Make the sugar cookie dough and chill as directed. Trace the shape of the house onto parchment paper and cut out all the pieces for your template.
Roll the cookie dough to a rectangle about 1/8 to 1/4 inch / 3 to 6mm thick. The larger the house, the thicker the cookie dough walls should be to create more stability.
Use the parchment templates of the house to cut out the pieces of dough. Once you have all the sections cut out, carefully transfer them to parchment paper–lined baking sheets. It will require a few sheets and you want
to keep cookies of similar sizes on one sheet so they bake evenly.
Use a paring knife or cookie cutter to cut out the windows and doors. Fill windows with hard candy to create glass. Bake the cookies as directed. Once baked, allow to cool completely.
Use royal icing to decorate the details. I created swirls and flourishes with mini round (Ateco #3 and #4) and star (Ateco #13 and #16) tips. I find this much easier to do while the pieces of the house are lying flat, as opposed to after you have glued them all together and they are upright.
Glue the sides together using thick royal icing. Once you’ve glued the walls together, allow it to set for several hours so it’s strong enough to hold up the roof. I often put heavy cans around the perimeter to hold the pieces in place as they dry.
Use the royal icing to add more flourishes and details around your house. I use a tiny round tip (Wilton #3) to pipe out the filigree from the porch roof railing onto parchment paper. I add flourishes with the star tip (Ateco #13). Let the icing dry completely on the paper and very carefully use a small offset metal spatula to lift the icing off the paper and then use more royal icing to glue it in place.
Once the walls of your house are solid, glue the roof panels on. Decorate with your desired details and cake decorating pearls.
If you have gaps where the pieces come together, simply decorate with royal icing icicles!
Light up the sugar cookie house by lighting a tea light candle and setting it on a plate, then place the house on top. Dust with confectioners’ sugar.
