Gingerbread House Icing Recipe - I Heart Naptime (2024)

FAQs

What is the icing for gingerbread houses made of? ›

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine egg white with half the powdered sugar. Mix at low speed until sugar disappears into a paste, then gradually sprinkle in the rest. Increase speed to medium and beat until smooth and light, about 2 minutes.

Royal icing is a type of icing that sets hard, making it perfect for icing gingerbread and decorating Christmas cookies and biscuits. Its white colour resembles snow, but you can easily add a touch of food colouring to mix things up.

Turn on a dehumidifier if the baked goods are in a humid environment. Humidity can cause your icing to dry 3 times slower than if they are placed in an area with dry air. Place the dehumidifier in the same room as your baked goods, turn it on, and place it on the highest setting.

She recommends using granulated sugar instead of royal icing to hold the walls together. How? Just melt the sugar in a pan over low heat. You want to allow it to turn brown, but make sure not to burn it (otherwise it won't taste so great).

If your kitchen is warm or the temperature is humid, the icing may melt or fall off your gingerbread house. Be careful not to overwhip your icing. Incorporating too much air may make it difficult for the icing to stick to the cookie. Keep any icing covered when not in use to avoid drying.

Fit Everything Together with Melted Sugar or Royal Icing

Generations of home bakers have used this tried-and-true method, and it works like a charm and tastes amazing. The second way is to use burnt sugar as your glue.

Store Bought Icing

If you are using store-bought frosting, mix approximately 1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar per cup of icing. This will help your icing to harden.

Royal icing is the go-to choice for gingerbread house construction because it “glues” your house together. The icing starts crusting quickly, and once it's set it's hard, so you can use it to piece together your walls and roof.

How Long Royal Icing Lasts. Royal icing can last up to three days when refrigerated. Royal icing can last longer than three days when stored in the fridge, but for best results, try to use or eat it within those three days. If not, you may find an unpleasant texture change in your icing.

The magic ratio is 1 cup granulated sugar to 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Combine the two in a high-powered blender like a Vitamix, a food processor, or spice grinder, then blitz away until you have a soft, powdery consistency—the total time could be several minutes, depending on the power of your machine.

What's the difference between icing sugar and frosting? ›

Icing is thinner than frosting but not quite as thin as a glaze. Typically made with powdered sugar and liquid, such as water, milk, or juice, icing can be drizzled or spread. Icing has more shine and a smoother consistency than frosting.

It is possible to simply use granulated sugar in a slightly smaller amount, though you'll have to accept that the texture may not be ideal, especially for icing or other recipes that are supposed to be super smooth. Just substitute 1 cup of granulated sugar for every 1 ¾ cups powdered sugar and proceed as directed.

No. Although the terms are often colloquially used interchangeably, they are not the same. Powdered sugar is similar to confectioners' sugar but without the cornstarch. Because the words are often mistaken for each other, you will even find "powdered sugar" in the grocery store that is actually confectioners' sugar.

Like royal icing, cookie icing can be used to decorate your roll-out sugar and gingerbread cookies; however, unlike royal icing, cookie icing does not dry hard. Cookies decorated with cookie icing will set smooth, but the icing will remain soft and can be damaged if cookies are stacked or packaged.

Yes! Powdered sugar, confectioners' sugar (including confectioners sugar and confectioner's sugar too), icing sugar, and 10X (a reference to the size of the particles) are all the same.

Meringue Powder in Royal Icing

Both create a very sturdy and stable icing that hardens quickly on top of cookies. Meringue powder, while containing eggs, eliminates the need for raw fresh eggs, but still provides the EXACT same consistency.

Gingerbread houses require a specific type of icing that is made from confectioners sugar, egg whites, and cream of tartar. This icing is different from regular frosting because it is much thicker and more stable. It's also designed to harden so that your gingerbread house will hold its shape.