Christmas Cookie PLAY DOUGH! Such a fun playtime project for kids who love to bake.
My kiddos really like to help in the kitchen — especially with baking — and my younger girls have been begging to make sugar cookies to decorate for Christmas. It’s tradition!
(Though one time my sister-in-law said she’d rather save sugar cookies for Halloween or Valentine’s Day because there are SO many other tasty Christmas treats to make . . . and I tend to agree!)
Anyway, the girls have been wanting to make “cut out” cookies but since they’ve been passing along coughs and colds I didn’t want them handling food (imagine: 3 year-old frosting cookies and while coughing and licking fingers…).
So I talked them into making Christmas Cookie PLAY DOUGH! And it was a major hit! So fun for Christmas baking, but without the sugar, calories and sticky frosting (so you can make all those other Christmas goodies!).
Sugar Cookie Play Dough:
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 6 Tablespoons salt
- 3 Tablespoons cream of tartar
- 2 Tablespoons oil
- 2 teaspoons almond extract
- 1 1/2 cups water
Gingerbread Cookie Play Dough:
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 6 Tablespoons salt
- 3 Tablespoons cream of tartar
- 2 Tablespoons oil
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 1/2 cups water
Candy Cane Cookie Play Dough:
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 6 Tablespoons salt
- 3 Tablespoons cream of tartar
- 2 Tablespoons oil
- 5-10 drops peppermint essential oil OR 2 teaspoons peppermint extract
- red or green food coloring (gel makes a more vibrant color)
- 1 1/2 cups water
Directions:
For each “Christmas Cookie Play Dough” recipe, add all ingredients to a pot and mix until the lumps are gone.
Then cook over low heat, stirring often. As you stir, the dough will start to thicken and pull away from the sides. Turn off the heat when the dough thickens but is still a little sticky, and allow it to cool in the pot.
Once cool, the stickiness disappears and the dough can be kneaded and handed to your eager bakers.
