Whole Wheat & Cinnamon Spicy Dough

Spicy Cinnamon/Whole Wheat/Applesauce/Glue Recipe
from Susula @ Simple Country Pleasures

Complete instructions for heart can be found on Susula's Simple Kneads page. Susala puts up a project each month using this special dough recipe that she has allowed me to share here along with her great tips. Susula writes....

"I thought it would be great to share my experiences of working with this neat spicy cinnamon crafting dough. The ingredients are readily available at your local grocery store or even your own kitchen cupboard! If you follow this simple recipe and my helpful hints, you can create my monthly projects or design your own items."

Be sure to check her site monthly for new projects and tips! Check out the rest of her site too for many lovely crafts!

Ingredients:

4 T. Ground Cinnamon
1 T. Ground Cloves
1 T. Ground Allspice
1 T. Ground Nutmeg
1 T. Cornstarch
2 T. Whole Wheat Flour
2 T. Tacky Glue
1/2 Cup Applesauce
Optional: Few drops of
Cinnamon or favorite scented oil

Instructions:

Place the first 6 ingredients in a fine wire mesh strainer and sift together in a bowl.
(You may need to do this several times to make sure all ingredients are incorporated.)
Stir together tacky glue, applesauce and optional scented oil in a large bowl.
Slowly add the sifted ingredients a little at a time to the glue and applesauce,
stirring till crumbly but not dry. You should be able to roll a small amount into a ball without it falling apart.

Now on to the FUN part!!

Empty the dough onto the surface of your choice (tips below) and work it into a ball.
If this ball is too large to handle, just divide it into 2 portions, putting one portion in a freezer type zip bag so it won't dry out.
Knead the ball for about 15 - 20 minutes until it's smooth and elastic. It should not crack or crumble when you push your thumbs in the center.
If it's sticking to your hands, add a little cinnamon to the surface and knead it in. If it's too dry, wet your hands a bit with water and knead that in well.
I know this seems like a lot of work but it's essential to a nice looking end product! Otherwise, your project will be cracked, uneven and very coarse looking. Believe me, it's well worth this extra effort!!
Once you've got all the dough properly kneaded, place it back in the zip bag and go wash your dirty dishes!!

Now on to the even FUNNER part!

Take a small amount of dough out of the zip bag and knead it again to make sure it's nice and smooth from its resting time.
Using the rolling pin of your choice (tips below), roll out the dough to the desired thickness--I strive for 1/8" - 1/4" thick.
Using cookie cutters or template, cut out the dough and place on surface to dry (tips below).
Turn each piece over to help them dry evenly. ~OR~ Place the pieces in a convection oven set at a low setting-150 degrees- for faster drying. NOTE: This will make the piece much darker and will have a puffy look to it.
Roll up any scraps of dough and place in a zip bag for future use. This dough will last for weeks if kept properly sealed in the zip bag (tips below). You must knead it again until it's nice and smooth, oftentimes adding a bit of water to your hands to get rid of any cracks.

HAVE LOTS OF FUN ROLLING IN THE DOUGH!!

Helpful Tips, Hints & Materials Needed

Before starting: Remove any jewelry, especially rings.
Work surface: Your work surface is very important--DO NOT roll out your dough on a naked countertop!! Here's a few things you can do instead:
1. Use freezer paper with the shiny side up [taped to your counter]
2. Use the new Saran cutting sheets, found at your grocery store. You can use either side of the sheets. (These are GREAT for small projects and can be reused over & over again!!)
3. Parchment paper is also great taped to the counter.
Cinnamon: Not all cinnamon is made alike! The color varies greatly from one bottle to another, the manufacturer and the country where it's made.
Applesauce: For small projects, it's great to use the handy snack packs as they usually come in half cup sizes. Sweetened or unsweetened applesauce may be used. I've tried both and haven't noticed a difference. If your dough seems too sticky, you might want to try straining the applesauce in a layer of coffee filters overnight for the next batch of dough.
Cardboard templates: Lightly sand the edges of cardboard templates so it'll be easier to cut out the dough piece. Also, it's a great idea to laminate the template to make it sturdy & easy to clean.
Cutouts: Use a needle tool, found at your local craft or art supply store, for cutting out dough pieces when using a template. (Keep this tool clean in-between uses.) It's also great for making holes in the soft dough. CAUTION: This tool is very sharp! I put a small cork on the tip when I'm not using it. ~OR~ You can also use a thin, sharp knife.
Rolling Pin: I like to use an acrylic rolling pin for rolling out the dough. This can also be found in a craft store in the polymer clay section. Of course, you can also use a wooden rolling pin of your choice!
Cookie Cutters: When using cookie cutters and templates, remove the scraps of dough BEFORE removing the cutter/template. This will ensure a nice clean edge to your piece.
Storage: Use the heavy duty freezer zip bags to store any unused dough for later use. This will keep the dough from drying out and will last much longer.
Drying Rack: Purchase a large quilter's hoop--like a gigantic embroidery hoop--(mine is 14" round) and place a piece of muslin in-between the hoops. Make sure the muslin is nice and tight and not sagging. This is THE best drying rack I've found! It keeps the air circulating, the pieces won't stick and it's portable.
Sanding: Use inexpensive, flexible nail files and sanding blocks, found at the beauty supply store, to lightly sand your pieces when they're fully dried. If you prefer a 'grubby' look, leave them as is. Most of my pieces on my simple kneads site have been sanded, especially if they're painted.
Painting: Acrylic paints work best to decorate your pieces.
Drying & Shrinkage: Please keep in mind that your finished piece will not be the original size that you started out with! The dough will shrink slightly as it dries. Also, the thicker pieces take much longer to dry--sometimes as long as 4 days--while smaller buttons and thinner pieces only take a few hours.

I'm sure to be adding more tips & hints to this page so please check back often! Please feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions or comments. I'd love to hear from you! Also, I'd love to see pictures of your projects using this recipe! I love working with this new dough and I hope you will enjoy it too!

Susan Keefe
'novice kneader'

Simple Country Pleasures