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I've never tried the Silpat, although many recommend them. I generally use parchment paper. It's expensive, but if you know anyone who runs a restaurant, you might have that person order it for you from a food service company like Sysco, rather than going to the supermarket and getting the tiny little package for a big price. And, as always, I recommend the King Arthur baking catalogue for all your baking needs!

Here's a gingerbread house recipe I've never tried, but here goes:

Dough

3/4 c. heavy cream, whipped
1-1/4 c. dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 c. molasses
1 T. baking soda
1-1/2 t. ginger
1-1/2 t. grated lemon rind
4-1/2 c. sifted flour

Stir together first 6 ingredients, then stir in flour till well-blended and smooth. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate.

Make patterns out of cardboard or paper for front, back, gable, roof, chimney, etc. of your house. Roll dough out about 1/8" thick on lightly floured surface.

Lay patterns, side by side, on the dough. With a sharp knife, cut around each. With broad spatula, transfer the cutouts, with patterns still in place, to greased sheets; place about 1/2" apart.

Carefully cut out windows, doors, etc., and lift off patterns. Brush all cutouts lightly with cold water. Bake at 300 degrees 10-15 minutes or until done. Cool on sheets.

Assembly: For glue, melt 1/2 c. granulated sugar, stirring until it's a golden syrup. Dip house pieces into the syrup and press against the other pieces. If syrup gets stiff, re-melt over low heat.

Decorating: For icing, stir 4 c. sifted confectioners' sugar into 2 egg whites until smooth and creamy.

Flat licorice pieces may be used for roof tiles, sticks of chewing gum for shutters, waffle wafer cookies for chimney bricks, candy canes for columns, etc.

Could you give more info on the King Arthur Baking Catalogue?

I've been waiting for this thread. My contribution for now is the following:

For almost any cookie that you'd like to jazz up BIG TIME, go to your closest candy making supply store (look in your yellow pages for confectioner supplies) and buy a bag or two of dipping chocolate (light or dark whatever your preference). Make the most boring cookies you know, those spritz cookies that you shoot from a gun work very well. Set them aside to cool to room temperature. Take about 3/4 cup of the dipping chocolate discs and melt either over hot water (DON'T get any water in the chocolate) or nuke it low (this chocolate melts very quickly). Have waxed paper covered cookie sheets ready. Take your cookies and dip the tip, or half or even the whole cookie in the melted dipping chocolate and place them on the waxed paper covered cookie sheets. When the sheet is full of chocolate covered or dipped cookies, place the sheet in refrigerator for 15 minutes. NOTE: The chocolate will not set unless it is refrigerated for a short time.

Your friends and family will be amazed and delighted with these delicacies. Most will simply insist you had to have buoght them in the store. Last year I made a simple Lemon Spritz cookie recipe, shot them from the cookie gun in the shape of Christmas trees, dipped the tips of the "trees" in chocolate, and they were a big hit.

Thank you for the King Arthur info!

Happy anniversary, HLL! I just celebrated my first year in November.

Here's my cookie recipe:

Max's Molasses Cookies
(Don't ask me who Max is, I don't know)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

3/4 C Shortening
1 C Sugar
1/4 C Molasses
1 Egg
2 C Flour
1 tsp soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground ginger

Mix together first 4 ingredients. Sift together remaining dry ingredients. Add to mixture. Form into balls. Roll in sugar. Bake 8-10 min. at 375 degrees.