Pro Tips by Beatriz Muller

Use supports—like you would for a real house

Look at the way houses are made—real houses—and that’s where you’ll put the supports for the roof. “Make beams out of gingerbread and support [the] with that,” she says. “If you see the cookie start bending, that’s where you put the support.” After she trims all the gingerbread pieces to their exact measurements, she also seals the cut edges with royal icing—as though she were painting them. “It looks nice [and] neat.”

Decorate first—and then glue

“The final step should be gluing everything together and doing the final touch-up. Seams need to be sealed, piped, but decoration is done flat on the table,” Muller says. “You need support in your hands, if you’re piping without the support you can never get the accuracy that you’re aiming for. When it’s flat, you have the support of your hands or elbows on the table, the angle of the hands, it doesn’t shake.”

Techniques

Mise En Place

Mise en place, a French culinary term meaning “everything in its place,” is an essential practice for maintaining efficiency and reducing stress in the kitchen.

Carefully review the recipe to determine all required ingredients, their measurements, the baking procedure, and necessary equipment.

Assemble the required tools:

  • Mixing bowls
    • Baking sheets
    • Prep bowls
    • Measuring cups and spoons
    • Whisks and spatulas
    • Silicon mats
    • Cutters
    • Rolling pin
    • Stand Mixer

Organize the ingredients:

  • Accurately measure each ingredient and place them into separate bowls.
  • Arrange the bowls sequentially according to the order in which they will be used.

Construction Grade Gingerbread VS Edible Gingerbread Cookie Dough

Let’s explore the differences between construction-grade gingerbread and edible gingerbread cookie dough, along with their pros and cons.

 

Construction-Grade Gingerbread

Description: Construction-grade gingerbread is specifically designed for building gingerbread houses and other decorative structures. It is made to be sturdy and durable, allowing it to hold its shape and support the weight of decorations.

Pros:

  • Sturdiness: It is firm and strong, making it ideal for creating stable structures.
  • Longevity: It can last for a long time without deteriorating, making it perfect for display purposes.
  • Ease of Use: It is less likely to break or crumble during construction.

Cons:

  • Taste: It is often less flavorful and not as enjoyable to eat due to its focus on durability.
  • Texture: It can be hard and dry, making it less pleasant to consume.

Edible Gingerbread Cookie Dough

Description: Edible gingerbread cookie dough is designed for making cookies that are meant to be eaten. It is softer and more flavorful, with a focus on taste and texture.

Pros:

  • Flavor: It is rich in spices and sweetness, making it delicious to eat.
  • Texture: It is softer and more enjoyable to bite into.
  • Versatility: It can be used for making cookies, gingerbread men, and other edible treats.

Cons:

  • Fragility: It is not as sturdy as construction-grade gingerbread, making it less suitable for building structures.
  • Shelf Life: It may not last as long as construction-grade gingerbread, especially if exposed to moisture.

 

 

In summary, each type has its strengths and weaknesses, so the choice depends on your specific needs and preferences.

Techniques for Shaping and Baking Cookies Without Warping

Using a perforated baking sheet together with a perforated silicone mat can help reduce the likelihood of warping.

Let the dough reach room temperature. Roll it out onto parchment paper to 1/8 inch thickness, then trace and cut your templates. Move the shapes onto baking sheets and bake. Immediately after baking, flip cookies onto a flat surface to keep them from warping. For precise cuts, use a roller cutter when tracing templates.

 Royal icing may be applied to the porous side of the cookie pieces to enhance their structural integrity.

Embossing or Layering Gingerbread Pieces

Embossing involves pressing a design into a material, creating a three dimensional effect that adds texture and visual interest

 

 

Layering 2 or more pieces of gingerbread dough prior to baking will also give the three dimensional effect.  Baking the pieces together results in all the pieces joined.

 

Windows

Open Windows

Open Windows are used when you want the viewer to see inside the gingerbread project. The main open windows are:

  • With a cookie cutter, score the dough to create the window shape. Once it is baked but still warm, remove the window from the dough.
  • A piece of the roof could be cut away to expose an inner scene.
  • Instead of having a back wall, have a decorated inner wall.

Gelatin Sheet Windows

  • After using a cutter to create the window shape, a gelatin sheet can be adhered to the back side of the gingerbread using royal icing.

Stained Glass Candy

  • Hard candies are broken into pieces. The window pieces are removed from the gingerbread piece.  Bake the piece for approximately two thirds of the time required.  Remove from the oven and add the candy pieces to the windows.  Return to the oven to complete the baking process.

Isomalt or Sugar Glass Windows

  • Isomalt will not caramelize when heat is applied to it the way sugar does and it won’t take on that light-brown to yellow “caramel” hue.
  • Isomalt and sugar are cooked to extremely high temperatures that cause severe burns. Ensure that you are wearing protective clothing.
  • Once cooked, food colouring can be added to create a stained-glass effect or can be left plain.
  • Once hardened, bubbles can be removed from the Isomalt by using a torch across the surface. An edible PME clear glaze spray is used to protect the piece from humidity, eliminates slight imperfections, and gives a brilliant shine.

    Window Inset Using Royal Icing

    • With a cookie cutter, score the dough to create the window shape. Once it is baked but still warm, remove the window from the dough.
    • A second piece(inset) of gingerbread larger than the opening in the first piece is baked, cooled and iced with Royal Icing. The Royal icing piece is adhered to the first piece before assembly.  Make sure that the insets are larger than the holes so that there is sufficient room to attach them to the inside of the walls.

    Gingerbread Decorations Using Royal Icing

    Decorate your walls while they are flat, as it is considerably easier when you do not have to contend with gravity.

    If you have multiple pieces with a continuous decorating pattern, line them up together.