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December 17, 2019This is about...
Mini GINGERBREAD Houses!---YUM!
Mini GINGERBREAD Houses!---YUM!
SO CUTE! A MINI GINGERBREAD VILLAGE!
It's as simple as baking up a pan of gingerbread, cutting pieces to make the base and the roof. A little frosting, homemade or canned, will hold them together. The roof has the sweetest little red licorice chimney dusted with confectioners' sugar snow.
THESE LITTLE GOODIES WILL BE THE HIT OF ANY HOLIDAY PARTY!
You can use store bought cake, if you like. But, I've included my spicy, sweet gingerbread recipe if you want to make your own.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!
LESSONS Learned:
1. I like my gingerbread with lots of holiday spices. If you prefer a milder flavor, feel free to cut back on the spices---up to 1/2 would be fine.
2. No time to bake? use a pan of brownies, fudge, or a sturdy store bought cake in place of the homemade gingerbread.
3. Canned frosting is a fine sub for any homemade frosting.
4. If you make these little houses ahead, the confectioners' sugar will be absorbed by the cake, so make sure to give them a fresh dusting just before serving.
5. Store them in an air tight container at room temperature so they don't dry out.
Old Fashioned Gingerbread
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, I like Heckers
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/8 teaspoon ground cloves
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2/3 cup mild-flavored unsulphured molasses, I like Grandma's Original
1 large egg
2/3 cup boiling water
--------------------
about 1 1/2 cups homemade or canned chocolate or vanilla frosting
1-2 pieces of pull and peel licorice, such as Twizzlers, separated with 2 strands together, and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
confectioners' sugar for dusting
red, green and white sprinkles
Make the cake:
Place rack in the middle of the oven and preheat it oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9-in square pan with nonstick cooking spray or butter. Cover the bottom with a piece of parchment, grease again and then dust the entire pan with flour, tapping out any excess.
In a medium size bowl with a strainer on top, sift the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon and cloves and whisk to combine. Set aside.
In another medium size bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, molasses, and the egg until well combined. Slowly whisk in the boiling water, 1/3 cup at a time.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk again until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 35 minutes, until the middle feels firm to the touch, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set the pan on a rack to cool slightly. Then cut into squares and serve. Or use to turn into little gingerbread houses.
Mini GINGERBREAD Houses
(inspired by Martha Stewart Magazine)
For the mini houses, let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 20 minutes. Then, run a knife around the edges to loosen it. Invert onto the rack. Remove the parchment, top with a flat cutting surface and turn the cake right side up. Let cool completely. At this point, you can wrap the cake up in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Using a serrated knife, gently trim the edges of the cake so that they are straight. Cut half the cake into 1-inch cubes. You should get around 36. Cut the remaining half of the cake into 1 1/4" cubes and then into triangles. You should have about 40 triangles. Spread the frosting on the long sides of the triangles.
With the frosting side down, place one triangle on top of each cube, creating a roof. Insert a piece of licorice in the top of each roof for the chimney. Dust roofs with confectioners' sugar. Store in an airtight container. To serve, place on mini cupcake liners, with lots of colored sprinkles around the base of each house. Before serving you may need to re-dust the roofs with confectioners' sugar.
Makes one 9 inch square of gingerbread, or about 3 dozen mini gingerbread houses. YUM!
You can use store bought cake, if you like. But, I've included my spicy, sweet gingerbread recipe if you want to make your own.
LESSONS Learned:
1. I like my gingerbread with lots of holiday spices. If you prefer a milder flavor, feel free to cut back on the spices---up to 1/2 would be fine.
2. No time to bake? use a pan of brownies, fudge, or a sturdy store bought cake in place of the homemade gingerbread.
3. Canned frosting is a fine sub for any homemade frosting.
4. If you make these little houses ahead, the confectioners' sugar will be absorbed by the cake, so make sure to give them a fresh dusting just before serving.
5. Store them in an air tight container at room temperature so they don't dry out.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, I like Heckers
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/8 teaspoon ground cloves
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2/3 cup mild-flavored unsulphured molasses, I like Grandma's Original
1 large egg
2/3 cup boiling water
--------------------
about 1 1/2 cups homemade or canned chocolate or vanilla frosting
1-2 pieces of pull and peel licorice, such as Twizzlers, separated with 2 strands together, and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
confectioners' sugar for dusting
red, green and white sprinkles
Make the cake:
Place rack in the middle of the oven and preheat it oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9-in square pan with nonstick cooking spray or butter. Cover the bottom with a piece of parchment, grease again and then dust the entire pan with flour, tapping out any excess.
In a medium size bowl with a strainer on top, sift the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon and cloves and whisk to combine. Set aside.
In another medium size bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, molasses, and the egg until well combined. Slowly whisk in the boiling water, 1/3 cup at a time.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk again until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 35 minutes, until the middle feels firm to the touch, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set the pan on a rack to cool slightly. Then cut into squares and serve. Or use to turn into little gingerbread houses.
(inspired by Martha Stewart Magazine)
For the mini houses, let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 20 minutes. Then, run a knife around the edges to loosen it. Invert onto the rack. Remove the parchment, top with a flat cutting surface and turn the cake right side up. Let cool completely. At this point, you can wrap the cake up in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Using a serrated knife, gently trim the edges of the cake so that they are straight. Cut half the cake into 1-inch cubes. You should get around 36. Cut the remaining half of the cake into 1 1/4" cubes and then into triangles. You should have about 40 triangles. Spread the frosting on the long sides of the triangles.
With the frosting side down, place one triangle on top of each cube, creating a roof. Insert a piece of licorice in the top of each roof for the chimney. Dust roofs with confectioners' sugar. Store in an airtight container. To serve, place on mini cupcake liners, with lots of colored sprinkles around the base of each house. Before serving you may need to re-dust the roofs with confectioners' sugar.
Makes one 9 inch square of gingerbread, or about 3 dozen mini gingerbread houses. YUM!