I am still thinking and investigating pirate related ideas for the box maze.  And when I came across a recipe for ‘treasure stones’ I have to tell you I was VERY excited.  

Related, but not quite … maybe we can have a ‘treasure stone’ side business at the fair … or I can just keep these up my sleeve for the next birthday party?

Anyway, I decided to give them a test run.  Just for fun.

Here’s my modified version of the recipe I found on a blog called http://www.makelifelovely.com.  It worked well.

• 1.5 cups flour
• 1 cup coffee grounds
• 0.5 cup salt
• 0.5 cup sand/dirt
• 0.5 cup water

Sounds delicious right?

So you mix it all up like a firm dough, and then make little balls that look like stones and hide stuff in the middle. I put in plastic jewel rings and then also bouncy balls.  I thought these were sort of ‘treasure’ related.

Then I baked them in the oven for 40 minutes at 175 degrees Celsius.

And voila!  They really do look pretty much like stones don’t you agree?  Actually they feel a bit like damper – hard on the outside and a bit spongy.  Or maybe like salt dough … I imagine that if I leave them out over the next few days they will turn rock solid … don’t you think.  Surely they will with all that salt?

And what’s actually inside?  And my burning question … did it survive the cooking process?

I waited for the kids to come home to find out …

Yes!  Ball good.  Ring good.  It really just needs to get a bit harder all the way through now.  How super.