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Quick Foolproof Gingerbread House Dough Recipe

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This quick foolproof gingerbread house dough rolls out like a dream, holds its shape perfectly during baking, and doesn’t puff up or spread. It’s forgiving enough for beginners, reliable enough for pros, and delicious enough that you’ll actually want to eat the scraps.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes
  • 1/2 cup (100g) packed brown sugar (light or dark)
  • 1/2 cup (170g) molasses (not blackstrap; use regular or mild)
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

Instructions

  1. Mix the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves until no lumps remain (about 30 seconds).
  2. Cut in the cold butter: Add the cold butter cubes to the flour mixture. Using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture looks like coarse meal with some pea-sized butter pieces remaining (about 3-4 minutes).
  3. Combine the wet ingredients: In a small bowl, whisk together the molasses, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla until smooth and the brown sugar mostly dissolves (about 1 minute).
  4. Bring it together: Pour the wet mixture into the flour-butter mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until a shaggy dough forms and no dry flour remains (about 2 minutes).
  5. Knead briefly: Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead just 4-5 times to bring it together until smooth but not elastic (about 30 seconds).
  6. Divide and flatten: Split the dough into two equal discs. Flatten each disc to about 1-inch thick.
  7. Chill thoroughly: Wrap each disc tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, but overnight is better. For a quicker option, freeze for 1 hour (do not freeze solid).
  8. Roll it out: Place one disc between two sheets of parchment paper. Roll from the center outward, turning the paper occasionally, to 1/4-inch thickness for walls or 1/8-inch for decorations. If dough gets too soft, refrigerate on a baking sheet for 10 minutes.
  9. Cut your pieces: Peel off the top parchment. Use templates or cookie cutters to cut out shapes, leaving about 1/2 inch between pieces. Do not remove pieces from parchment yet.
  10. Chill again before baking: Slide the parchment with cut pieces onto a baking sheet. Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes.
  11. Bake: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake one sheet at a time for 12-15 minutes, until edges are just barely darker than the center. They will firm up as they cool.
  12. Cool completely: Let pieces cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Wait until completely cool before moving or decorating.

Notes

For best results, chill dough at least 2 hours. Roll between parchment to avoid extra flour. Do not reroll scraps more than once. If dough cracks while rolling, let it sit at room temperature for 5 minutes. If it sticks to parchment, refrigerate for 10 minutes. For egg allergy, substitute with 1/4 cup applesauce and add 1 tablespoon extra flour if needed. For dairy-free, use cold vegan butter sticks (not spreadable).

Nutrition

Keywords: gingerbread house, gingerbread dough, holiday baking, Christmas, foolproof, quick, easy, gingerbread cookies

Find it online: https://coracooks.com/quick-foolproof-gingerbread-house-dough-recipe/