G-F Gingerbread House Cookie Recipe

 We are headed to family parties for Christmas and the activity for one of them is a request for  gingerbread house decorating competitions.  That means I need to take  three g-f gingerbread houses.  So here I go... baking them.

• 1/2 cup  packed light brown sugar
• 6 tablespoons  unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 4 tablespoons   molasses
• 1 tablespoon  honey

Blend sugar, butter until fluffy.  Add molasses and honey and then add:

• 1 egg  at room temperature, beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Mix dry ingredients together and add slowly to the blended egg mixture.

• 2 1/2 cups  all purpose gluten-free flour (I used my own Healthy Grain mix)
• 1 1/2  teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your flour blend already contains it)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix together until it comes together to make a nice dough.  

I rolled the dough out onto a jelly roll pan lined with plastic wrap.  One big wide surface.  This recipe filled an entire pan.  

YES, PLASTIC WRAP.  I roll it most successfully on plastic wrap.   My photo shows freezer wrap, and I promise you, I tried waxed paper and none of them work as well as just plain plastic wrap, top and bottom.  It just peels off easier.  

  Cool the dough in the fridge or freezer.  Peel off the top layer of plastic wrap and cut the dough into cookies.  I found it easier to cut into shapes for gingerbread houses after it bakes.  Chill again until dough can be handled and transferred onto cookie sheets. 

LINE THE COOKIE SHEETS with parchment so the cookies will remove nicely.  

Bake immediately at 350 degrees for 8 minutes.  The cool temperature dough helps maintain the shapes.    Let cool and remove from pan and paper.  

I had to recut the shapes for the gingerbread houses while hot so they were more uniform to the pattern.   

Cool and store between layers of paper until used.    Watch for the photos of the gingerbread house winners!  To be announced.