Four myths about gingerbread
Building a gingerbread structure is difficult: “Once you’ve mastered the basic principles of construction, and practised the simple piping and decorating techniques, you’ll be able to create easy and more complex projects,” says Beddall.
Gingerbread houses might look pretty, but they taste awful and you risk breaking a tooth: “My recipe is delicious and crisp, not too heavy, yet strong enough to use,” says Beddall.
“I’ve always gotten rave reviews and I know you will too.”
To build a house that won’t collapse, you need to roll your gingerbread very thickly and use a ton of icing to glue it all together: “Wrong on both counts!” says Beddall.
“Thinner, lighter walls are easier to handle and less prone to collapse, and if you use the right consistency of royal icing, you don’t need much to hold it all together.”
You can make a gingerbread house from start to finish in just one day: A gingerbread house or any other kind of three-dimensional structure should be made over at least two days, sometimes three,” says Beddall.
“If the icing isn’t given ample time to dry between steps, it can lead to the dreaded collapse.” Catherine Beddall says that as soon as she tried this recipe from Algonquin College pastry instructor Tony Bond, owner of the former Devon Bakery in Manotick, Ont., she made it her standard. “It’s easy to prepare, inexpensive, and strong enough to provide excellent support for any gingerbread structure. It also happens to be just the right combination of sweet and spicy: quite simply, it’s delicious!” Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C). Using a stand mixer with paddle attachment or sturdy hand mixer, beat the shortening and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the molasses and water and beat until incorporated. Scrape down the bowl and beat again for another 30 seconds. In a separate bowl, sift dry ingredients together and then add all at once to the mixer. Mix on slow speed until the dry ingredients are incorporated and the dough appears crumbly. When you press the dough with your hands, it will stick together, Once the dough has come together firmly in a ball, it’s ready to roll out. Small cookies or gingerbread pieces will bake faster than larger ones. If the gingerbread is rolled out to 1/8 inch (3 mm) thickness, 1 inch (2.5 cm) pieces will take 9 to 11 minutes; 3 inch (7.6 cm) pieces 12 to 14 minutes and pieces 5 inches (13 cm) or more will take 14 to 16 minutes. Add about 3 minutes to baking times if the gingerbread is rolled out to 1/4 inch (6 mm) thickness. A good rule for doneness is to bake until the edges of the shapes are slightly darker than the middle. Makes enough for 1 medium gingerbread house
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