If the words "gingerbread house" make you think of a structure as daunting as the one Hansel and Gretel stumbled on, take a look here. This charming cottage is actually quite simple to assemble thanks to Kari von Wening, the owner of Takes the Cake Bakery in Pasadena, California. Every holiday season she turns out literally hundreds of decorative gingerbread structures, and over time she has figured out the easiest way to go about building them.
 

From the: Bon Appetit Cooking Class
 

.........DOUGH
................6 3/4 ..cups all purpose flour
................4 1/2 ..teaspoons ground ginger
................1 1/2 ..teaspoons ground cinnamon
................1 1/2 ..teaspoons baking soda
................1 1/2 ..teaspoons salt
................3/4 .....teaspoon ground cardamom
................1 1/2 ..cups solid vegetable shortening
................1 1/2 ..cups sugar
................3 ........large eggs
...............3/4 .....cup robust (dark) molasses

.........Sift flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and cardamom into medium bowl.

.........Using electric mixer, beat shortening in large bowl until fluffy.
.........Add sugar and beat to blend.
.........Beat in eggs 1 at a time. 

.........Add molasses and beat on high speed until well blended.

.........Add dry ingredients in 4 additions, beating at low speed until dough forms.

.........Divide dough into 6 equal pieces.
.........Flatten each piece into rectangle.
.........Wrap each in plastic and refrigerate until firm enough to roll, at least 6 hours.
.........(Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.)
.........

6 cardboard sheets (about 15x15 inches)

On 1 cardboard sheet, draw a 14-inch round and cut out, making base for house.

On 1 cardboard sheet, draw a 7x10-inch rectangle and cut out for side of house. 

Draw a 12x9-inch rectangle on cardboard sheet and cut out, making the roof template.

Draw on carboard the front of the house, 9in. wide, 9in. sides, 10in. to point and cut out.
 

1 roll kitchen parchment (at least 10 yards long — sold at cookware stores and at some supermarkets)
1 1/2-inch round cookie cutter for roof tiles
Assorted cookie cutters (such as Christmas tree, gingerbread man, and star)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Roll out 1 dough piece (keep remaining dough refrigerated) between two 15-inch-long sheets of parchment to scant 1/4-inch thick rectangle, turning over dough and parchment occasionally. If parchment wrinkles, peel off, smooth wrinkle and reposition parchment over dough; continue to roll out dough to required thickness.

ROOF:
To make roof, place cardboard roof template atop parchment. Using small sharp knife, cut around template through top sheet of parchment to make 6x9-inch rectangle. Peel top parchment off dough. Pull away excess dough from around the rectangle. Slide dough rectangle on its bottom parchment onto heavy large baking sheet. Gather dough scraps; wrap in plastic and refrigerate.

Bake rectangle until dry looking, firm to touch in center and just beginning to darken around edges, about 13 minutes. Slide parchment with rectangle onto rack and cool completely. Rinse baking sheet under cold water to cool; wipe dry.

WALLS:
Repeat rolling, cutting and baking of each remaining 5 large dough pieces, 1 piece at a time, to make second roof section, 2 side walls, front wall and back wall (cut out windows on side walls and door on front wall but not door on back wall). Gather and refrigerate dough scraps for use later and rinse baking sheet to cool each time.

ROOF TILES:
Roll out some of reserved dough scraps between sheets of parchment to 1/8-inch thickness. Peel off top parchment. Using floured 1 1/2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out rounds for roof tiles. Using small knife as aid, cut and pull away dough from between rounds.

Slide parchment with cookie rounds onto cooled baking sheet. Bake cookies until dry looking and firm to touch, about 9 minutes. Slide parchment with cookies onto rack and cool cookies. Working in batches, repeat with more reserved dough to roll, cut and bake a total of 50 round cookies, gathering, wrapping and chilling any dough scraps each time.

Roll out some of reserved dough between sheets of parchment to 1/8-inch thickness.

Cut out 2 1/2x1 1/2-inch rectangle for front door.

Using floured cookie cutters, cut out several stars, gingerbread figures, Christmas trees and other decorative shapes as desired.

Using small knife as aid, pull or cut away dough from around door and between shapes. 

Slide parchment with cookies onto cooled baking sheet.

Bake cookies until dry looking and firm to touch, about 9 minutes.

Slide parchment with cookies onto rack and cool cookies completely.

Remove all baked gingerbread from parchment.

(All gingerbread can be prepared 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)

You will prepare this recipe twice: once for assembling the gingerbread house, and again for decorating it.

...............4 ................large egg whites
...............7 to 7 1/2 ..cups powdered white sugar

Using electric mixer, beat egg whites in medium bowl until very foamy, about 1 minute.

Add 1/2 cup powdered sugar. Beat until well blended.

Add remaining cups sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, beating until well blended after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl occasionally.

Beat icing at high speed until very thick and stiff, about 5 minutes.
(Second batch of icing will be made later.)

..............2 ............................................ .pastry bags
..............1 1/4- to 3/8-inch diameter   plain round pastry tip

FOUNDATION:

Place 14-inch round cardboard base on work surface. 

Spoon some icing into pastry bag fitted with 1/4- to 3/8-inch diameter tip; cover icing in bowl tightly to prevent drying.

Pipe a small dab of icing in center of round. 
Place one 7x10-inch cardboard foundation rectangle on icing; press to adhere.

Pipe small mound of icing in center of rectangle. 
Place second 7x10-inch cardboard rectangle over; press to adhere.

Repeat with more icing and remaining two 7x10-inch rectangles, forming the foundation for house in center of round cardboard base.

WALLS:
Pipe thick line of icing on bottom edge of 1 side wall. Stand wall on cardboard foundation, icing side down, 1 inch in from and parallel to one long side and 2 inches in from one short side; hold for 5 minutes.

Pipe thick line of icing onto front edge of wall. Press back edge of front wall (with door cutout) into icing on front edge of side wall. Hold pieces together for 5 minutes.

Pipe thick line of icing on bottom edge and up front edge of second side wall. Press icing on front edge of side wall into the back edge of front wall, positioning wall parallel to first side wall. Hold for 5 minutes.

Pipe line of icing up back edge of each side wall. Press edges of back wall (without door) into icing, forming the back of the house. Hold 5 minutes to set.

Pipe lines of icing inside house at 4 intersections of walls, along the base and on outside at all vertical joints to reinforce

Pipe a thick line of icing along 1 long edge of front-door cookie. Attach cookie to left side of door opening in front wall, creating an opened front door.

Pipe any icing left in pastry bag back into bowl of icing. Cover tightly; store at room temperature to use for decorating later. Let house stand until icing is completely dry and very hard — about 12 hours.

            Prepare a second batch of icing.

            Beat in any remaining icing from the first batch. Spoon 1 cup icing into pastry
            bag fitted with 1/8-inch diameter tip. Outline windows and front door
            decoratively. Pipe decorations on front and back walls. 

ROOF:
            Spoon icing into a new pastry bag fitted with 1/4- to 3/8-inch diameter plain tip.
            Pipe thick line of icing down 1 diagonal edge of front wall; continue piping icing
            along top edge of adjoining side wall and up diagonal edge of back wall. 

............Press 1 roof rectangle into icing, positioning so that top edge aligns with tops of
            front and back walls and lower edge overhangs side wall by about 1 1/4 inches.
            Hold in position for 5 minutes to set. 

............Pipe additional lines of icing along roof joints inside house to reinforce.

            Pipe thick line of icing down second diagonal edge of front wall; continue piping
            icing along top edge of adjoining side wall and up diagonal edge of back wall.
            Press second roof rectangle into icing, positioning so that top edge aligns with
            edge of first roof rectangle and lower edge overhangs side wall by about 1 1/4
            inches. Hold in position for 5 minutes to set.

            Let house stand until icing hardens, at least 3 hours.

            Cover bowl of icing and let stand at room temperature.

TILES:
            Spoon more icing into pastry bag fitted with 1/4- to 3/8-inch diameter plain tip.
            Pipe small mound of icing in center of underside of 1 round cookie. Align cookie
            edges flush with one bottom corner of roof; press to adhere. Repeat with about 5
            more cookies to form bottom row of roof tiles, cutting end cookie to align with
            edge of roof. 

............Pipe generous mound of icing on upper half of underside of 1 round cookie.
            Position cookie halfway between 2 first row cookies and overlapping them by
            about 3/4-inch. Press icing portion gently onto roof. Repeat with more cookies to
            form second row; cutting cookies to fit at each end. 

............Repeat with more cookies to cover first side of roof. Attach cookies in same way
            on second roof rectangle.

            Using first pastry bag fitted with 1/8-inch-diameter tip, outline the bottom halves
            and cut edges of roof tiles with icing. 

            Spoon icing into pastry bag fitted with 1/4- to 3/8-inch-diameter tip. Pipe 1 or
            more thick lines of frosting between roof sections at top of house, filling opening
            completely. Gently press cut side of peppermint candies in row into icing. 

............Pipe 1 thick vertical line of icing at each corner of house; press 1 trimmed candy
            cane into each.

            Pipe small rounds of icing onto both sides of door for doorknobs and in center of
            each roof tile. Press cinnamon imperials into each round of icing. 

............Using pastry bag fitted with 1/8-inch-diameter tip, pipe small mound of icing onto
            edge of roof. Slowly pull bag downward while squeezing out icing so that about
            3/4- to 1-inch section of icing hangs freely. Pull bag away, leaving "icicle"
            hanging. Repeat at 1/4-inch intervals around roof edge. Pipe decorative line of
            icing along front and back eaves of roof sections. 

............Outline and decorate gingerbread figures, trees, stars and other cookies. (Icing
            may be colored, if desired.) Using back of spoon or flexible spatula, spread icing
            around base of house and on cardboard base, creating "snow-covered"
            landscape.

            Press chocolate nonpareils into icing, making path to front door. Stand decorated
            cookies in icing.