Gingerbread house decorating: icing?!
i'd like to make a gingerbread house this christmas but am a bit confused as to what to use for the snow!. I know icing is the obvious answer but does icing go hard!? I'm thinking of ready-to-use store-bought icing here!.
I don't want to put the house in the living room and have it remain soft and sticky, so anything that touches it sticks to it!. I'd rather have a sugary substance that goes hard (or harder) so it's not as sticky!. It also seems more hygienic!.
On a related note, would you use this ready to use icing to have the "snow dripping off the roof" effect!? I'm thinking if the icing doesn't go hard then it actually will drip off the roof, rather than hang off the edge beautifully!.
On the note of decorating the roof!.!.!. any tips on how to get the roof-tiles effect!? I contemplated putting chocolate buttons on it, but that might get messy, and i'd like a more grown up looking gingerbread house!. So i'm thinking before baking the roof, just go over the dough with a knife lightly to make the effect, and it'll show once it's baked!?
and very lastly!.!. if icing does go hard, does it go hard enough to use it to "glue" things!? I'd like to make a gingerbread fence to go around the house, which i would glue to the gingerbread floor with icing!?
thanks a lot!. As you can probably tell i've no experience with this whatsoever, but i'd love to try and get creative this christmas!Www@FoodAQ@Com
I don't want to put the house in the living room and have it remain soft and sticky, so anything that touches it sticks to it!. I'd rather have a sugary substance that goes hard (or harder) so it's not as sticky!. It also seems more hygienic!.
On a related note, would you use this ready to use icing to have the "snow dripping off the roof" effect!? I'm thinking if the icing doesn't go hard then it actually will drip off the roof, rather than hang off the edge beautifully!.
On the note of decorating the roof!.!.!. any tips on how to get the roof-tiles effect!? I contemplated putting chocolate buttons on it, but that might get messy, and i'd like a more grown up looking gingerbread house!. So i'm thinking before baking the roof, just go over the dough with a knife lightly to make the effect, and it'll show once it's baked!?
and very lastly!.!. if icing does go hard, does it go hard enough to use it to "glue" things!? I'd like to make a gingerbread fence to go around the house, which i would glue to the gingerbread floor with icing!?
thanks a lot!. As you can probably tell i've no experience with this whatsoever, but i'd love to try and get creative this christmas!Www@FoodAQ@Com
Answers:
If you want a white icing that sets hard use Royal icing!.They sell the mix in all the supermarkets with decent baking aisles - they def have it in my local medium sized Tesco!.
If you want to leave it out for a while over xmas then cover it with clear cellophane - your local friendly florist will sell you some and sometimes even give it for free if you ask nicely!.
There's lot's of pics in all styles for inspiration on the link below!.If you are creative at all you will be able to work out how they did certain things!.You might have to sign in for one of the links below but I found out about it through another answer and it's never been a spam generator for me!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
If you want to leave it out for a while over xmas then cover it with clear cellophane - your local friendly florist will sell you some and sometimes even give it for free if you ask nicely!.
There's lot's of pics in all styles for inspiration on the link below!.If you are creative at all you will be able to work out how they did certain things!.You might have to sign in for one of the links below but I found out about it through another answer and it's never been a spam generator for me!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
check out some of the craft christmas books and see what they recommend, also some of the more modern cookbooks have gingerbread ideas in them too!.!. I don't think I would recommend using commercial icing in a plastic tub as it doesn't get hard enough,at least not in a short period of time!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Well I don't have the answers to your questions but I can say that even if you use icing that goes 'hard' like you want, it is still just as 'unhygienic' if left out for a long time!. Dust will still cluster!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Confectioners sugar and water is what you'll need for these applications!. Make it slightly runny(with more water) for the hanging icicle effect!. Drizzle it near the edge and gravity will take over from there!. If it's too runny, add more powdered sugar!. Make a batch that is not at all runny and it will make a fine glue!.
I like your idea of etching the roof design prior to baking!. i'm sure it will remain visible through the baking process!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
I like your idea of etching the roof design prior to baking!. i'm sure it will remain visible through the baking process!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Grace D, you have really thrown a curve ball here, let me see if I can help you on some of your question!. Lets start with your snow, I have seen icing sugar used and coconut also used!. As for the adhesive, this can be dicey, I would suggest you go to the foodnetwork!.com Anna Olsen's Sugar segment!. For the roof, now here you can cheat to your heats content!. I have seen dark chocolate melted over a double boiler, spread on the roof, with a toothpick make your horizontal lines, then for your Verticale lines off set so that way they look like shingles!.
Sorry I can't be of more help, Merry Christmas and good luck you have been rated by me!. Good question!.
ChrisWww@FoodAQ@Com
Sorry I can't be of more help, Merry Christmas and good luck you have been rated by me!. Good question!.
ChrisWww@FoodAQ@Com
Go to any cake decorating shop, Walmart, Michael's or Joanne's and get a container of Meringue powder!. It has the recipe for "Royal Icing" which is the type that gets candy hard!. You can make this with egg whites also, but the powder is safer, easier and not that expensive!.
Construct or cover you creation somehow so dust doesn't settle on it and you can let the kids nibble away at it once the holidays are over!. (Might be a little stale :-) though!)
Do not use the tub icing for two reasons, it will never get as hard as you need it to and the ants might find it anjoy more than you!.
In addtion to the many types of candies that you can decorate with, you'll find that the royal icing can be in several ways including as the "glue" that holds your peices together!.
Have fun!Www@FoodAQ@Com
Construct or cover you creation somehow so dust doesn't settle on it and you can let the kids nibble away at it once the holidays are over!. (Might be a little stale :-) though!)
Do not use the tub icing for two reasons, it will never get as hard as you need it to and the ants might find it anjoy more than you!.
In addtion to the many types of candies that you can decorate with, you'll find that the royal icing can be in several ways including as the "glue" that holds your peices together!.
Have fun!Www@FoodAQ@Com