Hello Kitty Chocolate Bread House

     

My daughter loves all pink and cutesy things.  One day she asked for my help to make gingerbread house.  I know its traditionally a Christmas activity but we are too busy to make them.  Since its going to be Valentines day we decided to make a valentines theme "chocolate bread" house instead of ginger flavoured ones.

Chocolate Bread

6 cups all purpose flour

1 cup cocoa powder

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup softened butter

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

2 eggs

1 cup corn syrup

1/3 cups water

1. Sift all the dry ingredients together.

2. Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

3.  Add eggs, corn syrup, and water.  Beat until mixed together

4.  Add half of the dry ingredients into the butter, sugar, eggs mixture.

5.  Change mixer attachment to dough hook.   Begin adding the rest of the flour.  If mix is too dry add more water if the mix is too soft add more flour.  The dough should come together but not too soft.
6.  Refrigerate for 2 hours.
7.  Start shaping

I got the pattern from Simple Recipe's blog.  Scroll down to the bottom of the page.  There you will see the link to patterns.  They even added dimensions of the gingerbread house just in case you don't have a printer handy.  

How to assemble the house:  You will need a recipe of royal icing to "glue" the walls together.  Pick a royal icing recipe that uses meringue powder.  Wilton's royal icing recipe is a perfect example.

I made the base of the house first as seen on here.  With the right
consistency your royal icing should dry up in less than one hour
and you should be able to attach your roof.  To find the correct consistency
of your royal icing stick a small metal spatula in the middle of the bowl.
Metal spatula should tip in an angle.  If the your metal spatula did not
move the icing is too thick.

Now its ready to decorate