Melt Sugar For A Sturdier Gingerbread House That Stands All Season (2024)
emma segrest
·2 min read
While gingerbread houses are supposed to be a fun holiday activity, we've all experienced the frustrations of gingerbread structures that won't stay up and pieces that don't hold together no matter how much frosting we use. But, you don't have to face these frustrations this holiday season. You can strengthen your gingerbread homes by using melted sugar as the glue to hold your pieces together. Royal icing is typically used as the structural glue for gingerbread houses, but a downside is having to wait for the royal icing to set and then hoping it'll hold in place all season. Melted sugar sets very quickly and keeps everything in place all December long.
To create your melted sugar glue, all you need is white granulated sugar and a stovetop. Add one cup of white sugar to a pan and slowly heat it on low heat. It's important to keep an eye on your sugar to ensure it doesn't burn. Once you see the sugar begin to melt and become a syrupy liquid, your sugar glue is ready. The whole process takes about 10 minutes at most. Once your sugar has melted, you'll want to move quickly to start assembling your gingerbread house so the sugar doesn't cool before you've used it. If the sugar does cool before you're done, simply reheat it until it reaches the same consistency as before. To assemble your gingerbread house, dip the edges into the sugar glue, then hold the pieces together until the sugar hardens.
Tips For Making Your Gingerbread Houses Even Sturdier
After you've made the shell of your gingerbread house, you can go back in and reinforce the edges of your structure with royal icing. This still gives the traditional gingerbread house look without relying solely on the icing to hold it together, plus, it gives your house a little extra security to stay upright. When you begin decorating your gingerbread home, be mindful about what candies you use. Heavier candies, like gumdrops or peppermints, may weigh down your walls and roofs. Try and use these sparingly on pieces that need to be upright and instead focus on using them on the base of your build.
When thinking of where to display your gingerbread home, be mindful to keep it away from windows or air vents, as changing temperatures can weaken your structure over time. The best way to display your house to preserve its longevity is by placing it on a serving tray and showing it off in a dry, cool area of your home. If you're planning on eating the gingerbread house, it's recommended to do this within a day of crafting it so the pieces don't become stale.
Pour sugar into a heavy pot.Place over medium heat and cook, stirring often, until the sugar melts and liquefies - about 5 to 10 minutes. Watch closely to avoid burning, and be very careful handling it because it is extremely hot. Use to glue gingerbread cookie or graham cracker pieces together to make candy houses.
So to make sure our walls could stand strong, we sandwiched melted marshmallow cement between two graham crackers. The marshmallow adds weight, which helps stabilize the structure. It also acts as a sealant, ensuring that the cracker won't crumble.
She recommends using granulated sugar instead of royal icing to hold the walls together. How? Just melt the sugar in a pan over low heat. You want to allow it to turn brown, but make sure not to burn it (otherwise it won't taste so great).
A 1:4 ratio of butter to flour makes the gingerbread strong. Corn syrup keeps freshly baked gingerbread pliable and soft, so it's easy to cut while warm.
Place the sugar, water and glucose syrup into a pan. Stir over high heat until it is boiling and the sugar has dissolved. Wash down the sides of the pan using a wet pastry brush and leave to boil, unstirred over high heat until it is golden. Remove from the heat and use to make sugar decorations.
Using low heat means the sugar will take awhile to melt, but don't be tempted to turn it up; sugar will quickly burn when cooked over higher heat. Using low heat gives you better control.
Fit Everything Together with Melted Sugar or Royal Icing
The traditional technique is to use icing, such as our Royal Icing (with Meringue Powder). Generations of home bakers have used this tried-and-true method, and it works like a charm and tastes amazing. The second way is to use burnt sugar as your glue.
After you've piped around windows, doors, etc., erect the wall ideally the day before you want to decorate. The royal icing (essentially the glue that holds up the walls) will have a chance to dry and make the structure sturdier, which will create a stronger base for the weight of the candy decorations.
To achieve crispy, sturdy gingerbread, Lomas recommends letting the baked gingerbread pieces dry out for a day or two. Don't put the pieces in the refrigerator or keep them in a closed container, as this keeps the moisture in. “The longer it dries out, the easier it is to work with for construction purposes,” she said.
To avoid gingerbread house catastrophe, you want to assemble the walls first with STIFF royal icing and then let it dry for an hour. This ensures the walls will be strong enough to support the weight of the roof and all the candy you add on top!
“Most gingerbread disasters, collapses, and frustrations happen because the icing hasn't had an adequate amount of time to dry. It's not always easy for kids to be patient, so it's a good idea to have some other activity lined up in between steps to distract kids while they're waiting to work on the house.”
They're "gingerbread" houses stuck together with melted sugar. It's so much easier and faster than using royal frosting. It sets up almost immediately and it sets up hard. The only thing you've got to do is melt the sugar.
Add just enough flour to bring the dough together. Too much flour will make your cookies crumbly and dry. If your dough is too crumbly: mix in 1 tbsp of milk until the dough is soft and pliable again. Be sure to chill your dough for at least 3 hours.
Pipe a small mound: For flat, stand-up decorations, pipe a small mound of icing (about the width of your decoration) and insert your candy decoration figure. Place directly: Candy can be placed directly on freshly piped decorations such as garlands or iced surfaces, no extra icing needed.
Most sources recommend using royal frosting to glue your gingerbread house pieces together. This works, but it takes a long time to set up, which means you need to find ways to keep the house propped up while it dries. We glue our houses together with boiling sugar. It's dangerous but very effective.
A good rule of thumb is to use about 1 tablespoon of water for every 1/4 cup of sugar. Microwave in Intervals: Place the bowl in the microwave and heat the sugar on high in short intervals, such as 1 minute at a time. After each interval, carefully remove the bowl and stir the sugar to ensure even heating.
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