gingerbread log cabin

1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup water

For the dough:

1. Combine melted butter, brown sugar and molasses. Sift the dry ingredients together.

2. Add the sifted ingredients to the butter mixture in 3 parts, alternating with water. (Knead in the last part with your hands, while dough is slightly warm.)

3. Bake on greased cookie sheets at 350° F for 10 minutes.

For the log cabin:

1. Form a model for the cabin from cardboard. You need a back, 2 sides, a front with doors and windows, 2 pieces for the roof and 4 strips for the chimney. Cut and tape together to form cabin.

2. Make dough and form logs to fit length of walls. Bake. (Logs can be re-cut to fit when warm out of the oven.)

3. Cool. Use Royal Icing (see recipe below) to glue logs on cardboard and to fill between logs.
Cut out trees and bake. Cover with icing and decorate with candies and sprinkles.

Nutritional analysis:
Calories: 1374kcal, Protein: 5g, Carbohydrate: 243g, Fiber 1g, Fat: 46g

Royal Icing

3 1/2 cups icing sugar
2 large egg whites
1 large lemon, juiced
2 drops glycerin

Nutritional analysis:
Calories: 1600kcal, Protein: 708g, Carbohydrate: 406g, Fiber: 2g, Fat: 1g

Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Gradually add sugar. Add lemon juice and glycerin. Beat until good consistency to spread. Cover with damp cloth until ready to use.