Play Dough

Although this recipe is obviously not food, we do have a Fun Stuff section in our cookbook.  I needed a quick project for a playgroup this morning.  A bucket of cookie cutters and this play dough kept all the children happy for an hour!  I really wanted to make this play dough, but I didn't have all the ingredients. 


Play Dough
2 ½ cups flour
½ cup salt
1 Tb. alum
3 Tb. baby or mineral oil
1 2/3 cups water
Food coloring
Mix together flour, salt and alum. Bring water to a boil. Add baby or mineral oil. Add food coloring if desired. Remove water from stove and immediately stir in the dry ingredients. If you want to make  several different colors with the same batch of play dough, add the water and oil to the flour mixture and stir until completely mixed. Then divide the dough into the various portions and add the different colors. Protect your hands with food-service gloves and knead the colors into the dough. Knead as much as possible. It is pretty sticky at first, but will stiffen and become “play dough” as you work it. Store in an air-tight container. It will keep for months.