Mini Unicorn Gingerbread Houses

I'm excited to be taking part again this year with #25daysofcollabs on Instagram with some amazing bakers to celebrate this festive season.  Each day since the start of December, different bakers have been involved in creating a bake from different themes.

This year I've picked three themes to be part of.  The final theme is - Gingerbread Houses.  Last year I had so much fun making my first gingerbread house, so I decided to make another one this year.  I decided to make mini gingerbread houses that can sit on the side of mugs.  I didn't want to make the traditional houses so I turned them into unicorns.

These Mini Unicorn Gingerbread Houses are so cute and fun to decorate.  They make great gifts for any unicorn or gingerbread lover.  They are decorated with royal icing and sprinkles to make them festive for Christmas.

Please be sure to follow #25daysofcollabs2019 on Instagram to see all the amazing Christmas creations everyday.

Happy Baking xo

Mini Unicorn Gingerbread Houses

Ingredients

· 125 grams butter
· ⅓ cup brown sugar
· ½ cup golden syrup
· 3 cups plain flour
· 2 teaspoons ground ginger
· 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
· 2 teaspoons baking soda
· 1 egg
· 1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Royal Icing

· 2 cups icing sugar
· 1 egg white
· Water (approx 2-4 tablespoons)

Decorations

· Sprinkles
· Black writing icing (queenfinefoods)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.

2. Line two trays with baking paper.

3. Place butter, sugar and golden syrup in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for a minute or until butter is melted. Set aside.

4. Sift the flour, spices and baking soda into a large bowl. Add the butter mixture, egg and vanilla essence, stir until combined.

5. Divide dough in half and roll dough to 5 mm thickness between two sheets of baking paper. Using the templates you made from paper, place it on top of the dough and cut them out and place on baking trays.

6. Place onto baking trays and bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

7. Allow cookies to cool completely before decorating.

Royal Icing/ Decorating

8. Place icing sugar, egg white and 1 tablespoon of water into a bowl and using an electric beater beat on high for 3 minutes until mixture is smooth. Add more water if the mixture is too thick.

9. Place royal icing into a piping bag and pipe the designs onto the panels of the houses and add desired sprinkles. Allow them to dry before assembling them. Overnight would be best.

10. To make the unicorn horns, pipe some royal icing using a small round tip on to baking paper and allow them to dry overnight.

11. To make the unicorn ears, print or draw some ears onto some paper and place under baking paper and pipe over them. Allow them to dry overnight.

I designed these Mini Gingerbread Houses by drawing it onto some paper, cutting it out and using it as templates.

Tips

· Remember to allow the cookies to cool completely before icing.
· If the icing appears too thick add more water and if the icing appears too runny add more icing sugar.
· I found after rolling the dough out and placing it into the refrigerator for 30 minutes it was easier to cut out the shapes.
· Icing consistency – piping 25+ seconds for the icing to disappear (lettering & line work)
                               – medium 15 seconds for the icing to disappear (outlining & flooding)
                               – flood 8-10 seconds for the icing to disappear (flooding & wet-on-wet)

Did you bake this recipe?

Remember to tag @youcanbakeittoo on Instagram & hashtag #youcanbakeittoo 

so I can see your wonderful bakes.