GINGERBREAD HOUSES Gingerbread houses can be made in classes by using graham Crackers to form the houses.  You can either make the houses yourself or have your students make them, but they will need a day to set up and be firm BEFORE you decorate them. Each house requires 6 double cracker sheets. (They are scored so you can break them into 2 squares or 4 small crackers)  I figure about 4 houses per one lb. Package.  You might get 5 if you are talented, lucky, and have no breakage.  2 make the sides, 2 make the roof and the last two have to have one end pointed to make the peak for the roof on that wall. Royal frosting (the kind that gets hard as a rock) is the best for this.  If you can find meringue powder, use the recipe on the side of the package.  Otherwise, here’s the old-fashioned way: ROYAL FROSTING: 2 egg whites     ¼ teaspoon Cream of Tartar      1 lb Powdered Sugar Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until you get soft peaks.  Slowly add powdered sugar (you might need extra on humid days)  When frosting is the consistency between Elmer’s glue and toothpaste you have added enough sugar.  Beat for 7 more minutes on high.  Frosting should have a wet towel placed over the bowl, or be kept in an air-tight container until use or it will harden. Zip-lock bags are great for storage and you can cut a 1/8” hole in the corner to use it as a pastry sleeve to decorate the house. Use the glue to attach the sides together and to the plate or foil covered cardboard square.  When the walls are steady put frosting along one side of the slanted tops and the side in between.  Place one rooftop here.  Now place frosting across the top of the first roof piece and down each slanted side and across the other lower side.  Place the second rooftop here.  Allow to harden for at least 12 hours. Frosting can be used to “draw on shutters, doors and icicles.  I supply gumdrops for my students, because they are multicolored, inexpensive and can be cut and squashed into different shapes to form Christmas trees, snowmen, birds etc.  The students can bring whatever else they want.  Hersey bar sections make great doors or shutters.  Shreaded mini-wheats are good for thatched roofs and pretzels sticks make a great log cabin effect.