Since it's the Easter holidays & I have Miss Iz & Mstr J to keep busy, we have been going a little craft crazy!!
So far I have entertained Mstr J with craft while Miss Iz naps. But today I wanted something they could both enjoy.
I found a recipe for multi coloured cookies. You can let little ones play with it like play dough, then bake & eat their creations!!! Sounded like fun to me. I decided while Miss Iz napped, Mstr J & I would make the dough, & chill it, then it would be ready for play once Miss Iz woke.
Recipe -
3/4 cup butter
3 ounces cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 & 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Assorted food colourings
In a bowl cream butter, cheese & sugar together. Add egg & vanilla and beat til smooth.
Add salt, baking powder & flour. Stir until dough forms.
Divide into as many pieces as you want colours. We did 4.
Add the colouring to each piece (a little at a time until desired colour is reached).
Form into balls, wrap in cling film, and chill for 2 hrs. Or, if you're like me & want to do it sooner, put in freezer for about 15 minutes.
We found the mix very wet and sticky and had to keep adding more flour when we were blending he food colouring in.
It also makes tons, & I mean tons of dough. You can't really half the recipe as you only use 1 egg. It would be good with a number of children or at a nursery or similar setting. Or you can always make loads & munch away.
Once our dough was chilled, we ready to start the designs. We set up on Mstr J's table. Miss Iz was in her walker, so I gave her a piece of dough to play with while we was busy creating! She loved it. Squishing it on the walker, picking it up in her fingers & rolling it around. It must have been great for her senses & motor skills! One happy baby while mummy & Mstr J tried to perfect some designs.
I got out some cutters and we used the egg cutter mainly. We made eggs, swirls, bunnies etc. etc.
2 trays full later they were going in the oven.
Unfortunately nanny & grandad arrived and mummy got chatting...... 15/20 mins later, a over cooked batch came out the oven!!!
My over cooked batch -
Thankfully, due to the vast amounts of dough this recipe makes, we had plenty more chilling ready to make some more. Lots of giggles later, batch 2 went in. I cooked them at about 180. For about 12 minutes ish in the end. The aim is definitely to keep your eye on them & get them out when you can tell they are cooked enough. You want them to be at the hardening stage, as they will will continue to cook through more once out, but you don't want them to brown, as you lose all your pretty colourings!
2nd batch much better -
I can safely say, a number of biscuits later, they are quite yummy, and definitely some fun that all the family can get involved in!!!
