Food, Fast Forward

How-To Guide to Hanukkah Gingerbread House

There's Blue M&M's, Sno-Caps and a Vanilla Taffy Mezuzah

By Liz Alpern

(Page 2 of 2)

Edible Hanukkah House

4 egg whites 1 tsp cream of tartar
4 cups confectioners sugar
1 box graham crackers (14 oz.)
6 pint-sized milk cartons or orange juice cartons

Candy for decoration:
Colored sprinkles
Hanukkah gelt
Hanukkah candles
Dreidels
Blue M&M’s
Shredded coconut
Sno-Caps
These are only suggestions. Get creative!

1) Begin by taking out all of your supplies. Separate your candy into small bowls.

2) Now, make the icing. Combine confectioners sugar, egg whites and cream of tartar in a large mixing bowl and beat on high with an electric hand mixer or the paddle fixture of a stand mixer until frosting forms stiff peaks and is very thick (about 7 minutes). Cover mixing bowl with a towel during mixing to keep from tossing sugar all over your kitchen. Once icing is done, keep the bowl covered with a damp towel at all times to ensure a moist and soft icing/glue throughout the process.

3) Prepare a solid, movable surface for your house, either a piece of cardboard covered in aluminum foil or a flat plate covered with a doily.

4) Using a rubber spatula or a pastry bag filled with icing, “glue” down two cartons next to each other by slathering the bottoms with icing. Working one side at a time, cover cartons with glue/icing, and stick a full-size graham cracker on each side. Be generous with your glue. Depending on the height of your cartons, you may need to glue on an additional half-cracker to cover the surfaces. For the pieces on the front and back of the house, you will want to chop off the top corners to fit with the slope of the roof. (Optional: If you are aiming for a lightly sloped roof, cut off the top of the milk carton.)

5) Once the cartons have been covered completely with graham crackers, let the house dry for at least 10 minutes so the pieces are secure.

6) Begin decorating piece by piece and have fun! The structures are sturdier than you think, so don’t be afraid to cover every inch.

7) Finish the scene by covering your base with icing and sprinkling shredded coconut across the surface for a snow-like effect.