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Gingerbread Birdhouse Ornaments

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By Betty Crocker Kitchens
Updated Aug 14, 2006
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Darling, fragrant little ornaments you can hang from your tree or give as holiday gifts, assuming you can resist eating them first!

Gingerbread Birdhouse Ornaments

  • Prep Time 25 min
  • Total 3 hr 10 min
  • Servings 60
  • Ingredients 21
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Ingredients

Gingerbread and Decorations

  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup shortening
  • 1 1/2 cups full-flavor molasses
  • 2/3 cup water
  • 6 cups Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Drinking straw
  • 8 pretzel sticks, cut into 1-inch lengths
  • Powdered sugar
  • Betty Crocker™ green decorating icing
  • Betty Crocker™ Holiday Décor holly berry sprinkles
  • Gold string

Easy Creamy Frosting

  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 4 to 5 tablespoons half-and-half
  • Food color, if desired
Make With
Gold Medal Flour

Instructions

  • Step 
    1
    In large bowl, mix brown sugar, shortening, molasses and cold water until well blended. Stir in flour, baking soda, ginger, salt, allspice, cloves and cinnamon. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
  • Step 
    2
    Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease cookie sheet. On lightly floured surface, roll dough 1/2 inch thick. Using knife or 2 1/2-inch cookie cutters, cut dough into squares or circles for bases of birdhouses, and into hearts for roofs.
  • Step 
    3
    Place heart shape upside down on top of square or circle, just overlapping. Using end of drinking straw, make hole in center of birdhouse base for door and at top of roof for hanging. Place about 1 1/2 inches apart on cookie sheet.
  • Step 
    4
    Bake about 15 minutes or until no indentation remains when touched. While warm, insert pretzel stick just below door hole for perch. Remove from cookie sheet. Cool completely.
  • Step 
    5
    In medium bowl, mix 4 cups powdered sugar, the vanilla and enough half-and-half for desired spreading consistency. Tint with food color as desired. Frost tops of cookies (roofs) with frosting; sprinkle with powdered sugar. Decorate with decorating icing and sprinkles. Thread pieces of gold string through holes in tops of birdhouses; tie in knots to make hangers.

Nutrition

130 Calories
1 1/2g Total Fat
1g Protein
28g Total Carbohydrate
16g Sugars

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Serving
Calories
130
Calories from Fat
15
Total Fat
1 1/2g
2%
Saturated Fat
0g
0%
Trans Fat
0g
Cholesterol
0mg
0%
Sodium
85mg
4%
Potassium
150mg
4%
Total Carbohydrate
28g
9%
Dietary Fiber
0g
0%
Sugars
16g
Protein
1g
% Daily Value*:
Vitamin A
0%
0%
Vitamin C
0%
0%
Calcium
2%
2%
Iron
6%
6%
Exchanges:
1 Starch; 0 Fruit; 1 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 0 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 0 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 0 Fat;
Carbohydrate Choice
2
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

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