Dough Far, Dough Good

Last week I posted a simple sculpture dough recipe. This week, in what I plan as a regular slot of arts activity ideas, here's a more demanding dough recipe – this time aimed at older children. It may also appeal to the infirm and elderly; I know several older people and their carers on the look out for absorbing, meaningful and motivating activities you can do in a chair and which help stretch fine motor skills during recovery from surgery or stroke or similar.

This dough produces colourful biscuits that are lovely to look at, so satisfy that creative urge and, added bonus, they taste great too.

(I’m just sorry that this week there’s no time to organise a baking/photo session here at home so you can see. Will do better next time!)

Here are the ingredients:

1 ¾ cups whole wheat flour

1 cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

¼ teaspoon salt

½ baking powder (baking soda)

½ cup margarine/butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

½ teaspoon vanilla

½ cup diary sour cream (you could substitute silky tofu here)

3 ounces yellow or red or green boiled sweets (hard candy) – crushed

• start off by combining the flours. baking powder (baking soda) and the salt
• in another bowl – use a fairly big one - beat the margarine/butter until soft. (medium on the hand mixer)
• add sugar and beat until fluffy
• add vanilla and egg and beat again
• add the combined flours and the sour cream/tofu – alternately, a little at a time – keep beating
• halve the dough – cover and chill in the fridge for a couple of hours
• on a floured board, roll half the roll out to a thickness of about 1/8 inch.
• cut out shapes using card templates if you’re feeling arty – cookie cutters if you’re flagging!
• cut out holes and fill with the crushed boiled sweets
• Get creative:
  
• add features, decorations etc from smaller pieces of dough
• you can make stained glass style designs – look at Tiffany for examples!
• cut large ovals , remove the centre, fill with the crushed sweets for ‘Faberge’ egg cookies this Easter!
• When you're done - place on an oiled parchment sheet on a flat baking tray and bake for 6-8 minutes at 350 until the biscuit dough browns.

This recipe makes about 10 large biscuits.

Hint: don’t make the dough areas too narrow or you won’t be able to lift the biscuit in one piece.

Shame to eat them really!

I learnt this recipe from Mudworks: creative clay, dough and modelling experiences by MaryAnn F. Kohl.

For a similar, simpler version of this you can use shop bought puff pastry.

Rhianna and I had a great time doing this when she was in nursery school and mothers were asked to send in themed ‘Insect’ lunchboxes. (I ask you!!) We did some very colourful butterflies with iridescent jammy holes in their wings, which still managed to be appetising and edible! No pictures of those available either.

What you do is: roll into 1/8 thickness and cut two of each shape you want. Lay down the first shape and in the second layer cut out holes. Place the holey layers on top and fill the holes with jam. Follow the instructions for baking the pastry, being careful the jam doesn’t catch.