25 Days of Christmas – Day 13: Gingerbread Fun Inspired by Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort

Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort does a magnificent job of building their 16-foot gingerbread house. If you wanted to build it yourself it would take  800 pounds of flour, 600 pounds of sugar and 1,050 pounds of honey.

So we’re offering the next best thing — a taste of the experience.  The Grand Floridian Bake Shop uses a classic gingerbread recipe from Austria to make their gingerbread houses, ornaments and cookies. Here’s a holiday recipe that’ll bring the Disney Parks holiday experience into your home:

Gingerbread Cookies
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. Makes 36 cookies

Ingredients
2 sticks softened butter
2 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
2 eggs
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 2/3 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 1/4 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground star anise
1 teaspoon ground fennel
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground clove
1/4 teaspoon ground mace

Ingredients for decorations optional
1/4 cup milk
1 cup colored sugar granules

Directions
1. Cream the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl until smooth using an electric mixer. Add the eggs and mix until combined.

2. Sift all the remaining dry ingredients in a separate large mixing bowl and mix well. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture until a dough forms

3. Remove dough from the bowl and wrap in plastic wrap; place in refrigerator until firm, two to four hours.

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease cookie sheets.

5. Remove dough from refrigerator and allow dough to sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes, until pliable. Divide dough in half and place on floured work surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out until about 1/8 inch thick. While rolling, flour the work surface and rolling pin as needed.

6. Cut out desired cookie shapes with cookie cutters. Transfer cookies to a greased cookie sheet, placing them 1 inch apart.

7. Lightly brush cookies with milk and sprinkle with sugar granules as desired.

8. Bake until firm and edges begin to darken, 10-14 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for a minute, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Cook’s notes:
You can find star anise in the ethnic aisle in your local grocery store. To get the best flavor from this spice, you will need to grind the whole star anise pod. For the neatest edges, dip your cookie cutters in flour before cutting out each cookie.

The Grand Floridian gingerbread house offers homemade items like shingles, stollen bread, chocolate chip cookies and chocolate-peppermint bark. You’ll also find gingerbread ornaments and miniature gingerbread houses. Here’s a complete selection of what they have to offer:

Ginger Bread House Goodies for Sale:

Large Chocolate Chip Cookie (4 oz)
Gingerbread Cookie People (1.6 oz)

Lollipops
Oreo Cookie White Chocolate Pop (1.6 oz)
Mickey Face (3 oz)
Princess (1.6 oz)
Chocolate Mickey or Minnie Head (3.25 oz)
Gingerbread House Shingle (2.8 oz)
Chocolate Snowman with Chocolates (4.2 oz)
Chocolate Mickey in Gold Box (3.2 oz )

Gingerbread Ornaments
Small (1 oz)
House (3.8 oz)
Butterfly (5.4 oz)
Tree (3oz)
Cup (4oz)

Chocolate Gingerbread House (5.6oz)
Chocolate Holiday Hexagon Box with Truffles (7 oz)

Peppermint Bark 1/2 lb bag
Chocolate Holiday Frame (5.8 oz)
Assorted Gingerbread Cookies 1/2 lb bag
Seasons Greetings Chocolate box with Truffles (14.6 oz)
Stollen Bread with Marzipan (2lb)

Chocolate Disney Characters
Belle (14.4 oz)
Donald (9.4 oz)
Goofy (10.4 oz)
Mickey (14.2 oz)
Minnie ( 12.5 oz)
Tinker Bell (9.4 oz)

Poinsettia Chocolate Box with Truffles (20 oz)

Chocolate Champagne Bottle with Chocolates (1lb 2.6 oz)

Signature Gingerbread House (3.5 lbs)

Signature Chocolate Box with Truffles (2lbs 5 oz)