This recipe for a layered Red Velvet Cake Trifle incorporates sliced almonds, shaved dark chocolate and a cheesecake whipped cream.

If I’m not baking my Red Velvet Cheesecake Cake or Red Velvet Bundt Cake, then I look to making this trifle instead. You get the bonus of having red velvet cake with all of the other delicious goodies added to it too. And the best part is that you don’t have to be an experienced cake decorator to make this red velvet cake trifle. It’s literally made by layering the ingredients, so it’s very easy to assemble.

How to make this great holiday dessert:

The complete, printable recipe is at the end of this post. Follow the instructions in the recipe to make the red velvet cake, the syrup and the whipped cream.

How to Assemble a Red Velvet Cake Trifle: 

Tips:

1. Quick & easy tip: Use a boxed red velvet cake mix instead of making it from scratch (bake it in a 9×12-inch pan)
2. If you don’t wish to use mascarpone cheese, you can substitute 6 ounces of cream cheese for the mascarpone (10 ounces cream cheese in total).
3. Using low fat cream cheese is completely okay.
4. I use Scharffenberger Dark Chocolate. To get it ready for shaving, place a chunk of chocolate in the microwave for about 20 seconds, then shave with a potato peeler to create curly little shards of chocolate.
5. Quick & easy tip: Use chocolate chips in place of shaved dark chocolate.
6. If you don’t have a trifle bowl, use a glass bowl with tall sides instead.
7. Make ahead tip: The trifle can be prepared early in the day. Refrigerate and cover with plastic wrap. Add the garnish just before serving.

This Red Velvet Cake Trifle turns out to be so holiday-pretty, but you can make it any time of year and leave off the cranberry garnish. When I first made this recipe, I brought it to a party and I came home with an empty trifle dish. That was a pretty good indication that it was well received. Plates were scraped clean, and there were many compliments all around.  

The cheesecake whipped cream is sweet and wonderful when scooped up with the red velvet cake, and I love the hint of almond and chocolate flavors in there too.  As a lover of red velvet myself, I declare this recipe a big-time keeper! Enjoy!

You might also like to try my Red Velvet Cheesecake, Red Velvet Whoopie Pies or these Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies.

Print

Red Velvet Cake Trifle

Love this festive, layered trifle as a Christmas dessert. It's impressive and pretty. Oh yeah, it's delicious too!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword red velvet, trifle

Prep Time 50 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes

Servings 12 servings

Calories 650kcal

Author RecipeGirl.com

Ingredients

CAKE:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1¾ cups granulated white sugar
• 2½ cups cake flour
• 1¼ teaspoons salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1½ teaspoons white vinegar
• 1½ teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 ounce red food coloring (use 2 ounces if you desire a deeper red color)

SYRUP:

• ⅓ cup granulated white sugar
• ⅓ cup water
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

THE REST:

• 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• One 8-ounce tub mascarpone cheese
• ⅓ cup granulated white sugar
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• 4 ounces shaved dark chocolate
• mint leaves and fresh cranberries, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

MAKE THE CAKE:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9x13-inch pan generously with cooking spray; then dust lightly with flour.
• Use an electric mixer to blend the butter and sugar in a large bowl; set aside. Sift together the flour and salt; set aside.
• In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, baking soda and vinegar. Alternate adding the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture to the butter mixture. Mix well after each addition.
• In a small bowl, mix the red food coloring and cocoa powder; add to the cake batter and mix just until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. You don't really want the cake to be soft and super moist, so be sure to bake it until it tests done.

PREPARE THE SYRUP:

• In a small saucepan, bring the sugar, and water to boil over medium heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar completely. Stir in the vanilla. Let cool.
• Cut the cake in half and cut one half into chunks; brush with the cooled syrup. You likely won't need more than half of the cake for the trifle. Save the rest of the cake for another purpose.

ASSEMBLE THE TRIFLE:

• Prepare the whipped layer: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, mascarpone and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy. Reduce the speed to medium and slowly pour in the whipping cream. Continue beating until the mixture resembles soft whipped cream.
• Assemble the trifle: In the bottom of your trifle dish, arrange a single layer of red velvet cake chunks. Spoon about 1½ cups of the whipped topping on top of the cake cubes. Next, sprinkle on almonds and then shaved chocolate. Keep repeating layers until you run out of room in your dish. Garnish with mint leaves and fresh cranberries, if desired.

Notes

• Quick & easy tip: Use a boxed red velvet cake mix instead of making it from scratch (bake it in a 9x12-inch pan)
• If you don't wish to use mascarpone cheese, you can substitute 6 ounces of cream cheese for the mascarpone (10 ounces cream cheese in total).
• Using low fat cream cheese is completely ok.
• I use Scharffenberger Dark Chocolate. To get it ready for shaving, place a chunk of chocolate in the microwave for about 20 seconds, then shave with a potato peeler to create curly little shards of chocolate.
• Quick & easy tip: Use chocolate chips in place of shaved dark chocolate.
• If you don't have a trifle bowl, use a glass bowl with tall sides instead.
• Make ahead tip: The trifle can be prepared early in the day. Refrigerate and cover with plastic wrap. Add the garnish just before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 650kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 49g | Saturated Fat: 25g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 110mg | Sodium: 238mg | Potassium: 299mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 1254IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 140mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Red Velvet Cake Trifle appeared first on Recipe Girl®.

Salesforce Park
425 Mission St.
San Francisco, CA 94105

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Make a batch of my 5-ingredient, 100% chia breakfast cookies for an ideal breakfast on the go, or sweet treat anytime. The cookies are vegan, oil-free, grain-free, gluten-free, and can also be made keto-friendly.

You may be looking at these cookies and wondering, “Where the heck is the chia?” Chia seeds, when left whole, lend a noticeable polka-dotted-ness to recipes. These cookies have no such distinction.

That’s because these crispy-chewy breakfast cookies are made with chia flour (ground chia seeds) instead of whole seeds.

You are going to love them. You will also love baking with chia flour.

What is Chia Flour?

Chia flour is finely ground whole chia seeds. It is also called chia meal or chia powder. You can buy ready-made chia flour, but it is easy (as well as fresher, and less expensive) to grind your own. It takes no more than a few seconds in a coffee mill, electric spice grinder, or blender to transform the whole seeds into fine flour.

Chia flour has all of the benefits of whole chia seeds. Chia is high in fiber, protein and Omega-3 fatty acids. It is also a good source of calcium, magnesium, and iron. Ch-ch-ch-chia!

How Can I Use Chia Flour?

Use chia flour much like flaxseed meal in a broad range of recipes. You can use chia flour as a 1:1 substitute for flaxseed meal in most recipes.

You can also make a chia egg replacement by mixing 1 tablespoon of chia flour with 3 tablespoons (45 mL) water. Let the mixture stand for a few minutes to thicken before using.

It turns out that chia flour can also be used as a stand alone ingredient. In addition to this recipe, my 1-Ingredient Chia Flatbreads are a shining example of what chia flour can do as a solo ingredient.

Benefits of 100% Chia Breakfast Cookies

• Vegan (egg-free, dairy-free)
• Gluten-free
• Grain-free
• Oil-free
• Keto-friendly (with 2 easy swaps)
• Nut-free, if desired (use sunflower seed butter or pepita butter instead of nut butter)
• High fiber
• Good source of plant-based protein
• Quick and easy to make
• Made in 1 bowl
• Only 5 ingredients

Ingredients

The exact amounts of each ingredient are indicated in the recipe card at the end of the post.

• Chia seeds, ground into flour
• Coconut sugar (alternative options are in the recipe card)
• Nondairy milk (whichever variety you prefer)
• Chopped dried fruit (alternative options are in the recipe card)
• Smooth nut or seed butter (e.g., peanut butter, sunflower seed butter, almond butter, pepita butter)

How to Make 100% Chia Breakfast Cookies

Note that the complete directions are also in the recipe card below.

Step One: Grind the Chia Seeds

It takes mere seconds! Here is how to do it:

Grind in a small blender or electric coffee mill.

Measure the amount of chia seeds called for in the recipe (in this case, 3/4 cup, or 90 grams). Depending on the capacity of the device you are using, process all, or a portion of the seeds at a time. I suggest pulsing to grind, and shaking the coffee mill or blender (hold on to the lid!) in between pulses to ensure an even grind. Process until the seeds are a fine flour.

Grind in a blender or food processor.

You will have the best results by grinding more than you need for this recipe. Most regular size blenders need at least 1 and 1/2 cups of ingredients to blend properly. Process the seed until finely ground and measure or weigh the amount needed for the recipe.

If using cups, rather than weights to measure the flour, lightly pack the chia flour into the measuring cup(s) to achieve an accurate measurement.

Step Two: Preheat the Oven and Prepare Muffin Tin

Preheat the oven to 325F (160C). If the pan is not nonstick, lightly spray with cooking spray or line with paper or foil liners.

If you do not have a muffin tin, no worries! You can use a cookie sheet. Notes for doing so are in the recipe card below.

Step Three: Whisk the Wet Ingredients

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the nut or seed butter, nondairy milk, and coconut sugar until blended and smooth.

You will likely need to warm the nut or seed butter in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds if it is stored in the refrigerator (so hard to whisk rock-hard nut butter!).

Step Four: Stir in the Dry Ingredients

Add the chia flour and chopped dried fruit to the bowl of wet ingredients. Stir until completely combined.

Step Five: Divide the Batter

Divide the batter between the twelve prepared muffin cups, smoothing the tops. I added a few extra pieces of dried fruit on top (specifically, dried cranberries).

Step Six: Bake

Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 18 to 22 minutes until golden brown and the edges look crispy.

Step Seven: Cool the Cookies

Let the cookies cool in the muffin tins for 10 minutes. Run a dull knife around the edge of the muffin cups to loosen the cookies (or use the liners, if liners were used). Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.

A dozen breakfast cookies, done! The cookies are lightly sweet and have crisp edges that yield to chewy centers. They are wonderful with a cup of coffee, or alongside a smoothie, in the morning. They are sweet enough to satisfy your sweet tooth, too, for dessert later in the day.

FAQ

How Should I Store the Chia Breakfast Cookies?

Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container at cool room temperature 2 days, the refrigerator for 1 week, or the freezer for up to 6 months.

How Do I Make Keto 100% Chia Breakfast Cookies?

If you are following a ketogenic diet plan, you can easily adapt these cookies for your needs as follows:

1. Swap out the coconut sugar for an equal amount of keto-friendly granular sweetener.
2. Omit the dried fruit or swap them our for an equal amount of nuts, seeds, or sugar-free chocolate chips.

Be sure to use a sugar-free nut or seed butter when making the keto version of the cookies.

Can I Add Flavorings to the Cookies?

Yes! Consider adding extracts (e.g., vanilla, almond), spices (e.g., cinnamon, cardamom, pumpkin pie spice), or finely grated citrus zest (e.g., orange, lemon or lime).

Can I Make these Cookies without Nut Butter or Seed Butter?

Yes! In place of the nut butter or seed butter, use an equal amount of coconut butter. You can make it in minutes, with little money, with unsweetened coconut flakes/shredded coconut. Here is the link to my recipe: DIY Coconut Butter.

Note: Coconut butter is not the same thing as coconut oil.

Do I Have to Add Dried Fruit to the Recipe?

No! Omit the dried fruit altogether, or swap in an ingredient that you prefer, such as chopped nuts or seeds, or chocolate chips.

Happy baking!

Related Recipes

• Chickpea Flour, Chia & Oat Granola Bars (GF + V)
• Chia Coconut Flour Tortillas (V, GF, K, oil-free)
• Blueberry Chia Seed Pudding (no added sugar)
• 4-Ingredient Buckwheat Flax Chia Bread {vegan, GF, oil-free}
• Chia & Oat Energy Balls (2 Ways)
• Fast Chia Seed Pudding (ready in 5 minutes)

Yield: 12 breakfast cookies

100% Chia Breakfast Cookies (V, GF, Oil-Free, Keto Option)

Make a batch of my 5-ingredient, 100% chia breakfast cookies for an ideal breakfast on the go, or sweet treat anytime. The cookies are vegan, oil-free, grain-free, gluten-free, and can also be made keto-friendly.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 22 minutes

Total Time 27 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup smooth nut or seed butter (e.g., almond, sunflower, peanut)
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar (see notes for options)
• 2/3 cup nondairy milk (e.g., almond milk, hemp milk, soy milk)
• 90 grams (3/4 cup, lightly packed) ground chia seeds (made from about 7.5 tablespoons whole chia seeds)
• 1/3 cup chopped dried fruit (e.g., cranberries, raisins, apricots)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Grease or spray the cups of a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray (or line with paper or foil liners. See notes below for using a bakjing sheet)
2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the nut or seed butter, nondairy milk, and coconut sugar until blended and smooth.
3. Stir in the chia seed flour and dried fruit until combined.
4. Evenly divide the batter into prepared muffin cups, smoothing the tops.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 22 minutes, until golden brown, the surface of the cookies appears dry, and the centers feel just firm to the touch.
6. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run knife around edges to loosen, then remove and place on rack to cool completely.

Notes

Storage Tip: Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container at cool room temperature 2 days, the refrigerator for 1 week, or the freezer for up to 6 months.

Tip: Warm the nut or seed butter if it has been stored in the refrigerator. This will make it easier to whisk. I warm mine in the microwave in 5 second intervals.

Sweetener Options: Use an equal amount of the granulated sweetner of your choice in place of the coconut sugar.

Keto Option: Use an equal amount of keto-friendly granular sweetener in place of the coconut sugar. Leave out the dried fruit. The nutrition when made with natural (unsweetened) almond butter, chia flour, keto-friendly granular sweetener and plain almond milk per cookie: 117 calories, 1 gram net carbohydrate (4 g carbs, 3 g fiber) & 1 gram sugar. Note that sugar-free chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or seeds can be added in place of the dried fruit, if desired.

Baking Sheet Option: If you do not have a muffin tin, you can bake thew cookies on a baking sheet/cookie sheet. Line the sheet with parchment paper, or lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray. Portion twelve equally sized cookies. Flatten to even thickeness, about 2.5 inches in diameter. Bake as directed for the muffin tin.

Nut-Free Cookies: For nut-free cookies, use an equal amount of creamy seed butter (e.g. sunflower butter or tahini) in place of the nut butter.

Coconut Butter Option: Use an equal amount of my DIY coconut butter (not to be confused with coconut oil).

Nutrition Information

Yield

12

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 133Total Fat 8gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 7gCholesterol 0mgSodium 3mgCarbohydrates 13gFiber 4gSugar 8gProtein 4g

The nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although powerhungry.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates. Varying factors such as product types or brands and optional ingredients can change the nutritional information in any given recipe.

Did you make this recipe?

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This Pear Walnut and Blue Cheese Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette is a fantastic fall salad recipe.

I have plenty of fall salad recipes, and I even have a salad recipe with a cranberry vinaigrette. But this salad is just super simple and delicious. The salad itself is made of just four ingredients. And the cranberry vinaigrette has flavors of orange and balsamic vinegar in it too!

Ingredients needed:

• whole berry cranberry sauce
• freshly squeezed orange juice
• olive oil
• balsamic vinegar
• white sugar
• fresh ginger
• salt
• mixed greens
• pear
• blue cheese
• chopped, toasted walnuts

How to make Pear Walnut and Blue Cheese Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette:

This is a super simple salad recipe. Whisk together all of the vinaigrette ingredients. The vinaigrette can be made ahead of time, and refrigerate until ready to use (up to one week ahead).

When ready to serve, add the salad greens, pear, cheese and walnuts to a bowl. Add the desired amount of vinaigrette, and toss. You may not wish to use all of the vinaigrette. It depends on how heavily you like your salad dressed. Plate individual servings. Enjoy!

Substitution suggestions:

• Use any type of salad greens you’d like.
• Gorgonzola cheese or feta cheese can be substituted for the blue cheese.
• Use canned cranberry sauce or homemade.
• Try using apple in place of pear.

How to toast walnuts:

It’s easy to toast walnuts on the stove.  In a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat, heat the walnuts until browned and fragrant, stirring occasionally, about 2 to 5 minutes.

Here are a few more recipes featuring walnuts that you might like to try:

• Walnut Meltaways
• Chocolate Chip Walnut Brownies
• 5-Minute Caramel Walnuts
• Honey Walnut Shrimp
• Chinese Chicken and Walnut Salad

Print

Pear, Walnut and Blue Cheese Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette

This delicious fall salad will leave guests wanting more.

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Keyword blue cheese, pear, salad, walnut

Prep Time 20 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 174kcal

Author RecipeGirl.com

Ingredients

VINAIGRETTE:

• ½ cup canned whole-berry cranberry sauce
• ¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice (about 1 orange)
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon granulated white sugar
• 1 teaspoon minced and peeled fresh ginger
• ¼ teaspoon salt

SALAD:

• 8 cups mixed greens
• 2 cups peeled and sliced pear or apple (about 2)
• ⅓ cup (2 ounces) crumbled blue cheese or gorgonzola
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted

Instructions

PREPARE THE VINAIGRETTE:

• Place all of the vinaigrette ingredients in a medium bowl or jar; stir well with a whisk.

ASSEMBLE THE SALAD:

• Place the greens in a large bowl. Add the pear/apple, cheese and walnuts. Spoon the desired amount of dressing over the top and toss.

Notes

• If you are preparing this recipe as gluten-free, be sure to use a brand of cranberry sauce that is known to be GF, and substitute feta cheese for blue cheese.
• Prepare the vinaigrette up to one week ahead. Keep covered and refrigerated.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 174kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 303mg | Potassium: 221mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 750IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 87mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Pear Walnut and Blue Cheese Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette appeared first on Recipe Girl®.

Nothing says holiday season like a Gingerbread house sitting on the counter! This recipe includes the recipe for gingerbread, a template to print out the ginger bread house pieces, and how to make the royal icing. This is the perfect recipe for the whole family to enjoy!

I love making desserts together with my family during the colder months. Warming up the house with the oven is my favorite way to spend chilly evenings. I also love the way that the house smells when you have spiced desserts baking. This holiday season you have to try these delicious Pumpkin Pecan Pie Bars, these cute and festive Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies, and this classic Old Fashioned Apple Cobbler.

Gingerbread House Recipe

Ok, this is the most fun I’ve had writing a recipe! There is nothing like getting the family together and putting together the most adorable holiday decor. You can also eat the gingerbread house, which is a big bonus. I will say, this recipe is meant to make firm gingerbread that will hold up to the weight of stacking and decorations, so it is pretty hard and not as sweet as traditional gingerbread. But if you want some gingerbread that is soft and delicious, you can make these cute gingerbread people to go with your houses!

This recipe comes with everything you will need to build your houses! First, print off the templates for the houses. Then make the gingerbread dough and cut out the pieces. While the pieces are baking, make your royal icing that will act as the glue. Then you get to decorate! The decorations are up to you, but gum drops, candy canes, and peppermint candies make great additions. So whip up some white hot chocolate or wassail and get to baking!

Ingredients

You are making a cookie dough, so you will need the basic pantry items. You will also need molasses to make these gingerbread houses, which you should be able to find in the baking aisle of your grocery store. Don’t forget to pick up the meringue powder as well, you will need it to get your icing nice and firm! You can find exact measurements below in the recipe card.

Gingerbread

• Butter: You will want unsalted butter, and make sure to leave it out so that it is at room temperature when you go to make your dough.
• Dark Brown Sugar: Dark brown sugar has a deeper flavor and color because it has more molasses in it. It will make a difference in your dough.
• Granulated Sugar: Your regular pantry sugar will work great.
• Vanilla: Vanilla extract gives the cookie a little extra vanilla flavor and brings out the other warm flavors in the gingerbread.
• Molasses Unsulphered: Most molasses is unsulphered. It is the more pure version of molasses and it is what you will want for this dough.
• Egg: I always use grade A eggs in my recipes.
• All-Purpose Flour: Your regular pantry flour will work great for this recipe.
• Ground Cinnamon: Cinnamon is a warm spice that is a MUST in gingerbread!
• Ground Ginger: Ginger gives a little spice to the cookie, and makes it taste warmer. You will miss this flavor if you leave it out!
• Cloves: Ground cloves are actually a little sweet, but still have a warm flavor.
• Salt: Salt brings out all of the flavors in this dough and helps to cut down on sweetness.
• Baking Powder: Baking powder helps the dough rise while it’s baking in the oven. You don’t want it to rise a lot. Just enough to make a nice looking cookie.
• Milk: Milk has fat that helps the ingredients come together and adds great flavor.

Royal Icing

• Powdered Sugar: Powdered sugar is really fine sugar that makes the perfect royal icing. It melts into the water and becomes really smooth and shiny.
• Meringue Powder: Meringue powder is a stabilizer that helps the royal frosting get stiff. It will be the perfect consistency to act as your glue for the gingerbread house with this ingredient.
• Water: You can adjust the consistency of the frosting by adding more or less water. If the frosting gets too runny, then add more powdered sugar until it gets thicker.

How to Make a Homemade Gingerbread House

This is such a fun recipe! The dough is not hard to make, which makes this the perfect recipe to make with kids and friends. It also makes the house smell like the holidays and fills the kitchen with Christmas cheer! I loved making this recipe, and I know you’ll enjoy it too.

Make Dough

1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 375° and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Cream Butter and Sugar: In the bowl of a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment to beat together the butter, both sugars and vanilla until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and add the molasses and egg. Beat again for 1-2 minutes, until incorporated.
3. Whisk: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt, and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix on low until a dough begins to form. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl again before mixing on medium speed. Add the milk to help the dough not be too crumbly.
4. Roll Out Dough: Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and roll out to ¼ inch thick. Using the already printed and cut out template for the house pieces, use a sharp paring knife to cut out the pieces of the house.

Bake and Make Frosting

1. Bake: Carefully transfer the cut-out gingerbread house pieces to the prepared baking sheets, leaving at least 2 inches between them. Bake for 11-14 minutes, until the edges and centers are set. Let cool completely on the baking sheets.
2. Make Icing: Once completely cooled, prepare the royal icing to use as glue for construction.
3. Whisk: In the bowl of a mixer, add the powdered sugar and meringue powder. Whisk together. Add 4 tablespoons of water and use the paddle attachment to mix on low speed. As the powdered sugar becomes more moistened as it mixes, increase the speed and beat until a very thick, smooth icing is made. If it is not moist enough to incorporate all the dry ingredients, add the 5th tablespoon of water. This icing should be very, very thick in order to hold together the heavy gingerbread.
4. Prep Piping Bag: Transfer the royal icing to a piping bag or a large ziplock bag. It will dry quickly if left exposed, so be sure to cover any extra icing tightly with plastic wrap.

Assemble The Houses

1. Assemble: Assemble the houses by using the royal icing as glue. Be generous and work quickly, as the royal icing will begin to crust over quite quickly. Pipe icing along the side of the front of the house then press the side piece to it to form the first corner. Repeat with the second side.
2. Pipe: Pipe icing along the two sides of the back piece and press firmly against the two standing sides to form the third and fourth corners. Add more icing the inside of the corners as needed to reinforce their stability.
3. Add Roof: Pipe icing along the roofline and top of the side on one side of the house. Press the first roof piece in place. Outline the remaining opening with icing and carefully press the last roof piece on. This is the trickiest piece to put on and must be done carefully so the rest of the house does not collapse.
4. Dry: Allow the houses to sit at least 24 hours to let the royal icing dry and harden before decorating.

Other Holiday Desserts to Make!

I love making baked goods around the holidays. Warm spices and sweet flavors are my favorite. I also that they make great gifts to share with friends and family. If you want to try some new recipes this year, you have to try some of my favorites!

Desserts

Grinch Cookies

Desserts

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Baked Apples

Breakfast

Homemade Apple Fritters

Breakfast

Donut Muffins

Print

Gingerbread House

Nothing says holiday season like a Gingerbread house sitting on the counter! This recipe includes the recipe for gingerbread, a template to print out the ginger bread house pieces, and how to make the royal icing. This is the perfect recipe for the whole family to enjoy!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword gingerbread, gingerbread house

Prep Time 45 minutes

Cook Time 14 minutes

Total Time 59 minutes

Servings 2 Gingerbread Houses

Calories 2616kcal

Author Alyssa Rivers

Ingredients

Gingerbread

• 6 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter Softened
• ¾ Cup Dark Brown Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar
• 2 Teaspoons Vanilla
• ½ Cup Molasses Unsulphered
• 1 Egg
• 3 Cups All-purpose Flour
• 1 Tablespoon Ground Cinnamon
• 1 Tablespoon Ground Ginger
• ½ Teaspoon Cloves
• ½ Teaspoon Salt
• ½ Teaspoon Baking Powder
• 2 Tablespoons Milk

Royal Icing

• 4 Cups Powdered Sugar
• 3 Tablespoons Meringue Powder
• 6-7 Tablespoons Water

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 375° and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment to beat together the butter, both sugars and vanilla until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and add the molasses and egg. Beat again for 1-2 minutes, until incorporated.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt, and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix on low until a dough begins to form. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl again before mixing on medium speed. Add the milk to help the dough not be too crumbly.
• Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and roll out to ¼ inch thick. Using the already printed and cut out template for the house pieces, use a sharp paring knife to cut out the pieces of the house.
• Carefully transfer the cut-out pieces to the prepared baking sheets, leaving at least 2 inches between them. Bake for 11-14 minutes, until the edges and centers are set. Let cool completely on the baking sheets.
• Once completely cooled, prepare the royal icing to use as glue for construction.
• In the bowl of a mixer, add the powdered sugar and meringue powder. Whisk together. Add 4 tablespoons of water and use the paddle attachment to mix on low speed. As the powdered sugar becomes more moistened as it mixes, increase the speed and beat until a very thick, smooth icing is made. If it is not moist enough to incorporate all the dry ingredients, add the 5th tablespoon of water. This icing should be very, very thick in order to hold together the heavy gingerbread.
• Transfer the royal icing to a piping bag or a large ziplock bag. It will dry quickly if left exposed, so be sure to cover any extra icing tightly with plastic wrap.
• Assemble the houses by using the royal icing as glue. Be generous and work quickly, as the royal icing will begin to crust over quite quickly. Pipe icing along the side of the front of the house then press the side piece to it to form the first corner. Repeat with the second side.
• Pipe icing along the two sides of the back piece and press firmly against the two standing sides to form the third and fourth corners. Add more icing the inside of the corners as needed to reinforce their stability.
• Pipe icing along the roofline and top of the side on one side of the house. Press the first roof piece in place. Outline the remaining opening with icing and carefully press the last roof piece on. This is the trickiest piece to put on and must be done carefully so the rest of the house does not collapse.
• Allow the houses to sit at least 24 hours to let the royal icing dry and harden before decorating.

Nutrition

Calories: 2616kcal | Carbohydrates: 546g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 174mg | Sodium: 768mg | Potassium: 1836mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 392g | Vitamin A: 1206IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 406mg | Iron: 15mg

Meringue cookies are crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. The whipped egg white base just melts in your mouth and tastes absolutely divine. They are a beautiful dessert for any occasion!

Cookies are the perfect gift if you ask me. They are delicious and they don’t clutter up your counters or your storage bins. They are filled with love and are a thoughtful gift, and I’ve never met a cookie I didn’t like! If you are like me and love gift-able cookies, you’ve got to try these crowd-pleasing Sugar Cookies, and these scrumptious Twix Thumbprint Cookies, and these perfect for the holidays Snowball Cookies.

Meringue Cookies Recipe

If you have never made meringue, you are going to love this recipe! I give you all the tips and tricks for this recipe to turn out perfectly. If you have made meringue, it might have been to top a lemon meringue pie. This meringue will have a different texture because you will be baking it in the oven. Meringue is mostly egg whites that are whipped until they get nice and fluffy. You put them in a piping bag and pipe them into cute shapes, and bake them in the oven. The meringue is crunchy on the outside and then melts into a soft and chewy dessert. It’s so fun to eat!

If you add food coloring or matcha powder, you can make them green and perfect for Christmas. You could add flavoring to them to make them chocolate, peppermint, or almond. I like making the cookies because it is like a mini pavlova but a little less work to make. I love pavlova so much, so these are great to whip up when I don’t have the time to make something more complicated!

Ingredients

The ingredients for meringue cookies are so simple, so the quality of the ingredients will make a difference in the taste. Make sure you give yourself time to separate the egg whites and let them come to room temperature before using them. You will have 6 egg yolks left over that aren’t needed for this recipe, so it would be a great time to try making a creme brulee too! You can find the exact measurements below in the recipe card.

• Granulated Sugar: Your regular pantry sugar will work great.
• Egg Whites: You will need 6 egg whites for this recipe. It is really important that you have ONLY egg whites, and no egg yolk gets into your meringue. If there is any egg yolk, the eggs will not whip up and get fluffy. Make sure to leave your egg whites out at room temperature for a few hours before you plan on making your cookies.
• Lemon Juice: Lemon juice adds a little acid which helps the meringue to set up nicely. You want it to hold its shape when you pipe it out, and lemon juice helps that happen. You could use cream of tartar or vinegar instead.
• Salt: Salt helps to cut down on the sweetness and brings more flavor out of the cookies.
• Vanilla Extract: Vanilla extract helps to enhance the flavors in the cookie and adds a little vanilla flavor so they don’t taste like sugar.

How to Make Meringue Cookies

They are actually pretty simple to make. You do have to pay attention to details for this meringue cookie to turn out right, so follow the instructions! I’ve made them quite a few times, and I’ve given you all my tips and tricks. I promise they will turn out delicious and beautiful!

Meringue Cookie

1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 200℉ and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Simmer: Add 1 inch of water to a medium saucepan and bring to a slight simmer.
3. Whisk: In a heatproof bowl of a stand mixer, add the egg whites and sugar. Whisk together until combined and place over the simmering water, ensuring the bowl does not touch the water.
4. Whip: Whisk the egg whites and sugar constantly until the mixture reaches 140℉. Remove from the heat and fit on the stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Whip until soft peaks form.
5. Add Ingredients and Whip: Add the lemon juice, salt, and vanilla extract. Whip until stiff peaks form. The meringue will begin to pull away from the sides of the bowl and when the whisk is removed, the peak will stand straight up. This can take a good 10-15 minutes of whipping at high speed.

Pipe and Bake

1. Prep Piping Bag: Prep your piping bags by fitting with a large star tip. Carefully spoon meringue into the piping bag and twist closed at the top, being careful to not overfill the bag (fill ½-⅔ of the way full).
2. Pipe: Pipe 4 small dots of meringue under the four corners of the parchment paper and press down. This will prevent the parchment from blowing up and sticking to your meringue cookies as they bake. Pipe 2 inch rosettes onto the parchment, leaving about 1 inch between them. Sprinkle with sprinkles, if desired.
3. Bake: Bake for 1-½ to 2 hours, until the outsides of the cookies are crisp to the touch. Turn off the oven and let the pan cool in the oven. Once the pan is completely cooled to the touch, remove from the oven.
4. Cool and Store: Gently remove the cookies from the pan. Store in an airtight container or serve immediately. Do not refrigerate or leave uncovered otherwise you risk the meringue becoming tacky and weeping.

Other Cookies to Try

If you love cookies as much as I do, you are going to want to save these recipes for later. Cookies are one of my favorite things to make, so I have tons of recipes you will want to try. Here are a few of my favorites that are perfect for any occasion!

Desserts

Turtle Cookies

Desserts

Cowboy Cookies

Desserts

Almond Cookies

Desserts

German Chocolate Cookies

Print

Meringue Cookies

Meringue cookies are crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. The whipped egg white base just melts in your mouth and tastes absolutely divine. They are a beautiful dessert for any occasion!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword cookies, meringue cookies

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 2 hours

Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes

Servings 40 cookies

Calories 32kcal

Author Alyssa Rivers

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
• 6 large egg whites room temperature
• ¼ teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 pinch salt
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 200℉ and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Add 1 inch of water to a medium saucepan and bring to a slight simmer.
• In a heatproof bowl of a stand mixer, add the egg whites and sugar. Whisk together until combined and place over the simmering water, ensuring the bowl does not touch the water.
• Whisk the egg whites and sugar constantly until the mixture reaches 140℉. Remove from the heat and fit on the stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Whip until soft peaks form.
• Add the lemon juice, salt, and vanilla extract. Whip until stiff peaks form. The meringue will begin to pull away from the sides of the bowl and when the whisk is removed, the peak will stand straight up. This can take a good 10-15 minutes of whipping at high speed.
• Prep your piping bags by fitting with a large star tip. Carefully spoon meringue into the piping bag and twist closed at the top, being careful to not overfill the bag (fill ½-⅔ of the way full).
• Pipe 4 small dots of meringue under the four corners of the parchment paper and press down. This will prevent the parchment from blowing up and sticking to your meringue cookies as they bake. Pipe 2 inch rosettes onto the parchment, leaving about 1 inch between them. Sprinkle with sprinkles, if desired.
• Bake for 1-½ to 2 hours, until the outsides of the cookies are crisp to the touch. Turn off the oven and let the pan cool in the oven. Once the pan is completely cooled to the touch, remove from the oven.
• Gently remove the cookies from the pan.. Store in an airtight container or serve immediately. Do not refrigerate or leave uncovered otherwise you risk the meringue becoming tacky and weeping.

Nutrition

Calories: 32kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 0.5g | Fat: 0.03g | Sodium: 9mg | Potassium: 8mg | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 0.002IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 0.4mg | Iron: 0.01mg