Easter Cookie House

These fun houses are similar to Christmas gingerbread houses, but allow you to decorate with pastels and fun Easter candies for the season. This is a perfect way for the family to spend time together and the house makes a great centerpiece.

Ingredients:

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Mixer
Large Bowl
Cookie Sheets
Foil
Non-stick spray
3-4 Jolly Ranchers or other similar hard candy
White frosting
Green food coloring
Easter Candies
Rolling pin
Butter knife

Directions:

Begin by making the cookie dough. Mix together the egg, butter, vanilla extract, baking soda, and baking powder. Add the sugar and flour. Roll the dough out onto a floured surface using the rolling pin. Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.

Cut out shapes with the butter knife to make your house, you'll need four wall pieces two rectangular pieces for the roof and two triangles. Place the cookies on a cookie sheet that has been covered with foil and sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Cut windows into three of the walls. Crush the Jolly Ranchers with the rolling pin and sprinkle the pieces into the holes for the windows. When you bake the cookies the crushed candies should melt together and create a see through window. Put the cookies in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes.

While the cookies are baking make some green frosting by adding a few drops of food coloring to about 1/3 cup white frosting. When the cookies are done do not remove them from the pan until they are completely cooled. This will ensure that the "glass" windows will not break.

Make your house on a paper plate using the white frosting like glue to hold the pieces together. Allow the house to sit for a few hours before decorating so that the frosting hardens and makes the house sturdy. Decorate it as you would like using the green frosting for grass.