That said, taking on a gingerbread house can be a treacherous endeavor (and we mean beyond the obvious Hansel-and-Gretel reasons). Baking, building, and beautifying an entire structure is daunting. Many go for the pre-cut gingerbread house kits, which is a fine choice. But if you think this might be the year to finally try one yourself, we’ve got instructions. And we spoke with Kathy Krupa, culinary expert and food stylist at Wilton, about what you should know about gingerbread before you’re knee-deep in icing trying to keep the roof from crumbling. When you’re done decorating, let your designs set for 30 to 60 minutes before you assemble. Once you’ve put the house together, cover your seams and add your finishing touches. Carry out the assembly by piping candy melts along the edges of the house. “Then place the gingerbread house in the fridge for about 15 minutes, and you’ll be ready to decorate.” Bonus: Candy melt disks serve as an excellent shingled roof. “If you have ice cream cones, use that piping tip on an upside-down cone to create an evergreen-looking tree,” Krupa adds. “And a little dusting of powder sugar on top of each creates a magical winter wonderland!” If you don’t have any cones, try using the same tip and pipe them on parchment paper. Let them dry and place them on your board.
