KITKAT GINGERBREAD HOUSE

These look fantastic and are reasonably quick to make, they are small enough to be individual gifts and taste and look great.

The roof can be made from salted caramel or mint swirl kitkats. Aero bars were used for the door end. The pieces are glued to the board and each other with melted chocolate then royal icing and m&ms used to decorate.

You will need:

Cut and line a board that is 11 x 15 cm for each house.

Allow the chocolate to come to room temperature.  For each house on a clean chopping board cut:

• 2 pieces of 3 bars (the walls)
• 1 piece of 6 bars sliced in the middle for the roof – use choc mint or salted caramel swirl (bars can be glued together with melted chocolate)
• 1 piece of 2 bars cut in half – the back wall
• A piece of aero bar cut to the same size as the back wall – front door.
• 2 triangular pieces cut from 2 1/2 sized bars to go in the gables
• A bag of m&ms and any other interesting lollies
• A batch of Royal icing – split into small zip-lock bags, red and green food colouring can be added directly to 2 of the bags and squelched around to spread the colour. Cut a small piece off the corner to use as a piping bag
• A small box that is about as wide as the house to use as support while the chocolate glue is setting
• Chocolate melts to use as glue

Place the kitkat pieces into the fridge to cool a bit.

Method

1. Have the chocolate pieces, board and supporting box ready.
2. Put some chocolate melts into a zip-lock bag and melt in the microwave in short bursts, squashing the pieces between bursts until they are all melted.
3. Cut a small piece off the bottom corner of the bag. The chocolate can be reheated as necessary.
4. Place the box in the middle, towards the back of the board, run a line of chocolate along the bottom edge of the first side wall and quickly place the wall in position.
5. Run chocolate on tbe bottom and one edge of the back wall and place it in position so its outer face is level with the end of the first wall.
6. When the pieces have set, carefully remove the box.
7. For the other end wall/door – Run chocolate glue along the bottom and side and attach to the board and wall piece.
8. Put glue along the base and on the inside of the ends of the remaining wall piece and attach it to complete the house walls.
9. To attach the roof, run chocolate glue along the tops of the walls, hold both roof pieces on to the glue so they meet in the middle.
10. Run a line of glue along the roof.
11. Cut triangular pieces and glue them in to the gable spaces.
12. Pipe royal icing along the edges, pipe windows, ground, everywhere and anywhere.
13. Attach lollies to decorate. You cannot have too many lollies.
14. Set aside until the royal icing has set hard.
15. Wrap in cellophane and attach a gift tag.