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Gingerbread
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Happy Holidays Gingerbread House
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups full-flavor molasses
2/3 cup cold water
7 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Gingerbread House Frosting (below)
3 bags (13 ounces each) jelly beans
Pretzel rods
Assorted candies
Heat oven to 350ºF. Grease 2 square pans, 9x9x2 inches, and 2 jelly roll pans, 15 1/2x10 1/2x1 inch. Stir together brown sugar, shortening and molasses in large bowl. Stir in cold water. Stir in flour, soda, salt and spices. Divide dough into 3 equal pieces. Press 1 piece in each jelly roll pan. Divide remaining pieces of dough in half; press in square pans.
Bake 1 jelly roll at a time, then both squares together about 15 minutes or until no indentation remains when touched in center. Cool 5 minutes; turns upside down onto large cutting surface. Cut off any rough edges. Immediately cut 1 rectangle into back and front pieces (including holes for windows and door), and cut other rectangle in half for side pieces (as shown). Cut 1 square into trim and shutters (as shown); cut extra square into gingerbread people, or save for another use. Cool completely.
Cover cardboard or serving platter with aluminum foil. Make Gingerbread House Frosting; use frosting to stand front piece on foil-covered cardboard. Attach 1 side to front, then 1 back to side, using frosting. Attach back pieces together at center with frosting. Attach remaining side to house. Attach trim along roof of house; attach door and shutters to door and window openings, using frosting. Fill any gaps with frosting and small gingerbread pieces if desired. Decorate house using remaining frosting, jelly beans, pretzel rods and assorted candies, as desired.
Gingerbread House Frosting
6 cups powdered sugar
1 cup shortening
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup milk
Red, green and yellow food color, as disired
Beat all ingredients except food colors until smooth enough to spread, beating in additional milk if needed. Leave most of frosting white; remove and tint small amounts of frosting with food colors for decorating front of house.
 Always Kiss The Cook
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