SUGAR COOKIE HOUSE RECIPES

Steps:

• Start by making the cookie part. Whisk the eggs and the sugar together until frothy.
• Heat up the honey in the microwave and stream it into the egg mixture while constantly whisking.
• Separately, sift together the flour, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, kneading until combined.
• Cover with plastic wrap and let sit 12 hours refrigerated.
• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and roll it out into 1/2-centimeter thickness. Using gingerbread house molds, place the pieces on the dough and lightly press. Cut out the impressions of the dough.
• Place the dough into the molds pressing down so there is no air between the bottom of the mold and the dough. The dough should only fill the mold 1/2 to 2/3 full. Smooth out the top.
• Place the molds on a baking sheet and bake 20 to 25 minutes until lightly golden. When done, unmold and let cool on a baking rack. Before completely cooled, cut out any windows with a sharp, serrated knife.
• Using a firm piece of cardboard or plastic, line with aluminum foil to make the base of the cookie house.
• To make the glaze, whisk the egg whites and lemon juice together until soft peaks form. Then whisk in the powdered sugar little by little until you get the consistency of toothpaste. Fill a pastry bag with the glaze and a number 2 tip and decorate the cookies as you like.
• Once the glaze is completely dry, put the house together. Where the walls come together at the base, place globs of glaze for them to stick to. It is easier to fill the seams with glaze both inside and outside and then reinforce them with stick pins until the glaze is completely dry. Once dry, remove the stick pins.
• Decorate the outside with candies stuck with more glaze if you wish.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Tint dough with food color as desired. Shape dough into 2 disks, and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
• Roll out 1 disk on a lightly floured piece of parchment to a 1/8- to 1/4-inch thickness. Repeat with remaining disk. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Using a 2 3/4-inch square cutter, cut out squares. Cut some squares in half on the diagonal to form triangles (for roof). Overlap squares and triangles to form houses. Using a small fluted cutter (for window), cut out rounds within roofs where you want "stained glass" to appear. Using a small rectangular cutter (for door), cut out rectangles within houses. Working with dough in a contrasting color, use the same rectangular cutter to cut out puzzle pieces that fit within cutouts. Using a #12 Ateco pastry tip (for door knob), cut out circles. Transfer all shapes and pieces to parchment-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Fit puzzle pieces into cookies. Refrigerate 30 minutes more.
• Bake 4 minutes. Fill windows with candy. Bake until cookies are firm and candies are melted, 5 to 11 minutes more. Transfer sheets to wire racks; let cool completely. Affix circles to doors using a dot of glaze.