Gingerbread “Lincoln Log” House

How cute is this gingerbread “house?” Maybe, just maybe it’s just my “lazy mom” / “don’t know how to decorate a gingerbread house” self that makes them usually feel so unrealistic & daunting but because I’ve been an admirer for years I thought, “there’s got to be a better way to do gingerbread houses with the kids that doesn’t involve graham crackers.” And then I remembered this old cookie recipe book my mom had. Towards the end was a picture of a gingerbread log cabin. Bingo!

Maybe it’s a case of the “trying to do enough” self rearing it’s ugly head again. But you all get to benefit. And project was actually really fun. I made the gingerbread from scratch which I’m not sure I’d do next time. There’s so many mixes out there, it’d certainly make it easier. Because I have no desire to reinvent the wheel, the recipe I used is from sweet Mary at The Kitchen Paper. It took a recipe and a half to make enough gingerbread for the “lincoln logs,” the roof, and Christmas trees. I used this recipe from Ashley at Make It and Love It for the icing. I didn’t even bother getting out frosting bags and special tips. I filled just a plain ziplock baggie with frosting and cut a small hole in the tip.

The only item I purchased besides the baking goods, was the wood slab from Michaels Craft Store. It is perfectly flat and just large enough for a good size gingerbread house. I did recently buy the Breville “Smart Oven” Air Convection Oven and it has been amazing. Gosh I had no idea how wonderful they are! It heats up so quick, cooks consistently and has made living through a remodel a breeze.

After I made the gingerbread, I rolled it out and guesstimated the different lengths of strips I’d need to make the house, taking care to cut them all the same width. What I didn’t expect was for it to be so easy to cut them once they were baked. Next time, to save myself the hassle of guesstimation, I’ll roll out long strips and cut them to the different lengths after they are baked and while I am actually assembling the house. For your reference, ours is 7″ long and 5.5″ wide.

You will need several different sizes of “logs” to build up the walls and create openings for windows and doors. It is here that the square “place holder” pieces become crucial. You can see these in action by the windows and at the roofline as the walls peak in the front and back. I baked the gingerbread in stages which is why the countertop convection oven is so awesome. Once I knew how big the house was going to be, I rolled two equal rectangles out the gingerbread for the roof.

Honestly this is kinda just a “wing it” and measure-as-you go activity. Pretend you’re playing with the real deal Lincoln Logs. Lets be honest, I had no clue what I was doing before I started and it still turned out uber cute. I think the window shutters and door add a super cute touch. I funneled my inner Norwegian to pull those off.

I let the boys help me assemble the house and then gave Cade the frosting bag to make the “drippy” snow coming down off the eaves. That’s the perfect job for a 3 year old. I freehand cut out the Christmas trees, squeezed a big dollop of frosting and propped them up with a soup can to hold them up while the frosting dried. I was shocked that the frosting actually held them but it is very sticky stuff and dries like a rock. A dusting of powdered sugar and voila!

Be inspired friends! This is an easy and fun project with the kiddos. I can’t wait to see all your “lincoln log” houses.

These beautiful pictures were captured by my talented friend, Ruthie at Ruth Eileen Photography. If you need a photographer in the New England area, she’s your gal. You can follow her on IG for some serious picture art too, @rutheileenphoto.