SMPC got into the holiday spirit and prepared an entry for the AIA New Mexico – Young Architects Forum Second Annual Gingerbread Haus Competition. The entries were displayed at the 2017 AIA Albuquerque Annual Design Awards Banquet at the Canyon Club at Four Hills, Albuquerque. Entries were evaluated based on overall appearance, difficulty, creativity and originality, technique and skill.

The SMPC gingerbread haus design was based on the Trost & Trost First National Bank Building we’re moving into early 2018. The actual building is located at 219 Central Avenue, downtown Albuquerque; it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. While our gingerbread version may not capture the stature of the 8-story, 1922 building, it smells delicious and we had a lot of fun putting it together.

Interested in assembling your own gingerbread structure? We’ve included some recipes to make it happen. Share your results on our Instagram with the hashtags: #smpcgingerbread #smpcdowntown #smpcarchitects

Gingerbread Dough Recipe

• 5 ½ cups sifted all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 cup vegetable shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup molasses
• 1 egg

1. Sift flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg onto wax paper.
2. Beat shortening with sugar until light and fluffy. Add molasses and egg, then stir in flour mixture to form a stiff dough. Chill for several hours or overnight.
3. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and lightly sprinkle with flour. Roll out ¼ of the dough to 1/8 inch thickness on parchment.
4. Cut out pattern pieces, leaving at least ½ inch between them. Save dough trimmings for re-rolls.
5. Bake at 300°F for 20 minutes or until firm. Trim edges while still warm if needed. Cool on a wire rack.

Royal Frosting

• 2 egg whites
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 3 ½ cups sifted powdered sugar (10x)

Beat egg whites and lemon juice until foamy. Slowly add sugar until stiff peaks form. Keep covered with damp paper towel and plastic wrap to prevent drying.

Sugar “Cement”

Spread 1 cup sugar in a small heavy skillet. Heat slowly until it melts and turns pale golden. Use immediately as adhesive.

Windows

• Crush Lifesavers candies in a blender
• Place crushed candy into window spaces in rolled dough
• Bake along with gingerbread structure