Create a Gingerbread Haunted House
Make this Halloween spooktacular with a gingerbread haunted house. The little ghosts and goblins in your family will enjoy decorating the haunted house with sticky white icing, crushed cookies and tasty Halloween candy. Before you can decorate the gingerbread house, you will need to do some baking, so grab your mixing bowls and whip up this ghoulishly delicious Halloween treat.
Instructions
1. Cover a piece of cardboard to use for the base of the house with aluminum foil and print and cut out the Halloween haunted house template. Set the items aside until needed.
2. Combine 1 ½ cups vegetable shortening, 1 ½ cups granulated sugar, 1 ½ cups molasses and ¼ cup corn syrup in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until light and creamy. Add the 3 eggs and mix until thoroughly combined.
3. Stir together the 8 cups flour, 2 tsp. ground ginger, 1 ½ tsp. baking soda, and 1 ½ tsp. salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the mixture to the wet ingredients until well blended.
4. Remove the gingerbread dough from the bowl and knead until soft. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 ½ hours.
5. Take the dough out the refrigerator and peel off the plastic wrap. Place the dough between two pieces of wax paper and with a floured rolling pin, roll the dough to ¼ inch thickness. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
6. Place the pre-cut template on the gingerbread dough. Using a sharp knife, trace and cut out the pieces of the house. Line the cookie sheet with parchment paper and place the gingerbread on the cookie sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Place on a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes.
7. Using an electric mixer beat 4 egg whites and 1 tsp. cream of tartar together for 5 minutes or until stiff peaks form. Slowly add 1 16 ounce box of confectioner's sugar until smooth and thick. Add food coloring as desired and spoon the frosting into a pastry bag with a medium tip.
8. Begin assembling the gingerbread house by placing the cardboard base on a level surface. Pipe a generous amount of icing along the walls of the house. Press the pieces in place for 3 to 5 minutes to allow the icing to harden. Complete the house by adding the roof. Let the frosting harden for 45 minutes before adding the decorations.
9. Decorate the gingerbread haunted house by using icing to adhere black and orange jelly beans, gummy worms and spiders, candy corn and black licorice to the house. Create a spooky pumpkin patch with pumpkin-shaped candy and green-tinted coconut. Add crushed chocolate wafers for dirt and ghost shaped marshmallow candy to create a creepy graveyard.
