Gingerbread house

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 300 g coconut oil
• 450 g beet syrup
• 450 g honey
• 6 eggs
• 1 tbsp lemon(s), zest, untreated
• 45 g gingerbread spice
• 1 ½ kg flour
• 60 g cocoa powder, unsweetened
• 1 tbsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 550 g powdered sugar
• 1 tsp cream of tartar
• 3 egg whites

Instructions

Working time approx. 3 hours; Rest time approx. 9 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 12 hours 20 minutes

in the style of the canal houses in Amsterdam

Choose a suitable motif as a template. I used a picture of the canal houses in Amsterdam. My motif measures 28 x 36 cm and is exactly large enough to fit on a baking sheet. It’s best to draw it first. Take a piece of baking paper, trace your motif, and cut it out. FOR THE DOUGH: Briefly heat the palm oil in the microwave or in a saucepan until liquid. Beat the sugar beet syrup, honey, and eggs with a hand mixer until frothy. Stir in the lemon zest, gingerbread spice, and palm oil. In a second bowl, mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Knead the flour mixture with the honey mixture. Divide the dough into four equal portions and shape into balls. Wrap them in cling film and let them rest in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Remove the dough from the refrigerator about 45 minutes before further processing, otherwise it will still be too hard to roll out. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Get a piece of baking paper ready and roll out the dough directly onto it. It should be about 7-8 mm thick. Place the baking paper stencil on the dough and smooth it out. The baking paper will adhere well to the dough so it won’t slip. Trim the edges with a knife. Use a needle or skewer to make small marks in the dough where you want to paint the windows, doors, etc. This will make decorating much easier. If you like, you can also leave out some of the windows. Bake the gingerbread for 18-20 minutes and then let it cool completely. FOR THE ICING: Start with the decoration. First, put 350 g of powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar, and 2 egg whites in a bowl and beat everything with a hand mixer until smooth. Since eggs vary in size, you’ll have to work with feel and use a little more or less powdered sugar if necessary. Fill the icing mixture into a piping bag or decorating pen and decorate the house walls. For delicate contours, I personally prefer the latter. Let the decorations harden completely. Before you assemble the house, prepare a suitable surface on which the gingerbread house will stand and then assemble it directly onto it. Depending on the size of your house, it may otherwise be difficult to transport. I used a piece of chipboard that I wrapped in gift paper. To glue the house fronts together, mix 150g of icing sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar, and 1 egg white. The icing should be very thick, so add a little of the remaining icing sugar until you achieve the desired consistency. Fill the icing mixture into a piping bag, apply it along the edges, and glue them together. Support the house with heavy objects such as milk cartons and let it harden overnight. Tip: The open gingerbread house makes a great Advent calendar. If you cut out some windows, you can also put candles inside.