Do you have what it bakes to build a Gingerbread House?
National Gingerbread House Day is on 12th December, and we’re asking you to recreate an Abbeyfield home, or what it means to you, in gingerbread. The lucky winner’s entry will be featured on this year’s Abbeyfield digital Christmas card.
Are you ready to get baking this Christmas? Here are all the details you need.
Who can enter? Anyone can enter – residents, staff, volunteers, supporters, family and friends. You can enter as an entire household or as a team. Just create a house based on what Abbeyfield means to you!
Do I have to bake the house myself? No, you can either choose to bake your own house (take a look at our how-to below) or you can buy a ready-made kit and decorate it. If you do wish to make your own house, you can download our printable cut-outs to help.
Where can I buy a gingerbread house kit? If you want to purchase a gingerbread house kit, try these suppliers: Lakeland, Morrisons, Marks and Spencer or John Lewis.
Does my house have to be free-standing? No, houses can be 3D or 2D – they should just resemble a house in either shape or decoration.
Does the house have to be made from gingerbread? We’re preferably looking for gingerbread but if you’d like to use a different biscuit we’d still welcome your entry.
How to bake your own Gingerbread House
Gather your ingredients
250g unsalted butter
200g dark muscovado sugar
7 tbsp golden syrup
600g plain flour
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
4 tsp ground ginger
2 egg whites
500g icing sugar
Decorations of your choice
Make the dough
Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas mark 6.
Melt the butter, sugar and syrup in a pan.
Mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda and ground ginger into a large bowl, then stir in the butter mixture to make a stiff dough (if it isn't coming together, add a splash of water to help bind it)
Roll & cut the dough
Put a sheet of baking paper on a work surface and roll about one quarter of the dough to the thickness of a £1 coin.
Cut out a section of the house and slide the gingerbread shape (on it's baking paper), onto a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining shapes, re-rolling the trimmings, until you have two side walls, a front and back wall and two roof panels.
Bake your biscuits
Bake all the sections for 12 minutes or until form and just a little darker at the edges.
Leave to cool for a few minutes to firm up, then trim around the templates again to give clean, sharp edges, and leave o cool completely.
Build the house
Mix the egg whites with the icing sugar to make a thick an smooth icing.
Using a piping bag for best results, pipe icing onto the edges of the walls to fix them together. Allow the walls to dry before fixing on the roof using the same technique.
Time to decorate
Use anything you like to decorate your house!
We recommend nuts, sweets, coloured icing sugar and chocolate.
Where do we send our entries? Please send your photos and videos, along with a short description as to why your creation represents Abbeyfield or your chosen house, to the marketing team by email.
What’s the deadline? Entries must be received by Monday 6th December 2021.
When will the winner be announced? On National Gingerbread House Day – Sunday 12th December.
What’s the prize? The winning gingerbread house will be featured on this year’s digital Abbeyfield Christmas card as well as all over our social media.
Good luck and happy baking!
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