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1
Using an electric mixer, cream the shortening and sugar together until light and fluffy.
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2
Add the egg, molasses, and vinegar and beat on high speed to blend thoroughly.
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3
Sift together 4 cups of the flour and the baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves.
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4
Add the dry ingredients to the creamed shortening and sugar and mix to make a firm, manageable dough, adding more flour if needed.
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5
Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for 3 hours or until firm.
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6
Preheat the oven to 375F.
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7
Lightly grease 1 or 2 baking sheets.
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8
Spray a rolling pin with cooking spray and lightly flour your work surface.
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9
Roll the dough to 1/8-inch thickness and cut it into desired shapes with a knife or cookie cutters.
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10
(You can reroll the scraps to make a few more cookies.)
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11
Place the cookies 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 5 to 6 minutes.
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12
Cool the cookies for 2 minutes on the cookie sheet before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
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13
Beat the egg whites and 1/3 cup of the sugar with a wire whisk or the whisk attachment on your mixer.
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14
Add another 1/3 cup sugar and the cream of tartar and beat 10 minutes longer.
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15
Add the remaining sugar and beat until the mixture is smooth and thick.
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16
The icing can be tinted as desired with food coloring.
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17
Keep the bowl and the decorator tips covered with a moist cloth to prevent the icing from hardening prematurely.
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18
To make gingerbread house sections, spray the back of a jelly roll pan and a rolling pin with cooking spray.
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19
Roll out the dough to 1/8-inch thickness and place on the back of the jelly roll pan.
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20
Cut out the desired shapes for the walls and roof, then remove the trimmings (you can save and reroll these scraps for cookies or additional house embellishments) and bake for 5 to 6 minutes.
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21
Cool for 2 minutes on the pan before carefully removing to a cooling rack.
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22
Cool completely before assembling the gingerbread house.
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23
Use Royal Icing (see recipe above) to glue the gingerbread house together and to decorate the cookies.
