Ashley Yurista, grade 11, secures part of the roof on her North Pole Gingerbread Home at Hempfield High School.
If you are inspired by the students in Kathy Buckwalter's culinary and pastry arts class at Hempfield High School, you can try your hand at making a gingerbread house using these recipes.
PATTI HUDSON'S GINGERBREAD
1 cup vegetable shortening
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 cup molasses (dark or light)
1 teaspoon vanilla
5½ to 5 cups all-purpose flour (sift before measuring)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons ginger
Cream shortening and sugar until fluffy with electric mixer.
Add molasses and vanilla; mix well.
Sift and measure flour.
Add soda, salt and spices to 1 cup of flour and sift together.
Add this cup of sifted dry ingredients to creamed mixture. Mix well.
Gradually add remaining flour (about one cup at a time), mixing well after each addition. The last cup or ½ cup of flour may have to be worked into the dough by hand. The dough needs to be stiff but workable, not dry or crumbly.
Divide dough in half, shaping into 2 rectangles. Wrap in plastic wrap; place in plastic bag and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours or chill overnight. Dough can be kept several days in the refrigerator or up to several months in the freezer. Frozen dough is best thawed overnight in the refrigerator before rolling out to bake.
Roll out dough directly on cookie sheets; cut out house parts using a template. Bake in 350 degree oven for 12 minutes or until the gingerbread does not leave an impression when touch while hot.
Trim each gingerbread piece to the template again using a pizza cutter or sharp knife while it is still hot from the oven.
ROYAL ICING
1 pound powdered sugar
3 tablespoons meringue powder
½ cup minus 1 tablespoon hot tap water
Mix meringue powder with sugar in mixing bowl. Add hot water. Beat 3 to 4 minutes at low speed with electric mixer until no lumps remain. Scrape bowl. Beat 5 to 8 minutes at high speed until icing holds stiff peaks. Keep icing portions covered that are not being used; it dries very quickly.
Royal icing can be used to make shapes by piping out a thicker-consistency royal icing as the outline of the shape onto wax paper. Fill in the inside of the shape with a thin-consistency royal icing. Allow to dry up to 2 days and then decorate.
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