Gingerbread comes in all forms, cakes, bread, cookies and pretty much anything you can imagine. I have been making yearly gingerbread houses or villages for years and I want to share some of my favorites with you today.
Every Christmas for the last 6 or 7 years I have taken some time for myself to sit down and be creative with a gingerbread house or two or five. It is a fun challenge I like to give myself. After I get all the Christmas trees up and decorated, I sit down for a day or two and just have fun with cookies and icing.
For 2019 I have made a Nordic-inspired village out of my homemade “Oreo” cookie recipe. I know it isn’t technically gingerbread, but these are “gingerbread” houses you’ll actually want to eat!
If you use this recipe, just follow the instructions to roll the dough out on a floured surface and just be sure to brush off the excess flour before freezing and then baking. This is all explained in the recipe.
I created my houses this year out of Oreo Cookie dough because of an article I read back in October that Oreo had released a “gingerbread” house kit this year, but that it had already sold out, back in OCTOBER! So if you had the dream of making an Oreo House this year, you can keep it alive and make this recipe.
Assemble your houses with a royal icing made of Meringue Powder, the recipe is on the back of the bottle. You mix the powder, water, and powdered sugar and whip it in a stand mixer until fluffy. This is the glue for your houses and the best, easiest recipe out there.
I am a bit of a purist as you can see, I like a classic white. But this icing lends itself to being colored if you want a little more excitement on your houses. You can also add color by using candies for more effect. Use a piping kit like this one for easy assembly and decorating.
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Traditional Gingerbread Houses
If you are looking for a PERFECT and more traditional recipe for “Construction Gingerbread” look no further than Nikki’s recipe from Tikkido. I have been making her recipe for years and she also includes some great printable templates.
Copywrite 2019 KendellKreations
I used her templates this year, I just cut them down and sometimes change the shapes to work the way I want them to. I keep them clean and have a dedicated gingerbread notebook that I keep them in and sketch each year’s house in. It’s like a timeline of my gingerbread house history.
Copywrite 2019 KendellKreations
I have made gingerbread depictions of the Dragonfly Inn from Gilmore Girls, Chip and Joanna Gaines Magnolia Market in Waco, Texas, and little cottages covered in snow. It’s a fun creative outlet for me at the end of each year.
Copywrite 2019 KendellKreations
If you make this recipe, please let me know by leaving a review at the bottom of this page!
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Christmas Advent Calendar
A new recipe every day from December 1-24 from me or one of my friends!
Lori, from @JosieandNina. Italian Home Cook – JosieandNina.com
Sarah, from @SaltJar. Farm Fresh Food – SaltJar.com
Niki, from @CleanPlateClb. Food Photographer – CleanPlateClb.com
Kathryn, from @WornSlapOut. Recipe for the Joyfully Exhausted – WornSlapOut.com
Ruchi, from @TiffinKitchen. Plant forward food – TheTiffinKitchen.com
Kendell, from @KendellKreations. Food & Travel – KendellKreations.com
We have been working hard to bring you some great recipes that will bring the family together each night leading to Christmas Day. I hope you enjoy them and be sure to let us know if you make them by tagging any of us on Instagram through the month.
Christmas Advent Calendar Recipes
- Day 1 – Kendell’s Candy Cane Coffee Creamer
- Day 2 – Kendell’s Hazelnut Honeycomb
- Day 3 – Lori’s Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons
- Day 4 – Kendell’s Sugar-Free Hot Cocoa Mix
- Day 5 – Sarah’s Cranberry Orange Baked Oatmeal
- Day 6 – Kendell shares Joanna Gaines Peanut Butter Balls
- Day 7 – Kendell’s Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti with Peppermints
- Day 8 – Kathryn’s Chocolate Espresso Silk Pie
- Day 9 – Ruchi’s Holiday Rose Cocktail
- Day 10 – Kendell shares Olivia’s Famous Peppermint Cookies
- Day 11 – Niki’s Puff Pastry Breakfast Braid
- Day 12 – Lori’s Danish Puff Pastry
- Day 13 – Kendell shares Grandpas Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Day 14 – Sarah’s Nutella Hot Chocolate
- Day 15 – Kendell shares Great Aunt Sally’s Pecan Butter Balls
- Day 16 – Kendell’s Homemade “Oreo” Cookie
- Day 17 – Kathryn’s Christmas Tree Pull-Apart Bread
- Day 18 – Kendell’s Nordic Gingerbread Village
- Day 19 – Niki’s Short Rib Ragu
- Day 20 – Kendell’s Velveeta-Free Pimento Cheese
- Day 21 – Christmas Morning Breakfast Foccacia
- Day 22 – Kristi shares Stacy’s Hot Buttered Rum
- Day 23 – Kendell’s Chorizo, Shrimp, & Chicken Paella
- Day 24 – Kendell’s Artichoke 3 Cheese Dip
MY LATEST RECIPES!
Restaurant-Style Alfredo Sauce (Gluten-Free)
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MY FAVORITE KITCHEN TOOLS!
Here are a few links to some of my favorite kitchen tools! You get a car, YOu get a car, YOU ALL GET A CAR…in my best Oprah voice
These Rösle Silicone Tongs are a little pricey but they will last you the rest of your life and are the softest in your hand. This is important for someone like m that cooks so much. It reduces strain, I have 4 sets in my kitchen!
These are my FAVE Nordic Ware Sheet Pans, every kitchen should have at least 2 sets of these! I think I have at least 4 of each of these.
This is my favorite pressure cooker, the Fagor is the same concept as the “Instant Pot” but easier to use in my opinion, if you don’t have one you NEED one, it will be your best friend in the kitchen!
A sharp knife is the most important tool in the kitchen, these Japanese steel “Shun” knives are my favorite! And this is a great starter set to build on. Once you try them you will be in love so use this as a foundation you can build on for years to come.
This Scanpan 11″ skillet is just the right size for almost anything you will need to cook and my best friend and a real workhorse in my kitchen, it’s also a great deal at $99. Scanpan is the best in the world for healthy cooking. It is coated with a proprietary ceramic-titanium coating that is durable while allowing you to use fewer fats and oils when cooking. It is a coating only they use. I could talk all day about my love for these pans, message me if you want more info. Here are some other sizes that are available if you are looking to outfit your kitchen with some new goodies. 8″ & 10″ Skillet set or 8″ Skillet, I still need this one for my kitchen Also, I don’t really know how to cook small so the 12.5″ is my other fave!
This giant vat of olive oil is my favorite, I decant it into a smaller bottle for my counter. Or put this spigot on top of a wine bottle!
My favorite baking dish that is so easy to clean even burnt on cheese slides right off!
This Tovolo jar scraper has to be my single favorite kitchen tool, it is definitely the most used tool in my kitchen. If you are NOT a gadget person, this is the only necessity I say is a MUST beyond the wooden spoon.
A great wood spoon is essential, this Olive Wood one is my favorite, I have more than I can count. But can you really ever have too many?
A food scale can be a very important tool in your kitchen, this one is the one I use every day!
If you love Joanna Gaines as much as I do then the ‘Magnolia Table Cookbook’ is a must in your kitchen, get a copy HERE!
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