Straight to the Point
Making your own gingerbread house requires some key equipment, like a stand mixer, rolling pin, and half sheet pans. For a full list of gear (and links to our equipment recommendations and reviews), see below.
We’ve long held the opinion that if you want to make a gingerbread house you actually want to eat, then you should do it yourself with construction gingerbread, royal icing, and a whole lot of patience.
What’s construction gingerbread, you ask? It has a uniquely low water content, has zero leavening agents, contains corn syrup, and has a very low ratio of fat to flour, making it like cookie Sheetrock. And like, we imagine, drywall, most construction gingerbread (including that of pre-packaged kits) tastes awful. However, if you make your own, you can build your gingerbread and eat it, too. As Stella said, “Made with butter, vanilla, and plenty of spices, construction gingerbread can be both tasty and strong—think of it as a very flat sort of gingerbread biscotti.”
Of course, with baking projects comes some gear requirements. To successfully make your own gingerbread house at home, it’s helpful to have the following equipment on hand.
Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik