Lebkuchenhaus

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp reindeer salt
• 4 tbsp milk
• 2 tsp potash
• 4 tbsp cherry brandy
• 500 g honey
• 2 tbsp powdered sugar (packed)
• 750 g flour
• 1 packet gingerbread spice
• 2 egg yolks
• flour (for the work surface)
• 2 egg whites
• 260 g powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
• blue sugar almonds
• white sugar almonds
• meringue dots
• sugar straw (from a confectioner)
• blue sprinkles

Instructions

1. 1.

   Dissolve the reindeer salt in the milk and the potash in the cherry brandy for the dough. Warm honey, powdered sugar and 50 ml water in a small saucepan and dissolve.

2. 2.

   Mix flour with gingerbread spice, sift and knead with honey and egg yolks in a bowl. First add the reindeer salt with the milk, then the potash with the cherry brandy and knead vigorously. Shape the dough into two equal balls with your hands, wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.

3. 3.

   Roll each half of the dough on a floured surface to about 1/2 cm thickness. Cut out one front and back side, two side pieces, two roof pieces and one base. Before baking cut windows and doors from the respective house parts. Note that the gingerbread rises during baking.

4. 4.

   Cut out chimney, witch, cat and trees from the dough scraps.

5. 5.

   Place the pieces on parchment‑lined trays and bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C (fan 160 °C) for about 15 minutes until medium brown, then cool.

6. 6.

   Beat egg whites with powdered sugar and a few drops of lemon juice into stiff, firm meringue. Fill a piping bag with a round tip and use it to assemble the house, sealing well with the meringue. Attach doors and window shutters with remaining meringue and decorate the house as desired with meringue, almonds, gingerbread figures. Let dry and serve dusted with powdered sugar and sprinkles as snow.