Gingerbread Boxes

By kmad

Ingredients

• 7 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 4 tsp. ground ginger
• 3 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 2-1/2 tsp. ground allspice
• 1-1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup molasses - unsulphured

Details

Servings 12

Preparation

Step 1

Instructions:
1. Sift together flour, baking soda & baking powder in a bowl.

2. In another bowl, use a mixer to cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Blend in spices and salt. Add eggs and molasses. Pour in flour mixture and mix on low-speed setting until the dough comes together.

3. Divide dough in thirds and roll each piece to a 1/8" thickness between 2 pieces of parchment paper. Chill on cookie sheet for 45 minutes.

4. Heat oven to 350ºF. Remove one batch of chilled dough from refrigerator. Using 3" square cookie cutter, cut out 4 squares for each box. Using 3.5" square cookie cutter, cut out 2 squares for each box. Remove excess dough to re-roll and use for additional cookies. Refrigerate cut dough for 15-20 min., or until it is firm.

5. Bake until crisp (about 8-10 minutes). Cool on wire racks. Repeat until all dough has been used.

ROYAL ICING INSTRUCTIONS:
- 4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
- 6 Tbs. water
- 3 Tbs. meringue powder

Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on low speed until all ingredients are moistened, scraping down the sides of the bowl often during mixing. Beat on medium-high speed for about 7 - 10 minutes or until the icing is thick and glossy. Use immediately or cover tightly with plastic wrap.

2. Transfer 1 cup icing to a squeeze bottle fitted with a small plain tip (tip number

3. When not using bottle, place, tip side down, in a tall glass with a damp paper towel in the bottom so icing doesn't harden in tip. NOTE: Royal icing will soften slightly upon standing. If necessary, beat the Royal Icing again with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until the mixture is thick.

GINGERBREAD BOXES - Part II, MAKING THE BOXES

To create the box pieces:
1. Make your favorite gingerbread recipe according to instructions.

2. Cut out chilled dough with square cookie cutter and bake as directed. You will need 6 squares for each box.

3. Make sure all pieces have cooled completely before using, preferably overnight.
Note: It is easier to decorate the sides and tops of the gingerbread boxes BEFORE they are assembled.

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Prepare the Royal Icing Recipe. For icing to be used to ice the sides and box tops, take a portion of the prepared stiff icing and thin it out with water until it is the consistency of heavy cream. Make sure you leave at least 1 1/2 cups of stiff icing un-colored to use as "glue" when assembling the boxes. Tint the thinned icing using gel or paste food coloring as desired.

2. Place each color of icing in squeeze bottle fitted with a round tip. Place the stiff white Royal Icing in a pastry bag fitted with a round tip that has a 3/8-inch opening. Arrange baked pieces on a counter or work surface so that when the icing has been added, the boxes can be easily assembled.

RED & SILVER DRAGEE BOX
1. Select the four sides of the box plus the box top for icing. You do not need to ice the box bottom. Hold the squeeze bottle filled with red icing at a 45 degree angle and touch the tip to the cookie.

2. Gently squeeze the bottle to draw a thin line of icing around the perimeter of the square. This outline will act as a dam so that the interior filling icing will not run over the edge of the cookie.

3. Once you have outlined all of the sides and the top of the box, fill the interior of each square with the icing.

4. After you have completed filling the cookie squares with icing, gently drop assorted sized dragees into the icing. You want to do this while the icing is still wet so that the dragees will dry in the icing. Allow each cookie to dry overnight. Make sure to decorate all four sides plus each box top with dragees. You do not need to decorate the box bottom.

RUBBER STAMPED & WAFER PAPER BOXES
1. Prepare a batch of white royal icing by thinning it as instructed above. Place in a squeeze bottle fitted with a round tip. Select the four sides of the box plus the box top for icing. You do not need to ice the box bottom.

2. To ice the cookies, hold the bottle at a 45 degree angle, touch the tip to the cookie and gently squeeze the bottle to draw a thin line of icing around the perimeter of the square. This outline will act as a dam so that the interior filling icing will not run over the edge of the cookie. Once you have outlined all of the sides and the top of the box, fill the interior of each square with the icing.

3. After you have completed filling the cookie with icing, allow each cookie to dry overnight before stamping or affixing decorative wafer paper designs.

For Rubber Stamping – You will need to make an edible ink stamp pad. We used a sheet of 8" x 10" dry rubber stamp felt pad, available at craft stores. It accepts all types of dye ink, solvent or water-based and is perfect for liquid gel food coloring. You simply cut a piece from the pad to match the size of your stamp and apply a generous amount of liquid/gel food color to the felt side of the pad. The foam backing will help to protect your work surface while providing slip resistance for ease of inking and stamping. When you are finished stamping, store inked pads in a re-sealable bag and reuse as needed.

Before you start to stamp your cookies, make sure your royal icing is dry. Tap your stamp on the inked pad several times. Check the stamp to see that it is fully inked. Repeat if necessary. Carefully position the stamp above the area you wish to stamp and gently but firm press down. Quickly take the stamp off the cookie. Take care not to press the stamp onto the cookie with too much pressure or your cookie will crack. Stamp each side of your box as desired. Allow to dry.

For Wafer Paper Designs –The royal icing must be completely dry for best results. Simply spread a thin layer of lightcorn syrup to the back of your cut out paper design and then apply to the cookie. To ensure a smooth finish, turn the cookie over, wafer paper side down, on a piece of parchment paper for approximately 30 minutes. To completely dry, turn the cookie design side up for 12 hours. You can add a 3 dimensional effect by adding small sugar pearls, dragees, sugar decorations or edible glitter. To adhere, just use a small dot of clear piping gel.

To assemble the box pieces:
1. To assemble the gingerbread boxes, place the stiff white Royal Icing in a pastry bag fitted with a round tip that has a 3/8-inch opening. Arrange baked pieces on a counter or work surface so that when the icing has been added, the boxes can be easily assembled.

2. For each box, place the larger 3.5" square, smooth side up, on the counter or work surface. Lay a smaller 3" side piece, smooth side down, on each of the four sides of the base. Pipe white Royal Icing along the sides and lower edges of each of the side pieces. Pipe the white Royal Icing along each edge of the base. Bring the two adjacent sides of the box up so that the corners meet and the lower edge is sitting on the base of the box. Hold the sides in place for 30 seconds or until they will stand upright on their own.

3. Bring up the remaining two sides to complete the box. Hold the sides in place until the box can support itself (about 1 to 2 minutes). Pipe additional Royal Icing on the top and corners of each box as desired. Support them by using drinking glasses or similar object to hold them upright until completely dry, about 3 hours.

4. Decorate the 3.5" lid as desired and allow to dry.