Gluten Free Play Dough

My daughter loves to play with play dough.  She molds, shapes, cuts, drills, and slices for hours.  We make ice cream cones, animals cut out of cookie cutters, food, snakes, and more!  This is a great recipe I found from Celiac Family.  It reminds me of the recipe I used to make as a kid.  It's really easy to make and the texture is perfect!

1 cup white rice flour
1/2 cup corn starch
1/2 cup salt
3 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 cup hot water
Food coloring, as desired

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a pan.  Add hot water and vegetable oil.  If you're making the whole batch one color then add the food coloring too.  Stir everything together and cook on low heat until mixture forms a large mass.  This should take 3 - 5 minutes.  Take off the heat and when cool enough knead the play dough until smooth.

Notes:
•  If it's too sticky knead in a little cornstarch.  If it's too dry put a little water on your hands and knead it in.
•  If you're making different colors out of one batch wait and add the food coloring at the end.  Knead the food coloring into the dough on a piece of parchment paper.

Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies

These cookies are the best gluten free sugar cookies on the planet!  They're to die for!  They're super easy to roll out and taste amazing!  A huge thanks to my friend Andrea for sharing the recipe with me!

1 cup butter, softened
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
5 cups GF featherlight flour, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Place butter and cream cheese in a large stand mixer and mix together well.  Add sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and almond extract.  Mix together well.  Add 3 cups flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, and salt.  Mix and then add 2 more cups flour.

Mix well and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or overnight.  You can speed chill for 30 minutes in freezer.  I think it works best to wrap in plastic wrap to chill.

Roll out on floured surface about 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick, and cut with cookie cutters.  Bake at 350º for 9 - 14 minutes.  Don't over bake.  (Convection oven:  300º for 9 minutes.)

Cool on wired rack.  Frost when completely cool.

Frost with your favorite Cream Cheese Frosting, or use the following recipe:


Cream Cheese Frosting

12 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup butter, softened
8 cups powdered sugar, divided
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
3 tablespoons milk

Whip together the cream cheese and butter.  Add 4 cups powdered sugar, slowly.  Add vanilla and whip.  Add 2 more cups powdered sugar, then whip.  Add 3 tablespoons milk and whip.  Add 2 more cups powdered sugar.

•  If too runny, add more powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time
•  If too thick, add a little more milk
•  Easier to frost if frosting is a little more thick

Mexican Layer Dip

I love this dip!  I served it on Halloween, hence the spiders, but it's great all year long!  The recipe is a little vague, but with this dip you really just throw it together however you like it best.  My kids don't like tomatoes, so I didn't add them for our Halloween dinner.

1 16 ounce Green Chili & Lime refried beans
Sour Cream
McCormick taco seasoning
Cheddar Cheese, shredded
Guacamole
Olives
Tomatoes

The amounts you use of each ingredient is totally up to you!  Make it the way you like it!

Layer refried beans on a large platter.  Spoon about 2 cups sour cream into a small bowl.  Mix with taco seasoning to taste.  Spread sour cream on beans.  Layer on guacamole, cheese, sliced olives and tomatoes.  Serve with tortilla chips.

If you're making a spider web, reserve some of the sour cream.  Put it in a ziploc bag, and clip the corner to use a piping bag.  Pipe the sour cream on the guacamole.  Make spiders with the olives and place on the web.