Every child’s dream is to have a Gingerbread house at Christmas. They are not difficult to make, just a little time consuming, but well worth the effort.

Ingredients

• ¾ cup caster sugar
• 700 grams clear honey
• 200 grams unsalted butter
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp water
• 2 eggs
• grated rind 4 lemons
• 3 tbsp cocoa
• 1.25 kg flour
• 6 tsp mixed spice

Royal Icing

• 4 egg whites
• 7 cups icing sugar, sifted
• 1-2 tbsp lemon juice

Method

1. Put the sugar, honey and butter into a saucepan and heat slowly, stirring constantly until the liquid is clear. Do not boil. Set aside to cool until lukewarm. Mix the baking soda and powder with the water and stir into the cooled honey mixture with the beaten eggs, lemon rind and sifted cocoa. Stir to mix well.
2. Sift the flour and spices into a very large bowl and pour in the honey mixture. Mix together using a wooden spoon. When it gets tough, use your hands. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead the dough for 3 minutes. If it is too soft, sift in a tablespoon of flour at a time until you have a stiff dough.
3. Wrap loosely in foil, sealing the edges to make it airtight and leave on the kitchen bench overnight. This cures the dough and it will expand a little.
4. Divide the dough in half. Roll one half out large enough to cut a large 410cm x 360cm rectangle. Place onto a baking paper-lined baking tray. This is the base. Keep any leftover dough.
5. Roll the remaining dough out to the same size as the base and use the templates below to cut out the pieces for your fairytale house. Place these onto a baking paper-lined baking tray.
   
6. Re-roll the leftover dough pieces and cut out fences or extra trees if wishes. Bake the dough pieces at 180 degrees Celsius for 18-20 minutes until the dough is well browned and fells very firm to the touch.
7. Stand the cooked pieces overnight. They will soften a little. The next day ice the pieces lavishly with royal icing, so they hold together and hold to the base. Decorate with your favourite lollies. Sift icing sugar on top to make it look like a snow storm has hit the house!

Royal Icing

1. Use a hand-held beater to beat the egg whites in a very clean bowl until they are just frothy. Begin to beat in the sugar, go slowly, as it will fly everywhere.
2. Once the mixture gets to firm to use the beaters, sue a wooden spoon. Add sufficient lemon juice to make a very thick that can be spread.
3. Once the cake is iced, you will need to stand it overnight so the icing sets. It will become rock-hard!