❘ Home & Garden
43 ❘ Klamath Life ❘ Close to Home
SCENTS, from page 42
Gingerbread houses and cookies The aroma of baking cookies, particularly gingerbread, is often associated with the holidays. Annual gingerbread house contests offered during Klamath Falls’ Snowflake Festival give children and adults free rein to be creative and artistic with this delicious, aromatic cookie as a base. Want to start planning for this year’s contest? The annual Gingerbread House Competition, offered by the Klamath County Association of Realtors at the Ross Ragland Theater, will be from Dec. 5 through 17. Student prizewinners will receive a $50 gift card from Walmart and the school that child attends will receive a $200 check. Note: No kit houses allowed. There are many recipes and templates online if you want to make your own gingerbread house, including at www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/holidays and parties and www. allrecipes.com/recipe/childrensgingerbread-house. If your time during the holidays doesn’t allow spending a couple days doing this, pre-baked kits of gingerbread houses, trees, villages and men with all the icing and decorations included for you to apply can be purchased at local craft and variety stores. One caution from a baker who made a gingerbread house and displayed it in her home last year: Kitties (and maybe dogs, too) really like the taste of the frosting. See SCENTS, page 45
Gingerbread
2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp. ground ginger 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 cup vegetable shortening 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar 1/2 cup molasses, warmed 1/4 tsp. baking soda 1 1/2 tsp. warm water
Combine the flour, ginger and salt. In a large bowl, cream the vegetable shortening and brown sugar. Beat in the molasses. Dissolve the baking soda in the warm water and add to the molasses mixture, beating until smooth. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease baking sheet. Roll out dough to a thickness of about
1/4-inch on a greased, rimless baking sheet. Cut house template on cookie sheet, leaving pieces in place and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven. While gingerbread is still warm, re-cut house pieces with a sharp knife.
— Recipe from "The Complete Cookie Jar," by Gregg R. Gillespie
Royal Icing
3 egg whites (at room temperature) 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar 1 (16 ounce) package powdered sugar Beat egg whites and cream of tartar in a large mixing bowl at medium speed of an electric mixer until foamy; gradually add sugar, mixing well. Beat 5 to 7 minutes. Note: Icing dries very quickly; keep covered at all times with plastic wrap. — Recipe from "Christmas Cookies,"
H&N file photo
Home sweet home: Judges examine entries in the 2011 Klamath Falls Association of Realtors Annual Gingerbread House Competition at the Ross Ragland Theater. The house at left, submitted by Lindsay Smith, won first place in its class as well as Grand Champion. This year’s competition will be Dec. 5-17.
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