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Adriano's fairytale gingerbread house
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Prep Time:
Cook Time:
145 minutes
Total Time:
145 minutes
Create a stunning gingerbread house with Adriano Zumbo's expert recipe. Plan ahead 2 days for the perfect Christmas treat.
Ingredients:
  • 175g boiled clear lemon lollies
  • Caster sugar, to dust
  • Cocoa powder, to dust
  • 3 x 375g pkts dark chocolate melts
  • 350g pkt 100s & 1000s
  • Assorted lollies, to decorate
  • 425g unsalted butter, chopped
  • 440g (2 cups) caster sugar
  • 500g glucose syrup
  • 180ml (3⁄4 cup) milk
  • 1.2kg (8 cups) bread & pizza plain flour
  • 5.00 gm bicarbonate of soda
  • 20g ground cinnamon
  • 5 tsp ground cloves
  • 12.50 gm ground ginger
  • 125g slivered almonds, roasted
  • 200g (5 cups) corn flakes
  • 500g Crunchy Caramel Milk Chocolate, chopped
  • 125g unsalted butter, chopped
Instructions:
  • Prepare the gingerbread dough: In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, combine butter, sugar, and glucose. Stir for 10 minutes until sugar dissolves (be careful not to let it get too hot). Mix in milk until just combined, then remove from heat. In a large bowl, sift together flour, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger. Add this to the milk mixture. Return the saucepan to low heat and mix until it becomes a stiff, paste-like consistency. Divide the dough into four 450g portions and two 375g portions, then flatten each into a square shape. Wrap them in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour until firm.
  • Prepare 'glass' for the windows by unwrapping the boiled lollies, pulverizing them in a food processor until fine, and storing the powder in an airtight container for later use.
  • Preheat your oven to 180°C/160°C fan forced for the walls and roof of your creation.
  • Roll out a 450g dough portion to 3mm thickness on a floured baking paper. Use the front/back stencil to cut out the back wall shape. Transfer to a large baking tray with the paper. Cut out a 6cm square window two-thirds up from the base. Fill the window with powdered lollies, then bake for 20 minutes until golden. Sprinkle caster sugar on the window for a frosted effect. After cooling for 10 minutes on the tray, slide off the tray using the paper. Let them cool completely.
  • Prepare the front wall by rolling and cutting another 450g dough portion with the front/back stencil. Carefully transfer it with paper to a cooled tray. Cut out a door 10cm high x 5cm wide at the base, shaping an arch at the top. Set the door aside. Cut out 4 small windows on the door piece and fashion a door knob from a small piece of trimmings. Attach it to the door and transfer it to the tray. Above the door, cut out a 6cm square window, followed by a 3cm round window right above that. On each side of the door, cut out a window 7cm high, with a top width of 5cm and bottom of 2cm. Save any leftovers. Fill the windows with powdered lollies. Bake, then frost the windows with caster sugar as previously instructed.
  • For roof pieces, roll out two 450g dough portions as instructed previously. Cut out 2 roof pieces using the stencil, then bake as before. For side walls, roll out a 375g dough portion as before. Use the sides stencil to cut out 1 side wall, saving trimmings. Place on a tray with paper, cut out a 10cm wide x 4cm tall window (will make 2 windows with shutters). Mix window trimmings with powdered lollies, fill window. Bake and frost glass as previously done. Repeat with the remaining 375g dough portion.
  • Roll out half the reserved dough as previously done. Use the chimney stencil to cut out the chimney pieces. Cut a 5cm square for the door eave and 2 small right-angled triangles for eave supports. Roll out the remaining dough, sprinkle with cocoa, and incorporate the cocoa into the dough by rolling. Cut out 12 shutter pieces measuring 2cm wide x 7cm high, and 4 shutter pieces measuring 2cm wide x 9cm high. Place on a baking tray. Use a knife to make slats on the shutters. Bake until golden, around 15 minutes.
  • 1. In a food processor, finely process almonds and corn flakes. In a heatproof bowl, melt chocolate, butter, and 1 tsp sea salt flakes over simmering water, ensuring the bowl does not touch the water. Remove from heat once the chocolate is melted, being careful not to overheat. Stir in the almond mixture. Spread the mixture thinly over the walls, excluding windows, using a spatula or knife. Lightly score a brick pattern into the mixture using a knife. Allow it to cool until set.
  • Prepare chocolate roof tiles: Use a black marker to outline 3cm squares on an A4 paper. Place a sheet of baking paper over the marked paper. Melt 1 packet of chocolate melts in a large heatproof bowl. Spread chocolate thinly over the paper, leaving a 3cm border visible at the ends of the squares. Gently shake the paper to even out the chocolate, then generously sprinkle with 100s & 1000s. Let it cool until almost set. Cut along the marked lines to create tiles. Repeat with the remaining melted chocolate and sprinkles to make approximately 80 tiles.
  • Melt 1/2 packet of chocolate melts until smooth. Spread a layer over 1 roof piece and quickly attach tiles using melted chocolate as glue. Assemble the chimney and attach it to the second roof piece. Spread the remaining melted chocolate over the second roof piece, avoiding the chimney, then stick on the remaining tiles.
  • Prepare the chocolate by melting the remaining 1 1/2 packets of chocolate melts as previously instructed. Transfer the melted chocolate into a piping bag and let it cool slightly before use.
  • Secure the long shutters to the front downstairs windows using melted chocolate as glue. Attach shorter shutters to all remaining windows, then affix a second set of shutters to the center of each window. Secure the eave, side supports, and door to the front of the house using small objects like bottle lids to hold them in place while the chocolate sets.
  • Adorn the chimney, front, back, and sides of the house with assorted lollies using melted chocolate as your delightful adhesive.
  • Prepare the gingerbread house structure by piping chocolate along the edges of the walls to seal them together. Prop the walls with weighted boxes to hold in place while the chocolate sets. Spread chocolate over the seams for a smooth finish. Attach the roof pieces with more chocolate and decorate the eaves with licorice ropes. Let the gingerbread house set for up to 2 weeks.

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