Gingerbread Houses!!

So this year I was in charge of providing a class craft for W's Christmas party at his class.  I had another parent help me. The teacher really wanted us to make gingerbread houses that the kids could decorate with their parents.  The store bought kits were so expensive we decided to put these houses together with graham crackers.  The teacher gave us this recipe for the icing and her words were "this stuff is like crazy glue"   So we figured great...we can do this.  So we carefully crafted 16 houses together for the class party.  They turned out great!! Well mine where a little messy but my friend's looked like Martha Stewart's.  The kids in the class just loved decorating them.  Let me tell you too--the icing was incredible after it dried.  I actually tripped taking some of the houses to my car and they all fell out on  the tile floor.   I froze in that moment thinking what am I going to do?!!   But when I picked up the box, to my amazement they were all still in perfect condition!! I just had to laughed at myself.   So I wanted to share this recipe. 

 Royal Frosting 

3 egg whites

1 pkg  powder sugar (about a pound)

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy and slowly add the sugar.  You don't want the frosting too watery so if need keep adding more sugar until it is stiff enough to not drip off of a spoon.  If too thick add water a drop at a time.  

Like I said this stuff is amazing.  (I thought I would use it the other day to glue some mouths shut....Just Kidding!!)  It dries quick so just hold the graham crackers into place for a few seconds until it starts setting up.  

Suggestions:

--Don't construct the roof until the base of the house is harden about 10 min.

--Pipe icing through plastic bag and then give the kids a little bag of icing to pipe there candy on.  (You can use the store bought icing for the decorating.  The candy will still stick.)

--Store left over icing in an airtight container--add drops of water if too thick

I had an extra house so I took one home for Y to decorate.  He loved it as you can see he ate more candy then he put on the house.