Have you tried to create a lattice fence panel for your gingerbread house, only to have it crack or break apart before you can even place it on your gingerbread display?
The following process helps to create a lattice panel that is easy to create, and easily mobile to place on your gingerbread display.
This process is very similar to my process for making Wrought Iron Fencing. but unlike Option 1 for making lattice panels, this option does not require pre-cooking the pasta.
This tip has a smooth edge and an edge that creates grooves in the frosting. I laid my frosting smooth edge up.
#2 - You will need flat pasta, such as Fettuccini pasta.
Before proceeding, make sure your pasta will fit through the frosting tip! This is crucial.
#3 - Line a cookie sheet with parchment or wax paper.
Since this pasta does not need to bake in order to dry out after cooking, it doesn't matter if parchment or wax paper is used.
#4 - Apply Royal Icing to the pasta
This process is the same for making Wrought-Iron fencing.
You will take a piece of uncooked fettuccini pasta and insert the pasta into your frosting tip and push all the way into your bag of Royal Icing.
Make sure to leave just a tip of the pasta hanging out of the tip so you can pull the pasta back out of the bag of Royal Icing.
Then gently pull the pasta out of your bag of Royal Icing through the frosting tip. This will apply thin coat of Royal Icing to both sides of the pasta.
#5 - Shape your lattice panel
With each piece of pasta you will shape your lattice panel, and build to the desired size.
Place several pieces of frosted pasta in one direction and then several more pieces of pasta in the opposite direction, overlapping the pasta in the opposite direction making a grid.
You will not be making a basket-weave pattern at this point. You are just laying the foundation for what will be your lattice panel with pasta in one direction on the bottom and pasta in the opposite direction on top.
#6 - Apply Royal Icing to make a basket-weave.
This is the point that Royal Icing will be piped onto your lattice panel.
You will be creating a basket weave by over-lapping every-other piece of pasta as shown in the picture. Do all the piping for one overlapping direction, and then pipe Royal Icing in the opposite direction to create the basket-weave.
Below I have a diamond lattice panel and a box lattice panel which shows how the basket-weave design was created.
#7 - Let dry!
Let the Royal Icing dry completely before handling! Royal Icing is the only thing keeping the lattice panel together (unlike Option 1 which is cooked pasta woven into shape and then re-dried).
#8 - Flip for the backside.
If desired, flip over the lattice panel and apply the Royal Icing the same as the front side, creating your own basket-weave.
Handle the lattice panels very carefully - Royal Icing is the only thing keeping the panel together.
#9 - Place the fully dried lattice panel on your gingerbread display.
After the Royal Icing on both sides of the lattice panel have dried completely (over-night), you should now be able to easily pick up the lattice panel and place as desired on your gingerbread panel.
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