Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Sweet Scented Playdough...

Whew! Christmas is next week! I can't believe how fast time goes! This week is Christmas shopping crunch time! Because next week is reserved for baking! I can hardly wait for that! All our favorite sweet recipes will get brought out! The kitchen is going to be the hot spot! Mmm....and the best part the house will always smell sweet and yummy.

In preparation for the coming school class parties, tonight I made up a batch of sweet smelling peppermint playdough. I plan on packaging it in a cute little storage container and then tying it together with a pretty red bow and a cute Christmas cookie cutter. Then Katie can take them to all the kids in her Kindergarten class. I thought it would be fun for Katie to give her friends and classmates a unique little gift. Something other than candy or sweet treats--as I know they will be getting plenty of that over the coming week!

I decided to dye the playdough red and add peppermint extract so that it would smell like a candy cane....and you know what....it does! Hopefully the kids won't eat it!

Sweet Peppermint Scented Playdough

For those of you wanting to make some of this for your little ones during the holidays, here is the recipe...it is very easy and the kids love it!

Ingredients
3 Cups Flour
1 1/2 Cups Salt
6 Teaspoons Cream of Tarter
3 Cups Water
3 Tablespoons Oil
Peppermint Extract

Directions
1. Combine all ingredients together in a saucepan.
2. Cook over medium heat until mixture pulls away from side of pan.
3. Be sure to stir constantly.
4. Knead, add color and extract if desired. Be sure when kneading the playdough, that you flour your surface generously and work it into the playdough until you reach the desired consistency and it is no longer sticky.

This playdough will last up to three months in the refrigerator, if kept in an airtight container.
Please note, the cream of tarter is not necessary. It does two things. First, it keeps the playdough from becoming moldy if you decide to keep it for a long time. Second, it does make the playdough a little smoother. On a final note, I added the dye while I was cooking the playdough because it is easier to blend together.

I love recipes like this one, because it truly gets the kids involved in the kitchen. The best part is watching them playing with it for hours!! I will say that the sweetest thing about homemade playdough, is that it is far better than that stuff you buy at the store. It's more smooth and pliable! Plus, you get to personalize it and no matter what the kids have a sweet time!