Before the holidays, I had purchased one of those mini gingerbread house cookie cutters
that attach to your mug *(mine,
a smaller version
or there are
templates online),
that have been circulating the interwebs for the last few years.
Last holiday season, I purchased a couple of pre-made mini houses from Anthropologie, but this year I was ready to try them on my own.
It arrived as I was in the midst of planning Henry's first birthday,
a lumberjack theme. It occurred to me that it would be a great
addition to the cocoa bar I was planning, if I could figure out how to do a little cabin instead of the classic gingerbread house.
We had quite a crowd for the party and I ran out of time, so I didn't end up completing them until a few days after. For the benefit of
others planning a similar party, I have attached the recipe for both the cocoa I used at the party (thank you to my amazing SIL for completing this task) and the gingerbread and icing recipes used to make the Lincoln log inspired log cabin.
If I hadn't done the "create your own trail mix" bar, I would have done these as a favor. The cookie cutter I purchased from Etsy made a little bit bigger version and just barely fit the camping mug,
so keep that in mind when planning.
* Disclaimer: This post contains some affiliate links, which means I receive a percentage of the proceeds if you make a purchase using these links. I do own these products, think they are great, and purchased them with my own hard earned cash :)
(Mary's Making is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to my Amazon. )
Lumberjack Cocoa & Mini Gingerbread Log Cabin
Recipe for cocoa and mini log cabin gingerbread house. By Marysmaking
Prep time: - Cook time: - Total time: Yield:8S
Ingredients
For Cocoa (Serves About 8)
- 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 t salt
- 2/3 cup boiling water
- 7 cups milk
- 1.5 cup cream
- 1.5 t vanilla
For Gingerbread (Makes about 10 - 12 houses)
- 1 cup shortening
- 1 cup unsulphered molasses
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 t salt
- 1 t baking powder
- 1 t cinnamon
- 1 t ground ginger
- 5 cups flour
- 4 T water
For Icing
- 2 lbs powdered sugar
- 4 egg whites
- water (start with about 1 cup)
- Directions
For Cocoa
In a saucepan, combine sugar, cocoa, salt and boiling water.
Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer for about 2-3 minutes - stir constantly to avoid burning.
Stir in milk and cream and heat until hot, but not boiling.
Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
Let cool slightly and serve.
For Gingerbread
Heat oven to 350F.
In bowl, mix all ingredients except flour and water on medium high until well combined.
Reduce speed to low and add 1 cup of flour and 1 T of water and alternate until both are gone.
Mix until dough forms.
This recipe does not require chilling, but the dough is a bit sticky so you will need a little extra flour for handling.
On a well-floured surface, roll out dough to about 1/4 inch and then cut out houses.
Bake for about 12 - 15 minutes and let cool completely before decorating.
*This recipe is great for cutouts as it does not puff or change the shape.
It is a little on the harder side, but still edible (especially dunked in cocoa).
For Icing
In mixing bowl, combine egg whites and powdered sugar and mix until completely combined.
Add water to thin out for piping, start with a little bit and add at your discretion.
Color and decorate houses as desired.
*Icing sets up and hardens quickly. I decorated the pieces flat first, let dry and then carefully assemble the houses.
