Makes 30 servings
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup shortening
3/4 cup full-flavor molasses
1/3 cup cold water
3-1/2 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour or unbleached flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Decorating Frosting (below)
Assorted candies and cookies
Heat oven to 350 ºF. Grease square pan, 9x9x2 inches, and jelly roll pan,15 1/2×10 1/2×1 inch.
Stir together brown sugar, shortening and molasses in large bowl; stir in water. Stir in remaining ingredients except frosting and candies. Press one-third of the dough into square pan; press remianing dough into jelly roll pan.
Bake 1 pan at a time about 15 minutes or until no indentation remains when touched in center. Cool 5 minutes; turn upside down onto large cutting surface. Immediately cut as shown in diagram (cut windows if desired). Cool completely.
Decorate front of house as desired using Decorating Frosting and assorted candies and cookies. For windows as shown in photo, cut yellow tissue paper slightly larger than outline of windows. Brush paper with vegetable oil and “glue” to back side of windows, using frosting. Use frosting to attach supports to back of house, sidewalk to front of house, door and sign to front of house and fence to sidewalk. Complete decorating as desired.
Decorating Frosting
1-1/2 to 2 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon full-flavor molasses
Mix 1 cup of the powdered sugar and the remaining ingredients until smooth. Stir in enough remaining powdered sugar to make stiff frosting. (If frosting becomes too stiff, stir in additional milk.)