The Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe in Incline Village, Nev., has its gingerbread village on display now at the resort. The display has created by Pastry Chef Jeremy Moore and his team.
This year’s display showcases a snow village with snowy cottages and a train. The structure features more than 252 pounds of marshmallows, 110 pounds of powdered sugar, 83 pounds of butter, 80 pounds of flour, 32 pounds of Rice Krispies, 30 pounds of eggs, 26 pounds of brown sugar and more.
Here’s my tips to making a gingerbread house at home.
Start early | It’s important to begin baking and assembling the gingerbread house at least one day before starting to decorate to allow enough time for the culinary glue to dry.
Icing | One way to create the perfect gingerbread house is to make two different types of icing. The first batch should be thick, but tacky as it will be used as a culinary glue to adhere the gingerbread pieces together. The second batch of icing should be thin and will be used to decorate the outside.
I recommend using as little icing as possible at a time to ensure that it does not slide off the gingerbread house and take all your decorations with it.
Be creative | It’s important to have fun and think outside of the box. For example, adding pretzel rods to the outside can create a log cabin feel. Starburst candies can be used as a modeling clay to create a variety of different elements, and star anise can add stars to your gingerbread home and enhance the aroma. You can also use different types of cereal to create the appearance of shingles or leave off the roof and decorate the inside of the home.
Keep it simple | If you want to simplify the process, you can skip the DIY element of making a gingerbread house from scratch and opt for decorating kit. Gingerbread house kits are available at many stores and at the Hyatt Regency.
Gingerbread House
From Chef Jeremy Moore
House
2 C butter, softened
2½ C brown sugar
7¼ C bread flour
3 tsp ground ginger
3 tsp ground cinnamon
1½ tsp baking soda
1½ tsp baking powder
4 eggs
2 C molasses
Whip the butter until it is white in color and fluffy with an electric mixer. Mix in the brown sugar until it is incorporated. Mix in the molasses. Scrape the bowl well making sure to get the bottom.
Add in the bread flour, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, baking soda and baking powder. Once the dry ingredients are mostly mixed into the butter, add in the eggs and mix completely.
Put in a plastic bag or wrap well with plastic wrap and refrigerator. (Ideally 2 days or longer)
Pull the gingerbread dough out and leave at room temperature for 30 minutes. Roll out your dough to about one-quarter inch thickness.
Bake at 300F for 45 to 60 minutes to dry the cookies out. Let the gingerbread sit uncovered for a day or two to dry out before building.
Tip: If your dough is not rolling out smooth. Fold the dough in half and roll out again until smooth.
Tip #2: Freeze the dough before cutting shapes will allow you to get clean lines and solid shapes.
Construction Icing
Egg whites from 3 eggs
¼ C powdered sugar
Stir the egg whites and powdered sugar together until smooth.
Use the construction icing on all the sides to assemble the house.
Let the house sit overnight for the icing to dry before decorating.
