Gluten Free Vegan Gingerbread House Recipe.

1. Place the brown sugar and vegan buttery spread in a mixing bowl and mix on medium speed until smooth and combined.

2. Add the applesauce and molasses and continue to mix. Reduce the speed to low and add half the gluten free flour blend. Mix until combined. 

3. Add the other half of the gluten free flour blend, salt, baking soda, and the spices. Mix on low speed until smooth and combined. 

4. Divide the dough into two portions and pat into discs. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and chill in the freezer for one hour, or the refrigerator for two hours.

5. Print out the pattern, and trace the shapes onto waxed paper. Cut out the waxed paper pattern pieces carefully.

6. After the chilling time, get two cookie sheets out and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

7. Place a piece of parchment paper on your rolling surface, and dust lightly with gluten free flour. Place a chilled disc of dough on the waxed paper, and sprinkle flour on top. Dust a rolling pin with gluten free flour and roll the dough out until it reaches a thickness of about a quarter-inch (1/4").

8. Place the pattern pieces on the dough and cut around them with a sharp knife. You can probably get two walls or two roof pieces out of each disc of dough.

9. Remove the scraps of dough surrounding the pieces, and carefully lift the parchment, with the walls or roof on it, and place on one of the cookie sheets. This is the best way to get the walls or roof to maintain their shape.

10. Repeat steps 7-9 until you get all the house pieces cut out.

11. Place the cookie walls and roof in the oven. Bake at 350 degrees for about 16-18 minutes. If you are doing two cookie sheets at the same time, rotate once during baking. Set aside to cool.

12. If you have extra dough, you can go ahead and cut out other cookie shapes to add to your scene, or just to eat separately. Try Christmas trees, deer, horses, cars, etc.

13. If you can, allow the walls and roof to sit out uncovered for 8 hours or overnight. This will allow them to harden a bit, making them even sturdier.

Make the icing:

1. Place the powdered sugar in a large mixing bowl, and add about 2 Tablespoons of water. Mix on medium speed, drizzling in just a little water at a time until the icing is very thick, like modelling clay or poster putty. (You are going to make two different consistencies of icing. This is what we are going to glue the house together with. If you are opting to make sugar glue on the stove top, skip this step).

Assemble the gingerbread house:

1. Get out a tray, plate, or cookie sheet where you will set up your gingerbread house. Roll some of the icing glue into little balls or ropes and set aside. To assemble an A-frame house, take the back wall, and press some of the frosting balls or ropes along the edge. Take one roof piece and press against the edge of the wall, holding firmly for a minute so that it adheres.

2. Take the front wall, and do the same thing with the icing. Press against the roof firmly.

3. Place icing glue on the other edges of the walls, and press the roof piece on. If your icing too runny, the house will not stick together. You can always add more powdered sugar to thicken it up.

4. Once the house is stable, go back to the icing in the bowl (there will be a lot left), and add the 2 Tablespoons of vegan buttery spread. Turn on the mixer, and add a little more water at a time until the icing is the proper consistency for piping. You don't want it too thin or it will run all over the place.

5. If you want to make the designs on the roof like I did, fit a piping bag with a #48 icing tip. Spoon the icing into the bag, and twist the top.

6. Start at the top of the roof, and start piping in whatever way you choose. I piped a basic border, but went from top to bottom. You can see how to pipe a basic border with this tip in this video.

7. Once you have the icing on the way you want, start adding candy! This is the fun part - add the candy in any amount or pattern that you choose. Be creative!