Gingerbread Barn

We came up with the "plans" for this Christmas gingerbread barn…then "stocked" it with farmyard friends. The country-as-can-be project will add a cheerful rustic touch to your holiday decor—and it's so easy to assemble, you can start raising the roof right away! —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

1 ServingsPrep: 3 hours + standing Bake: 50 min. + cooling

Ingredients

DOUGH:
2-1/4 cups shortening
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup molasses
2/3 cup light corn syrup
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
8-1/2 to 9 cups all-purpose flour
Heavy-duty cardboard
Muffin tin
ICING AND ASSEMBLY:
1-1/2 cups butter, softened
1-1/2 cups shortening
3/4 cup water
3 tablespoons vanilla extract
12 cups confectioners' sugar
17-inch x 22-inch display base—heavy-duty cardboard or cutting board or piece of plywood, covered with foil wrapping or aluminum foil
Serrated knife or emery board
Red, green and black liquid or paste food coloring
Small new paintbrush
Pastry bags or heavy-duty resealable plastic bags

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Gingerbread Barn (continued)

Ingredients (continued)

Pastry tips—#10 round, #5 round and #67 leaf
Spice bottles
Heavy-duty cardboard
Masking tape
1 package (9.5 ounces) Triscuit crackers
Cardboard roll from wrapping paper (about 10 inches long x 2-1/2 inches in diameter)
2 cups oyster crackers
Thin butter ring cookie
Decorating candies and sugars
Thin red ribbon, optional
Thin pretzel sticks
Sugar ice cream cones
Spearmint candies or marshmallows
Black and white jelly beans

Directions

In a bowl, beat shortening and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs,
molasses, corn syrup, ginger, cinnamon and cloves until well-mixed.
Gradually add flour, 1 cup at a time, until the dough can be formed
into a ball. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth
and not sticky, adding more flour if needed. Cover and chill several
hours or overnight.
Cut all barn patterns out of cardboard. Cut out windows and discard.
Referring to Fig. 1, cut out two barn side walls (8-1/2 in. x 5-3/4
in.). If side windows are desired, cut out and discard five 1-in. x
1-1/2-in. windows measuring 1 in. from the bottom and 3/4 in. from
each side, allowing 1/2 in. between windows. (Note: Roof is
assembled from cardboard, not gingerbread.)
If farm animals are desired, cut out patterns provided or use your
favorite animal cookie cutter.
Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly grease the foil. Lay a damp
towel on the counter; place prepared pan on towel (to prevent
slipping). Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out one-sixth
of the dough directly onto the baking sheet into a rectangle about
1/4 in. thick. Position a barn pattern on the dough. Using a sharp
knife or pizza cutter, cut out according to quantities noted on each
pattern piece; remove pattern. Remove the dough scraps; cover,
refrigerate and save to re-roll if needed.
Using a sharp knife, score outlines to mark the doors and windows
where indicated on the pattern, being careful not to cut all the way
through the dough. Score vertical lines in barn to look like siding

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Directions (continued)

if desired. Cut out windows where indicated.
Bake at 350° for 12-14 minutes or until edges just begin to
brown. Remove from oven; immediately replace barn patterns on
cookies. Cut around edges to trim off excess cookie if necessary.
Cool 10 minutes or until pieces begin to firm. Carefully remove to a
wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough and
patterns.
For roof of silo, cut a 5-in. circle of gingerbread. Turn a
standard-size muffin tin upside down; spray the bottom of one cup
with cooking spray. Mold dough circle over and down the sides of the
cup, pressing together any cracks and trimming off excess dough.
Bake at 350° for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 10
minutes on tin. Carefully remove to a wire rack; cool completely.
Use remaining dough for cutouts of farm animals and gingerbread
people if desired. Bake cow or people cookies at 350° for 12-14
minutes and dog, chicken or pig cookies for 6-7 minutes.
To make icing: In a large bowl, cream butter and shortening. Add
water and vanilla; beat until smooth. Gradually beat in sugar; mix
well. Place a damp paper towel over bowl and cover tightly between
uses.
To assemble frame of the barn: Test cookie pieces to make sure they
fit together snugly. If necessary, file carefully with a serrated
knife or emery board to make them fit.
Combine 4 teaspoons water and 1/2 teaspoon red food coloring.
Carefully brush onto front, back and sides of barn with a small
paintbrush. Let dry completely or overnight.
Insert #10 tip into pastry bag; fill two-thirds full with icing.
Beginning with the back of the barn, squeeze a wide strip of icing
onto the bottom edge of the back piece. Position on display base
about 7 in. from one short edge. Prop it upright with spice bottles
until icing is firm, about 3-4 hours.
To add barn sides and front: Squeeze icing on the lower edge of one
side piece and side edge of the back piece. Align pieces at a right
angle, making sure they are as tight as possible. Prop up with spice
bottles. Repeat with the other side. For added stability, squeeze
icing along the inside edge of all pieces and corners (see photo).
Squeeze icing onto the bottom and side edges of the front piece;
position with the other assembled pieces. Prop up with more spice
bottles; let dry completely.

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Directions (continued)

To assemble barn roof: From heavy-duty cardboard, cut two 10-1/2-in.
x 3-1/2-in. pieces A. Also cut two 10-1/2-in. x 2-1/2-in. pieces B.
Tape one long edge of roof pieces A and B together with masking
tape; repeat. Tape both A pieces together to form center roof peak.
Squeeze icing on the upper edges of the slant of the front and back
edges of the barn. Carefully place roof on the slants so that the
roof's peak is even with the points of the front and back. (There
will be an overhang of about 3/4 in. on the front and back.)
For roof shingles, cut Triscuits in half. Using icing, attach
Triscuits to cardboard roof in rows, beginning with bottom row;
slightly overlap each row, alternating shingle seams (see photo).
Repeat for other side. Cut narrow strips of crackers and attach to
center of roof peak.
To make silo: Coat cardboard roll with icing; press one side of
oyster crackers into icing to cover entire silo. Squeeze icing onto
the top edge of the silo; carefully press gingerbread silo roof onto
the silo. Squeeze icing onto lower edge of silo; stand it upright at
the corner of the barn.
To decorate barn: Using a #5 tip, outline windows and doors with
white icing. Tint a portion of the icing with green food coloring;
use the leaf tip to decorate a butter ring cookie to make a wreath.
Add decorating candies or ribbon if desired. Attach wreath to barn
with icing.
Combine 1/2 teaspoon water with a small amount of green food
coloring; brush onto shutters. Attach to sides of small window on
barn front with icing. Pipe icicles on barn and silo roofs with
icing. If desired, frost base around barn and silo to create snow.
To make barnyard fence: Overlap ends of pretzel sticks at desired
angles; fasten together at intersections with dabs of icing. Let dry
until icing is firm, about 1 hour. (If you're having difficulty
making the icing hold—and you're planning on using your barn
for show only—use white glue to adhere pretzels together.)
Arrange fence around barn and attach with icing.
Add finishing touches: To make trees, use a serrated knife to
carefully score and cut sugar ice cream cones to desired heights.
Tint a portion of icing with green food coloring; decorate trees
using the leaf tip. Use spearmint candies for shrubs or decorate
marshmallows with leaf tip. When frosting is dry, arrange as desired
and attach to base with icing.

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Directions (continued)

To frost markings on barnyard animals, thin a small portion of the
icing with water; add black food coloring. Paint markings on animals
as desired. Allow to dry. Position animals around the barn; secure
with dabs of icing.
To make path, cut jelly beans in half lengthwise; arrange with cut
side down and adhere to board with icing.
Yield: 1 barn and about 2 dozen large cookies.

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Gingerbread Barn

Ingredients

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Ingredients (continued)

Directions

Gingerbread Barn (continued)

Directions (continued)

Gingerbread Barn (continued)

Directions (continued)

Gingerbread Barn (continued)

Directions (continued)