Today's Inspiration: Salt Dough

Too often I browse the internet and file away clever idea after clever idea and never take the time to actually take a stab at doing them myself.

"Today's Inspiration" is going to be an ongoing segment in which I can REJOICE in the fact that I actually took an idea I found on the blogosphere and turned it into reality.

Today, it was Salt Dough Hearts. I have been "planning" on making salt dough ornaments year after year after year. Well, thanks to a posting of a cute bunch of kid-crafted salt dough hearts strung with butcher's twine here http://thelongthread.com/?p=5678, I was inspired to make my own.

Very simple recipe: 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup salt, and 1/2 cup warm water. Knead together and flatten with a rolling pin, then cut out into any shape you like. (Check out the toast imprinter I remembered was in a utensil drawer before I ran out of dough!)

The nice part about rolling the salt dough is that unlike pie dough, you don't need to spread any flour on your board, therefore less messy!

Bake in a 200 degree oven for about two hours. If any piece is very large, you may need to flip it over at the end, and allow it to air dry in the oven once it has been turned off. Also, I used parchment under the dough hearts, but I'm sure you could use foil just as well.

My batch made over fifty 1 inch hearts and two larger hearts. Try it!!

M said, "I like the lacy ones." B said, " I want mine to look fabulous."