Every year, my family and I swear up and down that we were going to make a gingerbread house from scratch, but we never get around to it. When I received a complimentary Good Cook Haunted Gingerbread House kit, we figured now was as good of a time as any to get started! This was our first time making gingerbread, and let’s just say it was an experience.
This Good Cook Haunted House kit, was a lot of fun to work with. It was a bit challenging, because it’s designed not to set straight. It’s a haunted house, so it’s supposed to have jagged angles, but that made it a bit more difficult to set up. Nevertheless, we were able to decorate our house and add a few fun details that gave it some life (well undead life) of it’s own.
The first thing we did was make our own gingerbread. This recipe can also be used when you make your own gingerbread houses towards the holidays. Make sure to bookmark it so you can find it later. After the recipe, make sure to check out the tips and tricks on how to bring your haunted Halloween scene to life!
PrintHaunted Gingerbread House
- Category: Dessert
Ingredients
- Four Cups Flour
- 2 Tbsp Cinnamon
- 2 Tbsp Ground Ginger
- 1 Cup Butter (Room Temperature)
- 1/2 C Molasses
- 1/4 tsp cloves
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp water
- Royal Icing
- 1 pound confectioner’s sugar
- 3 egg whites
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1/3 tsp cream of tartar
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, cream sugar, butter, and molasses
- In another bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients.
- /4 cup at a time, mix the dry ingredients into the wet mixture.
- The dough will have a consistency that appears to be a bit dry.
- Adding 2 Tbsp of water, and blend until forms a dough ball. (Add 1 Tbsp of water more at a time if not combining)
- Place in metal bowl, and cover refrigerate overnight.
- When ready to work with dough, remove from refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature.
- Place wax paper on the counter, and with a well floured rolling pin roll dough until 1/8 of an inch thick.
- Use gingerbread house templates to cut out various shapes. (You need front/back, 2 sides, and four roof pieces)
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees
- Cook for 15-20 minutes or until the edges are browned. Allow to cool.
- While it’s cooling prepare your royal icing.
- Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar together until frothy.
- Add 1/4 cup of sugar at a time until completely mixed. Add vanilla.
- If icing is runny, continue adding confectioner’s sugar until it thickens up. It should be the consistency of toothpaste.
- Place the royal icing in a piping bag, and use it to assemble the pieces of the gingerbread house.
- Use cups, toothpicks, or other items to brace the house while it dries.
- Allow the bottom frame to set completely before adding the roof.
Now that you have made your house you are ready to decorate! We placed our house on a large piece of cardboard, and then used royal icing to decorate the “ground”. For the ground, we used crumbled up graham crackers. First place a coating of royal icing on the board, then sprinkle the graham crackers.
To make our “wrought iron gates,” we used black candy melts and spaghetti noodles. All you need to do is melt a bag of black candy melts, and then place them in a piping bag. Break spaghetti noodles to the length that you want them. Grab the noodle and insert it into the piping back with the chocolate, and pull it back out. It will be coated black with the chocolate. Set on wax paper and allow to dry. Once they are dry, place a dot on either end of the short pieces to connect to the larger pieces to make your “bars.” Then just attach them to the house, or yard with your royal icing.
We also wanted to add a grave yard to our haunted house, so we crumbled up chocolate sandwich cookies. To make them stick just draw a mound of royal icing. For the skeletons, we white candy melts in a cute skeleton candy mold. Just pop them out, and stick them in the royal icing under the “dirt” on the graves!
Last, but not least, we used some candy pumpkins and Peeps Ghosts and attahed them with more royal icing. Then our haunted gingerbread house was complete!
Leanna says
This is really cute. I expect a gingerbread house is more liable to be eaten and enjoyed at Halloween than at Christmas when their is so many sweets available.
I am pinning the recipe. Thanks for sharing
Jess says
Haha…this is so adorbs! How fun!
I would love for you to share this with my Facebook Group for recipes, crafts, tips, and tricks: https://www.facebook.com/groups/pluckyrecipescraftstips/
Thanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!
Vanessa says
This is the coolest gingerbread house! How sweet and I love the ghosts. LOL, my girl wants to make one now. Thank you for sharing this awesome post and I would love for you to share at a link party I am co-hosting. I hope to see you there. Have a great week.
★★★★★
Ash Sears says
Thanks! Hope your girls and you have a great time making one!
Lou Lou Girls says
Hello gorgeous! I’m just stopping by to let you know that we will be featuring you tonight at our linky party! Pinned and tweeted. I can’t wait to start partying with you tonight! Lou Lou Girls
Ash Sears says
That’s so awesome! Thanks so much for stopping by!
Liz says
This is such a lovely idea!! Love it!
Erin Vincent says
This is adorable! My kids would love to help me make this!