Growing up my mom made gingerbread houses every year for gifts. I remember she always had a hard time keeping the walls from falling in while working on it. So she melted sugar on a hot plate in a case iron fry pan, and dipped each edge of the walls in it. It instantly glued the walls together like cement. Then she proceeded to cover each corner with ornate icing. The sugar is very hot when melted, so use caution when using melted sugar.
In the past I have boiled sugar with just a drop of water to use as glue to assemble my gingerbread house. You have to be very careful and quick, once the sugar has boiled it can burn you if you aren't very careful, it sticks the pieces together quickly, but you need to store the gingerbread house somewhere cool, otherwise the sugar glue softens and runs, and the gingerbread house might come apart. You also have to keep reheating the sugar glue after assembling a few pieces as it so thickens and is to hard to work with. The pan and spoon get very messy, not fun cleaning up after you've finnished. This year I'm thinking of trying royal icing instead of the sugar glue. I would love to hear from anyone who uses royal icing to find out how well it works and if there are any problems.
Dec 12, 2010 Rating
Sugar glue by: LinAnonymous
In the past I have boiled sugar with just a drop of water to use as glue to assemble my gingerbread house. You have to be very careful and quick, once the sugar has boiled it can burn you if you aren't very careful, it sticks the pieces together quickly, but you need to store the gingerbread house somewhere cool, otherwise the sugar glue softens and runs, and the gingerbread house might come apart. You also have to keep reheating the sugar glue after assembling a few pieces as it so thickens and is to hard to work with. The pan and spoon get very messy, not fun cleaning up after you've finnished. This year I'm thinking of trying royal icing instead of the sugar glue. I would love to hear from anyone who uses royal icing to find out how well it works and if there are any problems.
