HOW TO BUILD A GINGERBREAD HOUSE

Advice from Tim Smith, chief baker at Creative Biscuit Ceramics Café in Essex You can also avoid any decorating disasters with these sweet tricks…

The key to a solid gingerbread house is the ‘glue’ that holds it together.

The best two sticky solutions we have found are…

Royal Icing The cement of the icing world. Loved by our grandmothers for good reason as it’s a sure-fire way to make your walls stick. Simply whisk three egg whites in a large bowl until frothy. With a mixer on a slow speed, add 675g of sifted icing sugar, one tablespoon at a time. Finally add three teaspoons of lemon juice and beat until it stands up in peaks. Cover with a damp tea towel if not using straightaway.

Caramel ‘glue’ Put 200g of icing sugar and 60ml of water in a frying pan (to give you plenty of space to dip) over a medium heat and, using a sugar thermometer, bring it up to 160C – do not stir! Once golden, give it a swirl and take off the heat so it thickens slightly, then dunk in your gingerbread walls and glue together, holding in place for a few minutes. If the syrup begins to harden simply return to the heat until it returns to a honey-like consistency. l Aim to slightly overbake, rather than underbake, the gingerbread. l Use props, such as spice jars, to support each section as you glue. Wait until each wall is stuck before moving on to the next. l Leave to set in a cool place for a minimum of an hour, but ideally 3 to 4 hours. If building with pre-teens, stick the house together first so they can concentrate on the decorating rather than the sticky construction. l If it falls apart, simply claim it’s a deconstructed gingerbread house – it will still taste just as good.