A Gingerbread Sleigh – filled with a Chocolate Father Christmas and Snowballs!
My plan was to make these for the boys for Christmas, but having made only 2 and there being 3 of them these are off to the school Christmas fair instead!
To make 2 Gingerbread Sleighs, you will need:
1 x Quantity of Gingerbread Dough recipe here
Royal Icing
Chocolate Father Christmas and Christmas sweets or chocolates
(Links to The Pink Whisk Shop)
Split the dough in half and knead until soft. Roll out each between 2 sheets of baking paper to approx 4mm thick. Place them flat in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes until firm.
Print out the template here and cut out the pieces.
Working with one sheet at a time, peel off the top piece of baking paper.
Position the templates on top of the dough and using a sharp knife carefully cut out the dough, leaving the excess in position for now. For the main body of the sleigh after cutting the first piece turn the template for cutting out the second time so that you create a mirror image.
You will need 2 x main sleigh bodies, 2 x small rectangles and 1 x base
With each piece cut out carefully remove the excess dough from around the pieces.
Slide the baking paper without disturbing the shapes onto a tray, board or baking tray and pop them back in the fridge to chill for another ten minutes. They will have softened whilst you were working and if you tried to move them now they would pull out of shape.
Preheat the oven to 170c (fan)/190c/Gas Mark 5.
Once the pieces have firmed up again take them out of the fridge. Transfer them to a baking tray lined with non-stick paper, making sure there is enough space between them.
Bake in the oven for 8 minutes until the edges are lightly golden – do keep an eye on them, in case they start to burn.
As soon as they are out of the oven using a sharp knife trim the base of the main sleigh body pieces and the edges of the two small rectangles – they will be easy to cut whilst still warm. You need nice straight lines for them to join together properly during the assembly bit!
Leave them to cool fully on the tray.
Once they are completely cool you can get to work on assembly. Careful with the pieces as they can’t take manhandling! Check that they are firm and not soft.
If the gingerbread is still a little soft place them on a baking tray in the oven at 100c for 30 minutes to help dry them out.
Arm yourself with some white royal icing in a piping bag and grab a couple of tins from the cupboard.
Take the base rectangle and lay it down face down flat on a piece of baking paper.
Pipe a thickish line of icing along one short edge.
Position one small rectangle onto the icing – prop it up using a tin and let it set.
Once set, turn the whole lot around and repeat the process sticking on the other end.
Now let this dry out fully – the icing will set firm and hold the whole lot together. Patience is a virtue!
Completely set? On we go!
Lay a main body sleigh piece face down on the baking paper, lift the rectangles into position and lightly score around it with a sharp knife – the marks will then guide you where you need the icing.
Pipe the icing onto the sleigh and position the rectangle pieces to start to create the inside of the sleigh.
Let it set for ten minutes, add icing around the open side of the rectangles and lift the final sleigh body piece into place.
Use something large and flat to hold up against both the sleigh bases to check that they are in line.
Now leave it to set completely again.
Time for the decoration! I only decorated the front side of the sleigh ( feel free to go for both if you excel in the patient stakes)
Pipe on the outline
Sprinkle with mini dragees and pipe on a wide ruffly trim – and leave to set – aaarrrrrgghhh!
Once the piping is dry – add in Father Christmas and the snowball chocolates.
Set the whole lot onto an 8″ cake board or card – wrap in cellophane and tie with a pretty ribbon!
Ruth Clemens, Baker Extraordinaire
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Stunning hope they raise lots at the school fair
Fantastic!
This is so brilliant. Me and my daughter did houses last year but definitely sleighs this year.
Brilliant yet again you really are excelling yourself this year I’m loving the 12 days so far so is my daughters Xmas fair
Just love it….You are so amazingly talented!!!
Great idea will be giving it a go
x
What an unusual idea! Love it!
This is absolutely wonderful, I,m making this for Christmas, love gingerbread and everyone will think I,m amazing and really…i just know the right website.
Karen x
Love the sleighs, never thought of those.
Inspiring!
They’ll love you at the Christmas Fair! Another wonderful creation! : )
This is ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS!
I was contemplating making a Gingerbread House for my son this year – but this looks sooo much more fun!
I love love love your creative ideas – you are a genius! Xx
Oh that it just insanely brilliant Ruth!
Can’t wait to check what each day brings – love this one too!
That is an awesome sleigh! A kind of mixture of cookery and carpentry.
Wow this is amazing. I might have a go at this if i’m feeling brave.
Oo was thinking of doing a house this year but think I will definitely try the sleigh! I love ginger bread so much I might have to do a house with a sleigh parked outside!
Lovely, and thanks for providing the template too!
Love this and can’t wait to give it a go!
fab! love it V much.
Gorgeous!
WOW that would make a super gift for someone !
How very original Ruth – love it x
fantastic – im sure santa would love to see this when he comes down the chimney on christmas eve. x
This is great as I am in the middle of making a gingerbread house – my first ever attempt. I feel inspired to have a go at this sleigh. Great idea!
these are lovely – will go so well with my quick home made ginger beer – brilliant
Such a clever idea as always
Beautiful! Would love to give these a go.
Fantastic x
That sleigh is just “jaw-dropping”. I would really love a go at this – have I got the patience and skill, for that matter. Only time will tell. Very impressive
wow – how long in total does it take for it all to set?
I did it over two days (one afternoon and then one morning) and kept coming back to it. As soon as the royal icing is set hard it’s fine to go on to the next step x
Great Idea Happy christmasx
this is great! I hope it is within my capabilities as I definitely want to make it!
A great alternative to gingerbread house
So many nice things to make. Not sure which to do first!
:O can’t wait to make these sleighs, great practice for the gingerbread house I wanted to make! x
What a fabulous idea! Definitely trying this one!
Love it love it love it!! Brilliant!!
My hubbie wants a house but the sleigh looks a lot of fun to fill with goodies
These are fab, our school fair was on saturday but these would have gone down a storm in the silent auction! Will have to remember for next year! X
Oh oh oh oh oh, this is the best yet. Argh. Must make sleigh, must make sleigh. Totally love this one xxxxxx
I have definitely got to try this! Thank you for the step-by-step pictures. x
They look so cool!! Not sure if I have the required patience though… xx
I love both of these ideas. Think I will be making the sleigh first
Just brilliant – you have such fabulous ideas – great inspiration for me!!!
Wow! Fantastic. So beautiful. Lucky school fair
Love it – beautifully done!!
I love both ginger and the Cornish blue tableware. A fab hamper is just getting better every day.
May have to give this a go.
These are sooo fab! Although you make it look easy Ruth, last year’s attempt at a house with my 2 yr old has put me off being more ambitious!!
I wish I could have one of these for Christmas but I think I’m a bit too old for Santas list
Well that looks surprisingly easy … !!!
Fantastic, will have to make this instead of a gingerbread house!
Brilliant idea…way better than houses!
Christmas Buffet Centrepice so far…
this is fantastic! i wont be having a go at this one as it wont look like that when im done im sure!!
Spectacular! will be trying this instead of a gingerbread house this year
Not sure I will able to make these but will give it a try anyway.
Have you got a Royal Icing recipe and tips?
I’ve been using a boxes of royal icing sugar this year just add the water slowly when mixing it up so it doesn’t go too runny by accident x
Ruth, for us outside of UK: is it ready made box of royal icing sugar, or can I just use regular icing sugar and add some water? Thanx.
Ah sorry I didn’t think overseas! Its a box of icing sugar with powder egg white already added. If theres no such thing where you are you’ll need regular icing sugar (250g) plus powdered egg white (2 tsp) and then whisk it together with a little water to a fairly stiff consistency. The egg white is what makes it set hard. If you can’t get powdered egg white you’ll need to mix regular icing sugar with liquid egg white but remember that the egg white isn’t pasteurised so the royal icing shouldn’t be eaten by pregnant, elderly etc x
I’ll definitely have a go at making this, it looks great.
That would not last long in our house!
Awesome, thanks Ruth
I baked my first gingerbread house this year as a housewarming gift to a friend that just moved into a new flat.
wow – wouldn’t have the patience I think
Another one on my to do list. Great idea.
Gorgeous!
Fab idea x
My daughter has just seen these and got her apron out to make some, she’s 2!
Epic!
I’d eat the snowballs before they made it into the sleigh – eek!
Wow, I’d love to be able to produce something like this – I can see a baking session coming on!
wow!
amazing!
Looks fantastic but to complex for me!
Looks like I’m going to be busy baking up a storm witG my girls!
Looks great
Looks great, something to bake with my toddler in the years to come
So much better than gingerbread houses!