Corn Flour Dough (Cornstarch) Recipe


Recipe for Corn Starch Dough (Maizena)
1 cup of Maizena flour (Corn starch, cornstarch, corn flour or maize starch is the starch of the corn [maize] grain obtained from the endosperm of the corn kernel)
1 cup PVA glue (white glue)
1 spoon of liquid paraffin (vaseline oil) or glycerin cream
1 spoon of water
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Pour and mix all the ingredients in a nonstick pan and stir with a wooden spoon.
Put the pan over a gas flame on low heat for 11/12 minutes until the paste thickens and becomes detached from  the saucepan.
Place it on a aluminum foil as it cools and after mix it with the hands.
Keep it in small plastic bag or plastic film in a cool place (fridge).

How to Color It
The “corn dough” dried naturally assumes a whitish color.
For color the dough we can act in two different time points, the first when the mixture is soft and the second when the dough is dried.
For the first, add a slight amount of color in the mixture and works it until obtain the desired color. Are generally used tempera paints and acrylics. It’s best to start with a small amount of color and add little amounts of color to saturate or darken the mixture until the desired shade.

Is its also possible use powders, spices and pigments for coloring. Among the natural powders can remember the saffron (that gives a warm red), cinnamon, parsley, paprika.

The second way for color is when the dough is dried. For this type of coloring  are used watercolors or temperas (painting with a brush), for small decorations markers are great.

Normally the color of the mixture slightly darkens when it dries, such as pale pink becomes bright pink.