I make the gingerbread house for Ett Hem in Stockholm.¹ It’s always based on the hotel, but one year it might be more realistic, another more playful. I love to add all the charming little details: the street sign on the corner of the building, the little balcony, the Christmas lights. 

How long a gingerbread house stays edible will depend on how clean your house is—sugary surfaces attract a lot of dust from the air. A couple of weeks over the holidays should be fine, but there might be a reason someone implemented the tradition of breaking our gingerbread houses on tjugondag Knut (20 days after Christmas).

GINGERBREAD DOUGH:
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
2 cups (700g) golden syrup
1¾ cups (400g) salted butter
3 eggs
9½ cups (1,200g) all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
2¼ teaspoons (10g) baking soda
1½ tablespoons (20g) ground cinnamon
1½ tablespoons (20g) ground cloves
2¼ teaspoons (10g) ground ginger
¼ teaspoon (1g) salt

ICING:
3 egg whites (90g) 
3 to 4 cups (600 to 800g) powdered sugar  

CARAMEL:
1½ cups (300g) granulated sugar

To make the gingerbread dough: In a medium saucepan, melt the sugar, golden syrup and butter together over low heat, stirring occasionally. Once melted, remove from the heat and allow to cool before whisking in the eggs. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and salt and pour the liquid mixture into the center. Mix together with a wooden spoon, then knead the dough in the bowl by hand for a few minutes with your hands. Knead by hand for another minute on a lightly floured surface until it is shiny and smooth. Cut into equal parts and flatten them to be 1/16-inch (2 to 3 mm) thick. Wrap these pieces carefully in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least an hour. 

Preheat the oven to 340°F (170° C). While still cold, use a rolling pin to roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface and cut approximately ½ inch (1 cm) outside your template (these can easily be found online), as the cookies will shrink slightly in the oven. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the cookie pieces on the baking sheets, taking care to not place different sized pieces on the same baking sheet as they require different baking times. Bake one piece at a time for between 10 and 12 minutes, or until golden brown—it’s important that the gingerbread is properly baked so it doesn’t soften. Remove from the oven, carefully cut out any windows using a sharp knife, and leave to cool completely.

To make the icing: In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites and powdered sugar until firm. Add to a piping bag.

To make the caramel: Heat a frying pan—ideally one that is large enough for you to dip the ends of the gingerbread pieces in—over medium heat and sprinkle on thin layers of the sugar until it melts. Continue until all the sugar is a caramel color, stir occasionally with a wooden spoon and reduce to the lowest heat to ensure the caramel stays hot while you assemble the house. 

To assemble: Prepare the cutting board or tray you will build your house on and make sure you have all the parts of the house in front of you before you begin. Do any decorating before you start to assemble—it is much easier to do detailed works with the pieces lying flat. 

Dip one of the sides of the pieces that you want to join together in the hot caramel (if your pan is not big enough, use a wooden spatula to spread the caramel), push the pieces together and hold until the caramel sets. Start with the walls and once they have been joined, take some extra caramel to set the house firmly on the base. Then connect one piece of the roof at a time. Do not apply too much caramel at once, as it can soften the gingerbread, and try to work “inside” the house to minimize the caramel that’s visible from the outside.