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Halloween Gingerbread Houses
I know most people usually make gingerbread houses just at Christmas time. But in our house, we find any excuse to play with icing and sprinkles. If they made gingerbread houses for Flag Day, we would be all over that.
Now comes the full disclosure part. Yes, I did go to culinary school. Yes, I did work in several pastry departments and bakeries. So, making gingerbread houses from scratch is not that daunting. But let me tell you what IS daunting: trying to make gingerbread houses from scratch with the schedule that I have now. While I am not the busiest of people, the thought of adding this task to my To-Do list overwhelms me.
Enter the wonderful concept of pre-made gingerbread house kits! These kits have been out for a while for the Christmas gingerbread houses, but did you know that they also have many different kits for Halloween gingerbread houses now? It is amazing. So many of your favorite treat companies now make their own version of these edible Halloween houses. But my favorite has become the ones at Trader Joe’s (which you can easily pick up when you are already there shopping for all of your favorite seasonal pumpkin goodies).
The reason this one is my favorites is because I seriously am already at Trader Joe’s trying to grab the seasonal treats as soon as they come out. So when I see these stacked up, I can easily grab two (one for each kid, of course – let’s not start fights). And I honestly think I bought them for only $8.99 each. Can’t beat that! And they come with everything you would need to easily assemble the house.
Now I will say there are a few adjustments that I have learned to make in this process. For example, I usually don’t get it together in time to assemble these houses with icing and have them dry before letting the kids decorate. Thus, I totally recommend grabbing that hot glue gun and gluing the house together. Takes almost no time, and the house is much more stable. I also use the cardboard that was included in the kit as the base for the house. And yes, I recommend gluing the house bottom to the cardboard. Makes it easier to relocate the house later on.
I have also learned that no matter what directions they give you, those pouches of decorating icing do not work. They are a challenge to get out of the bag, and nothing will stay put. So, I make a batch of royal icing for my kids to use instead. I can color the icing to their liking, and it dries hard so whatever they stick to it is still there weeks later. It takes a little extra time, but it is totally worth it. It still is less time than making the house from scratch. And royal icing lasts for a while in the fridge, so it is also something that you could do in the days prior.
I now put the icing in piping bags and tape the tops to secure (I attempted to use clips once and that did not end well). My kids have learned enough that they are comfortable using the bags. Prior to this, I put the icing in small squeeze bottles which seemed to work well. If you do not have piping bags on hand, a plastic zip top bag will do just fine.
And because this house LOVES sprinkles, we happen to have an abundance always on hand. I use these handy mini muffin tins to keep them organized (those tins are GREAT to have around – I use them often with arts and crafts). We also throw in some candy too – but only for the decorating! (I know they sneak a few when I’m not looking, though).
Then I just set them up and let them get to it. They work at the kitchen table, so I usually throw on a holiday movie while they work – just for inspiration. This year, it was Hocus Pocus, of course!
Now please don’t think I am presenting this picture of my kids being able to completely work on these by themselves. While they do most of the work on their own, there are still issues and questions that need to be addressed. So, I stay close by so I can help them when they need it, but also so that it is a bit of a family affair. Talking with them about what they are doing is a lot of fun – they have such imaginations! I am impressed with their creativity and their ability to stay so focused. My son usually checks out after about an hour and a half. But I have seen my daughter sitting there for hours, completely engrossed in the project. It is definitely a fun holiday tradition in our house. Hopefully you can add it to your list, too!
