2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. ginger
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup hot water
Sift flour with salt and ginger. Melt butter, mix in sugar, then molasses. Dissolve soda in hot water. Add dry ingredients to molasses mixture alternately with soda-water, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Chill dough 2-3 hours (I usually skip this step). Preheat oven to 350. Roll dough 1/8 inch thick*; bake 10-12 minutes until lightly browned.
*For gingerbread house I roll it thicker than this for strength and give it a little extra baking time. I roll it straight onto the cookie sheet, then cut it while it's still hot, using a sharp knife and a paper pattern. (You can cut it before baking but the edges won't be as straight. My method produces some waste edges, which we either eat or use for making doors, chimneys, etc.)
The trickiest part is assembling the pieces into the house. We use caramelized sugar for "glue." It's simple to make in the microwave (1 cup sugar mixed with 1/3 cup warm water, covered tightly in 4-cup glass container, 9 min. on high). You do have to work quickly and be careful not to burn yourself with either the steam or the hot sugar (my husband and I do this part without the kids). It hardens fast and makes a really strong bond that will stand up to lots of decorating.
For frosting, I just mix confectioners' sugar with milk or water. You can add a bit of salt and vanilla if you like, but I like to keep it simple because we always wind up needing more while we're sticking candies and things to the outside of the house.1