Gingerbread is an excellent medium to work with when wanting to construct projects sturdy
enough to keep year after year.  Store your finished gingerbread in a cool room.  Too much
humidity and your projects will warp.

                
 
          
Gingerbread Recipe
An ideal recipe for building gingerbread houses, ornaments or eating! It requires n
cooking and is very quick to prepare. Note- This recipes works best for immediate use.

                  
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
2 1/2 to 3 cups flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon 
1 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/3 cup water 
Blend butter and brown sugar until creamy. Beat in the molasses. Add 1 cup flour,  cinnamon,
ginger and nutmeg and blend. Add the remaining flour alternately with 1/3 cup water. It may be necessary
to knead the last cup of flour by hand as the dough will be very stiff. Form the dough into a ball and cover
with plastic wrap. Bake at 350 degrees until done. *Note- This dough works best when used immediately. 
 
 
                  Royal Icing                  
                  
Royal Icing is a stiff icing that is excellent for putting a gingerbread house together or
        other projects. It works as a glue holding the pieces together. After gingerbread pieces
        have cooled, the pieces may be assembled.  Attach pieces using royal icing piped from a
        pastry bag.Let royal icing harden at least 4 hours before attaching the roof or candies.
        To attach candy, gum, cookies and other edible decorations use royal icing piped from a
        pastry bag. The icing is edible, but very hard and crunchy. Keep royal icing covered
at all times until ready to use.
Royal Icing Recipe 
8 cups powdered sugar, sifted 
4 Tablespoons meringue powder  #76-1504 
1 Tablespoon gum arabic  #76-3503 
1/2 teaspoon cream of tarter 
2/3 cup water
  
In small mixing bowl, combine water, meringue powder, and cream of tarter; beat until stiff peaks form.
In separate bowl, combine powdered sugar and gum arabic; mix thoroughly, then add to meringue. Beat
on low, then medium speed until stiff peaks form Royal Icing needs to whipped a long time; whip until
fluffy and holds shape when piping. Keep covered with a damp towel. Store in airtight, clean, greaseless
container and rewhip when ready to use.
 
Royal Icing Mix   
Available in:
1 pound bag-  #77-101
10 pound bag- #77-110
Simply add 4 1/2 - 5 Tablespoons of water
per pound of mix and whip until fluffy.  If
tiny balls form, add a bit of water.  Royal
Icing needs to whipped a long time; whip
until fluffy and holds shape when piping.
Keep covered with a damp towel.  Store in
airtight, clean, greaseless container and
rewhip when ready to use.
 
Picture Flow Icing (Royal Icing thinned with water) 
Picture flow icing (often called run sugar) is an ideal icing recipe for gingerbread
ornaments and cookies.
 
Mix up royal icing as followed in the above recipe or

from the mix. Add enough water (a few drops) so that
the icing will smooth itself within 7-10 seconds. Color
the white icing using food color. Fill pastry bag with
icing that has a #2 tip. Outline one color. Fill with the
same color. When a crust has formed, add an
adjoining color. Continue with all colors until cookie is
complete.
 
Royal Icing Paint 
Use this paint for a thin glaze. It is ideal when wanting added color to textured or molded cookies.
 
Mix up royal icing as followed in the above
recipe or from the mix. Add enough water
so that the royal icing is a thin, almost
transparent glaze.