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1
Preheat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas mark 4.
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2
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
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3
Add the egg yolks and beat well.
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4
Gradually add the sifted dry ingredients and syrup and mix well.
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5
Knead the dough lightly and divide it into portions for rolling out.
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6
Roll out the dough onto baking parchment to 5mm ( 1/4 inch) thick.
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7
Use my template (see link in intro) to help you cut out the structure of the house with a knife.
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8
If there is any dough left, make a gingerbread family using gingerbread people cutters.
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9
Line several baking trays with baking parchment and carefully place all parts onto the baking trays.
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10
Cut out two small square-shaped windows into the sides of the house and the front, leaving room in the middle of the front for the front door.
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11
Cut out a heart from the front and place a red boiled sweet in it onto the baking tray.
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12
Place orange boiled sweets in the windows onto the baking trays.
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13
Bake for 10 minutes until browned and hardened.
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14
Cool on a wire rack.
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15
Gently cut out a door on the front in between the two windows while still warm, and leave covered overnight to harden and dry out ready for assembling your gingerbread house.
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16
The next day, make your royal icing which will act as a cement to stick your house together and to decorate your house and gingerbread family.
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17
In a bowl, using the whisk attachment of an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until frothy.
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18
Add the sifted icing sugar gradually, beating well between each addition.
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19
Then beat in lemon juice until thickened and at a consistency suitable for piping.
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20
Fill a small piping bag with the royal icing and snip a small hole at the end.
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21
Before sticking the house together, you need to decorate the roof and pipe on the window panes.
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22
Wait until the decoration dries before moving to step 8.
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23
Get a plate or cake stand for your gingerbread house to sit on.
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24
Cut a large snip into the piping bag filled with royal icing.
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25
Start by piping the icing onto the edges of each side, front and back and the bottom of each piece to stick them down, then leave for 1 hour to set.
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26
When you have stuck all of the walls together, carefully stick the first half of the roof on.
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27
Hold in place until it has set, then repeat on the other side.
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28
Leave to set for a few hours, then stick the chimney on using icing.
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29
Finish by piping more icing around the house and on the roof and chimney to look like snow.
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30
Decorate with candy canes and boiled sweets for the roof.
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31
Place the door in position and finally, dust with icing sugar to look like freshly fallen snow.
