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How to Make Royal Icing for Gingerbread Houses

by Jamie

Ever December my cute Mom hosts a Gingerbread House Decorating Party for her kids and grandkids. It’s become a favorite tradition for many of us…

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and especially for this cute little guy (my nephew Drew!) Love this kid. He’s got personality coming out of his eyeballs. There is just something super adorable about kids making gingerbread houses, am I right? This cutie had stars in his eyes the whole night long. 🙂

I wanted to put a post together to give some tips about making Royal Icing (aka cement for gingerbread houses and candy of all shapes and sizes). This Royal Icing really makes a difference in the construction process. It’s easy to work with and hardens nicely so that all parts stay in tact (an important feature in Gingerbread House making).

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Let me show you how to make it happen!

1. Into a large mixing bowl, or stand mixer place 3 large egg whites. Whisk them on medium high speed until nice and frothy. Should take a couple of minutes.

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2. Add 4 C powdered sugar, one at at time, with the mixer on low speed.

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3. Add 1/2 tsp cream of tartar and turn the mixer to medium. Beat for an addition 3-5 minutes or until the frosting forms stiff peaks.

Like this!

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4. If you are making multiple houses (or are making the icing for many children to decorate houses) let me pass along this tip. Grab some freezer safe quart size ziploc bags. The freezer safe variety hold up much better than your average sandwich bag, which definitely work better for kids. 🙂 You’ll have fewer rips, messes and tears if you stick with the freezer bags, trust me on this one, dear reader.

Place each bag in a large mug or cup, and fold the edges over the rim.

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Spoon about 3/4 cup of  icing into the bottom of the bag. Try and squeeze out any air and then seal the bag. Then each little person has thier own decorating bag.

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Twist the zipper side of the bag and hold it between your thumb and forefinger. Snip a little hole in the corner of each bag and vwalla! Decorate to your hearts content. It’s easier for kids to work with than trying to apply it with a knife or spoon. The royal icing turns hard and acts as a cementing agent for the graham cracker walls and all the candy decorations.

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My mom always gathers up these little milk cartons for the kids to use as a base for their houses. Clever, idea indeed. She uses hot glue to attach them to paper plates.

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Then the kids can use the graham crackers, royal icing and candy to decorate how they choose. We’ve tried in the past to make homemade gingerbread, but found it much easier to stick with graham crackers. 🙂

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My little twin boys, who sadly aren’t so little any more. They turned 10 this past summer. I asked them kindly to please quite growing and stay little…it didn’t work, darn it!

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My handsome nephew Will. Check out the chimney on his house! Dr. Suess would be proud.

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We had a great time, as we do each year. 🙂

Here’s the handy printable…

How to Make Royal Icing for Gingerbread Houses

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 3 cups

Ingredients

3 egg whites
4 C powdered sugar
1/2 tsp cream of tartar

Instructions

1. Into a large mixing bowl, or stand mixer place 3 large egg whites. Whisk them on medium high speed until nice and frothy. Should take a couple of minutes.
2. Add 4 C powdered sugar, one at at time, with the mixer on low speed.
3. Add 1/2 tsp cream of tartar and turn the mixer to medium. Beat for an addition 3-5 minutes or until the frosting forms stiff peaks.
4. If you are making multiple houses (or are making the icing for many children to decorate houses) let me pass along this tip. Grab some freezer safe quart size ziploc bags. The freezer safe variety hold up much better than your average sandwich bag, which definitely work better for kids. 🙂 You'll have fewer rips, messes and tears if you stick with the freezer bags, trust me on this one, dear reader. Place each bag in a large mug or cup, and fold the edges over the rim. Spoon about 3/4 cup of icing into the bottom of the bag. Try and squeeze out any air and then seal the bag. Then each little person has their own decorating bag. Twist the zipper side of the bag and hold it between your thumb and forefinger. Snip a little hole in the corner of each bag and wallah! Decorate to your hearts content. It's easier for kids to work with than trying to apply it with a knife or spoon. The royal icing turns hard and acts as a cementing agent for the graham cracker walls and all the candy decorations.

Notes

This recipe makes about 4 small bags of icing. The recipe can be doubled.

https://jamiecooksitup.net/2016/12/how-to-make-royal-icing-for-gingerbread-houses/

 

Leave a Reply to Cindy Cancel Reply

8 comments

Joyce Cook December 20, 2016 - 7:53 am

really does look like you had a great time. Your Mom is an angel threw and threw. Love Ya.

Reply
Susan December 20, 2016 - 8:01 am

Such a great idea. Adorable!

Reply
Cindy January 1, 2017 - 7:55 pm

How far in advance can you make the royal icing? I would like to make it a few hours in advance, however I’m concerned that it will start to harden. Any tips?
Thank you and Happy New Year! I love your blog.

Reply
Jamie January 7, 2017 - 7:47 am

Hi Cindy,
You can make this several days in advance. Just make sure that is is covered in an airtight container and you should be good to go!
Best,
~Jamie

Reply
Sonja December 16, 2017 - 5:09 pm

Does this have to be refrigerated if made in advance?

Reply
Lorri Huntington December 10, 2018 - 10:41 am

Thanks for the recipe. We use Graham crackers (soooooo easy!), but I’ve struggled with icing that will harden properly. I’ve discovered that you can shape the crackers (for rooflines, etc) if you ‘draw’ on them with a slightly wet knife. The moisture softens the cracker where you want it to separate for a clean cut rather than crumbling! It takes a few passes, but works great.

Reply
Cassie Steele August 9, 2022 - 2:08 am

I want to prepare it a few hours ahead
of time, but I’m worried that it may start to harden.

Reply
SC December 12, 2022 - 2:17 pm

I saw your comment today, I know it’s old but maybe my response will help someone. I made my royal icing and left it in the mixing bowl with a damp/somewhat wet tea towel over the bowl. It stayed good that way for a few hours. I also like to have the eggs at room temperature before making frosting.

Reply

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