Make a Gingerbread Potting Shed

This simple structure and just a few decorations are all you need for an adorable gingerbread potting shed.

You will need: gingerbread dough (follows)/ rolling pin/ gingerbread template (follows)/ knife/ circle cookie cutters/ food dye/ buttercream or frosting of choice/ piping bags/ assorted tips as desired, sheet cake (optional)/ light corn syrup/ shredded coconut/ Make the gingerbread by whisking together 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons ground ginger, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl mix together 1 cup unsalted butter (room temperature), 1 cup packed light brown sugar, and 1 large egg (room temperature) beating until smooth on medium speed. Add 1 cup unsulfured molasses and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Beat until light and fully (about 5 minutes). Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and beat until fully incorporated. Cover bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to one week. Preheat oven to 350˚F before rolling out.

Use this template to make your gingerbread pieces. Roll out the prepared dough to 1/4 inch thickness on a lightly floured work surface. Cut out your template pieces.

Using the template pieces as your guide, cut out the dough pieces with a sharp knife. To prevent sticking you may want to dip the end of the knife in flour. Carefully transfer the cut-out pieces to a parchment lined baking sheet leaving a couple of inches of space between pieces. Bake the pieces for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. Allow to cool completely on the tray. The pieces are ready to use within about an hour, but would be better if left to dry out for a day.