Blarney Stones

Blarney stone refers to a chunk of bluestone that's built into the battlements of Blarney Castle in Ireland. Folklore has it that if you kiss the blarney stone you will be blessed with the gift of gab; being able to speak eloquently. However, kissing the blarney takes a little flexibility and a lack of acrophobia (fear of heights). To celebrate St. Paddy's Day tomorrow, we made our own little blarney stones. The weather has been gorgeous, so we played outside on the patio.

1/2 cup used coffee grounds

1/2 cup salt

1/4 sand

1 cup flour

1/2 cup water

Combine the dry ingredients then slowly add water. You may not need all the water if your dough gets tacky quickly, if it feels too dry and a little more.

We turned it out on a floured surface to knead it and better incorporate the ingredients.

Divide your dough into how many pieces you want. 6 seemed like a nice even number, but we could have done more smaller ones. We hid some change inside them, but you could easily place little trinkets or toys, like bouncy balls. Eldest child thought it would be a good idea to leave some empty and make a game of it to see who would score the prizes. I think we'll end up with a blarney stone hunt.

Once our little stones were ready I put them on a parchment lined pan and we threw them in the oven on 170° for about 2 hours, flipping them over half way, and then we left them to air dry the rest of the way. They'll be like rocks once they've dried and we'll be able to whack them with a hammer tomorrow.

Happy St. Pat's! May the luck of the Irish be with you and yours!