Gingerbread House

Steps

1. Whisk the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, salt and baking soda in a large bowl.
2. In a stand mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar until smooth, about 2 minutes. Beat in the molasses, then the eggs. On low speed, add the flour mixture in three parts, and work in the last of it by hand if your mixer strains. The dough should be very stiff but not crumbly. If it stays crumbly, work in water a tablespoon at a time.
3. Divide the dough into three pieces, making one a little larger for the roof. Flatten them into disks, wrap them and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.
4. Make paper patterns with a ruler. Front and back: draw a rectangle 6 inches wide and 4 inches tall. Mark the center of the top edge, make a dot 3 inches above it, and draw lines from the dot to the two top corners. You now have a house shape 7 inches tall at the peak. Side walls: a rectangle 8 inches long and 4 inches tall. Roof: a rectangle 9 1/2 inches long and 5 inches wide.
5. Heat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the center. Let the dough sit out for 10 minutes so it rolls more easily. Roll the largest disk directly on a sheet of parchment, flouring the top lightly, until it is an even 1/4 inch thick.
6. Lay the roof pattern on the dough and cut around it with a sharp knife. Cut a second roof piece the same way, leaving at least 1 inch between them. Lift away the scraps and slide the parchment onto a baking sheet. Roll the other disks the same way and cut 2 side walls from one and a front and a back from the other. Reroll the scraps for any piece you are short of. Any dough left over makes a chimney or a few trees.
7. Bake one sheet at a time for 18 to 24 minutes, until the edges have darkened a little and the center feels firm and keeps no fingerprint when pressed lightly. When in doubt, give it 2 more minutes, because a slightly dark wall is stronger than a soft one. Right away, lay the patterns back on the hot pieces and trim any edges that have spread, so the sides are straight.
8. Cool the pieces on the sheet for 10 minutes, then slide the parchment onto a rack and let them cool completely, at least 1 hour. They harden as they cool.
9. For the icing, put the 8 cups powdered sugar, the meringue powder and the warm water in the stand mixer bowl. Mix on low until combined, then beat on medium-high for 6 to 8 minutes, until very thick, bright white and stiff enough to hold a sharp peak. If it is too stiff to pipe, add water a tablespoon at a time. Keep the bowl covered with a damp towel while you work, because the icing dries quickly.
10. Cover a 12 x 14-inch board or tray with foil, or use a cake board. Spoon icing into a piping bag fitted with a 1/4-inch round tip.
11. Pipe a thick line along the bottom of the front piece and stand it on the board, propping it upright with cans. Pipe icing along the bottom and one short end of a side wall and press that end against the back of the front piece, just inside its edge. Add the other side wall the same way. Pipe icing along the bottom of the back piece and on the open ends of the side walls, then press the back piece into place.
12. Pipe icing down every inside corner. Leave the cans in place and let the walls dry for at least 1 hour, until they do not wiggle.
13. Take away the cans. Pipe icing along the top edges of the side walls and the slanted edges of the front and back. Lay one roof piece in place and hold it for 3 to 5 minutes, until it grabs and stops sliding. Let it dry for 15 minutes, then do the same with the other piece, and pipe a line of icing along the peak to close the gap. Let the house dry for at least 2 hours, or overnight if you can.
14. Decorate. Pipe a door, windows and icicles along the roof, and stick on the candy with dabs of icing. Sift a little powdered sugar over the roof for snow.

Good to know

• Make ahead: bake the pieces up to 1 week before you build. Cool them completely and keep them flat in a dry spot, because drier pieces make a stronger house. If damp weather softens them, dry them on a baking sheet in a 200°F oven for 15 minutes and let them cool again.
• Children love the decorating. Build the house the day before, then set out bowls of candy and icing for them on the day.
• This dough is made for building. It is edible but quite hard, and a house that has been on display for a while is best enjoyed as a decoration.