Gingerbread Exchange Community

I decided to make a gingerbread house for the first time this year; I've always been fascinated by cooking and miniatures, and combining the two was a match made in heaven!

I wanted to start simple this year, and progressively add to my skills as time goes by.  Right now I just kind of wanted to write my thoughts down as I go and throw some ideas out there for discussion (and help!  I'm sure I will need lots of advice as the process continues...).  Then I have a record of what I did for this year, and ideas about what to try for next year.

I made a simple pattern based off an old dairy barn with a gambrel roof.  Six rectangles of various sizes, and two more complicated "faces".  I trimmed a few scrap pieces into what will hopefully become a cupola.  It took me two or three tries to get the sizes right, but I am pleased with it.  Today I made king arthur flour's construction gingerbread recipe, cut and baked my pieces, and they are cooling on the counter overnight.

Things I've learned today:

1) Multiple small pieces in regular shapes are much easier to roll and cut than the larger odd-shaped ends to my barn.

2) Those little thickness-measuring rings that can be stretched over the rolling pin are a lifesaver.

3) For bigger pieces, a chunk of wooden dowel or a straight pin without handles would be better than my teflon pin.

4) Anybody ever tried to roll out strips of dough using a pasta machine?  I think it would make rolling even, long rectangles of dough easier and faster than using a rolling pin.

5) Find a new dough recipe:  kaf recipes don't usually steer me wrong, but this one did.  I have puffy, unevenly-baked pieces of thin bread, despite following the instructions carefully.  I was expecting something crisper, textured more like a cracker or a tough pie crust.

6) Cutting windows and doors into my dough before it bakes is easier than doing it afterwards; leaving the pieces in the holes kept the edges from burning.

7) Should I trim my pieces back to template size after they have baked?  Or should I just use the royal icing glue to cover any spreading or inconsistencies?

Find a way to make sharper corners.  Caveat:  smaller pieces are easier to cut, but tiny pieces distort easily.

9) Get rimless baking pans, so I can roll pieces directly onto the pans and not have to mess with carefully transferring from counter to pan and back.

My plans for tomorrow involve baking the pieces a second time to crisp them up...longer and at a lower temperature.  I am planning on also taking the opportunity to make window-glass by either melting candy in the windows, or using a colored sugar mixture to get the same effect.

I know that butterscotch candies make that golden glow of well-lit windows in winter...anyone know if peppermints melt pink or red?  I'm wanting something that is translucent enough to let light through (there is a flameless candle on a timer going in my house to light it), but tinted white, red, or pink instead of yellow.

Any advice/comments/criticisms welcome!

Imalath