If you want a large house, but less decorating pressure: Consider The Elf on the Shelf Gingerbread House Kit. The gingerbread cookies in this kit have the most detailed designs. Unlike the others we tested, they require some edge trimming before you assemble the walls so they fit close together. These cookies were also the softest and freshest smelling (and most appetizing to taste), and they pleasantly surprised us when they didn’t crack or break when we cut away the excess cookie with a knife. At 5.5 by 5 inches, The Elf on the Shelf kit was also one of the biggest gingerbread houses we tested, but since the roof pieces were large and heavy, the base needed a longer time to set before we decorated. This kit includes a Simple Start Tray, which has a recessed square to help you keep the walls together as they set, but in our test it didn’t make assembly significantly easier or faster than the competition. We checked to make sure the icing (a more off-white color compared with the other kits we tested) was hardened before placing the roof cookies, but one of the walls caved in slightly overnight, and that was before we added any of the decorative candies. If you opt for this kit, plan for ample time, and repeat structural checks before you decorate.
