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1
Put butter in a large bowl and leave to soften in a warm room.
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2
Whisk.
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3
When it is creamy, add powdered sugar in 3 batches, mixing between each addition.
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4
Add more when it's no longer floury.
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5
Don't over-mix.
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6
Add the beaten eggs in 3 batches, mixing between additions.
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7
Make sure the mixture is creamy before adding more.
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8
Sift in the flour, ginger and cinnamon powder.
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9
Mix together using a rubber spatula using a cut-and-fold motion.
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10
Don't knead the dough.
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11
When the dough comes together, take it out onto a piece of plastic wrap, flatten and chill in the refrigerator.
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12
Preheat the oven to 170C.
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13
Make the house shaped box pattern: Make 2 of the roof parts - 8 x 11.5 cm.
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14
Make a diagonal cut from the midpoint of the 8 cm (4 cm) side.
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15
Make the floor and side walls.
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16
The side wall patterns are 4 x 4 cm, and the floor pattern are 5 x 11.5 cm.
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17
Rub the dough lightly to even it out.
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18
Roll out to 4 mm thickness.
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19
If it's hard to roll, sandwich between parchment paper.
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20
Cut the dough following the house pattern parts cut in Step 5.
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21
Cut out the rest in any shapes you like.
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22
If the dough becomes too soft, chill it again in the refrigerator.
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23
Transfer the pieces on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
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24
Bake the large box parts for 20 minutes at 170C.
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25
Bake the smaller 4 cm square parts for about 17 minutes.
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26
Bake the smaller pieces for a shorter time.
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27
While the cookies cool, make the decorative icing.
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28
Please adjust the amount depending on how much you need.
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29
Make a well in the powdered sugar, and drop the egg white, mixing gradually from the center.
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30
Adjust the consistency.
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31
It should be smooth when you drizzle.
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32
There is food coloring specifically for icing, or you can use normal food coloring powders.
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33
I used black cocoa for black icing.
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34
Put the icing in a piping bag, and draw the outlines first.
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35
When the outlines have hardened a bit, fill it in with slightly looser icing using a spoon or the piping bag.
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36
Let the icing harden.
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37
Colored ones are done the same way.
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38
When the icing has hardened, decorate it by piping on more icing, or use dragees or other edible decorations.
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39
If you draw on Christmas colored icing with contrasting colored icing, it looks like this.
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40
If you add extra icing before the base icing has hardened, the added icing will sink to the same level as the base.
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41
You can also show the natural color of the cookies instead of covering with icing, by drawing on patterns and so forth.
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42
It's up to you.
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43
Even if you don't have Christmas themed cookie cutters, you can use hearts, stars or circles, or if you don't have any cutters at all, just cut them out into squares.
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44
You can make them Christmassy with icing.
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45
Decorate the cookie house shaped box parts with icing.
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46
When the icing had hardened, assemble the parts using stiff icing as glue.
