• In a large bowl of a stand-up mixer with a paddle attachment, add all the ingredients and mix well together (I know that is weird, but it works just fine, everyone in the pool!!).
• Transfer dough to plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
• Preheat oven to 350F. Grease cookie sheets and set them aside. On a lightly floured surface and working with half the dough, roll out to 1/4" thick. With floured cookie cutters, cut out gingerbread house pieces (2 each to make a complete house) and lay carefully onto the prepared sheets.
• Reform dough into a ball and continue to roll out and cut out gingerbread house pieces.
• Bake 8 min. until lightly browned. Remove from pan and transfer to a cooling rack. Cool completely before assembling - approximately 20 min.
• While the cookies are cooling, make the royal icing.

Assembling the Gingerbread Mug Huggers

• Once the cookies have completely cooled, it’s time to assemble the houses. You’ll need 2 house-shaped pieces, 2 small rectangles (for the sides), and 2 large rectangles (for the roof).

Build the base:

• Place one house piece flat on your work surface. Pipe two lines of royal icing on the bottom half, opposite each other. Attach the two small rectangles (short sides) to the icing, forming the side walls. Hold gently for a few seconds until the icing begins to set.

Attach the back wall:

• Pipe two lines of icing on the second house piece, again opposite each other on the bottom half. Carefully press it onto the open ends of the side walls to complete the base. Hold for a few seconds, then gently flip the house upright.

Add the roof:

• Pipe a line of icing on the short ends of the large rectangles. Position the roof pieces so they meet at the peak. Pipe a final line of icing down the center seam to seal.

Decorate:

• Once assembled, have fun decorating with the remaining royal icing: pipe lines, dots, or shapes to make each house unique.
• **It’s best to let the houses dry overnight so the royal icing fully hardens, but if you’re short on time, a few hours of drying should work in a pinch.

Royal Icing

• Combine egg white + cream of tartar in a clean, grease-free bowl.
• Beat with a hand mixer on medium until foamy, 1-2 minutes.
• Add powdered sugar, ½ cup at a time, mixing on low speed until fully incorporated.
• Once all the sugar is in, beat on medium-high until the icing is thick, glossy, and holds stiff peaks, about 4–6 minutes.
• Transfer to a frosting bag (you don’t need a tip). When ready to use, cut a very small piece off the tip of the bag, like the size of the tip of a pencil as you want to be able to “write” with it.