Best Caramel For A Gingerbread House Recipes

CARAMEL GINGERBREAD GLUE

Steps:

• Put the sugar and water in a large, low-sided frying pan over a medium-high heat. Without stirring, bring to 160°C on a sugar thermometer. If you don't have one, the syrup is ready when the sugar has dissolved and it turns a light golden colour.
• Swirl the syrup gently in the pan to even out the colour. Take the pan off the heat and leave to cool for a few moments to thicken slightly to the consistency of honey.
• If the syrup begins to harden in the pan, put it back over a gentle heat until it has returned to the required consistency.

SALTED CARAMEL GINGERBREAD HOUSE

Steps:

• For the gingerbread: Sift together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, salt and cloves into a large bowl. Set aside.
• Combine the butter, shortening, brown sugar and granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the molasses, vanilla and egg and beat on medium until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the sifted flour mixture and mix on low speed until combined into a smooth dough, about 1 minute. Form the dough into a flat square, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until just firm, at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
• Meanwhile, make templates for the gingerbread house. Gather 3 sheets of stiff paper or 2 manila folders (split at the seam), scissors, a ruler and a pencil. For the side panels, draw and cut out a rectangle that measures 4 by 7 inches. For the front and back panels of a house with a peaked roof, draw and cut out a template that is 6 inches wide at the base, 4 inches to the roofline and 4 1/2 inches slanted to a peak. The template for the roof panels should measure 4 1/2 by 8 inches.
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Unwrap the dough and cut into 3 equal pieces (a pizza wheel is handy for this). Working with 1 piece of dough at a time and keeping the other pieces refrigerated, roll the dough into a rectangle 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Using the template, cut out the side panels and remove the scraps around the cutouts. Repeat with the remaining 2 pieces of dough, cutting out the front and back panels and 2 roof panels. If the dough gets too soft while rolling, return it to the refrigerator for 15 minutes before proceeding. (Discard the dough scraps or reroll to make cookies.) Chill the dough pieces on the prepared baking sheets for 15 minutes.
• Bake the dough pieces until crisp almost all the way through (the very center will still be a little soft), 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in the pans 10 minutes on a rack, then remove the house pieces to the rack to cool completely.
• For the royal icing: Combine the confectioners' sugar and meringue powder in a large bowl. Add the vanilla and 5 tablespoons water and beat on medium-high speed with an electric mixer, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary, until the icing forms thick and glossy peaks, about 2 minutes, adding up to 1 tablespoon more water if needed. Divide the icing between the 2 prepared piping bags (one fitted with a small plain tip and the other fitted with a large plain tip).
• Decorate the side panels: Using the piping bag fitted with a small tip, pipe a pea-size dot of icing onto the back of 1 of the peppermint hard candies and attach it to the top center of 1 of the side panels. Pipe icing onto the backs of 4 of the fig bar pieces and attach them to the panels as evenly spaced windows shutters. Pipe icing to draw 2 windows between the shutters. Line the frames with pretzel sticks, breaking them to fit. Pipe a pea-size dot of icing onto the backs of 9 of the butterscotch candies and press them along the bottom of the panel. Repeat this process on the remaining side panel. Let the panels rest until set, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Decorate the front panel: Using the piping bag fitted with a small tip, pipe a double line of icing across the front panel where the roof starts to incline; press on about 11 French toast cereal pieces. Pipe a small dot of icing onto the back of 1 of the red sprinkle-coated gummy candies and attach it to the front panel just above the line of cereal. To make a flower, pipe a small dot of icing on the cut sides of 8 of the toasted-marshmallow jelly bean pieces and attach them in a ring around the red gummy. Pipe icing to draw a door; attach the caramel jelly bean with a dot of icing to make a doorknob. Pipe icing onto the backs of the gummy gingerbread people and place 1 on either side of the door. Pipe icing to draw 2 windows; line the frames with pretzel sticks, breaking them to fit. Let the panel rest until set, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Decorate the back panel: Using the piping bag fitted with a small tip, pipe a double line of icing across the back panel where the roof starts to incline; press on the remaining French toast cereal as needed. Pipe a small dot of icing onto the back of the remaining red sprinkle-coated gummy candy and attach it just above the line of cereal. To make a flower, pipe a small dot of icing on the cut sides of the remaining 8 toasted-marshmallow jelly bean pieces and attach them in a ring around the red gummy. Create a decorative trim by piping a pea-size dot of icing onto the backs of the caramel-coated pretzels and pressing them along the bottom of the panel. Pipe icing to form 2 windows; line the frames with pretzel sticks, breaking them to fit. Let the panel rest until set, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Decorate the roof panels: Using the piping bag fitted with a large tip, pipe short lines of icing onto the backs of a few pieces of the frosted shredded wheat cereal and attach them to 1 of the roof panels in a row. Repeat until both roof panels are completely covered. Let the panels rest until set, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• For the caramel: Spread the sugar in a medium skillet (see Cook's Note). Sprinkle with the lemon juice and 1/4 cup water. Set the skillet over medium-low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar melts, about 2 to 3 minutes. Once the sugar has melted, stop stirring and cook, swirling the contents occasionally, until the sugar syrup is a deep amber color, about 12 to 15 minutes.
• Assemble the walls: Carefully place the skillet of hot caramel by your work surface (you will use it like glue to attach the panels to the base and to one another). Dip the bottom of the front panel in the caramel and place it on the foil-wrapped base. Use a silicone brush to brush a line of caramel along the inside of the panel at the base to reinforce it. Prop up the panel with a can. Brush more caramel up 1 edge of the front panel so you can attach the side of the house. Dip 1 side of a side panel in the caramel and place it perpendicular to the front panel, forming a corner. Brush the inside of the panel along the base with more caramel to reinforce it. Prop up the side piece with a can. Repeat with the second side panel and the back panel. Sprinkle the seams of the house with sea salt.
• Attach the roof: Once the walls are set enough to hold the roof panels and while the caramel in the skillet is still warm, remove the cans. Then brush the warm caramel onto the back of a roof panel along the edges (where the roof will attach to the walls); press the panel onto the house and hold it in place until the caramel sets, about 30 seconds. Repeat with the other roof panel. Use the piping bag fitted with a large tip to pipe icing along the seams of the roof to reinforce it.
• Landscape the yard: Using the piping bag fitted with a large tip, pipe a rectangular walkway in front of the house; line the edges with pecan halves and pave the middle with crushed sesame candy. Pipe icing snowdrifts around the walkway and the base of the house; sprinkle with popcorn, pressing it gently into the icing so it sticks.
• Using the piping bag fitted with a large tip, pipe more icing along the top seam of the roof; line with a row of the fluted gummy caramels. Let the house rest until dry.

GINGERBREAD CARAMELS

Steps:

• Line bottom and sides of 11x7-inch pan with foil, leaving foil overhanging at 2 opposite sides of pan; spray foil with cooking spray. In 2-quart saucepan, heat whipping cream, butter, corn syrup, salt and gingerroot over medium heat to simmering, stirring often. Remove from heat; cover to keep warm.
• In 3-quart saucepan, cook sugar and water over medium heat until melted and amber in color. Remove from heat. Discard gingerroot from warm cream mixture. Slowly add cream mixture to melted sugar, stirring constantly with wire whisk. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly to dissolve any hardened sugar. Boil uncovered about 36 minutes to 246°F on candy thermometer or until small amount of mixture dropped into cup of very cold water forms a firm ball that holds its shape until pressed.
• Remove from heat; stir in crushed cookies. Immediately pour mixture into pan; sprinkle with crystallized ginger, pressing down slightly. Cool completely overnight. Use foil to lift out of pan. Cut into 9 rows by 4 rows. Wrap caramels individually in waxed paper. Store up to 1 week.

GINGERBREAD HOUSE

Steps:

• Gingerbread House: In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar, molasses, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and baking soda together until the mixture is smooth. Blend in the flour and water to make a stiff dough. Chill at least 30 minutes or until firm.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Cut out the following paper patterns for the gingerbread house template: Two rectangles, 3 by 5 inches, to make the front and back of the house. Two rectangles, 3 by 5 1/2 inches for the roof. Two pieces for the ends of the house, 3 inches wide at the base, 3 inches to the roof line, and slanted to a peak 5 1/2 inches from the bottom. Four smaller rectangles, 1 1/2 by 1 inch for the roof and sides of the entryway. And one piece, 2 inches wide at the base, 1 1/2 inches to the roof line, and slanted to a peak 2 1/2 inches from the bottom for the front of the entryway.
• Roll gingerbread dough out to edges on a large, rimless cookie sheet. Place paper patterns onto the rolled out dough. With a sharp, straight edged knife, cut around each of the pieces, but leave pieces in place.
• Bake at 375 degrees F for about 15 minutes until dough feels firm.
• Place patterns on top of the gingerbread again and trim shapes, cutting edges with a straight-edged sharp knife. Leave to cool on baking sheet.
• Place royal icing into pastry bag with a writing tip and press out to decorate individual parts of house, piping on decorations, windows, door, etc., as desired. Let dry until hardened.
• Glue sides, front and back of house together at corners using royal icing. Place an object against the pieces to prop up until icing is dry (it only takes a few minutes).
• Glue the two roof pieces to the pitched roofline of the house. Then, similarly, glue the sides and roof of the entryway together with icing. Attach the entryway to the front of the house.
• Continue decorating the house, gluing on gumdrops, licorice and peppermint, as desired.
• Mix all of the ingredients together using an electric hand mixer, until the icing is smooth and thin enough to be pressed through a pastry bag with a writing tip. Add more lemon juice, if necessary.