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gingerbread village

phoenixmaine75 avatar
Recipe by
Melanie Ross
@phoenixmaine75
Rumford, ME

Meringue powder can be found in craft and cake decorating supply stores. Complete the landscape of your village with a gingerbread cookie tree. Use 5 small star-shaped cookie cutters in graduated sizes. Bake about 5 minutes. When cool, stack with icing in between and decorate. Royal Icing dries out quickly, so keep it covered with plastic wrap and work with small portions. Place small portions in small resealable food-storage plastic bags, snip off a corner and squeeze the bag for easy decorating.

yield 30 serving(s)
prep time 3 Hr
cook time 4 Hr 30 Min
method Bake

Ingredients For gingerbread village

  • GINGERBREAD AND DECORATIONS
  • 1/2 c
    packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 c
    shortening
  • 3/4 c
    full-flavor molasses
  • 1/3 c
    cold water
  • 3 1/2 c
    all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp
    baking soda
  • 1 tsp
    ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp
    salt
  • 1/2 tsp
    ground allspice
  • 1/2 tsp
    ground cloves
  • 1/2 tsp
    ground cinnamon
  • assorted candies, nuts, cookies, crackers and cereal
  • ROYAL ICING
  • 1 pkg
    (16 oz) powdered sugar (4 1/2 cups)
  • 1/3 c
    cup warm water (105°f to 115°f)
  • 3 Tbsp
    meringue powder
  • 1 tsp
    vanilla
  • 1/2 tsp
    cream of tartar
  • food colors, if desired

How To Make gingerbread village

  • 1
    Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 9-inch square pan and 15x10x1-inch rectangular pan. In large bowl, mix brown sugar, shortening and molasses until well blended. Stir in cold water. Stir in remaining gingerbread ingredients except assorted candies. Press one-third of dough into square pan. Press remaining dough into rectangular pan.
  • 2
    Bake 1 pan at a time about 15 minutes or until no indentation remains when touched in center. Cool 5 minutes. Turn upside down onto large cutting surface. Immediately cut gingerbread in rectangular pan into fourths and then into buildings as shown in illustration. Cut gingerbread in square pan into braces as shown. Cool completely, about 25 minutes.
  • 3
    In large bowl, beat all icing ingredients except food colors with electric mixer on low speed until mixed. Beat on high speed 7 to 10 minutes or until very stiff. Divide and tint as desired with food colors. Decorate fronts of buildings as desired, using icing and assorted candies, nuts, cookies, crackers and cereal. Use icing to attach braces to backs of buildings. Let stand 30 minutes or until icing is completely set. Complete by decorating as desired.
  • Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!
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