Homemade Edible Gingerbread Gift Boxes

Edible gift boxes make your gifts more interesting.

What better way to wrap your gifts than in edible boxes. Using gingerbread boxes at Christmas gives a festive look to gifts. They can also be used as candy trays for your holiday parties. Gifts in these unique boxes make an interesting presentation for young and old. Gingerbread boxes are fragile and so should be made in small sizes. Shipping these delicate gift boxes is not recommended, however, so save them for friends nearby.

Things You'll Need

• 7 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. baking powder
• 1 cup unsalted butter - softened
• 1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
• 4 tsp. ground ginger
• 3 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 2-½ tsp. ground allspice
• 1-½ tsp. salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup unsulphured molasses
• Sifter
• Mixing bowls
• Electric mixer
• Plastic wrap
• 4 cups icing sugar
• ½ tsp. cream of tartar
• 3 egg whites
• Rolling pin
• Flour
• Box templates
• Sharp knife
• Spatula
• Cookie sheet
• Cooling rack
• Pastry bag
• Icing tips
• Ribbon

Instructions

Make the gingerbread

1. Sift 7 cups of flour, baking soda and baking powder together in a mixing bowl.

2. Cream sugar and softened butter in a separate bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Blend in spices and salt. Add eggs and molasses and continue to blend with the mixer.

3. Turn the mixer to low and add the flour mixture. Blend until the flour is incorporated and a soft dough forms.

4. Divide the dough into thirds. Wrap each third in plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for one hour.

5. Cut templates for boxes from poster board or other stiff paper. The finished boxes should be no more than 6 inches square as they will be fragile. Make the dimensions of the templates for the box tops slightly larger so that they will fit the boxes.

6. Roll out dough to 1/8-inch thickness on a well-floured surface. Lay templates for box pieces on the dough. Cut out the pieces along the template edges with a sharp knife.
   Transfer to ungreased cookie sheets and refrigerate for 15 to 20 minutes, until firm.

7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove cookie sheets from the refrigerator. Bake cookies until crisp, about 8 to 10 minutes. Cool the pieces on cookie sheets for 3 minutes. Remove the pieces from the cookie sheet with a spatula and cool on wire racks.

Make Royal Icing

1. Prepare the Royal Icing recipe when you are ready to assemble the boxes.
   Sift together the icing sugar and cream of tartar in a mixing bowl.

2. Beat in egg whites with and electric mixer until icing is thick enough to hold its shape, about 7 to 10 minutes.

3. Scoop icing into a pastry bag fitted with a plain icing tip.

Assemble the Boxes

1. Glue one box side perpendicular to the bottom piece of the box. Squeeze royal icing between the bottom edges of each piece. Press them firmly together. Hold until icing begins to set.

2. Attach additional side pieces carefully to the box by squeezing icing at side and bottom seams. Hold sides firmly in place until all sides are secure. Repeat the procedure for the box top.

3. Place the box in a safe area until the icing is completely dry and hard. Place a small gift in the box. Place the top carefully on the box. Tie the box with a decorative ribbon.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep cookie dough refrigerated until ready to use.

• The gingerbread recipe will make several boxes depending on the size. Additional dough can be used to make cookies or gingerbread ornaments.

• Keep extra icing in the bowl covered with a damp cloth until needed. The icing will dry out quickly if not kept covered.

References

• House and Home: Holiday Gingerbread Boxes