A Child's Holiday

Materials:

drill
3/4" x 3/4" lengths of pine
half-inch wooden dowel
miter saw
miter box
sandpaper
wood glue
lollipops

1. Using the miter saw and miter box, cut the tree limbs to length (figure A). Begin with two 12-inch pieces; cut subsequent pieces 1/2 inch shorter than the previous piece (11-1/2", 11", 10-1/2" and so on) until you end up with a one-inch piece at the top (figure B).

Dough Recipe:

1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar (fine white)
3/4 cup light molasses
1 egg
2-1/2 to 3 cups flour, sifted
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1-1/2 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cloves

Stir together melted shortening, sugar and molasses. Add the egg. Add dry ingredients and mix well. This recipe will make enough dough for one cottage.

Bake at 350 degrees--10 minutes for small pieces, 15 to 20 minutes for larger pieces.

(Note: Make half the recipe, substituting dark molasses for the light molasses, to make battens on the cottage.)

Royal Icing

2 lbs. powdered sugar
6 Tbs. meringue powder
12 Tbs. warm water

Mix on medium speed approximately 10 minutes. Keep covered with damp cloth when working with royal icing, since it dries quickly.

Sugar Glass Windows

2 cups sugar (fine white)
1/4 cup water
3 Tbs. lemon juice (keeps mixture clear)

Place water and sugar plus lemon juice in a pot and cook to soft crack stage (300 degrees F/140 degrees C) on candy thermometer. Before you assemble the sides of the gingerbread house, cover the backs of all windows with aluminum foil and tape to gingerbread. Put gingerbread sections on a hard cold surface facing up. Pour cooked glass mixture carefully into the windows. Fill only to the edge, not over. Let mixture set in windows for a half-hour, then carefully peel off the aluminum foil.

Steps for making ornaments:

1. Roll out your favorite gingerbread dough onto parchment paper.
2. Use cookies cutters to cut out gingerbread people shapes (figure G).