Finally, I’ve found a play dough recipe that works!  Not only works, but makes amazing, easy, great quality play dough.  It really is true that once you find the perfect play dough recipe - you can make a product better than you’ll buy at the store.  I was starting to doubt my ability to pull off this great culinary feat. Even the priest that married me made light of my ’skills’ in the kitchen.  It’s no secret I can’t bake and struggle with cooking.  So when my first 2 batches of play dough failed last month, I had decided that making your own play dough from scratch was an urban myth…one of those things only a super mom can do.  But - I’ve conquered the recipe and not only is it easy, but guaranteed you’ll have 90% of the ingredients already kicking around your pantry.  Play dough isn’t cheap to buy so you’ll save money and also help the environment because store bought play dough containers don’t have recycling resin codes.

Okay…before the recipe reveal I’d like to admit that the first two times I tried making play dough I wasn’t aware that the ingredient ‘cream of tartar’ was a baking item (looks like salt that you buy in the spice isle).  I thought they were asking you to add tarter sauce - the creamy kind that goes on fish and chips.  Just in case there are people with my cooking skills out there….these products are totally different and is probably the reason my other batches stayed wet and never gelled.  I know, who thought it could be this hard?  <smile>

Play Dough Recipe:

1 cup white flour
1/2 cup salt
2 tablespoon cream of tartar (find it in the spice section)
1 tablespoon oil
1 cup water
food coloring

Mix first 4 ingredients in a pan. Add water and mix well. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 3 - 5 minutes. Dough will become difficult to stir and form a “clump”.  Remove from stove and knead for 5 minutes–add food coloring during kneading process. Play dough will keep for a long time stored in a covered plastic container or plastic sandwich bag.

This amount of play dough this recipe produced was perfect.  Each of my 4 kids received a huge clump of play dough, so there was lots to share.  Also, a great tip with Fall around the corner - add cinnamon to the dry ingredients (as much as you want until you get the right scent).  It produces a magical smell that transports you to a world of pumpkin patches, colored leaves, and windy days.