The Snow Queen's Palace

Click here for enlarged image of the Snow Queen's Palace

To decorate:
Palace Centre
• Using small palette knife, offset spatula or table knife, spread icing over palace centre except for peaked roof, leaving thin border at snowflake window. Let dry, about 20 minutes.

• Using small piping bag fitted with small plain tip or resealable plastic bag with 1 corner snipped off, pipe line of icing along edge of peaked roof. Pipe dots of icing to stick candies and/or small decorated gingerbread cutouts to palace centre. Let dry completely, about 4 hours.

Towers
• Place tower base on parchment paper–covered baking sheet. Spread icing to cover below highest dome; sprinkle with coarse sugar. Let dry for 15 minutes. Tilt and gently shake off loose sugar.

• Spread icing over remaining base area under lowest domes; let dry for 15 minutes. Spread icing over domes, swirling or dotting icing or covering completely; sprinkle with silver dragées or coarse sugar if desired, letting dry as above.

• Pipe icing to trace outline or spread over any remaining domes. Pipe stripes or small dots and affix candies as desired. Let dry completely, about 4 hours.

Gate
• Spread icing over centre area of gate, leaving thin border at snowflake window. Sprinkle with coarse sugar and let dry, as for towers. Spread icing over remaining gate; let dry. Pipe icing to outline side areas of gate; affix silver dragées. Pipe dots of icing to stick candies and/or decorated gingerbread cutouts, as desired. Let dry completely, about 4 hours.

Trees, Berry Bush and Snowflakes
• Whisk 2 tbsp (25 mL) icing with a few drops of water to thin to paint consistency; brush over gingerbread to glaze. In small cake pan, combine coarse sugar and white sprinkles or silver dragées (or use individually). Press desired gingerbread pieces, face down, into mixture to coat. Let dry, face up, about 15 minutes. Pipe dots of icing onto berry bush to stick small red candies for berries.

Gerda, Kay, Sleigh, Reindeer and Snowdrifts
• Spread or pipe icing onto cookies and decorate as desired. Be sure to give Kay a heart. Let dry, about 15 minutes.

Crystal Spires (optional)
• Brush wooden sticks of rock crystal candy pops with thinned icing; roll in coarse sugar to cover. Let dry, about 15 minutes.

Assembly
• Dab icing over tower supports. Place tower on top of each so short side of support lines up with outside edge of tower. Slide disc of play clay under tower domes to support; let dry, about 15 minutes.

• Place palace centre on rectangular mirror or tray and leaning onto box for support. Place towers on either side so higher domes overlap centre piece by about ß inch (2 cm).

• Using dabs of icing as glue, make 2 stacks of 4 sugar cubes each. Glue 1 to each tower piece at base, just under highest dome. Lean palace gates onto sugar cubes for support. Affix crystal spires, if using, against towers using dab of icing at top and bottom.

• For snowdrifts, ice and sprinkle with sugar as for towers. Glue together overlapping. Glue sugar cubes to back for support. Place at sides of castle, just overlapping edges.

• Glue 1 or 2 sugar cubes, as needed, to backs of Gerda, Kay, reindeer, sleigh, berry bush and trees. Let dry, about 15 minutes, using extra sugar cubes to support tops of cookies. Arrange figures around palace.

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