![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibzUhGzeS_R7Q3vr9Br40LjE0CU-6L5x1nSDfGEdM5rflzr5q63CMzMYbb0E3kU7BApzzoamgZQYxqVsIlTNqgAWhx8z0mZPOWR0iNdKo0Havg5BE_fB0S94H-OEh6-4qeIOTPLlM6-63w/s320/DSC00153.JPG)
This year I wanted to make sure I had time to make a gingerbread house but I was inspired by an old
Martha Christmas book to make this faux one instead, complete with candy windows.
Here's a link to a similar way to construct this.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSff98vtA8orYL0QXrtXzIs5FTSZHSx9reuJiTHoVXLcXZ0ujT-VwM5FhYr-7s-ETKGcuSEzyfnlhOHvYMQrtdMytKwIdnbEeUNze_X9Dl_umIhYsislXxsV9UYyLB0W5juAQABSVLHazp/s320/DSC00146.JPG)
I used
this gingerbread recipe and my best interpretation of the house. You can see the template at the top of the photo. I didn't trace it- just free-handed it. I also slightly overbaked it.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYeHTx6jatKkG39uCf6n-n2SVGsX3r25fNX4VPE0yaVtkBHHcT4gvEsJpxmM6yyegGIed6dHQU1CNDogbUH4tprXloUReorV7ecvLyug-5RgoFa2NccLehj-j58_LsPiA6ea4fdkyLVJUm/s320/DSC00115.JPG)
Even though it's hard to see, I made candy window panes out of sugar ( recipe in the link). I just poured the molted sugar into circles on the silpat and used a knife to trim. Martha makes clay molds but that was unnecessary. I have also made candy windows by crushing hard candy like peppermints, filling the windows and baking with the dough. They sometimes turned out great, other times, not so good.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW3yr6Musw7_8iuhmROA3eBuQ2CCao1STWMnp1xRCdUx20BJF6mvD3QRNCFGhnvTLunr2flMeCC_3DhS3QmWGt97IozGg_7h_wk0Oa9pLiChvZyEu-wB9a_OT2K4ZPQOkwQEBhXSPVG6Ij/s320/DSC00129.JPG)
Once cooled, I attached the candy window to the house with royal icing.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirgJr9yoQnVF4Jsg1AINSuRhVlcv7_HMSwf6G5ssH2TfOtRARCHVpwrKQHEkObPjezvrQwrL7Ll-vKPPR1o3mxke-pXNgPz3E8p3XzgP2Q6CK7RgU76tkpweWoS7Nr5H2kqwEpjhQ_H15Y/s320/DSC00158.JPG)
Finally, the house went on our buffet. Note the hanging snowflakes from our previous post.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM7D_5wyKEsEMc0vnFPdgmmx9aw2GgRGIeQXhqnJjH7tg5fu5lye4phSF68UCCGI6ecmPM-YymD_J84v-xpiAkvI8VCIQd3lWb00acSwJl0sez94L2g7PpZDJ4V4lFukztEgOtxVa0t5Ao/s320/DSC00149.JPG)
And the results were great! My windows weren't as amber as I had thought but the faux house looked very pretty. I might save it and make more for next year! I actually used to make an entire facade village...maybe next year!