Winter Wonderland Gingerbread Cottage

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1-3/4 cups packed brown sugar
• 1-1/4 cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 6 large eggs
• 6 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon each ground cinnamon and allspice
• 2 pounds confectioners' sugar
• 6 tablespoons meringue powder
• 3/4 cup warm water
• Green and red gel food coloring
• 1 wooden skewer (6 inches long)
• Pastry tipsstar tips #14 and 20, round tip #4 and leaf tip # 352
• 5 pieces red rope licorice, divided
• Red nonpareils, red milk chocolate M&M's, edible glitter and light bulb-shaped sprinkles
• 4 cups Crispix
• New small paintbrush
• 19 large marshmallows
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 cups crisp rice cereal
• Additional confectioners' sugar
• 9 miniature candy canes, divided
• 1 piece red Fruit by the Foot fruit roll (1-3/4 inches)
• Red, green and purple tiny-size Chiclets gum
• Sugar and coarse sugar

1. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in molasses. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour, baking soda and spices; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Chill for 1 hour.
2. Trace
3. onto waxed paper; cut out. On a parchment-paper lined
4. , roll out dough to a 1/4-in. thickness. With a sharp knife, cut out chimney pieces, house front and back. On house front, completely cut out door and window; reserve door piece. After baking, trim 1/4 in. from bottom of door piece.
5. Bake at 350u0b0 for 15-20 minutes or until set. Immediately place patterns on cutouts and cut around edges to trim excess. Cool on pans for 2 minutes before carefully removing to wire racks to cool completely.
6. Cut out two house sides, about 5-7/16-in. long x 5-6/16-in. high. Reroll scraps; cut out two roof pieces, about 7-7/16-in. long x 7-13/16-in. high. Bake and cool as directed.
7. In a large bowl, combine confectioners' sugar and meringue powder. Add warm water; beat on low speed for 1 minute. Beat on high for 4-5 minutes or until stiff peaks form. Tint 1 cup green; cover and set aside. Leave remaining icing white.
8. Place front of house front-side down on a waxed paper-lined work surface. For front window panes, cut skewer into one 2-1/4 to 2-1/2 in. piece and one 2-3/4 in. piece. With icing, attach skewers; let dry completely.
9. Place house sides and back on a waxed paper-lined work surface. Place house front with front side up. Using #14 pastry tip, pipe shell border around edges of house pieces. Add shell border on front of house and around door opening. With tip #4; pipe snowflakes and dots on front of house. Pipe side windows and front window panes over skewers.
10. For front shutters, cut two 2-1/2-in. pieces of licorice; attach. Cut four pieces of licorice for side shutters; attach and let dry.
11. Thin 1/4 cup icing with water and tint red; spread over door. Let dry completely. With white icing, pipe around door; add a window if desired and let dry. With tip #352 and reserved green icing, pipe green boughs above windows and door; add red nonpareils. Set aside remaining green icing for trees.
12. Pipe icing along edges of house sides. Position at right angles to front of house. Press into place; prop with small cans. Pipe icing along inside edges for added stability. Repeat with back; let dry.
13. Pipe icing along one side of front chimney piece and one adjoining side chimney piece. Position at right angles to each other and place on waxed paper; pipe icing along inside edge for added stability. Hold in place until secure. Repeat with remaining side and back pieces. Let dry completely. Spread icing over chimney; add M&M's.
14. Pipe white icing along top edges of house walls. Position one roof piece; prop with cans. Repeat. Let dry completely. Frost roof pieces; attach chimney and Crispix shingles. Using tip #4, pipe snow on roof and around chimney opening. With a paintbrush, lightly brush Crispix with water; sprinkle with edible glitter.
15. Using tip #20, pipe a rope border along edge of roof; attach light bulb sprinkles. Pipe rope borders where the roof meets the house and where walls join at each corner.
16. In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine marshmallows and butter; heat until melted. Add crisp rice cereal. Form into tree shapes. With tip #352, pipe reserved green icing on trees. Sprinkle with edible glitter; decorate with light-bulb sprinkles and confectioners' sugar if desired.
17. For bench, cut licorice into five 2-1/2-in. pieces. Cut curved ends from five candy canes, forming C-shaped pieces; set aside three curved pieces for fence and one straight piece for sled. With icing, attach one C-shaped piece to bottom of one whole candy cane (crook facing right), forming one side of bench frame. Repeat; let dry. Attach licorice pieces to bench frame pieces; prop and let dry. Add icing rivets.
18. For sled, position reserved straight piece between two whole candy canes to form a sled; attach with icing. Attach Fruit by the Foot; let dry.
19. For path, draw path pattern of your choice on waxed paper. Coat with icing; attach Chiclets and let dry.
20. On a large covered board or tray, place the house and path. Add granulated sugar snow drifts; sprinkle with coarse sugar. Arrange the trees, bench, sled and
21. around house. Insert reserved candy cane pieces into sugar for fence.

butter, brown sugar, sugar, molasses, eggs, allpurpose, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, sugar, meringue powder, water, red gel food coloring, wooden skewer, pastry, red rope licorice, red nonpareils, crispix, paintbrush, marshmallows, butter, crisp rice, sugar, canes, red fruit, red, sugar

Taken from www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/winter-wonderland-gingerbread-cottage/ (may not work)