Rachel Valencia to get one as well! I would really simplify my holiday baking!
What an amazing machine!! I would love to see a silver one sitting on my counter!! Love your blog!!
Wow. Just wow. Those gingerbread houses are amazing!
Angie Vinez sent me over. I would absolutely love one of these mixers. I’ve wanted one for years! The red one is pretty, but I think I’d like the white one. Such a great giveaway! Thank you.
I want one. Good luck to all.
I would absolutely love to win the white KitchAid Mixer. I just started a tiny business making cakes, cupcakes and other goodies and this would help out so much!
I’d love to win a red one! Thanks for the giveaway!
I would so love to win this!! Talk about free hands!! Nothing like using a regular mixer and making a huge mess!!
I would love to win one of these mine died last week and have to mix everything by hand I am missing so much baking time:(
I would love this mixer. I have to mix everything by hand and making anything takes so long to do it would cut my time in half in the kitchen or I would be able to make more 🙂
I want to win!!!!!
Thank you!!!
after becoming disabled, and not being able to work anymore, i try to spend more time baking and cooking new dishes, having a kitchen aide would def make a huge difference for me and the new dishes i could create with it
This is awesome! My friend Courtney sent me here to enter!
Wowww, thanks for the opportunity! A KitchenAid is such a dream of mine. They’re so beautiful!
Thanks for the giveaway! I would love to win 🙂
@ Natalie D.:
Btw, Chloe Landeroz sent me! 🙂
I LOVE your gingerbread cottages!! I’d love to win this mixer, omgosh that would make my year!!!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE to bake and a Kitchenaid Mixer would be such a blessing!
I so so want to win. Ive wanted a KitchenAid mixer for years and years and could do so much with it.
I want to win!!!
I would LOVE LOVE LOVE this mixer in silver. It would be the perfect birthday present!
I really want to win as everyone on here does. I would enjoy baking so much more with one of these!!
@ Rob Velasquez:
oh and to give a shout out, Natasha K referred me here via facebook, thanks Natasha 🙂
A kitchen-aid mixer is my #1 kitchen dream. Well, that, and a kitchen big enough to house said mixer, but I’m sure BF won’t mind storing it for me in the meantime if I win… 🙂
CANDY APPLE RED !!!!!!! Whoop whoop. Please God I want to win. I would be happy to win a used kitchen aid mixer. Lol
I would LOVE to win a bright red KitchenAid! Pick me, pick me, pick me! :o)
These gingerbread houses look awesome! I’d love to win a candy apple red mixer! It’d be for my mom for Christmas. She’s wanted one for years now and i’d love to just blow her socks off with that for Christmas! 🙂
I would absolutely LOVE to win the mixer. I totally want it in red!!