Gluten-free/Dairy-free/Egg-free/Peanut and Treenut-free
(can be soy-free and corn-free)
GINGERBREAD (for cookies or a Gingerbread House)
16 Tablespoons vegan soy butter or canola oil
2 Tablespoons vegetable shortening
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
3 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons ginger (can add an additional tsp if you want more ginger flavor)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 cup dark corn syrup or 1/2 cup molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla
5 3/4 cups Gluten-free AP flour (I like Bob's Red Mill)
water
Cream soy butter (or Canola oil), shortening, brown sugar, baking soda, and spices together. Add salt, maple syrup, corn syrup (or molasses), vanilla. Next add flour slowly until combined. Pour enough water in until dough is thinner, smooth and shiney. Wrap in plastic wrap and rest in fridge for at least 2 hrs.
To make gingerbread house:
Make cardboard patterns of each side of the house. Line cardboard with parchment and make sure the parchement goes one inch over the sides of each pattern. Roll gingerbread to over parchment covered cardboard to 1/4 thickness. Cut around out pattern in gingerbread with knife and pick up whole piece on parchment and move to a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 min. Let all pieces rest overnight uncovered to harden properly. You can also use a Gingerbread pan. It's a special pan that you put the dough in and bake to make the sides of the house. This is what I did for mine. Please note though, you need to spread the gingerbread very thin in the pan and you need to let it rest in the pan 6 hrs before removing or your gingerbread will crack.
To assemble house:
Use Egg-free dairy-free icing or carmelized sugar. I like the carmelized sugar because it's extremely strong, but it is very dangerous, so use caution.
Carmelized sugar:
1 cup of granulated sugar
Place sugar in small saucepan. Put on stovetop on medium high heat. Once sugar starts to melt begin to stir and turn heat to medium-low. When sugar is completely melted and golden brown, take off heat. Use Carmelized sugar to stick house sides and roof together. EXTREME CAUTION: Sugar is INCREDIBLY hot and sets very quickly. Wear heat resistant gloves and be very careful. If sugar in pan begins to set, place it on Medium heat until it is melted again.
Egg-free/Dairy-free/Soy-Free Royal Icing:
2 Cups of powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp lemon juice
Rice milk
Combine sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice. Add small amounts of rice milk (by Tablespoon), to mixture until it is the consistency of paste. Place in a plastic zip top bag and cut a very small piece of the corner of the bag to pipe icing.
Decorations:
Egg-free/dairy-free Rice Krispie Treat wreaths and trees:
6 Egg-free Marshmallows (I like Jet puff)
1 Tablespoon Vegan soy butter or canola oil
1/2 cup of Rice Krispies
3 drops green food coloring
Green Jimmies and Red sprinkles (optional)
Melt Marshmallows in butter or oil in a saucepan. Once melted, add food coloring, then Rice Krispies. Allow to cool for 2 min. With hands shape into one inch wreaths and 2 inch tree tops. Roll in Jimmies and Sprinkles. Make tree bases out of gingerbread or Rice Krispies. Let cool and harden on parchment.
We also used Candy canes, spice drops, gum drops, red hots, and Jelly beans to decorate the house. Just pipe on Royal icing and add decorations. May have to hold the decoration in place for a few seconds until icing sets.
