How to make a gingerbread house

Points to remember

1. Roll out some of the gingerbread dough on greaseproof paper then cut out the sides, roof and wall panels using the templates.
2. Slide the cutout pieces, still on the greaseproof paper, onto baking sheets.
3. Decorate the roof panel with slivered almonds, putting them in at an angle to look like roof tiles.
4. Once baked and cooled, start to build the house, joining the wall together with generous stripes of icing.
5. Once walls are dry, fix on the roof using icing from piping bag - hold firm to allow icing to set.
6. Decorate side walls with mini chocolate fingers fixed with icing. Make a door using chocolate fingers and place sweets around and above the door.
7. Make a star burst window at the top of the front wall using the sweets.
8. Pipe icing along the top of the roof and around the edges of the roof to look like icicles.
9. Cut a small chocolate roll in half on the diagonal for the chimney and fix with icing - decorate around the top.
10. Scatter sweets around the house and make a path.
11. Finish with a dusting of icing sugar for a snowy look.

See the full recipe for this simple gingerbread house.

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