Gluten Free Gingerbread House Recipe
When I received a huge package from my new sponsor Wholesome Sweeteners I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of products they make! And as I started learning how much better they are for you than regular sweeteners and how much better they taste, I began wondering how was I ever going to use so many good products?! My next thought was, I wanted to use as many of them in one recipe as I could! And given the time of year, I knew what I wanted to create – a gluten-free Gingerbread House!!
I wanted to enter my gingerbread house in Kim’s Gluten Free Gingerbread House Contest mainly because I just love her to pieces and wanted to support her but also because I really wanted a chance to win that iPad. (Hint, hint, Santa.) Life being what it is around here these days, I missed the contest deadline but once the idea of creating a gingerbread got into my mind I became obsessed. I started to envision what I wanted – an elegant and understated home with shimmering amber windows, surrounded by mounds of marshmallow snow.
It must be said that I have never made a gingerbread house before! I have never even made a gingerbread person or cat or cookie before! Is my gingerbread house perfect? Well, no…. but it is a lot like my own home… not perfect… but I love it so much anyway!
Here’s how I did it:
I drew out a template on heavy art paper
then I cut it out
including all the openings
then I traced the window openings on wax paper a little larger than the windows.
I melted Wholesome Sweetener’s Organic Sugar with a little water and their Organic Blue Agave then caramelized it until it became a light amber color and carefully poured it onto the wax paper and refrigerated until firm and cold.
Then I made the dough for the house using Wholesome Sweetener’s Organic Dark Brown Sugar and their Organic Molasses. It is a thick dough. Since I wanted a big house, I made double the recipe for the gingerbread.
I rolled the dough onto parchment paper and cut out the shapes using my template as a guide.
After everything was trimmed up I transferred the pieces to flat baking sheets, parchment and all.
After the pieces had baked and cooled I started decorating the house pieces with thick icing made from Wholesome Sweetener’s Organic Powdered Sugar . I used ziplock bags instead of piping bags – it was easier! I dusted the roof pieces with gold dust.
After the decorations on the outside of the house had dried, I put a heavy bead of icing around the windows and attached them to the insides of the walls.
Then I attached little decorative touches in the windows, using icing as glue.
I piped a heavy bead of icing on a piece of card stock to hold the house and assembled it on three sides.
I put a set of battery operated lights inside with the power switch outside the house.
Because I wanted the lights to show in the upstairs windows as well, I put crumbled wax paper over a bottom layer of lights and put another layer of lights on top of the wax paper.
I attached the final wall, roof and little front porch overhang and I used pieces of white candy canes for the porch columns.
Then I made from Wholesome Sweetener’s Organic Blue Agave a marshmallow recipe for the snow. It starts out looking like the picture below in the mixer and in 15 minutes magically turns to white fluffy snow!
I protected my tablecloth with more wax paper and spread my marshmallow snow all around.
I dusted powdered sugar all over the snow, pine cones and the roof of the house and made sure some landed on the window sills just like snow!
And Voila! My Gingerbread house was done! When lit up, it’s all shimmery and golden and I just love it!
The g-kids came over and oohed and ahhed over the house and eyed it hungrily, wanting to know when they could eat it!
And with all the Wholesome Sweetener Organic Fair Trade products I used, I’ve decided to call it my “Wholesome House!” I’m very proud to represent the Wholesome Sweetener brand that is made up of the finest (I really mean “the finest”) organic and natural sugar products which all come from ethically and environmentally responsible growers!
Gluten Free Gingerbread House Recipe
Ingredients
Gingerbread
- 4 cups superfine brown or white rice flour
- 1 1/3 cups superfine sweet rice flour
- 1 1/3 cups potato starch
- 1 1/3 cups millet flour
- 8 teaspoons xanthan gum
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher or fine sea salt
- 4 teaspoons ground ginger
- 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup Wholesome Organic Dark Brown Sugar
- 2 large eggs , at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups Wholesome Organic Molasses
Glass Windows
- 2 cups Wholesome Organic Sugar
- 2 tablespoons Wholesome Blue Agave
- 2 tablespoons water
Icing
- 4 large egg whites
- 4 cups (or more) Wholesome Organic Powdered Sugar
Agave Marshmallow Snow
- 6 tablespoons cold water
- 2 packets unflavored gelatin (or 5 teaspoons)
- 1 cup Wholesome Organic Blue Agave
- White food coloring
- Wholesome Organic Powdered Sugar for dusting
Instructions
Gingerbread
- In a large mixing bowl whisk together the rice flour, sweet rice flour, potato starch, millet flour and xanthan gum. Take out 1 cup of the flour for kneading and rolling. To the remaining 7 cups of flour add the baking soda, baking powder, salt, ginger, cinnamon and cloves.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter with the dark brown sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Beat in the molasses. Turn the mixer to low and gradually add the flour, mixing just until combined. Dust a work surface with some of the reserved flour and put the dough on top. Knead the dough until it is easy to work with and no longer sticky, adding flour as needed. Divide the dough into three portions, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Can be made up to 3 days ahead and kept in the fridge.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Remove dough from fridge and place on parchment paper and roll out 1/4 inch thick. Cut into the shape of the gingerbread house templates and place the dough pieces along with the parchment paper on thick, flat baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes or until just starting to color and it feels firm to the touch.
- Let pieces cool on the pans. Assemble into house using icing as glue. Decorate as desired.
Glass Windows
- Combine sugar, agave and water in a heavy sauce pan and stir to combine. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring just until the mixture begins to boil and then don't stir any longer. Continue to boil the sugar mixture until it turns a light amber color, about 6 minutes. Swirl the pan occasionally to ensure even coloring.
- Carefully pour the mixture onto wax paper into the shape of your windows, making them a little larger than the openings. Place the wax paper on flat baking sheets and refrigerate until cold and hard. Can be made 2 days or more ahead. Keep refrigerated until ready to assemble house.
- To add to house, either peel off the wax paper or just trim the wax paper to fit. Attach to the inside of the wall of the gingerbread house with icing.
Icing
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the egg whites on high speed until they get foamy. Turn the mixer to low and gradually add the powdered sugar, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally. Once all the sugar has been added turn the mixer to high and beat for 30 seconds. Check the consistency - it should be fairly stiff. If needed add a little more powdered sugar. Use icing to assemble house and for decorative touches.
Agave Marshmallow Snow
- Combine the water and gelatin and microwave for 30 seconds on high power. Add to an electric stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Add the agave and some white food coloring. Turn mixer on low to combine then turn to highest speed and beat for 15 minutes.
- Use to make snow around your gingerbread house and dust with powdered sugar.
Notes
Nutrition
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Carol this is beautiful!!! Just lovely. I hope you have a very merry holiday :)
Oh my goodness, Carol! This is a total show stopper! I cannot believe what was involved in this amazing creation!! You have outdone yourself with this one!! I literally cannot believe it! Even if you were not part of the contest, I am so so so happy you shared this with me and that I was part of the reason you did it, LOL!!xoxok
Carol,That house is amazing! I can't believe that was your first time making a gingerbread house. If I ever decide to make one again, I am coming back to this post for directions.xoxo,Tia
That is absolutely lovely. Nicely done!
You are amazing, Carol! This house would have definitely won if you'd entered it in time. An amazing job! Congrats on the new sponsorship too, woohoo! :)
Carol – that's so beautiful!
oh my Carol – this is nothing short of a MASTERPIECE!!!!!!!
You are so talented. Now I want to try to make a gingerbread house. I never did before. I love it.
Carol, this gingerbread house is beyond phenomenal! You would definitely have won the contest if you had met the deadline! I love how you shared the step-by-step process and I bet your grandchildren were absolutely delighted.:-)I'm a fan of the Wholesome Sweetener products myself. Congrats on having them as a new sponsor! xoxo,Shirley
Just magical, Carol. You get extra grandparent points for this one.
I am beyond impressed at all the hard work that went into this! Also, your grandkids are reallt beautiful and look a lot like you.
I'm speechless Carol. I want to LIVE in your gingerbread house!!! :-DThank you for all the tips, I will DEFINITELY be "borrowing" some of your ideas next year, the windows are brilliant.You've really never made a gingerbread house before?Oh, and your g-kids are precious, They look just like you!xo,Heidi
Thanks everyone! That's right, I never made a gingerbread house before. It was so fun. My husband helped me with a lot, it really does take two people to put it together, especially since this one is big, and we enjoyed the time together. I am already starting to think of next year…
I read the whole write up and loved it. It even made me want to use the new sweeteners and the ginger bread house it beautiful!!!!! I love the writing of the scrip too. Happy Holidays to you and yours Carol!
WOW, what a work of art!!! Bet it tastes good too!Very Cool!Have a wonderful Christmas, Carol!
Holy COW!!!!!
I am totally amazed! like mouth gaping, jaw dropping!
Wow! The work that went into this! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Carol!Wow, this is beautiful and looks delicious too. I really appreciate not only your work on putting it together, but getting the recipe figured out must have been challenging too. I especially like that you used alternative sweeteners…Happy Holidays!
This is absolutely AMAZING! Too gorgeous. I think that Apple should send you an ipad even if you were not in time to win one! You deserve it.
Absolutley beautiful! We have had to much humidity here to attempt a house yet.
Wow. I seriously respect that gingerbread house. Its actually really really beautiful. Great job on that. I don’t think id be able to make a gingerbread house as amazing and beautiful as that one. And I have never really thought of a gingerbread house as a beautiful thing, but you definitely changed my mind about that.
Thank you so much!
Hello.This article was extremely interesting, particularly because I was searching for thoughts on this topic last Monday.
Hi Buck,
Well, I’m happy you found me! Please enjoy!
xo,
Carol
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