Can a gingerbread house be made with chocolate chip cookie dough?

[TupperMom7]

I love to make gingerbread men, gingerbread houses, etc. at this time of year, but my family doesn't like to eat gingerbread and I can't eat it all myself! I got the idea the other day that I could use a different kind of cookie dough. Has anyone ever tried using chocolate chip cookie dough or maybe chocolate cookie dough? Would I have to modify the dough to make it stiffer?

 

[mickeymaker2003]

I would think you could use a biscotti recipe. It is already about the consistency and texture of gingerbread.

 

[LJC1861]

Chocolate Chip cookie dough would probably be much too soft. For my gingerbread houses I use a dough with no baking powder/soda or shortening in it for better construction. For eating cookies however it is an entirely different story! I also use honey in my construction gingerbread rather than the molasses I use in my eating cookies.

I do agree with a previous poster that biscotti dough might work as it is a dry hard cookie anyway.

Linda

 

[3boymthr]

Not with Choc Chip Cookie Dough but I have made them with Chocolate Cheesecake Cookie Dough. This recipe is great as it has no eggs so it's vegetarian and also good for those with an egg allergy You can also omit the chocolate the dough is still really tasty.

1 pkg 8 oz cream cheese brick softened
3/4 cup butter softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda.

Beat cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and butter in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended and smooth. Gradually add flour and baking soda.

Optional:
Add 4 squares of melted unsweetened baker's chocolate. Please note it is important that the chocolate be cooled slightly and the cream cheese mixture be at or almost at room temperature when adding the chocolate or the chocolate will harden when added to the mixture and will not blend. You can also use unsweetened baking cocoa but need to do the conversion found on the cocoa box.

Refrigerate the dough for a short while then roll out and cut to desired shape.

I use mini m&ms to make the eyes, buttons and mouth, but you could also use raisins, red hots or other heat resistant candies.

 

[HunnyPots]

You can use sugar cookie dough, just be sure to use shortening instead of butter and leave out the cream of tarter if you are going to build houses out of it. Also, be sure you bake it till it's completely done so it won't be too soft in the center.

Biscotti becomes hard and dry because it is baked twice. Once in a loaf and then a second time when it is cut into slices. Just using biscotti dough will not yield the same results as gingerbread.

 

[tinkarooni]

We never actually eat our gingerbread house. I too think chocolate chip cookie dough would be too messy, I recently saw a Rice Krispie Treat house, how about that?

 

[maggiew]

I wouldn't use chocolate chip cookie dough to make a "gingerbread" house. It wouldn't hold up correctly. But do you really eat that? We just make it for show.

You could make gingerbread men out of chocolate chip cookie dough, though, I would imagine and then decorate that. I would only worry about the cookies spreading out and loosing the gingerbread man shape. Maybe you could make chocolate chip cookie bars and instead of cutting them into bar shapes, use a cookie cutter to cut the gingerbread man shape.

Maggie

 

[dfchelbay]

I love to make gingerbread men, gingerbread houses, etc. at this time of year, but my family doesn't like to eat gingerbread and I can't eat it all myself! I got the idea the other day that I could use a different kind of cookie dough. Has anyone ever tried using chocolate chip cookie dough or maybe chocolate cookie dough? Would I have to modify the dough to make it stiffer?

I've seen bakers on Food Network Challenge using rice crispy treats to construct buildings. Kids might enjoy that. They also used boiled sugar and water to make the windows.

 

[Mickey527]

My grandson keeps talking about eating the Christmas Train gingerbread display that we just made. I told him that after sitting on the dining room table collecting dust for 4 weeks the only one who will eat it is the birds.
We usually put our tree out in the backyard after Christmas for the birds to eat.
We also string popcorn and cranberries and they get draped on the fence for the birds.
I would make gingerbread and then make some cookies from some recipe that you like to eat while enjoying the smell and looks of the Gingerbread house you display.

 

[joshuadavid21]

Well, I guess you should make gingerbread men out of chocolate chip cookie dough, though, I would imagine and then decorate that. I would only worry about the cookies spreading out and losing the gingerbread man shape.