Mini gluten free gingerbread houses

At the end of last year I made a large gingerbread bird house to sit on my Winter Wonderland dessert table and a bunch of small ones to give as gifts. I now am in love with mini gingerbread bird houses as they look so cute and those that received them as gifts seemed very pleased! I might have to start making mini gingerbread bird houses for all the holidays: I think they would be a cute Easter gift filled with mini chocolate eggs!

Gluten free chocolate gingerbread mini bird houses x 4

Ingredients
250g unsalted butter
200g dark muscovado sugar
600g gluten free plain flour
3 tsp xanthan Gum
7 tbsp golden syrup
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp cocoa powder

Cooking instructions

1. Heat oven to 180 deg C
2. Place the butter, sugar and golden syrup in a medium saucepan and, on a low heat, stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar has dissolved, then remove from heat
3. Place the flour, xanthan gum, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, cocoa powder and bicarbonate of soda in a food mixer
4. Slowly add the melted butter mix to the flour mix and beat until well combined
5. Roll dough out to about 8mm thick on to baking paper
6. Cut out four fronts, then cut small circle out of fronts
7. Cut out four backs
8. Cut out eight roofs
9. Cut out eight sides
10. Cut out four birds
11. Slide cut pieces still on the baking paper on to baking trays
12. Bake in the oven for 8 minutes or until firm to the touch, turning the tray half way through cooking
13. Leave to cool for a few minutes, then re-cut around edges to neaten
14. Leave to completely cool

Decorating the Bird House

Ingredients
Roll on icing
Icing sugar (powdered sugar)
Royal icing
Pink candy melts
Blue candy melts
Pink pareills
Blue sugar crystals
Teal food colouring
Teal edible glitter
White edible glitter
White candy sticks cut to 2cm long


Equipment
Rolling pin
Sieve
Icing bag fitted with small star nozzle
Paint brush
Bird cutter

To decorate

• Dust icing sugar onto a hard clean surface and roll out coloured icing to 2mm thick
• Cut out bird in icing using bird cutter
• Dampen back of cut out bird and stick to top of bird cookie
• Brush front of iced bird with water and sprinkle with glitter, leave to dry

• Dust icing sugar onto a hard clean surface and roll out icing to 3mm thick
• Cut out base of house components in icing

• Brush water onto back of cut-out icing component and place on top of corresponding gingerbread piece. Repeat until all gingerbread house side pieces are iced
• Lightly dampen the front of the iced houses and sprinkle in white glitter, leave to dry

• Melt pink candy melts as instructions
• Paint candy melt onto front of roof
• Liberally sprinkle with pink pareills, leave to dry
• Using a sharp knife, angle the inside edge of the roof so it is 45 degrees

• Paint melted candy on to inside of front
• Push side of house into candy, hold in place for a minute until candy sets
• Brush candy melts around inside of hole in front of house, and along outside edge
• Push blue candy melt over hole

• Brush melted candy on to the inside of the back piece
• Push sides of house into candy, hold in place for a minute until candy sets
• Brush melted candy on to the top edges
• Push roof of house into candy, hold in place for a minute until candy sets

• Brush melted blue candy on to the entire gingerbread house base piece

• Set house on base
• Immediately sprinkle with aqua sugar crystals before candy sets
• Using a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle, pipe small stars along the top of the roof
• Pipe a small star on one end of a candy stick and attach to front of house, just below hole

• Pipe a star on to back of iced bird cookie and attach to front of house
• Pipe iced stars along sides of bird house and along front and back edge of the roof

• Sieve icing sugar onto roof, to give the house a snowy look

On my Winter Wonderland dessert table

Have a sweet day!

Iced acorns, leaves & robin

Petal paste acorns

Ingredients

• Petal paste
• Brush on dust in Dogwoood Brown
• Edible cake glitter in Disco Truffle

Equipment

• Acorn Cups & Nuts bas relief mould
• Paint brush

Instructions

1. Add food colouring to icing.
2. Thoroughly knead petal paste until colour is even and paste is soft.
3. Push paste into mould, removing any excess that stands proud.
4. Turn mould upside down, push back of mould so acorn cup and nut falls out.
5. Leave to set for 5-10 mins.
6. Ice acorn cup to nut using a spot of royal icing.
7. Brush glitter on acorn cup
8. Brush dust on nut.
9. Leave to set hard.

Iced leaves

Ingredients

• Roll on icing
• Food colouring

Equipment

• Fall forest piecrust cutters

Instructions

1. Add food colouring to roll on icing.
2. Thoroughly knead until colour is even.
3. Dust icing sugar onto a hard clean surface and roll out icing to 3mm thick.
4. Cut out leaves.
5. Place over edge of plate or rolling pin etc, so leaves do not dry flat.
6. Leave to set hard.

Iced Bird

Ingredients

• Roll on icing
• food colouring

Equipment

• Robin cutter

Instructions

1. Add food colouring to icing.
2. Thoroughly knead until colour is even.
3. Dust icing sugar onto a hard clean surface and roll out icing to 6mm thick.
4. Cut out birds.
5. Push cocktail stick in birds feet.
6. Leave to set hard.

Have a sweet day!

My Winter Woodland Gingerbread House

As some of you may remember, last year I made a gingerbread bird house as a Secret Santa gift (you can read more about it here) and another woodland themed gingerbread house for a friend's baby shower. So, this year I have made a gluten free one for my family and I; perfect to sit on my "Winter Woodland Christmas" themed dessert table.

Gingerbread bird house

Ingredients
250g unsalted butter
200g dark muscovado sugar
600g gluten free plain flour
3 tsp Xanthan Gum
7 tbsp golden syrup
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
4 tsp ground ginger

Cooking instructions

1. Heat oven to 180 deg C.
2. Melt the butter, sugar and golden syrup in a pan.
3. Mix the flour, xantham gum, ground ginger and bicarbonate of soda in a bowl.
4. Slowly add the melted butter mix to the flour mix to form a dough.
5. Roll dough out to about 8mm thick on to baking paper.
6. Cut out front, then cut small circle out of front.
7. Cut out back.
8. Cut out two roofs.
9. Cut out two sides.
10. Slide cut pieces still on the baking paper on to baking trays.
11. Bake in the oven for 12 minutes or until firm to the touch.
12. Leave to cool for a few minutes, then re-cut around edges to neaten.
13. Press chocolate matchsticks into roof, so they melt slightly on underside.
14. Leave to completely cool.

Decorating the Bird House

Ingredients
Roll on icing
Icing sugar (powdered sugar)
Royal icing
M&M's in cream
Food colouring
White hologram glitter
Brush on dust in Ivory Shimmer
Chocolate orange matchmakers
Meiji mushroom cookies x 2

Meiji almond crunch mushroom cookies x 3
Petal paste owl x2
Petal paste squirrel x2
Iced Leaves, Acorns & Robin


Equipment
Rolling pin
Sieve
Textured wood impression mat
Icing bag fitted with small star nozzle
paint brush

To decorate

1. Dust icing sugar onto a hard clean surface and roll out icing to 3mm thick.
2. Cut out base of house components in icing.
3. Press bark impression mat into icing.
4. Brush water onto back of cut-out icing component and place on top of corresponding gingerbread piece. Repeat until all gingerbread pieces are iced.
5. Sprinkle white glitter over each piece.
6. Make up royal icing as per instructions on packet, and spoon into piping bag with a small nozzle at the end.
7. Pipe a small amount of icing on back of owl and place on front of house. Leave to dry.
8. To build the base, hold the front and one of the sides of the house upright together in one hand to form a corner and with the other hand pipe icing down the inside of the corner and hold together until icing starts to set. Repeat until you have formed a box and leave to set.
9. Pipe small star shapes around the bottom of the house between the cake board and the house.
10. Push M&M's on top of the piped stars.
11. Continue piping star shapes along all of the outside joins of the house, pushing M&M's into them as you go.
12. Leave to set.
13. On the back of one iced roof, pipe icing in a small line around the outside edge. Place on top of gingerbread iced box and hold until icing starts to set. Repeat with second roof piece. Leave to dry.
14. Pipe small star shapes around the edge of roof, and joint at top.
15. Push M&M's into piped stars along front and back edge and joint at top.
16. Push iced birds on cocktail sticks into iced roof joint.
17. Pipe small stars on back of squirrels, owl & leaves, and push onto sides and roof of house in desired position.
18. Pipe small stars onto cake stand and push in cookie mushrooms & acorns.
19. Dust house in sieved icing sugar.
20. Sprinkle house in white glitter
21. Leave to set.

Have a sweet day!

Petal paste squirrel

Ingredients

• Petal paste
• Brush on dust in Ivory Shimmer
• Brush on dust in Dogwood Brown
• Edible cake glitter in Disco Nutmeg

Equipment

• Squirrel bas relief mould
• Paint brush

Instructions

1. Thoroughly knead petal paste.
2. Push paste into mould.
3. Turn mould upside down, push back so squirrel falls out.
4. Leave to set for 5-10 mins.
5. Brush Dogwood brown dust over tail, back, arms and head.
6. Brush ivory shimmer over tummy, and cheeks.
7. Brush Disco nutmeg glitter over tail, back, arms and head.
8. Colour in eyes, centre of ears and claws with chocolate pen.
9. Leave to set hard.

Have a sweet day!

Petal paste owl

Ingredients

• Petal paste
• Brush on dust in Ivory Shimmer
• Edible cake glitter in Disco Nutmeg

Equipment

• Owl bas relief mould
• Paint brush

Instructions

1. Thoroughly knead petal paste.
2. Push paste into mould, removing any excess that stands proud.
3. Turn mould upside down, push back of mould so owl falls out.
4. Leave to set for 5-10 mins.
5. Brush ivory shimmer over owl except for eye area.
6. Brush Disco nutmeg glitter round eyeball.
7. Colour in eyes, beak and claws with chocolate pen.
8. Leave to set hard.

Have a sweet day!

Woodland gingerbread bird house

As some of you may remember, last year I made a gingerbread bird house as a Secret Santa gift (you can read more about it here). Well my friend, who I am organizing the Woodland themed baby shower for, hinted how much she liked gingerbread so it only seemed fitting to make her a Woodland themed Gingerbread house! I also thought it would make a great centre piece for the Woodland themed dessert table.

I made my own pattern this time. Click to open separately ready to print.



Gingerbread bird house & toadstools

Ingredients
250g unsalted butter
200g dark muscovado sugar
600g plain flour
7 tbsp golden syrup
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
4 tsp ground ginger

Cooking instructions

1. Heat oven to 180 deg C
2. Melt the butter, sugar and golden syrup in a pan.
3. Mix the flour, ground ginger and bicarbonate of soda in a bowl.
4. Slowly add the melted butter mix to the flour mix to form a dough.
5. Roll dough out to about 8mm thick on to baking paper.
6. Cut out front, then cut small circle out of front.
7. Cut out back.
8. Cut out two roofs.
9. Cut out two sides.
10. Cut out toadstools using cookie cutter.
11. Slide cut pieces still on the baking paper on to baking trays.
12. Bake in the oven for 12 minutes or until firm to the touch.
13. Leave to cool for a few minutes, then re-cut round edges to neaten.
14. Leave to completely cool.

Decorating the Bird House

Ingredients
Roll on icing (white, pale aqua, lilac)
Icing sugar (powdered sugar)
Royal icing
M&M's in pale pink, aqua
Food colouring

To decorate

1. Dust icing sugar onto a hard clean surface and roll out icing to 3mm thick.
2. Cut out house components in icing.
3. Brush water onto back of cut out icing component and place on top of corresponding gingerbread piece. Repeat until all gingerbread pieces are iced.
4. Make up royal icing as per instructions on packet, and spoon into piping bag with a small nozzle at the end.
5. To build the base, hold the front and one of the sides of the house upright together in one hand to form a corner and with the other hand pipe icing down the inside of the corner and hold together until icing starts to set. Repeat until you have formed a box. Leave to set.
6. On the back of one iced roof, pipe icing in a small line round the outside edge. Place on top of gingerbread iced box and hold until icing starts to set. Repeat with second roof piece. Leave to dry.
7. Place house onto a cake board and using a star nozzle on the end of your piping bag, pipe small star shapes around the bottom of the house between the cake board and the house.
8. Continue piping star shapes along all of the outside joins of the house, leaving the top of the roof until last so you can push M&M's into the icing along the top.
9. Pipe small stars in rows across the roof and push M&Ms into icing.

The ivy, ladybirds and berries are made of petal paste which I added food colouring to, to get the desired colours. To make the ivy I used Ivy Leaf Plunger Cutters, for the berries and ladybirds I used Bas relief moulds, bugs, small and fruit and nut. I couldn't believe how easy petal paste was to use, you just take a small piece of it and push it into the mould and then push it out of the mould and voila! you have perfectly shaped ladybugs, berries and so much more! To stick the berries bugs and ivy to the house use a small dab of royal icing.

Have a sweet day!

Gingerbread bird house

This year for the "Secret Santa" group I was in, we had to hand make our gift. I decided to make a gingerbread bird house as the lady whose name I picked out of a hat loves bird houses and gingerbread! It took hours to decorate but I enjoyed every second of it and love the result! I will be sad to see it go today but she is a wonderful lady and I hope she loves it as much as I do.

I used the Gingerbread House Cookie Cutter set from Cox & Cox but cut the roof and the sides of the house in half and used a small circular cutter at the front.

The bird cutters are part of a "12 days of Christmas" cookie cutter set that was given to me and my sisters when we were young children from a dear family friend who lives in Oregon.

Gingerbread bird house & Birds

Ingredients
250g unsalted butter
200g dark muscovado sugar
600g plain flour
7 tbsp golden syrup
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
4 tsp ground ginger

Cooking instructions

1. Heat oven to 180 deg C
2. Melt the butter, sugar and golden syrup in a pan.
3. Mix the flour, ground ginger and bicarbonate of soda in a bowl.
4. Slowly add the melted butter mix to the flour mix to form a dough.
5. Roll dough out to about 8mm thick on to baking paper.
6. Cut out front, then cut small circle out of front.
7. Cut out back.
8. Cut out one roof and then cut in half with a sharp knife.
9. Cut out two sides, cutting in half where the door starts, reuse the halves with doors.
10. Cut out two birds.
11. Slide cut pieces still on the baking paper on to baking trays.
12. Bake in the oven for 12 minutes or until firm to the touch.
13. Leave to cool for a few minutes, then re-cut round edges to neaten.
14. Leave to completely cool.

Decorating the Bird House

Ingredients
Roll on icing
Icing sugar (powdered sugar)
Royal icing
M&M's in pale pink, red & brown
Food colouring

To decorate

1. Dust icing sugar onto a hard clean surface and roll out icing to 3mm thick.
2. Cut out house components in icing.
3. Brush water onto back of cut out icing component and place on top of corresponding gingerbread piece. Repeat until all gingerbread pieces are iced.
4. Make up royal icing as per instructions on packet, and spoon into piping bag with a small nozzle at the end.
5. To build the base, hold the front and one of the sides of the house upright together in one hand to form a corner and with the other hand pipe icing down the inside of the corner and hold together till icing starts to set. Repeat until you have formed a box. Leave to set.
6. On the back of one iced roof, pipe icing in a small line round the outside edge. Place on top of gingerbread iced box and hold until icing starts to set. Repeat with second roof piece. Leave to dry.
7. For the chimney, build in the same way as the base of the house. Once it is dry, ice the bottom and place in position on top of roof. Leave to dry.
8. Place house onto a cake board and using a star nozzle on the end of your piping bag, pipe small star shapes around the bottom of the house between the cake board and the house.
9. Lightly push green M&M's into the center of the icing all the way round.
10. Continue piping star shapes along all of the outside joins of the house, leaving the top of the roof until last so you can push M&M's into the icing along the top.
11. Place a small dob of icing on the back of an M&M and place on the roof, pressing lightly down. Repeat until desired pattern is achieved. Continue for chimney.
12. Using liquid food colouring, hand paint the iced birds and leave to dry.
13. Pipe a generous amount of icing on back of birds and place on house in desired position, holding bird in place or propping it up until icing is nearly set. Fill chimney with brown M&M's.

Cake board
I covered an old cake board in a circle of polka dot paper using double sided tape to secure. I then covered the paper in a circular layer of cellophane, placing the double sided tape in the centre and along the outside edges where it would not be seen. I then stuck the ribbon in place using double sided tape, folding the top edge onto the top of the cake board.

Polka dot wrapping paper from Tesco
Cellophane from Paperchase

Have a sweet day!