I’m going to visit some of my friends in December and I thought it would be a wonderful idea to give them gingerbread play dough. It’s a personal and homemade present made with all my love. It’s going to be fun rolling out the dough, and decorating the ginger bread men and women with festive multi coloured buttons and googly eyes. I used a little food colouring for a more dramatic effect and added all the spices from the Icelandic ginger bread cookie recipe. The dough smells like home, warmth, happiness and Christmas.
Ginger bread play dough
Ingredients
- 2 cup water
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil or baby oil
- 1 cup salt
- 4 tbsp cream of tartar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- Few drops food colouring
- 2 cups flour
Instructions
Place the water, the salt, the spices, the cream of tartar and the food coloring in a medium saucepan and whisk together.
Add the four and spices into the saucepan and whisk until the dough is smooth.
Cook over medium heat and stir until the dough starts to pull away from the edges of the saucepan and stick together (if the dough is very sticky it needs to be cooked longer).
Transfer the dough onto a clean surface or a silicon mat. Allow to cool for a few minutes before you kneed it well.
Notes
• I always mix the food coloring in with the water, as I find it easier that kneading color into the dough. You can divide the dough into balls. Then make a little well at the center of each ball and drop in the food coloring. Fold the dough over and knead until the color has been mixed evenly into the dough (Use plastic gloves if you have them. You hands and fingers will get colored otherwise). • If you find the dough to dry, add more water. • If you find the dough to moist, add more flour. • Store the play dough in a airtight container, as it will last longer.• Play dough is a very nice present to give friends and family. • Play dough is non-toxic; however it does contain high amount of salt and therefore should not be eaten. Keep a close eye on your child while he or she is playing with the play dough.
Buttons on a string is one of my favourite things to make for my little friends.
