Last year I started a tradition of making a homemade gingerbread house with my kitchen helper. We started small and the little house fit perfectly on our mantel. This year I asked my kitchen helper what theme our gingerbread house should be and without hesitation he said “A Bear’s BBQ Gingerbread House!”. This was not surprising since Bear’s Smokehouse BBQ is his favorite place to enjoy a meal. The recipe and design approach was still simple and you can transform the dough into your own favorite destination your kitchen helper desires.
Once I knew this year’s gingerbread house theme I decided to increase the size compared to last years house and reference the actual location we visit for design elements. The building contains a classic pointed pediment design above the main set of doors. I knew if I made my house in a similar shape, the Bear’s BBQ that we love to visit would shine through. Adding in as many details as you can will transform your gingerbread house and bring a smile to your kitchen helper’s face every morning they wake up.
The gingerbread dough recipe is not only great for building a structure, it tastes great and fills your home with an amazing gingerbread scent. This is a two day process. Day one you make the dough and have it chill overnight. The overnight chill is essential, since you don’t want to be rolling out soft sticky dough. Additionally, chilling your dough will prevent the dough from spreading too much while baking and keep a clean edge. Don’t worry, if it spread slightly you can clean up the straight lines after they are removed from the oven. Your kitchen helper will have so much fun decorating and using the piping bag. I was really impressed in how well he did piping the frosting and realized that all the art he makes with glue at school and at home transfers to the kitchen. Enjoy taking nibbles of the house over the course of 2 weeks and have fun, be creative and turn your kitchen helper’s ideas into a reality.
Recipe Source: Bake From Scratch
Make and Taste 