Village Green 2014 ~ Cayuga-on-the-Grand

The Gingerbread Castle
~ from The Tasha Tudor Christmas Book TAKE JOY!

"We always make a special cookie for each member of the family and for the children of friends and neighbors.  Besides the shaped cookies, we also make an elaborate gingerbread castle.  The size and shape of the house or castle is decided upon and sketched. Then it is cut out of cardboard and the cut pieces of cardboard are used as templates or guides in shaping the gingerbread dough on the baking sheet, before cooking.  Holes are pierced along the sides of the gingerbread slabs.  When they are baked, the slabs fit together quite nicely, rather like a prefabricated house.  They are laced together firmly with ordinary white string."


CHRISTMAS TREE GINGERBREAD
1 cup shortening
1 cup light brown sugar
3 eggs, well beaten
1 1/2 cups molasses
6 cups bread flour
1 1/2 tablespoons ground ginger
2 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Cream shortening and add sugar, eggs, and molasses.  Sift dry ingredients and add them to the first mixture.  Chill and roll out, not too thinly.  Cut into shapes to hang on the tree or make into walls for a gingerbread castle.  Bake on flat sheets in 350 degree oven until dry but not crisp, about fifteen minutes.
FROSTING
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
2 fresh egg whites

Boil sugar and water together until they spin a fine hair when blown upon.  Now get someone to help you pour the hot syrup over the two egg whites which you have already beaten (by hand, with an egg-beater) dry and stiff.  You beat again while the other person pours the syrup on in a fine stream, turning the bowl as he does it.  The frosting should now be nice and thick, ready for use.