Q1: What is the absolute, number one secret to a sturdy gingerbread house that doesn't collapse?

The secret is a combination of a good, sturdy gingerbread dough and a strong "glue." A gingerbread dough that is specifically for construction will have a lower amount of leavening and a higher amount of flour, which will make it less likely to spread. Using melted candy wafers as your adhesive is a fantastic trick because it sets up much faster and much harder than a traditional royal icing.

Q2: Can I make this haunted gingerbread house ahead of time for a party?

Yes, absolutely! This is a perfect make-ahead project. You can bake the pieces one weekend, and then assemble and decorate the house the next. The finished house will be a fantastic centerpiece for your party.

Q3: Can I use a different kind of cookie dough?

For the most stable and sturdy construction, a classic gingerbread is the best choice. However, you could also use a sturdy, no-spread sugar cookie dough or a chocolate cookie dough for a different but equally spooky look.

Q4: Do I really have to re-cut the cookie pieces after they have baked?

It is highly recommended ! This simple, professional baker's secret is the absolute key to getting perfectly straight, sharp edges on your cookie pieces. This will make the final assembly of the house a much easier and more seamless process.

Q5: What is the best way to melt the candy wafers without them burning?

The best way is to use the microwave in short, 30-second intervals . Be sure to stir the wafers well after each interval, even if they don't look completely melted. The residual heat will continue to melt them, and stirring will ensure they melt evenly without scorching.

DIY Haunted Gingerbread House terpiece!

DIY Haunted Gingerbread House (The Ultimate Halloween Centerpiece!)

An elaborate and festive recipe for creating a completely edible ‘Haunted Gingerbread House,’ perfect as a showstopper centerpiece for a Halloween party. The project begins with a from-scratch, spiced gingerbread cookie dough, which is cut using a template and baked to form the walls and roof of the house. The house is then assembled using melted candy wafers as ‘glue’ and placed on a landscape of ‘dirt’ made from crushed chocolate cookies. The detailed spooky decorations are all homemade, including cereal ‘roof tiles,’ candy ‘windows’ and a ‘door,’ green candy ‘monster arms,’ candy ‘pumpkins,’ chocolate ‘trees,’ a pretzel ‘ladder,’ and a ‘graveyard’ made from chocolate bars.

Author: Grace

Ingredients

For the Gingerbread Cookie Dough:
3 1/2 to 4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
For Assembly & Decorations:
12 ounces white candy melting wafers
1 cup ready-made chocolate frosting
12 cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed
2 cups woven corn cereal squares
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
12 ounces black candy melting wafers
Candy buttons and candy eyeballs
Black food color marker
3 ounces green candy melting wafers & 1/4 cup green sanding sugar
3 ounces orange candy melting wafers
Chocolate sprinkles, chocolate chews, gumballs
3 chocolate-filled rolled wafer cookies & black sanding sugar
4 pretzel sticks
3 chocolate snack cake cupcakes
2 mini break-apart chocolate bars

Instructions

Make and Bake the Gingerbread: Make a spiced gingerbread dough and chill for 30 minutes. Roll the dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Using a printed template, cut out the shapes for the house walls and roof. Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes. While still warm, re-cut the shapes using the templates for clean edges. Let cool completely.
Assemble the House: Melt the white candy wafers. Use the melted candy as ‘glue’ to assemble the four walls of the house on a large cake board or platter that has been frosted and covered with crushed cookie ‘dirt.’ Let the walls set for 10 minutes.
Attach the two roof pieces with more melted candy, holding them in place until they set.
Decorate the House: Coat the corn cereal squares in cocoa powder. Use melted candy to ‘glue’ the cereal squares onto the roof in overlapping rows to create ’tiles.’
Make the windows and door by melting black candy wafers and piping them into shapes on parchment paper, following a template. Attach them to the house with more melted candy. Create fanged details on the door with white melted candy.
Create ‘monster arms’ from melted green candy and decorate with sanding sugar and chocolate sprinkle ‘claws.’ Attach them to the sides of the house.
Create ‘boards’ for the windows from flattened chocolate chews.
Create the Landscape: Make ‘pumpkins’ by dipping gumballs in melted orange candy. Make ‘scary trees’ by covering rolled wafer cookies in melted black candy and black sanding sugar; stand them up in upside-down snack cakes. Make ‘tombstones’ from pieces of a chocolate bar set in dabs of frosting. Arrange all decorations around the house.
Add final details like piped spiderwebs and drawn-on cracks with a food color marker.

Notes

Special Equipment: This project requires a 14-inch cake board, disposable piping bags, and printable templates for the house pieces.
This is a large, multi-day edible craft project that requires significant time for assembly and for the various candy components to set.
Re-cutting the gingerbread pieces while they are still warm is a key professional tip that ensures all the pieces will fit together perfectly.
Melted candy wafers are the primary ‘glue’ used for all assembly and decoration.

Find it online: https://www.eatswithsoul.com/haunted-gingerbread-house-terpiece/