Gingerbread Joy

But when hosting a party of your own, Monica has one important tip. Purchase a premade gingerbread house from your local bakery or craft store. That way, your focus can be on the fun part—the frosting and decorating.

– Gingerbread cookies and Mrs. Pedersen’s Hot Cocoa (plus, all the candy you can sneak)

FAVORS

– Gingerbread houses for everyone

Mrs. Pedersen’s Hot Cocoa

½ cup sugar
¼ cup Hershey’s Cocoa
dash salt
¹⁄³ cup hot water
4 cups (1 quart) milk
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
miniature marshmallows or sweetened
whipped cream (optional)

Stir together sugar, cocoa, and salt in medium saucepan; stir in water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Boil and stir 2 minutes. Add milk; stirring constantly, heat to serving temperature. Do not boil. Remove from heat; add vanilla. Beat with rotary beater or whisk until foamy. (Serve topped with marshmallows or whipped cream, if desired. Makes five 8-oz. servings.)

Royal Icing

4 cups confectioner’s sugar
3 tablespoons meringue powder
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½–¾ cup warm water
food coloring

Beat the confectioner’s sugar and meringue powder until combined. Add the water and beat on medium to high speed until very glossy and stiff peaks form (5–7 minutes). (If necessary, to get the right consistency, add more powdered sugar or water. Use immediately. Recipe adapted from The Secrets of Baking.)

Gingerbread House Decorating 101

For the roof: shredded wheat cereal, gumdrops, Andes Mints, Vanilla Wafers, Necco Wafers,
Hershey’s Chocolate Bars
For shutters: wafer cookies, sticks of gum,
licorice, Andes Mints
For fences: chocolate-covered pretzels, pretzel
sticks, Mini Teddy Grahams, candy canes
For trees and shrubs: spearmint leaves or miniature trees from a hobby store
For snow: confectioner’s sugar or white frosting
For logs: Mini Tootsie Rolls
For an ice skating pond: a mirror or aluminum foil

Gingerbread cookies and undecorated houses supplied by The Bent Fork Bakery in Highwood.