Snow-Swept Gingerbread Cottage

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll out gingerbread dough to about 1/8 inch thick. Chill until firm, about 1 hour. Lightly dust top of dough with flour. Place templates on top, and cut out shapes with a paring knife. (Use a small utility knife to cut out the windows.) Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until just beginning to brown, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely.
2. Working with one piece at a time, frost chimney shapes with royal icing; sprinkle with rock candy while still wet (leave all but top part of one side free for attaching to house). Set aside to dry.
3. To make windows, line a baking sheet with a Silpat. Make caramel syrup. Place a gingerbread section on prepared sheet, flat side down; pour caramel syrup into window spaces. Let syrup cool and harden on baking sheet before turning over and decorating.
4. Using a pastry bag with a fine plain tip (No. 1), pipe royal icing around windows and doors and down side edges of house. While icing is still wet, sprinkle with sanding sugar. Gently shake off excess sugar, and let dry.
5. Pipe windowpanes, door-frame details, and Christmas-tree edging with the #1 tip. Switch to an open-star tip (No. 16) to accent the corners of the windows and doors.
6. When decorations have dried, assemble house, roof, and chimney pieces, following our step-by-step how-to. When assembling chimney, attach two side pieces to front at the base, then attach sloped sides; finish with top two side pieces. Brush edges at top of assembled chimney with caramel; secure top piece in place. To attach chimney, pipe icing on side without candy; quickly press onto house, holding firmly until set. Use the No. 16 tip to create shingle pattern on roof and eaves.