I like to have fun with all sorts of cookie houses. I have long since moved on from only classical gingerbread houses to other combinations. And today’s winning combination is chocolate and peanut butter!

The dough and house is constructed out of chocolate sugar cookie dough. The same recipe I created and used for my mini chocolate gingerbread houses. But I used my full sized gingerbread cutouts and methods, similar to my original sugar cookie house. Then it is decorated with Reece’s Pieces for that classic chocolate peanut butter combo.

This is one delicious and popular house.

Chocolate Sugar Cookie Recipe

1 Cup Room Temperature Butter
1 Cup Sugar
Teaspoon Vanilla
1 Egg
2 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1/2 Cup (Dutch Process) Cocoa Powder
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder

Directions

Cream together the butter and sugar in an electric stand mixer (or with a hand held mixer in a large bowl) until creamy.
Add the vanilla and egg and continue to mix on low or medium until well combined, scraping down the sides as needed.
Add the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder to the mixer. Mix on low (using a shield if the machine has one to keep the cocoa dust to a minimum). Continue on low until just combined.
Knead by hand until rolling out consistency, adding flour by the tablespoon if too sticky.
Roll out on a floured board or on the cookie sheet lined with parchment -my preferred method) until 1/4 ” thick.
Using cookie cutters (or free hand if that is more your thing) Cut out house shapes leaving all edges pieces in place (this will allow for a more square shape during baking).
Bake at 350 degrees 15 -20 minutes depending on oven and thickness of dough.
Immediately after removing from oven carefully recut all the shapes using the previous cookie cutters or a sharp paring knife.
Allow to cool. Then carefully remove pieces.
With royal icing in a piping bag, assemble the house. Or alternately allow little hands to decorate each section separately first.
Decorate with royal icing and peanut butter mini Reese’s Pieces as you see fit.

Basic Royal Icing Recipe:

2 Egg Whites

2 Cups Icing Sugar

In a stand mixture combine the egg whites and powdered sugar. Mix on medium-high to high for seven minutes until thick and shiny and the desired consistency.

If you are not comfortable using raw egg whites, then substitute 1 1/2 tablespoons meringue powder and 6 tablespoons water instead.

Keep covered when not using.

Print

Chocolate Sugar Cookie House

Ingredients

• 1 Cup Room Temperature Butter
• 1 Cup Sugar
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
• 1 Egg
• 2 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1/2 Cup Dutch Process Cocoa Powder
• 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder

Instructions

1. Cream together the butter and sugar in an electric stand mixer (or with a hand held mixer in a large bowl) until creamy.
2. Add the vanilla and egg and continue to mix on low or medium until well combined, scraping down the sides as needed.
3. Add the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder to the mixer. Mix on low (using a shield if the machine has one to keep the cocoa dust to a minimum). Continue on low until just combined.
4. Knead by hand until rolling out consistency, adding flour by the tablespoon if too sticky.
5. Roll out on a floured board or on the cookie sheet lined with parchment -my preferred method) until 1/4 ” thick.
6. Using cookie cutters (or free hand if that is more your thing) Cut out house shapes leaving all edges pieces in place (this will allow for a more square shape during baking).
7. Bake at 350 degrees 15 -20 minutes depending on oven and thickness of dough.
8. Immediately after removing from oven carefully recut all the shapes using the previous cookie cutters or a sharp paring knife.
9. Allow to cool. Then carefully remove pieces.
10. With royal icing in a piping bag, assemble the house. Or alternately allow little hands to decorate each section separately first.
11. Decorate with royal icing and peanut butter mini Reese’s Pieces as you see fit.

Print

Basic Royal Icing Recipe:

Keyword royal icing

Prep Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 Egg Whites
• 2 Cups Icing Sugar

Instructions

1. In a stand mixture combine the egg whites and powdered sugar. Mix on medium-high to high for seven minutes until thick and shiny and the desired consistency.
2. If you are not comfortable using raw egg whites, then substitute 1 1/2 tablespoons meringue powder and 6 tablespoons water instead.
3. Keep covered when not using.

Other fabulous gingerbread adaptations are:

Giant Pull Apart Gingerbread Man

Gingerbread Row Houses

Sugar Cookie House

and

Mini Chocolate Cookie Houses