BREAD DOUGH DECORATIONS

cookessentials, Dec 18, 8:39pm
A fun thing to do with the children or grand children is to make bread dough decorations. You can use smaller cutters and use them also to decorate your Christmas gifts.

1 cup cooking salt
1 cup warm water
2 tsp cooking oil or glycerine
Gingerbread cutters in different shapes
Sewing needle and skewer
1 tbsp instant coffee
1/3 cup boiling water
aluminium foil
Estapol matt varnish
Fine cord, ribbon or string.

Dissolve the sale in warm water, mix in oil or glycerine. Mix this liquid into the flour. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead until pliable and plastic-like. Keep in an airtight container and break off lumps as required.
Roll out the dough and cut out shapes. Prick each shape all over with the needle to prevent the dough puffing up, then make a hole in each decoration with a skewer, for hanging the thread. For an antique look, glaze before baking with instant coffee dissolved in boiling water. Check while cooking, to see if they need more coffee glaze. Cover oven tray with aluminium foil, dull side up. Place the decorations on the foil and bake on the bottom shelf of the oven on the lowest temp setting (100-150C) until hard (1.5-2 hours) When completely dry, lightly sand the edges of the dough to reveal the lighter colour and varnish with Estapol matt ( this will preserve the dough from insect invasion and mould) Attach a hanging thread.

deus701, Dec 18, 10:41pm
im just guessing.3 cups flour!

cookessentials, Dec 19, 2:30am
Oh yes! thanks deus, good spotting. 3x cups plain flour.