Dishfunctional Designs: homemade dough

Thursday, November 19, 2020

Bright White Clay Dough Recipe

In my last post I shared a classic, easy salt dough recipe perfect for making with kids. But what if you prefer a brighter, white dough for your Christmas ornaments and gift tags? Then I have the perfect recipe for you!

This Bright White Clay Dough recipe is just what it says - white as snow and bright, and great for painting on...but be advised, the finished product is not as rock-hard as traditional salt dough. To make these ornaments stronger and more durable, make them thick.

Bright White Clay Dough

2 cups of baking soda

1 cup of cornstarch

1 cup of water

Directions

1. Combine baking soda, cornstarch, and water in a medium pot and stir over medium heat until all ingredients are dissolved.

2. Continue to stir over medium heat until the liquid begins to evaporate and the clay begins to form. It should be the consistency of peanut butter or a bit thicker. Remove from heat and transfer mixture into a mixing bowl. Be careful; the mixture will be hot!

4. Cover with a cold, damp dishcloth or a few damp paper towels and set aside for 10 to 15 minutes until it is cool enough to knead.

5. Knead dough on the countertop until soft and smooth. If the mixture is too dry, add a few drops of water at a time and knead until it reaches a softer, workable consistency.

6. Roll out the dough on parchment paper to a thickness of approximately 1/4", and cut it into shapes as desired using cookie cutters. If needed, sprinkle some cornstarch onto your rolling pin so that it doesn't stick to the dough.

7. Bake the finished creations on a parchment-covered cookie sheet in a warm oven (I do mine at 175 degrees F for about two hours, flipping them over about halfway through baking). Allow them to cool completely.

8. Once completely dry, finished creations can be painted with acrylic craft paints or stamped with inked rubber stamps. You can seal them with a craft sealant, but it's not essential.

9. Wrap unused dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate to keep it fresh. Use within 3-4 days.

Stamped Clay Dough Ornaments

1. Roll out dough to 1/4" or thicker.

2. Use cookie cutters to cut shapes.

3. Use a toothpick or straw to make a hole in each ornament so that you can hang them.

4. Stamp dough with rubber stamps - either with ink or without.

5. Bake as directed above.

6. After baking, gently file off any rough edges with a nail file or piece of sandpaper.

If you prefer, you can stamp your dough before cutting out shapes with cookie cutters instead of cutting and then stamping.

I tried it both ways, and the results were just about the same with each method. The method you use will mainly depend on what type of cookie cutter you are using.

If your cookie cutter is not open-topped, you will not be able to see the exact placement of your cut on the pre-inked dough. You waste dough if you ink-stamp and then cut because the scraps with ink are now tinted and no longer white. My advice is to use whatever method works best for you!

I use generic store-brand baking soda and cornstarch. They work great!

Combine baking soda, cornstarch, and water in a medium pot and stir over medium heat until all ingredients are dissolved.

Continue to stir over medium-low heat until the mixture thickens. It will turn from this liquid mixture (photo above)...

...to thick, sticky clay (photo below)

Once thick, immediately remove from heat and transfer mixture into a mixing bowl.

Be careful, the mixture will be hot!

Allow to cool, and then knead until a soft dough forms

The consistency of the clay should be smooth and soft

Dust the rolling pin and table or parchment paper with cornstarch, if needed. Roll to 1/4" or thicker!

Choose your weapon

Place on parchment-covered baking sheet

Keep the dough thick. If they are too thin, they could crack or bend while baking.

Try stamping a design with an inked rubber stamp. But first...

Use a moist cotton swab to wipe away excess ink from the outer edge of your rubber stamp before stamping your clay.

Make a hole in each ornament so that you have a way to hang them!

A straw works well for larger-sized ornaments. Use a toothpick for smaller ones.

Ready to go into the oven!

Make an impression with a rubber stamp

Make imprints with common items to create unique designs

This is one of my favorite necklaces. It made a great stamp!

A peace sign impression was made from my necklace pendant.

The finished, baked pieces:

What do you think?
Thanks for visiting!

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Related Post: Doily Imprint Clay Ornaments

Have a great week!
Laura

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Article copyright Laura Beth Love 2012 and may not be republished in print or other media without express written permission from the author. For any link updates or corrections, leave the correct info in the comment area.

Wednesday, January 17, 2018

How To Make Authentic Homemade Pierogies - Family Recipe!

There is nothing in the world better than an old family recipe of comfort food. I can't even begin to describe the amount of yum going on here today. Have you ever had a really REALLY good homemade pierogi? If you have, then you will already know what I am talking about. If you haven't, then you are missing out!

The recipe is simple, and does not take very long to make. I think a lot of people don't realize this, because if they did, you would hear about people making homemade pierogies all the time!

For those who've never heard of them before, pierogi (aka pierogies) are a kind of dough dumpling stuffed with a filling; most commonly potatoes and cheese. They are often pan cooked with onions in butter and served with sour cream on the side.

To make pierogies you first make a dough and set it aside in the refrigerator, and then make the filling. Then you put them together, boil them briefly in boiling water, and then pan fry them or keep them in the refrigerator until ready to use. Most importantly, be sure to share some with family or friends!

Below is our recipe to share. My daughter and I made these on Christmas eve. I figured I would snap some photos while we were making them so that we could share the recipe and process with you. Be sure to get everyone in the house to help!

Here's how you do it:

First make the dough:
2 cups flour
3/4 cup sour cream
1 large egg
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt (kosher or sea salt are best)

Mix all ingredients together to form a dough.

Knead dough on a lightly floured surface for a few minutes until smooth.

Wrap dough in plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for about 30 minutes while you make the filling.

Next make the filling:
1 pound potatoes, peeled and cubed (I use 3-4)
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 Tablespoon butter
2 Tablespoons milk
Salt and pepper to taste

Place cubed potatoes in pot, cover with water, and add 1 teaspoon salt to the water. Cover and simmer until potatoes are fork-soft, about 10-15 minutes. Drain potatoes and add to mixer (you can also mash them by hand in the pot using a potato masher if you prefer.)
Add 1 T. butter, the shredded cheese, 2 T. milk, and salt and pepper to the potatoes and mash until smooth.

This filling looks perfect!

Now let's make the perogies:

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface.

We split our dough into two balls and rolled them out one at a time to make it more manageable.

I like to roll it to just under 1/8 in thickness. Not too thin or you will get holes in your pierogies —too thick and they will be too doughy. Practice makes perfect!

Use the rim of a glass, cup or cookie cutter to cut circles from the dough that are about 3 inches in diameter.

Use your fingers to press the dough circles a little larger if needed. Our first ones were a bit thick so we either stretched them out a bit, or re-rolled them.

Now it's time to fill them! Get a custard cup or small bowl of water for your workspace. Scoop up about a tablespoon size dollop of filling and roll into a ball. Place filling inside your dough circle. Brush the edges of your dough circle with a few drops of water. Fold one side of your dough circle over to create a half-moon shape.

Press down on the edges to seal, making sure to also gently press the air out. Use a fork to gently seal the seams.

I place a clean linen dishcloth on a cookie sheet and place my filled pierogies on it while I work.

These are ready for the next step - boiling them in water to cook the dough. Make sure all seams are closed and that there are no holes in the dough, or the filling will come out when you boil them.

Fill a large soup pot about 2/3 full with water and bring to a rolling boil. Add about a teaspoon of salt to the water. Once the water is boiling, carefully add your pierogies, in batches of 5 or 6 at a time, and boil for about 3-4 minutes.

Remove the pierogies from the boiling water with a slotted spoon. I place mine in a colander that is on a plate to drain them. Next, drizzle the cooked pierogies with a tablespoon or two of olive oil so that they do not stick together!

How I cook my pierogies: I melt 1 to 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium sized fry pan on medium-low heat and then add a small chopped onion.

I cook the onion slowly, stirring occasionally, until it begins to turn translucent, and then I add my pierogies and cook, flipping once or twice, until both sides are slightly golden brown. Serve with sour cream.

If you like, you can cook them for a shorter period and have softer pierogies. I like them kind of crispy and with my onions dark. It's just a matter of personal preference!