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Gingerbread House Technique and Construction
The first step in making a gingerbread house is to design it, and its assembly plan must be worked out in advance. If it is to be moved, it must be built and positioned on a large, durable base.
Gingerbread dough is the basic material. For house construction the dough is chilled and rolled flat to a uniform thickness. Then it is baked until fully dry, as it will absorb moisture and humidity when it is on display. To add stability and keep the gingerbread house from collapsing, each flat gingerbread sheet is supported with a layer of melted and tempered couverture chocolate.
The outside walls are cut first. While they are still flat, fondant doors and windows, made using cardboard templates, are applied. Once the walls are upright, they are braced and they are graced with scrap gingerbread pieces and fix chocolate that is piped in and hardens as it cools. The roof is supported by pre-made gingerbread trusses held in place, once again, by piped-in chocolate. Columns can be created by pouring chocolate into molds made by covering wooden dowels with aluminum foil, then removing the dowels. To make the columns look like gingerbread house, they can be wrapped with coffee-colored marzipan.
The gingerbread house is now ready for decorating. Snowflakes, icicles, ribbons, berries: the possibilities are endless! |