I used Loreta Wilson's gingerbread dough recipe again from her site Ultimate Gingerbread, but I changed the mixing instructions a little. The first time I used her dough was in 2007 for my Gingerbread Outhouses. The dough is awesome, and makes your house smell so good!
Loreta's Favorite Gingerbread Dough
Printable Recipe (original recipe)
5 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup sugar
1 cup shortening
1 1/4 cups mild molasses
2 eggs, beaten
2. In a small sauce pan, heat the shortening over medium heat until it's half way melted; remove the pan from the heat. In a medium bowl, whisk together the molasses and eggs. While whisking, slowly add the molasses-egg mixture to the melted shortening. (I've found a fork is better than an actual whisk for this). Whisk until well combined.
3. With the mixer running on low, slowly add the molasses mixture to the dry ingredients and mix until everything is combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, and mix on medium-low for 2 minutes.
2. Roll the dough to about 1/8-inch thick (I go a little thicker on big pieces to give them more strength against snapping). Sprinkle the dough with more flour. Lay your pattern on the dough and carefully cut the piece out. A pizza cutter is the best way to cut long straight lines. **This next part is important** Remove the excess dough from around your pieces. Pick up the foil, and lay it (with the gingerbread pieces on it) on a baking sheet. This keeps the pieces from distorting during transfer to the baking sheet because you don't move them individually.
**I bake roof pieces until they are very dark, so they are hard as rocks and I won't have to worry about any sagging.**
4. Lift the foil off the baking sheet and let the gingerbread pieces cool completely on the counter. To keep the corners and any short ends from lifting or bending up, immediately after putting the foil/pieces on the counter, lay a cutting board on top of the hot gingerbread and press lightly for several seconds.
If the edges have distorted at all during cooking, use a sharp knife to straighten them out immediately after you take them out of the oven. Or you can use a belt sander (Ahhh...power tools!) to straighten the edges of hardened pieces.
1. Measure the rice into a medium pot. Add enough water to cover the rice by an inch, gently swish the rice and water, and pour off the water. Repeat 4 or 5 times, or until the water is almost clear (picture on the right).
3. Drain the rice well (I use a fine metal 











