Gingerbread Barn

Directions

1. 1
   Special equipment: printed templates or ruler and triangle, assorted cookie cutters, piping bags with medium and fine tips
2. 2
   Melt the shortening and butter together in a medium saucepan.
3. 3
   Let cool.
4. 4
   Sift the flour, sugar, ginger, cinnamon and salt into a large bowl.
5. 5
   Mix the melted butter into the flour mixture with an electric mixer until sandy.
6. 6
   Add the corn syrup and vanilla, and mix until evenly incorporated, but still crumbly in texture.
7. 7
   Press the dough together by hand and divide into 8 equal parts.
8. 8
   Press into rough squares about 1 inch thick.
9. 9
   Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
10. 10
    Place the dough on top of a flour-dusted sheet of parchment.
11. 11
    Roll a square of dough about 1/4-inch thick and into an 8- by 11-inch rectangle.
12. 12
    Repeat with all the remaining squares.
13. 13
    Stack them up and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
14. 14
    Meanwhile, click here to e-mail a link of the template to your desktop or laptop computer for printing.
15. 15
    Print the file at 100% on letter size paper and cut out the pieces.
16. 16
    Remove the top sheet of parchment from the dough.
17. 17
    Lay the templates on the rolled dough slabs and cut out all the pieces with a long, sharp knife or pizza cutter.
18. 18
    (You will have a total of 8 cut panels plus 3 extra sheets for cookies.
19. 19
    Cut out the remaining dough with cookie cutters of your choice.)
20. 20
    Cut a 3 1/2- by 3 1/2-inch square centered at the base of one of the tall walls then cut that piece in half to make the two barn doors.
21. 21
    Stack panels on a cookie sheet and chill 45 minutes to set.
22. 22
    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and position the oven racks evenly.
23. 23
    Bake the gingerbread shapes until they are a rich tawny brown, 25 to 30 minutes.
24. 24
    Cool on a rack.
25. 25
    With a fine kitchen rasp, file the panels to make all the edges straight.
26. 26
    Thicken about 2 cups of the Royal Icing with either cornstarch and a couple of drops of vinegar, or extra confectioners' sugar, to get the consistency of caulk.
27. 27
    Fit a pastry bag with a medium round tip and fill it with the thickened icing.
28. 28
    Pipe a generous amount of royal icing along the bottom and the sides of a short wall.
29. 29
    Center the wall 3/4 inch from one edge, directly onto the base.
30. 30
    Use a box or can to help support the walls while they dry.
31. 31
    Pipe royal icing along the bottom of a tall wall, and stick it to the base with an edge pressed against the icing on the first wall.
32. 32
    Repeat with the remaining two walls in the same manner until the four walls are up, making an open box with a 3/4-inch border all around the base.
33. 33
    (The two tall walls will face each other.)
34. 34
    Allow the icing to dry completely, about 24 hours, before attaching the roof.
35. 35
    Ice the sloped edges on one side of the house and attach the big roof piece.
36. 36
    (Line up the top of the roof with the peaks of the tall walls.)
37. 37
    Use a box or can to prop up the overhang of the roof while it dries in place.
38. 38
    Attach the smaller roof piece on the other side of the slope (prop it up with a box or can) leaving the same amount of overhang.
39. 39
    Leave the top open for now.
40. 40
    The last roof panel is the lid and will go there when all is dry.
41. 41
    Attach the doors.
42. 42
    Pipe royal icing neatly on the outside of the seams to secure them, and allow the house to dry for 24 hours.
43. 43
    Fit tips into piping bags.
44. 44
    Divide the remaining royal icing into batches and color as desired.
45. 45
    Fill bags with frosting and decorate the house and roof with icing and candies if using.
46. 46
    Allow to dry.
47. 47
    Fill the house with cookies.
48. 48
    Rest the remaining roof slab on the house to make a lid.
49. 49
    Enjoy.