Windows for a Gingerbread House

There are several ways to make windows for your gingerbread house.

After Baking Method

  • Bake your gingerbread piece as you normally would - making sure to cut out a place for your window BEFORE baking.
  • After your piece has cooled, brush off any loose crumbs and flour. Place gingerbread piece on a fresh piece of aluminum foil.
  • Place Brachs Butterscotch discs into the window area (I've tried jolly-ranchers and lifesavers, but they tend to melt a few weeks later). You kind of have to eye-ball how much candy to place in each window area.
  • Bake in 350 oven for about 4 - 8 minutes (depending on window size), keep checking and remove piece from oven when all the candy has melted.
  • I've found that you can crush the candy to have more precise placement - and it melts quicker. However, I normally use the candy whole.
  • Let the piece dry overnight and carefully remove the aluminum foil.

Hard Candy Method

  • Bake your gingerbread piece as you normally would - making sure to cut out a place for your window BEFORE baking.
  • After your piece has cooled, brush off any loose crumbs and flour. Place gingerbread piece on a fresh piece of aluminum foil or clean Silpat mat. 
  • Cook a batch of clear hard candy as below:
    • 1 cup granulated cane sugar
    • 1/3 cup hot water
    • 1/3 cup light com syrup
    • Combine sugar, hot water and corn syrup in a heavy saucepan. Place on high heat and stir with a wooden spoon until all sugar crystals are dissolved. Wash down sides of pan with a pastry brush dipped in hot water. Clip on thermometer. Continue cooking, without stirring, to 290F, then remove from heat. Entire cooking process takes about ten minutes
  • While hot, pour the clear hard candy into your window cut-out's.
  • Let completely cool before peeling off aluminum foil or removing from Silpat mat.

Other Methods

  • Place yellow cello-phane on the backside of your wall where your window cut-out is.
  • Create illusion of a lit window with yellow frosting.
  • Place edible rice paper on the backside of your wall where your window cut-out is.