Play Dough by Barbara Quinn

One of my first memories is of playing in the kitchen at my mother’s feet while she cooked dinner. To keep me occupied she threw together some flour, water, and salt, and rolled it together till it formed a ball. It was my own wad of play dough without any chemicals or additives. Sometimes she added food coloring. I prepared the same dough for my son when he was a toddler. The dough and the pots and pans beneath the counter held far more attraction for him than his toys. He loved banging the pots and pans with a wooden spoon, and loved donning the colander as a helmet. That colander still has dents in it from the times he climbed on top.

Here’s one of my family’s favorites for a real dough. I married a fellow of Irish ancestry and decided that I’d learn to make a good soda bread. This recipe has made its way to a number of the Irish relatives households:

IRISH SODA BREAD

2 Cups Flour
3 Tblsp. Sugar
½ tsp. Baking Soda
½ tsp. Salt
3 Tblsp. Butter
¾ cup Buttermilk
1 Large egg
½ Cup raisins
1 tsp. Carraway seeds

Sift all the dry ingredients together into a large bowl. Cut in the butter. Add the egg, buttermilk, raisins, and caraway seeds. Mix lightly, then knead with your hands until it forms a ball. It should come away from the sides of the bowl. Add a little more flour if necessary. The dough will be sticky. Grease a pan with butter. (A nine inch metal pie plate is what I use.) Place the ball into the center of the pie plate and cut a cross in the center of it. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. It should be slightly browned. Remove from pan and cool on a rack. It’s great with sweet butter!