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One of the hardest parts about gingerbread house competitions is the Edible Rule. Every contest that I’ve ever competed in requires that every part of the structure (excluding the base) be edible. That rule can limit a lot of creativity. It’s hard to get food to stand on its own. Luckily, there’s a type of icing that dries rock hard and is pretty much magic. I call it “cement” or “glue” icing, but it’s also referred to as royal icing.
The recipe is fairly simple, but it can be a pain in the you know what to get the consistency right. If you prefer a recipe that doesn’t use cream of tartar, you can try my other Royal Icing Recipe. If I’m being completely honest, I prefer it to this one now.
Ingredients:
2 Cups Confectioner’s Sugar (powdered sugar)
1/4 Teaspoon Cream of Tartar
2 Teaspoons Meringue Powder
2 Tablespoons Water
(If you do not have meringue powder, you can use one egg white instead of the powder and water. I just prefer using the meringue powder because it’s easier to control.)
Instructions:
Mix all the ingredients together at the same time. Use an electric beater to mix until the icing forms peaks. It will be fairly thick. You can thin it out with water or thicken it with more confectioner’s sugar.
I use it to glue my structure together. I even use it to create some of my decorations. It colors easily and can be stored for several days. Just put it in a shallow bowl with cling wrap on top of it. It keeps best when the cling wrap is actually touching the icing. That keeps the air out. I put it in pastry bags with tips so it’s easy to use.
I usually keep my icing white when I’m using it for recreational purposes. My houses usually have a Christmas theme to them, so the icing just looks like snow. If you don’t want all your seams and borders to be white, you can always color the icing. Giving it a brown color would help it blend in with the gingerbread.
I used about five batches of icing on my gingerbread house this year. It was nuts! (Pun intended)
Other Gingerbread Posts:
Gingerbread Recipe (for eating)
Construction Grade Gingerbread Recipe (edible but not for eating – just hardcore building)
“Glue” Icing Recipe (Royal Icing)
Royal Icing Recipe (Different Ingredients)
Edible Tylose Glue Recipe (Clear)
Reindeer Playing Poker (National Competition 3rd Place Winner)
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